Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Yair Krongold

Publications and source records attributed to Yair Krongold.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The Lockman-SpReSO project. Galactic flows in a sample of far-infrared galaxies

Methods. We performed measurements of the \MgII, \MgI, \FeIIa, \FeIIb, and \FeIIc\ spectral lines present in the spectra of the selected sample to determine the EW and velocity of the flows observed in the star-forming galaxies. Subsequently, we conducted $10^7$ bootstrap simulations using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient ($ρ_s$) to explore correlations with galaxy properties. Furthermore, we calculated the covering factor, gas density, and optical depth for the measured \ion{Fe}{II} doublets. Results. Our analysis revealed strong correlations between the EW of \ion{Mg}{II} lines and both $M_{*}$ ($ρ_s=0.43$, 4.5$σ$) and SFR ($ρ_s=0.42$, 4.4$σ$). For the \ion{Fe}{II} lines, we observed strong correlations between the EW and SFR ($ρ_s\sim0.65$, $>3.9σ$), with a weaker correlation for $M_{*}$ ($ρ_s\sim0.35$, $>1.9σ$). No notable correlations were found between velocity measurements of \ion{Mg}{II} line and $M_{*}$, SFR, or sSFR of the objects ($ρ_s\sim0.1)$. However, a negative strong correlation was found between the velocity of the \ion{Fe}{II} lines and the SFR of the galaxies ($ρ_s\sim-0.45$, $\sim3σ$). Our results align with previous studies but studying FIR-selected objects. Finally, we detected a candidate \textit{loitering outflow}, a recently discovered subtype of FeLoBAL quasar, at redshift of $z=1.4399$, exhibiting emission in \ion{C}{III}] and low line velocities ($|v|\lesssim$ 200 km/s).

astro-ph.GA↗

Super-virial Hot Phase in Milky Way Circumgalactic Medium: Further Evidences

Recent discoveries of a super-virial hot phase of the Milky Way circumgalactic medium (CGM) has launched new questions regarding the multi-phase structure of the CGM around the Galaxy. We use 1.05 Ms of archival Chandra/HETG observations to characterize highly ionized metal absorption at z=0 along the line of sight of the quasar NGC 3783. We detect two distinct temperature phases with T$_1 = 5.83^{+0.15}_{-0.07}$ K, warm-hot virial temperature, and T$_2=6.61^{+0.12}_{-0.06}$ K, hot super-virial temperature. The super-virial hot phase coexisting with the warm-hot virial phase has been detected in absorption along only two other sightlines and in one stacking analysis. There is scatter in temperature of the hot as well as warm-hot gas. Similar to previous observations, we detect super-solar abundance ratios of metals in the hot phase, with a Ne/O ratio 2$σ$ above solar mixtures. These new detections continue the mystery of the mechanism behind the super-virial hot phase, but provide evidence that this is a true property of the CGM rather than an isolated observation. The super-virial CGM could hold the key to understanding the physical and chemical history of the Milky Way.

astro-ph.GA↗

Time Evolving Photo Ionisation Device (TEPID): a novel code for out-of-equilibrium gas ionisation

Photoionisation is one of the main mechanisms at work in the gaseous environment of bright astrophysical sources. Many information on the gas physics, chemistry and kinematics, as well as on the ionising source itself, can be gathered through optical to X-ray spectroscopy. While several public time equilibrium photoionisation codes are readily available and can be used to infer average gas properties at equilibrium, time-evolving photoionisation models have only very recently started to become available. They are needed when the ionising source varies faster than the typical gas equilibration timescale. Indeed, using equilibrium models to analyse spectra of non-equilibrium gas may lead to inaccurate results and prevents a solid assessment of the gas density, physics and geometry. We present our novel Time-Evolving PhotoIonisation Device (TEPID), which self-consistently solves time evolving photoionisation equations (thermal and ionisation balance) and follows the response of the gas to changes of the ionising source. The code can be applied to a variety of astrophysical scenarios and produces time-resolved gas absorption spectra to fit the data. To describe the main features of TEPID, we apply it to two dramatically different astrophysical scenarios: a typical ionised absorber observed in the X-ray spectra of Active Galactic Nuclei (e.g. Warm Absorbers and UFOs) and the circumburst environment of a Gamma-Ray Burst. In both cases, the gas energy and ionisation balances vary as a function of time, gas density and distance from the ionising source. Time evolving ionisation leads to unique ionisation patterns which cannot be reproduced by stationary codes when the gas is out of equilibrium. This demonstrates the need for codes such as TEPID in view of the up-coming high-resolution X-ray spectrometers onboard missions like XRISM or Athena.

