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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

Morphology, near-infrared luminosity, and mass of the Galactic bulge from COBE DIRBE observations

Near-infrared images of the Galactic bulge at 1.25, 2.2, 3.5, and 4.9 microns obtained by the Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) onboard the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite are used to characterize its morphology and to determine its infrared luminosity and mass. Earlier analysis of the DIRBE observations (Weiland et al. 1994) provided supporting evidence for the claim made by Blitz & Spergel (1991) that the bulge is bar-shaped with its near end in the first Galactic quadrant. Adopting various triaxial analytical functions to represent the volume emissivity of the source, we confirm the barlike nature of the bulge and show that triaxial Gaussian-type functions provide a better fit to the data than other classes of functions, including an axisymmetric spheroid. The introduction of a `boxy' geometry, such as the one used by Kent, Dame, & Fazio (1991) improves the fit to the data. Our results show that the bar is rotated in the plane with its near side in the first Galactic quadrant creating an angle of 20 deg +/- 10 deg between its major axis and the line of sight to the Galactic center. Typical axis ratios of the bar are (1:0.33 +/- 0.11:0.23 +/- 0.08), resembling the geometry of prolate spheroids. There is no statistically significant evidence for an out-of-plane tilt of the bar at 2.2 microns, and marginal evidence for a tilt of approximately equal 2 deg at 4.9 microns. The introduction of a roll around the intrinsic major axis of the bulge improves the `boxy' appearance of some functions. A simple integration of the observed projected intensity of the bulge gives a bulge luminosity of 1.2 x 10(exp 9), 4.1 x 10(exp 8), 2.3 x 10(exp 8), and 4.3 x 10(exp 7) solar luminosity, respectively, at 1.25, 2.2, 3.5, and 4.9 microns wavelength for a Galactocentric distance of 8.5 kpc. The 2.2 microns luminosity function of the bulge population in the direction of Baade's window yields a bolometric luminosity of L(sub bol) = 5.3 x 10(exp 9) solar luminosity. Stellar evolutionary models relate this luminosity to the number of main-sequence progenitor stars that currently populate the red giant branch. Combined with the recent determination of the main-sequence turnoff mass for the bulge by the Hubble Space Telescope (Holtzman et al. 1993) we derive a photometrically determined bulge mass of approximately equal to 1.3 x 10(exp 10) solar mass for a Salpeter initial mass function extended down to 0.1 solar mass.

Dwek, E.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Radio/X-Ray Luminosity Relation for Advection Dominated Accretion: Implications for Emission-Line Galaxies and the X-Ray Background

Recent studies of the cosmic X-ray background (XRB) have suggested the possible existence of a population of relatively faint sources with hard X-ray spectra; however, the emission mechanism remains unclear. If the hard X-ray emission is from the radiatively inefficient, advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAFs) around massive black holes in galactic nuclei, X-ray luminosity and radio luminosity satisfy the approximate relation L(sub R) approx. 7 x 10(exp 35)(upsilon/15 GHz)(sup 7/5(M/10(exp 7)solar mass)(L(sub X) ergs/s)(sup 1/10 ergs/s, where L(sub R) = (upsilon)L(sub upsilon) is the radio luminosity at frequency upsilon, M is the mass of the accreting black hole, and 10(exp 40) less than or equal to L(sub X) less than or equal to 10(exp 42) ergs/s is the 2-10 keV X-ray luminosity. These sources are characterized by inverted radio spectra I(sub upsilon) varies as upsilon(exp 2/5). For example, an ADAF X-ray source with luminosity L(sub X) approx. 10(exp 41) ergs/s has a nuclear radio luminosity of approx. 4 x 10(M/3 x 10(exp 7) solar mass) ergs/s at approx. 20 GHz, and if it is at a distance of approx. 10(M/3 x 10(exp 7) solar mass) Mpc, it would be detected as a approx. 1 mJy point radio source. High-frequency (approx. 20 GHz), high angular resolution radio observations provide an important test of the ADAF emission mechanism. Since L,, depends strongly on black hole mass and only weakly on X-ray luminosity, the successful measurement of nuclear radio emission could provide an estimate of black hole mass. Because the X-ray spectra produced by ADAFs are relatively hard, sources of this emission are natural candidates for contributing to the hard (greater than 2 keV) background.

