Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Yoshiaki Sofue

Publications and source records attributed to Yoshiaki Sofue.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Radial Distributions of Surface Mass Density and Mass-to-Luminosity Ratio in Spiral Galaxies

We present radial profiles of the surface mass density (SMD) in spiral galaxies directly calculated using rotation curves (RC) on two approximations of flat-disk (SMD-F) and spherical mass distribution (SMD-S). The SMDs are combined with surface brightness (SB) using photometric data to derive radial variations of the mass-to-luminosity ratio (ML). It is found that ML has generally a central peak or a plateau, and decreases to a local minimum at $R\sim 0.1-0.2 h$, where $R$ is the radius and $h$ is the scale radius of optical disk. The ML ratio, then, increases rapidly till $\sim 0.5h$, and is followed by gradual rise till $\sim 2h$, remaining at around ML$\sim 2$ in w1 band (infrared $λ$ 3.4 $μ$m) and $\sim 10\ [M_\odot L_\odot^{-1}]$ in r-band ($λ$6200-7500 A). Beyond this radius, ML steeply increases toward the observed edges at $R\sim 5h$, attaining values as high as ML$\sim 20$ in w1 and $\sim 10^2\ [M_\odot L_\odot^{-1}]$ in r-band, indicative of dominant dark matter. The general properties of the ML distributions will be useful to constrain cosmological formation models of spiral galaxies. The radial profiles of the RC, SMD, and ML are available in pdf/eps figures and machine-readable tables as an archival atlas at URL http://www.ioa.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/$\sim$sofue/smd2018/ and as the supplementary data on PASJ home page.

astro-ph.GA↗

X-ray and Gamma-ray Observations of the Fermi Bubbles and NPS/Loop I Structures

The Fermi bubbles were possibly created by large injections of energy into the Galactic Center (GC), either by an active galactic nucleus (AGN) or by nuclear starburst more than ~10 Myr ago. However, the origin of the diffuse gamma-ray emission associated with Loop I, a radio continuum loop spanning across 100 deg on the sky, is still being debated. The northern-most part of Loop I, known as the North Polar Spur (NPS), is the brightest arm and is even clearly visible in the ROSAT X-ray sky map. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review on the X-ray observations of the Fermi bubbles and their possible association with the NPS and Loop I structures. Using uniform analysis of archival Suzaku and Swift data, we show that X-ray plasma with kT ~ 0.3 keV and low metal abundance (Z ~ 0.2 Z_solar) is ubiquitous in both the bubbles and Loop I and is naturally interpreted as weakly shock-heated Galactic halo gas. However, the observed asymmetry of the X-ray-emitting gas above and below the GC has still not been resolved; it cannot be fully explained by the inclination of the axis of the Fermi bubbles to the Galactic disk normal. We argue that the NPS and Loop I may be asymmetric remnants of a large explosion that occurred before the event that created the Fermi bubbles, and that the soft gamma-ray emission from Loop I may be due to either pi^0 decay of accelerated protons or electron bremsstrahlung.

astro-ph.HE↗

Cosmic Magnetism in Centimeter and Meter Wavelength Radio Astronomy

Magnetic field is ubiquitous in the Universe and it plays essential roles in various astrophysical phenomena, yet its real origin and evolution are poorly known. This article reviews current understanding of magnetic fields in the interstellar medium, the Milky Way Galaxy, external galaxies, active galactic nuclei, clusters of galaxies, and the cosmic web. Particularly, the review concentrates on the achievements that have been provided by centimeter and meter wavelength radio observations. The article also introduces various methods to analyze linear polarization data, including synchrotron radiation, Faraday rotation, depolarization, and Faraday tomography.

astro-ph.HE↗

FOREST Unbiased Galactic plane Imaging survey with the Nobeyama 45-m telescope (FUGIN) I: Project Overview and Initial Results