astro-ph.HE↗

X-Ray Detection of the Galaxy's Missing Baryons in the Circum-Galactic Medium of L$^*$ Galaxies

The amount of baryons hosted in the disks of galaxies is lower than expected based on the mass of their dark-matter halos and the fraction of baryon-to-total matter in the universe, giving rise to the so called galaxy missing-baryon problem. The presence of cool circum-galactic matter gravitationally bound to its galaxy's halo up to distances of at least ten times the size of the galaxy's disk, mitigates the problem but is far from being sufficient for its solution. It has instead been suggested, that the galaxy missing baryons may hide in a much hotter gaseous phase of the circum-galactic medium, possibly near the halo virial temperature and co-existing with the cool phase. Here we exploit the best available X-ray spectra of known cool circum-galactic absorbers of L$^*$ galaxies to report the first direct high-statistical-significance (best estimates ranging from $4.2-5.6σ$, depending on fitting methodology)} detection of associated OVII absorption in the stacked XMM and Chandra spectra of three quasars. We show that these absorbers trace hot medium in the X-ray halo of these systems, at logT(in k)$\simeq 5.8-6.3$ K (comprising the halo virial temperature T$_{vir} \simeq 10^6$ K). We estimate masses of the X-ray halo within 1 virial radius within the interval M$_{hot-CGM}\simeq (1-1.7)\times 10^{11} (Z/0.3 Z_{\odot})^{-1}$ M$_{\odot}$. For these systems, this corresponds to galaxy missing baryon fractions in the range $ξ_b = M_{hot-CGM}/M_{missing}\simeq (0.7-1.2) (Z/0.3 Z_{\odot})^{-1}$, thus potentially closing the galaxy baryon census in typical L$^*$ galaxies. Our measurements contribute significantly to the solution of the long-standing galaxy missing baryon problem and to the understanding of the continuous cycle of baryons in-and-out of galaxies throughout the life of the universe.

astro-ph.GA↗

Star formation efficiency and AGN feedback in narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies with fast X-ray nuclear winds

We present the first systematic study of the molecular gas and star formation efficiency in a sample of ten narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies selected to have X-ray Ultra Fast Outflows and, therefore, to potentially show AGN feedback effects. CO observations were obtained with the IRAM 30m telescope in six galaxies and from the literature for four galaxies. We derived the stellar mass, star formation rate, AGN and FIR dust luminosities by fitting the multi-band spectral energy distributions with the CIGALE code. Most of the galaxies in our sample lie above the main sequence (MS) and the molecular depletion time is one to two orders of magnitude shorter than the one typically measured in local star-forming galaxies. Moreover, we found a promising correlation between the star formation efficiency and the Eddington ratio, as well as a tentative correlation with the AGN luminosity. The role played by the AGN activity in the regulation of star formation within the host galaxies of our sample remains uncertain (little or no effect? positive feedback?). Nevertheless, we can conclude that quenching by the AGN activity is minor and that star formation will likely stop in a short time due to gas exhaustion by the current starburst episode.

astro-ph.GA↗

Probing the hot circumgalactic medium of external galaxies in X-ray absorption II: a luminous spiral galaxy at $z\approx 0.225$