Yi, Insu↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Luminosity Function of QSO Host Galaxies

We present some results from our HST archival image study of 71 QSO host galaxies. The objects are selected to have z less than or equal to 0.46 and total absolute magnitude M(sub v) less than or equal to -23 in our adopted cosmology (H(sub 0) = 50 kilometers per second Mpc(sup-1), q(sub 0) = 0.5, lambda = 0)). The aim of this initial study is to investigate the composition of the sample with respect to host morphology and radio loudness, as well as derive the QSO host galaxy luminosity function. We have analyzed available WFPC2 images in R or I band (U in one case), using a uniform set of procedures. The host galaxies span a narrow range of luminosities and are exceptionally bright, much more so than normal galaxies, usually L greater than L*(sub v). The QSOs are almost equally divided among three subclasses: radio-loud QSOs with elliptical hosts, radio-quiet QSOs with elliptical hosts, and radio-quiet QSOs with spiral hosts. Radio-loud QSOs with spiral hosts are extremely rare. Using a weighting procedure, we derive the combined luminosity function of QSO host galaxies. We find that the luminosity function of QSO hosts differs in shape from that of normal galaxies but that they coincide at the highest luminosities. The ratio of the number of quasar hosts to the number of normal galaxies at a luminosity L*(sub v) is R = (Lv/11.48L*(sub v))(sup 2.46), where L*(sub v) corresponds to M*(sub v)= -22.35, and a QSO is defined to be an object with total nuclear plus host light M(sub v) less than or equal to -23. This ratio can be interpreted as the probability that a galaxy with luminosity L(sub V) will host a QSO at redshift z approximately equal to 0.26.

Hamilton, Timothy S.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Luminosity-dependent Changes of the Cyclotron Line Energy and Spectral Hardness in Cepheus X-4

Context. X-ray spectra of accreting pulsars are generally observed to vary with their X-ray luminosity. In particular, the hardness of the X-ray continuum is found to depend on luminosity. In a few sources, the correlation between the energy of the cyclotron resonance scattering feature (CRSF) and the luminosity is clear. Different types (signs) of the correlation are believed to reflect different accretion modes. Aims. We analyse two NuSTAR observations of the transient accreting pulsar Cep X-4 during its 2014 outburst. Our analysis is focused on a detailed investigation of the dependence of the CRSF energy and of the spectral hardness on X-ray luminosity, especially on short timescales. Methods. To investigate the spectral changes as a function of luminosity within each of the two observations, we used the intrinsic variability of the source on the timescale of individual pulse cycles (tens of seconds), the so-called pulse-to-pulse variability. Results. We find that the NuSTAR spectrum of Cep X-4 contains two CRSFs: the fundamental line at ~30 keV and its harmonic at ~55 keV. We find for the first time that the energy of the fundamental CRSF increases and the continuum becomes harder with increasing X-ray luminosity not only between the two observations, that is, on the long timescale, but also within an individual observation, on the timescale of a few tens of seconds. We investigate these dependencies in detail including their non-linearity. We discuss a possible physical interpretation of the observed behaviour in the frame of a simple one-dimensional model of the polar emitting region with a collisionless shock formed in the infalling plasma near the neutron star surface. With this model, we are able to reproduce the observed variations of the continuum hardness ratio and of the CRSF energy with luminosity.

Vybornov, V.↗
DOE OSTI2014

The dependence of protostellar luminosity on environment in the Cygnus-X star-forming complex

The Cygnus-X star-forming complex is one of the most active regions of low- and high-mass star formation within 2 kpc of the Sun. Using mid-infrared photometry from the IRAC and MIPS Spitzer Cygnus-X Legacy Survey, we have identified over 1800 protostar candidates. We compare the protostellar luminosity functions of two regions within Cygnus-X: CygX-South and CygX-North. These two clouds show distinctly different morphologies suggestive of dissimilar star-forming environments. We find the luminosity functions of these two regions are statistically different. Furthermore, we compare the luminosity functions of protostars found in regions of high and low stellar density within Cygnus-X and find that the luminosity function in regions of high stellar density is biased to higher luminosities. In total, these observations provide further evidence that the luminosities of protostars depend on their natal environment. We discuss the implications this dependence has for the star formation process.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

THE HETDEX PILOT SURVEY. II. THE EVOLUTION OF THE Ly{alpha} ESCAPE FRACTION FROM THE ULTRAVIOLET SLOPE AND LUMINOSITY FUNCTION OF 1.9 < z < 3.8 LAEs