The FOREST Unbiased Galactic plane Imaging survey with the Nobeyama 45-m telescope (FUGIN) project is one of the legacy projects using the new multi-beam FOREST receiver installed on the Nobeyama 45-m telescope. This project aims to investigate the distribution, kinematics, and physical properties of both diffuse and dense molecular gas in the Galaxy at once by observing 12CO, 13CO, and C18O J=1-0 lines simultaneously. The mapping regions are a part of the 1st quadrant (10d < l < 50d, |b| < 1d) and the 3rd quadrant (198d < l <236d, |b| < 1d) of the Galaxy, where spiral arms, bar structure, and the molecular gas ring are included. This survey achieves the highest angular resolution to date (~20") for the Galactic plane survey in the CO J=1-0 lines, which makes it possible to find dense clumps located farther away than the previous surveys. FUGIN will provide us with an invaluable dataset for investigating the physics of the galactic interstellar medium (ISM), particularly the evolution of interstellar gas covering galactic scale structures to the internal structures of giant molecular clouds, such as small filament/clump/core. We present an overview of the FUGIN project, observation plan, and initial results, which reveal wide-field and detailed structures of molecular clouds, such as entangled filaments that have not been obvious in previous surveys, and large-scale kinematics of molecular gas such as spiral arms.

astro-ph.GA↗

Giant HI Hole inside the 3-kpc Ring and the North Polar Spur - The Galactic Crater -

Applying a newly developed tangent-circle method (TCM), we derive a volume density map of HI gas in the inner Galaxy as a function of galacto-centric distance $R$ and height $Z$. The HI hole around the Galactic Center (GC) is shown to have a crater-shaped wall, which coincides with the brightest ridge of the North Polar Spur and emanates from the 3-kpc expanding ring. The crater structure is explained by sweeping of the halo gas by a shock-wave from the GC. The unperturbed HI halo outside 3 kpc is shown to be in hydrostatic equilibrium, obeying the sech$^2 Z/h$ density law with a scale height $h \sim 450$ pc.

astro-ph.GA↗

The 200-pc Molecular Cylinder in the Galactic Centre

Analyzing the 3D structure of the molecular gas distribution in the central 200 pc region of the Galaxy, we show that the expanding molecular ring (EMR, also known as the parallelogram) and the central molecular zone (CMZ) exhibit quite different distributions and kinematics. The EMR composes a bipolar vertical cylinder with the total length as long as $\sim 170$ pc and shows large non-circular velocities. On the contrary, the CMZ is distributed in a nearly rigid-body rotating ring and arms tightly concentrated near the galactic plane with full thickness less than $\sim 30$ pc. Furthermore, the mass and density ratios of the EMR to CMZ are as small as $\sim 0.13$ and $0.04$, respectively. We discuss the origins of the EMR and CMZ based on the bar and explosion models. We suggest that the EMR's large vertical extent can be explained by a cylindrical shock wave model driven by an explosive activity in the Galactic Centre.

astro-ph.GA↗

Radial Variations of the Volume- and Surface-Star Formation Laws in the Galaxy

Variation of the volume- and surface-Schmidt laws (star-formation or SF law) with the galacto-centric distance R was investigated using 3D distributions of HII regions, HI, and molecular (H_2) gases in the Milky Way. Both the power-law index and SF coefficient were found to be variable with R. The index is flatter in the inner disc than in the outer Galaxy, and the coefficient is larger in the inner disc, decreasing steeply outward. There is also a mutual anti-correlation between the index and SF coefficient, and the SF law can be expressed by a single-parameter function of the SF coefficient. The variable SF law is discussed in relation to the self-regulation star formation.

astro-ph.GA↗

Optical Thickness, Spin Temperature, and Correction Factor for Density of the Galactic HI Gas