The circumgalactic medium (CGM) is the most massive baryonic component of a spiral galaxy, shock heated to about $10^6$K for an $\rm L^{\star}$ galaxy. The CGM of the Milky Way has been well-characterized through X-ray absorption line spectroscopy. However, the paucity of bright background sources makes it challenging to probe the CGM of external galaxies. Previously, using broad OVI absorption as a signpost, we successfully detected the CGM of one galaxy in X-rays. Here we report on the detection of the OVII $Kα$ absorption line at the redshift of a spiral galaxy at $z\approx0.225$ using 1.2 Ms of Chandra observations. This is a robust detection, clearly showing the presence of the hot gas. The mass in the hot phase is at least an order of magnitude larger than that in the cooler phases detected in the UV. The presence of hot gas $116h^{-1}$kpc from the center of this galaxy provides credence to the existence of the extended CGM of the Milky Way. There has been a report of the detection of OVII absorption from the warm-hot intergalactic medium in this sightline using stacking analysis on an older dataset. We argue that the absorption line is from the CGM of the $z\approx0.225$ galaxy instead.

astro-ph.GA↗

Thermal and chemical properties of the eROSITA bubbles from Suzaku observations

The X-ray bright bubbles at the Galactic Center provide an opportunity to understand the effects of feedback on galaxy evolution. The shells of the eROSITA bubbles show enhanced X-ray emission over the sky background. Previously, these shells were assumed to have a single temperature component and to trace the shock-heated lower-temperature halo gas. Using Suzaku observations, we show that the X-ray emission of the shells is more complex and best described by a two-temperature thermal model: one component close to the Galaxy's virial temperature and the other at super-virial temperatures. Furthermore, we demonstrate that temperatures of the virial and super-virial components are similar in the shells and in the ambient medium, although the emission measures are significantly higher in the shells. This leads us to conclude that the eROSITA bubble shells are X-ray bright because they trace denser gas, not because they are hotter. Given that the pre- and post-shock temperatures are similar and the compression ratio of the shock is high, we rule out that the bubble shells trace adiabatic shocks, in contrast to what was assumed in previous studies. We also observe non-solar Ne/O and Mg/O ratios in the shells, favouring stellar feedback models for the formation of the bubbles and settling a long-standing debate on their origin.

astro-ph.GA↗

Detection of a Super-Virial Hot Component in the Milky Way Circumgalactic Medium Along Multiple Sight-Lines by Using the Stacking Technique

The study of the elusive hot component ($T \gtrsim 10^7$ K) of the Milky Way circumgalactic medium (CGM) is a novel topic to understand Galactic formation and evolution. In this work, we use the stacking technique through 46 lines of sight with Chandra ACIS-S HETG totaling over 10Ms of exposure time and 9 lines of sight with ACIS-S LETG observations totaling over 1Ms of exposure time, to study in absorption the presence of highly ionized metals arising from the super-virial temperature phase of the CGM. Focusing in the spectral range $4 - 8$ $Å$, we were able to confirm the presence of this hot phase with high significance. We detected transitions of Si XIV K$α$ (with total significance of 6.0$σ$) and, for the first time, SXVI K (total significance 4.8$σ$) in the rest frame of our own Galaxy. For S XVI K$α$ we found a column density of $1.50^{+0.44}_{-0.38} \times 10^{16} \mathrm{cm}^{-2}$. For Si XIV K$α$ we measured a column density of $0.87\pm{0.16} \times 10^{16} \mathrm{cm}^{-2}$. The lines of sight used in this work are spread across the sky, probing widely separated regions of the CGM. Therefore, our results indicate that this newly discovered hot medium extends throughout the halo, and is not related only to the Galactic Bubbles. The hot gas location, distribution, and covering factor, however, remain unknown. This component might contribute significantly to the missing baryons and metals in the Milky Way.

astro-ph.GA↗

NOEMA spatially resolved view of the multi-phase outflow in IRAS17020+4544: a shocked wind in action?