We study the escape of Ly{alpha} photons from Ly{alpha} emitting galaxies (LAEs) and the overall galaxy population using a sample of 99 LAEs at 1.9 < z < 3.8 detected through integral-field spectroscopy of blank fields by The Hobby Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment Pilot Survey. For 89 LAEs with broadband counterparts we measure ultraviolet (UV) luminosities and UV slopes, and estimate E(B - V) under the assumption of a constant intrinsic UV slope for LAEs. These quantities are used to estimate dust-corrected star formation rates (SFRs). Comparison between the observed Ly{alpha} luminosity and that predicted by the dust-corrected SFR yields the Ly{alpha} escape fraction. We also measure the Ly{alpha} luminosity function and luminosity density ({rho}{sub Ly{alpha}}) at 2 < z < 4. Using this and other measurements from the literature at 0.3 < z < 7.7 we trace the redshift evolution of {rho}{sub Ly{alpha}.} We compare it to the expectations from the star formation history of the universe and characterize the evolution of the Ly{alpha} escape fraction of galaxies. LAEs at 2 < z < 4 selected down to a luminosity limit of L(Ly{alpha}) > (3-6) x 10{sup 42} erg s{sup -1} (0.25-0.5 L*), have a mean (E(B - V)) = 0.13 {+-} 0.01, implying an attenuation of {approx}70% in the UV. They show a median UV uncorrected SFR = 11 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}, dust-corrected SFR = 34 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}, and Ly{alpha} equivalent widths (EWs) which are consistent with normal stellar populations. We measure a median Ly{alpha} escape fraction of 29%, with a large scatter and values ranging from a few percent to 100%. The Ly{alpha} escape fraction in LAEs correlates with E(B - V) in a way that is expected if Ly{alpha} photons suffer from similar amounts of dust extinction as UV continuum photons. This result implies that a strong enhancement of the Ly{alpha} EW with dust, due to a clumpy multi-phase interstellar medium (ISM), is not a common process in LAEs at these redshifts. It also suggests that while in other galaxies Ly{alpha} can be preferentially quenched by dust due to its scattering nature, this is not the case in LAEs. We find no evolution in the average dust content and Ly{alpha} escape fraction of LAEs from z {approx} 4 to 2. We see hints of a drop in the number density of LAEs from z {approx} 4 to 2 in the redshift distribution and the Ly{alpha} luminosity function, although larger samples are required to confirm this. The mean Ly{alpha} escape fraction of the overall galaxy population decreases significantly from z {approx} 6 to z {approx} 2, in agreement with recent results. Our results point toward a scenario in which star-forming galaxies build up significant amounts of dust in their ISM between z {approx} 6 and 2, reducing their Ly{alpha} escape fraction, with LAE selection preferentially detecting galaxies which have the highest escape fractions given their dust content. The fact that a large escape of Ly{alpha} photons is reached by z {approx} 6 implies that better constraints on this quantity at higher redshifts might detect re-ionization in a way that is uncoupled from the effects of dust.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF BROAD-LINE QUASARS IN THE MASS-LUMINOSITY PLANE. I. TESTING FWHM-BASED VIRIAL BLACK HOLE MASSES

We jointly constrain the luminosity function (LF) and black hole mass function (BHMF) of broad-line quasars with forward Bayesian modeling in the quasar mass-luminosity plane, based on a homogeneous sample of {approx}58, 000 Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7 quasars at z {approx} 0.3-5. We take into account the selection effect of the sample flux limit; more importantly, we deal with the statistical scatter between true BH masses and FWHM-based single-epoch virial mass estimates, as well as potential luminosity-dependent biases of these mass estimates. The LF is tightly constrained in the regime sampled by SDSS and makes reasonable predictions when extrapolated to {approx}3 mag fainter. Downsizing is seen in the model LF. On the other hand, we find it difficult to constrain the BHMF to within a factor of a few at z {approx}> 0.7 (with Mg II and C IV-based virial BH masses). This is mainly driven by the unknown luminosity-dependent bias of these mass estimators and its degeneracy with other model parameters, and secondly driven by the fact that SDSS quasars only sample the tip of the active BH population at high redshift. Nevertheless, the most likely models favor a positive luminosity-dependent bias for Mg II and possibly for C IV, such that at fixed true BH mass, objects with higher-than-average luminosities have overestimated FWHM-based virial masses. There is tentative evidence that downsizing also manifests itself in the active BHMF, and the BH mass density in broad-line quasars contributes an insignificant amount to the total BH mass density at all times. Within our model uncertainties, we do not find a strong BH mass dependence of the mean Eddington ratio, but there is evidence that the mean Eddington ratio (at fixed BH mass) increases with redshift.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