A method to determine the spin temperature of the local (Vlsr=0 km/s) HI gas using saturated brightness temperature of the 21-cm line in the radial-velocity degenerate regions (VDR) is presented. The spin temperatures is determined to be Ts= 146.2 +/- 16.1 K by measuring saturated brightness in the VDR toward the Galactic Center, 146.8 +/- 10.7 K by chi^2 fitting of expected brightness distribution to observation around the VDR, and 144.4 +/- 6.8 K toward the local arm. Assuming Ts=146 K, a correction factor Gamma for the HI density, defined by the ratio of the true HI density for finite optical thickness to that calculated by assuming optically thin HI, was obtained to be Gamma~1.2 (optical depth tau~0.3) in the local HI gas, ~1.8 (~1.3) toward the arm and anti-center, and as high as ~3.6 (~2.7) in the Galactic Center direction. It is suggested that the HI density and mass in the local arm could be ~2 times, and that in the inner Galaxy ~3.6 times, greater than the currently estimated values.

astro-ph.GA↗

Star Formation Law in the Milky Way

The Schmidt law (SF law) in the Milky Way was investigated using 3D distribution maps of HII regions, HI and molecular (\Htwo) gases with spatial resolutions of $\sim 1$ kpc in the Galactic plane and a few tens of pc in the vertical direction. HII regions were shown to be distributed in a star-forming (SF) disk with nearly constant vertical full thickness 92 pc in spatial coincidence with the molecular gas disk. The vertically averaged volume star formation rate (SFR) $ρ_{\rm SFR}$ in the SF disk is related to the surface SFR $Σ_{\rm SFR}$ by $ρ_{\rm SFR} /[{\rm M_\odot y^{-1} kpc^{-3}}] =9.26\times Σ_{\rm SFR}/[{\rm M_\odot y^{-1} kpc^{-2}}]$. The SF law fitted by a single power law of gas density in the form of $Σ_{\rm SFR} \propto ρ_{\rm SFR} \propto ρ_{\rm gas}^α$ and $\propto Σ_{\rm gas}^β$ showed indices of $α=0.78 \pm 0.05$ for $ρ_{\rm H_2}$ and $2.15 \pm 0.08$ for $ρ_{\rm total}$, and $β=1.14\pm 0.23$ for $Σ_{\rm total}$, where $ρ$ and $Σ$ denote volume and surface densities, respectively. The star formation rate is shown to be directly related to the molecular gas, but indirectly to HI and total gas densities. The dependence of the SF law on the gaseous phase is explained by the phase transition theory between HI and H$_2$ gases.

astro-ph.GA↗

Rotation and Mass in the Milky Way and Spiral Galaxies

[PASJ Review Paper] Rotation curves are the basic tool for deriving the distribution of mass in spiral galaxies. In this review, we describe various methods to measure rotation curves in the Milky Way and spiral galaxies. We then describe two major methods to calculate the mass distribution using the rotation curve. By the direct method, the mass is calculated from rotation velocities without employing mass models. By the decomposition method, the rotation curve is deconvolved into multiple mass components by model fitting assuming a black hole, bulge, exponential disk and dark halo. The decomposition is useful for statistical correlation analyses among the dynamical parameters of the mass components. We also review recent observations and derived results. ( Full resolution copy is available at URL: http://www.ioa.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~sofue/htdocs/PASJreview2016/ )

astro-ph.GA↗

Three-Dimensional Aquila Rift: Magnetized HI Arch Anchored by Molecular Complex

Three dimensional structure of the Aquila Rift of magnetized neutral gas is investigated by analyzing HI and CO line data. The projected distance on the Galactic plane of the HI arch of the Rift is ~250 pc from the Sun. The HI arch emerges at l~ 30 deg, reaches to altitudes as high as ~ 500 pc above the plane at l~ 350deg, and returns to the disk at l~270 deg. The extent of arch at positive latitudes is ~1 kpc and radius is ~100 pc. The eastern root is associated with the giant molecular cloud complex, which is the main body of the optically defined Aquila Rift. The HI and molecular masses of the Rift are estimated to be M_HI~1.4x10^5Msun and M_H2 ~3x10^5 Msun. Gravitational energies to lift the gases to their heights are E_grav: HI ~1.4x10^51 and E_grav: H_2 ~0.3x10^51 erg, respectively. Magnetic field is aligned along the HI arch of the Rift, and the strength is measured to be B~10 microG using Faraday rotation measures of extragalactic radio sources. The magnetic energy is estimated to be E_mag~1.2x10^51 erg. A possible mechanism of formation of the Aquila Rift is proposed in terms of interstellar magnetic inflation by a sinusoidal Parker instability of wavelength of ~2.5 kpc and amplitude ~500 pc.