The Narrow Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy IRAS17020+4544 is one of the few AGN where a galaxy-scale energy-conserving outflow was revealed. This paper reports on NOEMA observations addressed to constrain the spatial scale of the CO emission in outflow. The molecular outflowing gas is resolved in five components tracing approaching and receding gas, all located at a distance of 2-3~kpc on the West and East side of the active nucleus. This high velocity gas (up to v_out=~1900 km/s) is not coincident with the rotation pattern of the CO gas in the host galaxy disk. The estimated mass outflow rate shows that with a global mass output of $\dot{M}_{H_2}$=~139$\pm$20$~M_\odot$~yr$^{-1}$, this powerful galaxy-scale outflow is consistent with the wind conserving its energy, and with a momentum rate boost of a factor of ~30 compared to the momentum rate of the nuclear X-ray wind. Preliminary results from ancillary X-ray (Chandra) and radio images (e-MERLIN) are reported. While the nature of the radio source is not conclusive, the Chandra image may tentatively trace extended emission, as expected by an expanding bubble of hot X-ray gas. The outcome of the NOEMA analysis and of past and ongoing publications dedicated to the description of the outflow multi-band phenomenology in IRAS17020+4544 concur to provide compelling reasons to postulate that an outflow shocking with the galaxy interstellar medium is driving the multi-phase wind in this peculiar AGN.

astro-ph.GA↗

Optimized Spectral Energy Distribution for Seyfert Galaxies

The temperature predicted by photoionization models for the Narrow Line Region of Seyfert 2 galaxies is lower than the value inferred from the observed [O III] λ4363A/λ5007A line ratio. We explore the possibility of considering a harder ionizing continuum than typically assumed. The spectral ionizing energy distribution, which can generate the observed λ4363A/λ5007A ratio, is characterized by a secondary continuum peak at 200 eV.

astro-ph.GA↗

The hot circumgalactic medium of the Milky-Way: new insights from XMM-Newton observations

We present XMM-Newton observations around the sightline of Mrk 421. The emission spectrum of the Milky Way circumgalactic medium (CGM) shows that a two phase model is a better fit to the data compared to a single phase model; in addition to the warm-hot virial phase at log ($T/$K) = $6.33_{-0.02}^{+0.03}$, a hot super-virial phase at log ($T/$K) = $6.88_{-0.07}^{+0.08}$ is required. Furthermore, we present observations of five fields within 5 degrees of the primary field. Their spectra also require a two-phase model at warm-hot and hot temperatures. The hot phase, first discovered in Das et al. 2019, appears to be widespread. By chemical tagging we show that emission from the supevirial phase comes from the L-shell transitions of Fe XVIII-FeXXII, and that the range of temperatures probed in emission is distinct from that in absorption. We detect scatter in temperature and emission measure (EM) in both the phases, and deduce that there is small-scale density inhomogeneity in the MW CGM. The emitting gas likely has higher density, possibly from regions close to the disk of the MW, while the absorption in the virial phase may arise from low-density gas extended out to the virial radius of the MW. The presence of the super-virial phase far from the regions around the Galactic center implicates physical processes unrelated to the activity at the Galactic center. Hot outflows resulting from star-formation activity throughout the Galactic disk are likely responsible for producing this phase.

astro-ph.GA↗

UV counterpart of an X-ray ultra-fast outflow in IRAS 17020+4544

We report on the discovery of a UV absorption counterpart of a low-ionization X-ray ultra-fast outflow (UFO) in the Narrow-Line Seyfert-1 galaxy IRAS 17020+4544. This UV signature of the UFO is seen as a narrow and blueshifted Lyman-alpha absorption feature in the far-UV spectrum, taken with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The Lyman-alpha feature is found to be outflowing with a velocity of -23430 km/s (0.078 c). We carry out high-resolution UV spectroscopy and photoionization modeling to study the UFO that is seen in the HTS/COS spectrum. The results of our modeling show that the UV UFO corresponds to a low-ionization, low-velocity component of the X-ray UFO found previously with XMM-Newton's Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS). The other higher-velocity and higher-ionization components of the X-ray UFOs are not significantly detected in the HST/COS spectrum, consistent with predictions of our photoionization calculations. The multiple ionization and velocity components of the UFOs in IRAS 17020+4544 suggest a scenario where a powerful primary UFO entrains and shocks the ambient medium, resulting in formation of weaker secondary UFO components, such as the one found in the UV band.