MODELING THE RED SEQUENCE: HIERARCHICAL GROWTH YET SLOW LUMINOSITY EVOLUTION

We explore the effects of mergers on the evolution of massive early-type galaxies by modeling the evolution of their stellar populations in a hierarchical context. We investigate how a realistic red sequence population set up by z {approx} 1 evolves under different assumptions for the merger and star formation histories, comparing changes in color, luminosity, and mass. The purely passive fading of existing red sequence galaxies, with no further mergers or star formation, results in dramatic changes at the bright end of the luminosity function and color-magnitude relation. Without mergers there is too much evolution in luminosity at a fixed space density compared to observations. The change in color and magnitude at a fixed mass resembles that of a passively evolving population that formed relatively recently, at z {approx} 2. Mergers among the red sequence population ('dry mergers') occurring after z = 1 build up mass, counteracting the fading of the existing stellar populations to give smaller changes in both color and luminosity for massive galaxies. By allowing some galaxies to migrate from the blue cloud onto the red sequence after z = 1 through gas-rich mergers, younger stellar populations are added to the red sequence. This manifestation of the progenitor bias increases the scatter in age and results in even smaller changes in color and luminosity between z = 1 and z = 0 at a fixed mass. The resultant evolution appears much slower, resembling the passive evolution of a population that formed at high redshift (z {approx} 3-5), and is in closer agreement with observations. We conclude that measurements of the luminosity and color evolution alone are not sufficient to distinguish between the purely passive evolution of an old population and cosmologically motivated hierarchical growth, although these scenarios have very different implications for the mass growth of early-type galaxies over the last half of cosmic history.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS OF LOW-LUMINOSITY RADIO GALAXIES AT z {approx}1-3: A HIGH-z VIEW OF THE HOST/AGN CONNECTION

We study the spectral energy distributions, SEDs (from FUV to MIR bands), of the first sizeable sample of 34 low-luminosity radio galaxies at high redshifts, selected in the COSMOS field. To model the SEDs, we use two different template-fitting techniques: (1) the Hyperz code that only considers single stellar templates and (2) our own developed technique 2SPD that also includes the contribution from a young stellar population and dust emission. The resulting photometric redshifts range from z {approx} 0.7 to 3 and are in substantial agreement with measurements from earlier work, but significantly more accurate. The SED of most objects is consistent with a dominant contribution from an old stellar population with an age {approx}1-3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} years. The inferred total stellar mass range is {approx}10{sup 10}-10{sup 12} M {sub Sun }. Dust emission is needed to account for the 24 {mu}m emission in 15 objects. Estimates of the dust luminosity yield values in the range L {sub dust} {approx} 10{sup 43.5}-10{sup 45.5} erg s{sup -1}. The global dust temperature, crudely estimated for the sources with an MIR excess, is {approx}300-850 K. A UV excess is often observed with a luminosity in the range {approx}10{sup 42}-10{sup 44} erg s{sup -1} at 2000 A rest frame. Our results show that the hosts of these high-z low-luminosity radio sources are old massive galaxies, similar to the local FR Is. However, the UV and MIR excesses indicate the possible significant contribution from star formation and/or nuclear activity in such bands, not seen in low-z FR Is. Our sources display a wide variety of properties: from possible quasars at the highest luminosities to low-luminosity old galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF VIRIAL BLACK HOLE MASS ESTIMATES OF MODERATE-LUMINOSITY ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI USING SUBARU/FMOS