astro-ph.GA↗

CO-to-H_2 Conversion Factor of Molecular Clouds using X-Ray Shadows

A new method to determine the CO-to-H$_2$ conversion factor $X_{\rm CO}$ using absorption of diffuse X-ray emission by local molecular clouds was developed. It was applied to the Ophiucus (G353+17) and Corona Australis (G359-18) clouds using CO-line and soft X-ray archival data. We obtained a value $X_{\rm CO} =1.85 \pm 0.45 \times 10^{20} {\rm H_2 cm^{-2}/(K~ km~ s^{-1})}$ as the average of least-$chi^2$ fitting results for R4 (0.7 keV) and R5 (0.8 keV) bands. Full resolution pdf available at http://www.ioa.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~sofue/htdocs/2016Xco/

astro-ph.GA↗

Three-Dimensional Distribution of the ISM in the Milky Way Galaxy: IV. 3D Molecular Fraction and Galactic-Scale HI-to-H$_2$ Transition

Three dimensional (3D) distribution of the volume-density molecular fraction, defined by fmol_rho=rho_H2/(rho_HI + rho_H2), is studied in the Milky Way Galaxy. The molecular front appears at galacto-centric distance of R \sim 8 kpc, where the phase transition from atomic to molecular hydrogen occurs suddenly with fmol_rho dropping from \sim 0.8 to 0.2 within a radial interval as narrow as \sim 0.5 kpc. The front in fmol_rho is much sharper than that for surface density molecular fraction. The front also appears in the vertical direction with a full width of the high-fmol_rho disk to be \sim 100 pc. The radial and vertical fmol_rho profiles, particularly the front behaviors, are fitted by theoretical curves calculated using the observed density profile and assumed radiation field and metallicity with exponential gradients. The molecular fraction was found to be enhanced along the Perseus and some other spiral arms. The fmol_rho arms imply that the molecular clouds are produced from HI gas in the spiral arms and are dissociated in the interarm region. We also show that there is a threshold HI density over which the gas is transformed into molecules.

astro-ph.GA↗

Three-Dimensional Distribution of the ISM in the Milky Way Galaxy: III. The Total Neutral Gas Disk

We present newly obtained three-dimensional gaseous maps of the Milky Way Galaxy; HI, H$_2$ and total-gas (HI plus H$_2$) maps, which were derived from the HI and $^{12}$CO($J=1$--0) survey data and rotation curves based on the kinematic distance. The HI and H$_2$ face-on maps show that the HI disk is extended to the radius of 15--20 kpc and its outskirt is asymmetric to the Galactic center, while most of the H$_2$ gas is distributed inside the solar circle. The total gas mass within radius 30 kpc amounts to $8.0\times 10^9$ M$_\odot$, 89\% and 11\% of which are HI and H$_2$, {respectively}. The vertical slices show that the outer HI disk is strongly warped and the inner HI and H$_2$ disks are corrugated. The total gas map is advantageous to trace spiral structure from the inner to outer disk. Spiral structures such as the Norma-Cygnus, the Perseus, the Sagittarius-Carina, the Scutum-Crux, and the Orion arms are more clearly traced in the total gas map than ever. All the spiral arms are well explained with logarithmic spiral arms with pitch angle of $11\degree$ -- $15\degree$. The molecular fraction to the total gas is high near the Galactic center and decreases with the Galactocentric distance. The molecular fraction also locally enhanced at the spiral arms compared with the inter-arm regions.