astro-ph.HE↗

The hot circumgalactic medium of the Milky Way: evidence for super-virial, virial, and sub-virial temperature, non-solar chemical composition, and non-thermal line broadening

For the first time, we present the simultaneous detection and characterization of three distinct phases at $>10^5$ K in $z=0$ absorption, using deep $\it{Chandra}$ observations toward Mrk 421. The extraordinarily high signal-to-noise ratio ($\geqslant60$) of the spectra has allowed us to detect a $\it{hot}$ phase of the Milky Way circumgalactic medium (CGM) at 3.2$^{+1.5}_{-0.5}\times$ 10$^7$ K, coexisting with a $\textit{warm-hot}$ phase at 1.5$\pm$0.1$\times$10$^6$ K and a $\textit{warm}$ phase at 3.0$\pm$0.4$\times$10$^5$ K. The $\textit{warm-hot}$ phase is at the virial temperature of the Galaxy, and the $\textit{warm}$ phase may have cooled from the $\textit{warm-hot}$ phase, but the super-virial $\textit{hot}$ phase remains a mystery. We find that [C/O] in the $\textit{warm}$ and $\textit{warm-hot}$ phases, [Mg/O] in the $\textit{warm-hot}$ phase and [Ne/O] in the $\textit{hot}$ phase are super-solar, and the $\textit{hot}$ and the $\textit{warm-hot}$ phases are $α-$enhanced. Non-thermal line broadening is evident in the $\textit{warm-hot}$ and the $\textit{hot}$ phases and it dominates the total line broadening. Our results indicate that the $>10^5$ K CGM is a complex ecosystem. It provides insights on the thermal and chemical history of the Milky Way CGM, and theories of galaxy evolution.

astro-ph.GA↗

Super-virial temperature or Neon overabundance?: Suzaku observations of the Milky Way circumgalactic Medium

We analyzed Suzaku and Chandra observations of the soft diffuse X-ray background toward four sightlines with the goal of characterizing the X-ray emission from the Milky Way circumgalactic medium (CGM). We identified two thermal components of the CGM, one at a uniform temperature of $\rm kT = 0.176\pm0.008 ~keV$ and the other at temperatures ranging between $\rm kT = 0.65-0.90~ keV$. The uniform lower temperature component is consistent with the Galaxy's virial temperature ($ \sim10^{6}~ K$). The temperatures of the hotter components are similar to that recently discovered ($\rm \sim 10^{7}~ K$; Das et al.) in the sightline to blazar 1ES1553+113, passing close to the Fermi bubble. Alternatively, the spectra can be described by just one lower-temperature component with super-solar Neon abundance, once again similar to that found in the 1ES1553+113 sightline. The additional hot component or the overabundance of Ne is required at a significance of $>4σ$, but we cannot distinguish between the two possibilities. These results show that the super-virial temperature gas or an enhanced Ne abundance in the warm-hot gas in the CGM is widespread, and these are not necessarily related to the Fermi bubble.

astro-ph.HE↗

Empirical estimates of the Galactic halo contribution to the dispersion measures of extragalactic fast radio bursts using X-ray absorption

We provide an empirical list of the Galactic dispersion measure ($DM_{Gal}$) contribution to the extragalactic fast radio bursts along 72 sightlines. It is independent of any model of the Galaxy, i.e., we do not assume the density of the disk or the halo, spatial extent of the halo, baryonic mass content, or any such external constraints to measure $DM_{Gal}$. We use 21-cm, UV, EUV and X-ray data to account for different phases, and find that $DM_{Gal}$ is dominated by the hot phase probed by X-ray absorption. We improve upon the measurements of N(\oviin) and f$_{OVII}$ compared to previous studies, thus providing a better estimate of the hot phase contribution. The median $DM_{Gal}$=64$^{+20}_{-23}$ cm$^{-3}$ pc, with a 68\% (90\%) confidence interval of 33--172 (23--660) cm$^{-3}$ pc. The $DM_{Gal}$ does not appear to follow any trend with the galactic longitude or latitude, and there is a large scatter around the values predicted by simple disk+spherical halo models. Our measurements provide more complete and accurate estimates of $DM_{Gal}$ independent from the previous studies. We provide a table and a code to retrieve $DM_{Gal}$ for any FRB localized in the sky.