We present an analysis of broad emission lines observed in moderate-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs), typical of those found in X-ray surveys of deep fields, with the goal of testing the validity of single-epoch virial black hole mass estimates. We have acquired near-infrared spectra of AGNs up to z {approx} 1.8 in the COSMOS and Extended Chandra Deep Field-South Survey, with the Fiber Multi-Object Spectrograph mounted on the Subaru telescope. These near-infrared spectra provide a significant detection of the broad H{alpha} line, shown to be a reliable probe of black hole mass at low redshift. Our sample has existing optical spectroscopy that provides a detection of Mg II, typically used for black hole mass estimation at z {approx}> 1. We carry out a spectral-line fitting procedure using both H{alpha} and Mg II to determine the virial velocity of gas in the broad-line region, the continuum luminosity at 3000 A, and the total H{alpha} line luminosity. With a sample of 43 AGNs spanning a range of two decades in luminosity, we find a tight correlation between the ultraviolet and emission-line luminosity. There is also a close one-to-one relationship between the full width at half-maximum of H{alpha} and Mg II. Both of these then lead to there being very good agreement between H{alpha}- and Mg II-based masses over a wide range in black hole mass, i.e., M{sub BH} {approx} 10{sup 7-9} M{sub Sun }. In general, these results demonstrate that local scaling relations, using Mg II or H{alpha}, are applicable for AGNs at moderate luminosities and up to z {approx} 2.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Estimating luminosities and stellar masses of galaxies photometrically without determining redshifts

Large direct imaging surveys usually use a template-fitting technique to estimate photometric redshifts for galaxies, which are then applied to derive important galaxy properties such as luminosities and stellar masses. These estimates can be noisy and suffer from systematic biases because of the possible mis-selection of templates and the propagation of the photometric redshift uncertainty. We introduce an algorithm, the Direct Empirical Photometric method (DEmP), that can be used to directly estimate these quantities using training sets, bypassing photometric redshift determination. DEmP also applies two techniques to minimize the effects arising from the non-uniform distribution of training set galaxy redshifts from a flux-limited sample. First, for each input galaxy, fitting is performed using a subset of the training set galaxies with photometry and colors closest to those of the input galaxy. Second, the training set is artificially resampled to produce a flat distribution in redshift or other properties, e.g., luminosity. To test the performance of DEmP, we use a four filter-band mock catalog to examine its ability to recover redshift, luminosity, stellar mass, and luminosity and stellar mass functions. We also compare the results to those from two publicly available template-fitting methods, finding that the DEmP algorithm outperforms both. We find that resampling the training set to have a uniform redshift distribution produces the best results not only in photometric redshift, but also in estimating luminosity and stellar mass. The DEmP method is especially powerful in estimating quantities such as near-IR luminosities and stellar mass using only data from a small number of optical bands.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

AKARI IRC 2.5-5 μm spectroscopy of infrared galaxies over a wide luminosity range

We present the result of a systematic infrared 2.5-5 μm spectroscopic study of 22 nearby infrared galaxies over a wide infrared luminosity range (10{sup 10} L {sub ☉} < L {sub IR} < 10{sup 13} L {sub ☉}) obtained from the AKARI Infrared Camera (IRC). The unique band of the AKARI IRC spectroscopy enables us to access both the 3.3 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission feature from star-forming activity and the continuum of torus-dust emission heated by an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Applying our AGN diagnostics to the AKARI spectra, we discover 14 buried AGNs. The large fraction of buried AGNs suggests that AGN activity behind the dust is almost ubiquitous in ultra-/luminous infrared galaxies (U/LIRGs). We also find that both the fraction and energy contribution of buried AGNs increase with infrared luminosity from 10{sup 10} L {sub ☉} to 10{sup 13} L {sub ☉}, including normal infrared galaxies with L {sub IR} < 10{sup 11} L {sub ☉}. The energy contribution from AGNs in the total infrared luminosity is only ∼7% in LIRGs and ∼20% in ULIRGs, suggesting that the majority of the infrared luminosity originates from starburst activity. Using the PAH emission, we investigate the luminosity relation between star formation and AGNs. We find that these infrared galaxies exhibit higher star formation rates than optically selected Seyfert galaxies with the same AGN luminosities, implying that infrared galaxies could be an early evolutionary phase of AGN.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