astro-ph.GA↗

Rotation Curve Decomposition for Size-Mass Relations of Bulge, Disk, and Dark Halo in Spiral Galaxies

Rotation curves of more than one hundred spiral galaxies were compiled from the literature, and deconvolved into bulge, disk, and dark halo using $χ^2$ fitting in order to determine their scale radii and masses. Correlation analyses were obtained of the fitting parameters for galaxies that satisfied selection and accuracy criteria. Size-mass relations indicate that the sizes and masses are positively correlated among different components in such a way that the larger or more massive is the dark halo, the larger or more massive are the disk and bulge. Empirical size-mass relations were obtained for bulge, disk and dark halo by the least-squares fitting. The disk-to-halo mass ratio was found to be systematically greater by a factor of three than that predicted by cosmological simulations combined with photometry. A preliminary mass function for dark halo was obtained, which is represented by the Schechter function followed by a power law.

astro-ph.GA↗

JVLA S and X-band Polarimetry of the Merging Cluster Abell 2256

We report polarimetry results of a merging cluster of galaxies Abell 2256 with Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA). We performed new observations with JVLA at S-band (2051-3947 MHz) and X-band (8051-9947 MHz) in the C array configuration, and detected significant polarized emissions from the radio relic, Source A, and Source B in this cluster. We calculated the total magnetic field strengths toward the radio relic using revised equipartition formula, which is 1.8-5.0 microG. With dispersions of Faraday rotation measure, magnetic-field strengths toward Sources A and B are estimated to be 0.63-1.26 microG and 0.11-0.21 microG, respectively. An extremely high degree of linear polarization, as high as ~ 35 %, about a half of the maximum polarization, was detected toward the radio relic, which indicates highly ordered magnetic lines of force over the beam sizes (~ 52 kpc).The fractional polarization of the radio relic decreases from ~ 35 % to ~ 20 % around 3 GHz as the frequency decreases and is nearly constant between 1.37 and 3 GHz. Both analyses with depolarization models and Faraday tomography suggest multiple depolarization components toward the radio relic and imply the existence of turbulent magnetic fields.

astro-ph.CO↗

Metal Enrichment in the Fermi Bubbles as a Probe of Their Origin

The Fermi bubbles are gigantic gamma-ray structures in our Galaxy. The physical origin of the bubbles is still under debate. The leading scenarios can be divided into two categories. One is the nuclear star forming activity similar to extragalactic starburst galaxies and the other is the past active galactic nucleus (AGN) like activity of the Galactic center supermassive black hole. In this paper, we propose that metal abundance measurements will provide an important clue to probe their origin. Based on a simple spherically symmetric bubble model, we find that the generated metallicity and abundance pattern of the bubbles' gas strongly depend on assumed star formation or AGN activities. Star formation scenarios predict higher metallicities and abundance ratios of [O/Fe] and [Ne/Fe] than AGN scenarios do because of supernovae ejecta. Furthermore, the resultant abundance depends on the gamma-ray emission process because different mass injection histories are required for the different gamma-ray emission processes due to the acceleration and cooling time scales of non-thermal particles. Future X-ray missions such as ASTRO-H and Athena will give a clue to probe the origin of the bubbles through abundance measurements with their high energy resolution instruments.

astro-ph.HE↗

Dark Halos of M31 and the Milky Way

Grand rotation curves (GRC) within ~400 kpc of M31 and the Milky Way were constructed by combining disk rotation velocities and radial velocities of satellite galaxies and globular clusters. The GRC for the Milky Way was revised using the most recent Solar rotation velocity. The derived GRCs were deconvolved into a de Vaucouleurs bulge, exponential disk, and a dark halo with the Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) density profile by the least chi-squares fitting. Comparison of the best-fit parameters revealed similarity of the disks and bulges of the two galaxies, whereas the dark halo mass of M31 was found to be twice the Galaxy's. We show that the NFW model may be a realistic approximation to the observed dark halos in these two giant spirals.

astro-ph.GA↗