astro-ph.GA↗

Probing the Warm-Hot Circumgalactic Medium with broad OVI and X-rays

Most of the baryonic mass in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of a spiral galaxy is believed to be warm-hot, with temperature around $10^6$K. The narrow OVI absorption lines probe a somewhat cooler component at $\log \rm T(K)= 5.5$, but broad OVI absorbers have the potential to probe the hotter CGM. Here we present 376 ks Chandra LETG observations of a carefully selected galaxy in which the presence of broad OVI together with the non-detection of Lya was indicative of warm-hot gas. The strongest line expected to be present at $\approx 10^6$K is OVII $λ21.602$. There is a hint of an absorption line at the redshifted wavelength, but the line is not detected with better than $2σ$ significance. A physical model, taking into account strengths of several other lines, provides better constraints. Our best-fit absorber model has $\log \rm T(K) =6.3\pm 0.2$ and $\log \rm N_{H} (cm^{-2})=20.7^{+0.3}_{-0.5}$. These parameters are consistent with the warm-hot plasma model based on UV observations; other OVI models of cooler gas phases are ruled out at better than $99$% confidence. Thus we have suggestive, but not conclusive evidence for the broad OVI absorber probing the warm-hot gas from the shallow observations of this pilot program. About 800ks of XMM-Newton observations will detect the expected absorption lines of OVII and OVIII unequivocally. Future missions like XRISM, Arcus and Athena will revolutionize the CGM science.

astro-ph.GA↗

Multiple temperature components of the hot circumgalactic medium of the Milky Way

We present a deep XMM-Newton observation of the Galactic halo emission in the direction of the blazar 1ES 1553+113. In order to extract the Galactic halo component from the diffuse soft X-ray emission spectrum, accurately modeling the foreground components is crucial. Here we present complex modeling of the foregrounds with unprecedented details. A careful analysis of the spectrum yields two temperature components of the halo gas (T$^{em}_1$= 10$^{6.25-6.42}$K, T$^{em}_2$= 10$^{6.68-6.92}$K). We find that these temperatures obtained from the emission spectrum are not consistent with those from the absorption spectrum (T$^{ab}_1$= 10$^{6.07-6.13}$K, T$^{ab}_2$= 10$^{6.96-7.15}$K), unlike the previous studies that found only one temperature component of the Milky Way circumgalactic medium. This provides us with interesting insights into the nature of emitting and absorbing systems. We discuss several possibilities objectively, and conclude that most likely we are observing multiple (3 to 4) discrete temperatures between 10$^{5.5}$K and $\geqslant$10$^7$K in the Milky Way circumgalactic medium.

astro-ph.GA↗

Discovery of a very hot phase of the Milky Way CGM with non-solar abundance ratios

We present the discovery of a very hot gas phase of the Milky Way circumgalactic medium (CGM) at T $\approx 10^7$ K, using deep XMM-Newton RGS observations of 1ES 1553+113. The hot gas, coexisting with a warm-hot phase at T $\approx 10^6$ K is $α-$enhanced, with [O/Fe] = 0.9$^{+0.7}_{-0.3}$, indicating core-collapse supernovae enrichment. Additionally we find [Ne/O] and [N/O] = $0.7^{+1.6}_{-0.2}$, such that N/Ne is consistent with solar. Along with the enrichment by AGB stars and core-collapse supernovae, this indicates that some oxygen has depleted onto dust and/or transited to cooler gas phase(s). These results may affect previous baryonic and metallic mass estimations of the warm-hot and hot CGM from the observations of oxygen emission and absorption. Our results provide insights on the heating, mixing and chemical enrichment of the Milky Way CGM, and provide inputs to theoretical models of galaxy evolution.

astro-ph.GA↗