ON THE SCATTER IN THE RADIUS-LUMINOSITY RELATIONSHIP FOR ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

We investigate and quantify the observed scatter in the empirical relationship between the broad line region size R and the luminosity of the active galactic nucleus, in order to better understand its origin. This study is motivated by the indispensable role of this relationship in the mass estimation of cosmologically distant black holes, but may also be relevant to the recently proposed application of this relationship for measuring cosmic distances. We study six nearby reverberation-mapped active galactic nuclei (AGNs) for which simultaneous UV and optical monitoring data exist. We also examine the long-term optical luminosity variations of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 and employ Monte Carlo simulations to study the effects of the intrinsic variability of individual objects on the scatter in the global relationship for a sample of ∼40 AGNs. We find the scatter in this relationship has a correctable dependence on color. For individual AGNs, the size of the Hβ emitting region has a steeper dependence on the nuclear optical luminosity than on the UV luminosity, which can introduce a scatter of ∼0.08 dex into the global relationship, due the nonlinear relationship between the variations in the ionizing continuum and those in the optical continuum. Also, our analysis highlights the importance of understanding and minimizing the scatter in the relationship traced by the intrinsic variability of individual AGNs since it propagates directly into the global relationship. We find that using the UV luminosity as a substitute for the ionizing luminosity can reduce a sizable fraction of the current observed scatter of ∼0.13 dex.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

MEASURING THE LUMINOSITY AND VIRIAL BLACK HOLE MASS DEPENDENCE OF QUASAR–GALAXY CLUSTERING AT z ∼ 0.8

We study the dependence of quasar clustering on quasar luminosity and black hole mass by measuring the angular overdensity of photometrically selected galaxies imaged by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) about z ∼ 0.8 quasars from SDSS. By measuring the quasar–galaxy cross-correlation function and using photometrically selected galaxies, we achieve a higher density of tracer objects and a more sensitive detection of clustering than measurements of the quasar autocorrelation function. We test models of quasar formation and evolution by measuring the luminosity dependence of clustering amplitude. We find a significant overdensity of WISE galaxies about z ∼ 0.8 quasars at 0.2–6.4 h{sup −1} Mpc in projected comoving separation. We find no appreciable increase in clustering amplitude with quasar luminosity across a decade in luminosity, and a power-law fit between luminosity and clustering amplitude gives an exponent of −0.01 ± 0.06 (1 σ error). We also fail to find a significant relationship between clustering amplitude and black hole mass, although our dynamic range in true mass is suppressed due to the large uncertainties in virial black hole mass estimates. Our results indicate that a small range in host dark matter halo mass maps to a large range in quasar luminosity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Extragalactic high-energy transients: Event rate densities and luminosity functions

Several types of extragalactic high-energy transients have been discovered, which include high-luminosity and low-luminosity long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), short-duration GRBs, supernova shock breakouts (SBOs), and tidal disruption events (TDEs) without or with an associated relativistic jet. In this paper, we apply a unified method to systematically study the redshift-dependent event rate densities and the global luminosity functions (GLFs; ignoring redshift evolution) of these transients. We introduce some empirical formulae for the redshift-dependent event rate densities for different types of transients and derive the local specific event rate density, which also represents its GLF. Long GRBs (LGRBs) have a large enough sample to reveal features in the GLF, which is best charaterized as a triple power law (PL). All the other transients are consistent with having a single-power-law (SPL) LF. The total event rate density depends on the minimum luminosity, and we obtain the following values in units of Gpc{sup −3} yr{sup −1}: 0.8{sub −0.1}{sup +0.1} for high-luminosity LGRBs above 10{sup 50} erg s{sup −1}; 164{sub −65}{sup +98} for low-luminosity LGRBs above 5 × 10{sup 46} erg s{sup −1}; 1.3{sub −0.3}{sup +0.4}, 1.2{sub −0.3}{sup +0.4}, and 3.3{sub −0.8}{sup +1.0} above 10{sup 50} erg s{sup −1} for short GRBs with three different merger delay models (Gaussian, lognormal, and PL); 1.9{sub −1.2}{sup +2.4}×10{sup 4} above 10{sup 44} erg s{sup −1} for SBOs, 4.8{sub −2.1}{sup +3.2}×10{sup 2} for normal TDEs above 10{sup 44} erg s{sup −1}; and 0.03{sub −0.02}{sup +0.04} above 10{sup 48} erg s{sup −1} for TDE jets as discovered by Swift. Intriguingly, the GLFs of different kinds of transients, which cover over 12 orders of magnitude, are consistent with an SPL with an index of −1.6.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

THE LUMINOSITY PROFILES OF BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXIES

We have derived detailed R-band luminosity profiles and structural parameters for a total of 430 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), down to a limiting surface brightness of 24.5 mag arcsec{sup -2}. Light profiles were initially fitted with a Sersic's R {sup 1/n} model, but we found that 205 ({approx}48%) BCGs require a double component model to accurately match their light profiles. The best fit for these 205 galaxies is an inner Sersic model, with indices n {approx} 1-7, plus an outer exponential component. Thus, we establish the existence of two categories of the BCG luminosity profiles: single and double component profiles. We found that double profile BCGs are brighter ({approx}0.2 mag) than single profile BCGs. In fact, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test applied to these subsamples indicates that they have different total magnitude distributions, with mean values M{sub R} = -23.8 {+-} 0.6 mag for single profile BCGs and M{sub R} = -24.0 {+-} 0.5 mag for double profile BCGs. We find that partial luminosities for both subsamples are indistinguishable up to r = 15 kpc, while for r > 20 kpc the luminosities we obtain are on average 0.2 mag brighter for double profile BCGs. This result indicates that extra-light for double profile BCGs does not come from the inner region but from the outer regions of these galaxies. The best-fit slope of the Kormendy relation for the whole sample is a = 3.13 {+-} 0.04. However, when fitted separately, single and double profile BCGs show different slopes: a{sub single} = 3.29 {+-} 0.06 and a{sub double} = 2.79 {+-} 0.08. Also, the logarithmic slope of the metric luminosity {alpha} is higher in double profile BCGs ({alpha}{sub double} = 0.65 {+-} 0.12) than in single profile BCGs ({alpha}{sub single} = 0.59 {+-} 0.14). The mean isophote outer ellipticity (calculated at {mu} {approx} 24 mag arcsec{sup -2}) is higher in double profile BCGs (e{sub double} = 0.30 {+-} 0.10) than in single profile BCGs (e{sub single} = 0.26 {+-} 0.11). Similarly, the mean absolute value of inner minus outer ellipticity is also higher in double profile BCGs. From a subsample of 24 BCGs, we found strong evidence that extra-light at intermediate radii in double profile BCGs is related to the presence of a faint stellar envelope. Similarly, from another subsample of 12 BCGs we also found that extra-light is related to star formation. On the other hand, we did not find differences between these two BCG categories when we compared global cluster properties such as the BCG-projected position relative to the cluster X-ray center emission, X-ray luminosity, or BCG orientation with respect to the cluster position angle.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Upper limits on the total cosmic-ray luminosity of individual sources

In this paper, upper limits on the total luminosity of ultra-high-energy cosmic-rays (UHECR) E > 10{sup 18} eV) are determined for five individual sources. The upper limit on the integral flux of GeV--TeV gamma-rays is used to extract the upper limit on the total UHECR luminosity of individual sources. The correlation between upper limit on the integral GeV--TeV gamma-ray flux and upper limit on the UHECR luminosity is established through the cascading process that takes place during propagation of the cosmic rays in the background radiation fields, as explained in reference [1]. Twenty-eight sources measured by FERMI-LAT, VERITAS and MAGIC observatories have been studied. The measured upper limit on the GeV--TeV gamma-ray flux is restrictive enough to allow the calculation of an upper limit on the total UHECR cosmic-ray luminosity of five sources. The upper limit on the UHECR cosmic-ray luminosity of these sources is shown for several assumptions on the emission mechanism. For all studied sources an upper limit on the ultra-high-energy proton luminosity is also set.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

The influence of Hickson-like compact group environment on galaxy luminosities

Compact groups of galaxies are devised as extreme environments where interactions may drive galaxy evolution. In this work, we analysed whether the luminosities of galaxies inhabiting compact groups differ from those of galaxies in loose galaxy groups. We computed the luminosity functions of galaxy populations inhabiting a new sample of 1412 Hickson-like compact groups of galaxies identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 16. We observed a characteristic absolute magnitude for galaxies in compact groups brighter than that observed in the field or loose galaxy systems. We also observed a deficiency of faint galaxies in compact groups in comparison with loose systems. Our analysis showed that the brightening is mainly due to galaxies inhabiting the more massive compact groups. In contrast to what is observed in loose systems, where only the luminosities of Red (and Early) galaxies show a dependency with group mass, luminosities of Red and Blue (also Early and Late) galaxies in compact groups are affected similarly as a function of group virial mass. When using Hubble types, we observed that elliptical galaxies in compact groups are the brightest galaxy population, and groups dominated by an elliptical galaxy also display the brightest luminosities in comparison with those dominated by spiral galaxies. Moreover, we show that the general luminosity trends can be reproduced using a mock catalogue obtained from a semi-analytical model of galaxy formation. These results suggest that the inner extreme environment in compact groups prompts a different evolutionary history for their galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