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At least 1,171 records · Page 65

A SEMI-ANALYTICAL LINE TRANSFER MODEL TO INTERPRET THE SPECTRA OF GALAXY OUTFLOWS

We present a semi-analytical line transfer model, (SALT), to study the absorption and re-emission line profiles from expanding galactic envelopes. The envelopes are described as a superposition of shells with density and velocity varying with the distance from the center. We adopt the Sobolev approximation to describe the interaction between the photons escaping from each shell and the remainder of the envelope. We include the effect of multiple scatterings within each shell, properly accounting for the atomic structure of the scattering ions. We also account for the effect of a finite circular aperture on actual observations. For equal geometries and density distributions, our models reproduce the main features of the profiles generated with more complicated transfer codes. Also, our SALT line profiles nicely reproduce the typical asymmetric resonant absorption line profiles observed in starforming/starburst galaxies whereas these absorption profiles cannot be reproduced with thin shells moving at a fixed outflow velocity. We show that scattered resonant emission fills in the resonant absorption profiles, with a strength that is different for each transition. Observationally, the effect of resonant filling depends on both the outflow geometry and the size of the outflow relative to the spectroscopic aperture. Neglecting these effects will lead to incorrect values of gas covering fraction and column density. When a fluorescent channel is available, the resonant profiles alone cannot be used to infer the presence of scattered re-emission. Conversely, the presence of emission lines of fluorescent transitions reveals that emission filling cannot be neglected.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

INFRARED ABSORPTION LINES TOWARD NGC 7538 IRS 1: ABUNDANCES OF H{sub 2}, H{sub 3}{sup +}, AND CO

We report high-resolution near-infrared absorption spectroscopy of H{sub 2}, H{sub 3}{sup +}, and CO toward the young high mass object NGC 7538 IRS 1. The v = 1–0 H{sub 2} S(0) line and lines in the CO v = 2–0 band were detected; the v = 1–0 H{sub 2} S(1) line and the v = 1–0 H{sub 3}{sup +} lines [R(1, 1){sup l}, R(1, 0), R(1, 1){sup u}] were not detected. The line of sight traverses two clouds, with temperatures 45 and 259 K and with roughly equal column densities of CO. Assuming that H{sub 2} is at the same temperature as CO and that the two species are uniformly mixed, [H{sub 2}]/[CO] = 3600 ± 1200. NGC 7538 is the most distant object from the Galactic center for which [H{sub 2}]/[CO] has been directly measured using infrared absorption spectroscopy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

BAND-9 ALMA OBSERVATIONS OF THE [N II] 122 μm LINE AND FIR CONTINUUM IN TWO HIGH-z GALAXIES

We present Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) observations of two high-redshift systems (SMMJ02399-0136 at z{sub 1} ∼ 2.8 and the Cloverleaf QSO at z{sub 1} ∼ 2.5) in their rest-frame 122 μm continuum (ν{sub sky} ∼ 650 GHz, λ{sub sky} ∼ 450 μm) and [N ii] 122 μm line emission. The continuum observations with a synthesized beam of ∼0.″ 25 resolve both sources and recover the expected flux. The Cloverleaf is resolved into a partial Einstein ring, while SMMJ02399-0136 is unambiguously separated into two components: a point source associated with an active galactic nucleus and an extended region at the location of a previously identified dusty starburst. We detect the [N ii] line in both systems, though significantly weaker than our previous detections made with the first generation z (Redshift) and Early Universe Spectrometer. We show that this discrepancy is mostly explained if the line flux is resolved out due to significantly more extended emission and longer ALMA baselines than expected. Based on the ALMA observations we determine that ≥75% of the total [N ii] line flux in each source is produced via star formation. We use the [N ii] line flux that is recovered by ALMA to constrain the N/H abundance, ionized gas mass, hydrogen- ionizing photon rate, and star formation rate. In SMMJ02399-0136 we discover it contains a significant amount (∼1000 M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}) of unobscured star formation in addition to its dusty starburst and argue that SMMJ02399-0136 may be similar to the Antennae Galaxies (Arp 244) locally. In total these observations provide a new look at two well-studied systems while demonstrating the power and challenges of Band-9 ALMA observations of high-z systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

On the origin of wind line variability in O stars

We analyze 10 UV time series for five stars that fulfill specific sampling and spectral criteria to constrain the origin of large-scale wind structure in O stars. We argue that excited state lines must arise close to the stellar surface and are an excellent diagnostic complement to resonance lines which, due to radiative transfer effects, rarely show variability at low velocity. Consequently, we splice dynamic spectra of the excited state line N iv λ1718 at low velocity with those of Si iv λλ1400 at high velocity in order to examine the temporal evolution of wind line features. These spliced time series reveal that nearly all of the features observed in the time series originate at or very near the stellar surface. Furthermore, we positively identify the observational signature of equatorial corotating interaction regions in two of the five stars and possibly two others. In addition, we see no evidence of features originating further out in the wind. We use our results to confirm the fact that the features seen in dynamic spectra must be huge in order to remain in the line of sight for days, persisting to very large velocity, and that the photospheric footprint of the features must also be quite large, ∼15%–20% of the stellar diameter.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Extended carbon line emission in the galaxy: Searching for dark molecular gas along the G328 sightline

We present spectral data cubes of the [CI] 809 GHz, {sup 12}CO 115 GHz, {sup 13}CO 110 GHz, and HI 1.4 GHz line emission from a ∼1 square degree region along the l=328{sup ∘} (G328) sightline in the Galactic Plane. Emission arises principally from gas in three spiral arm crossings along the sightline. The distribution of emission in the CO and [CI] lines is found to be similar, with the [CI] slightly more extended, and both are enveloped in extensive HI. Spectral line ratios per voxel in the data cubes are found to be similar across the entire extent of the Galaxy. However, toward the edges of the molecular clouds the [CI]/{sup 13}CO and {sup 12}CO/{sup 13}CO line ratios rise by ∼50%, and the [CI]/HI ratio falls by ∼10%. We attribute this to these sightlines passing predominantly through the surfaces of photodissociation regions (PDRs), where the carbon is found mainly as C or C{sup +}, while the H{sub 2} is mostly molecular, and the proportion of atomic gas also increases. We undertake modeling of the PDR emission from low density molecular clouds excited by average interstellar radiation fields and cosmic-ray ionization to quantify this comparison, finding that depletion of sulfur and reduced PAH abundance is needed to match line fluxes and ratios. Roughly one-third of the molecular gas along the sightline is found to be associated with this surface region, where the carbon is largely not to be found in CO. Approximately 10% of the atomic hydrogen along the sightline is cold gas within PDRs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

OBSERVED VARIABILITY OF THE SOLAR Mg II h SPECTRAL LINE

The Mg ii h and k doublet are two of the primary spectral lines observed by the Sun-pointing Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). These lines are tracers of the magnetic and thermal environment that spans from the photosphere to the upper chromosphere. We use a double-Gaussian model to fit the Mg ii h profile for a full-Sun mosaic data set taken on 2014 August 24. We use the ensemble of high-quality profile fits to conduct a statistical study on the variability of the line profile as it relates the magnetic structure, dynamics, and center-to-limb viewing angle. The average internetwork profile contains a deeply reversed core and is weakly asymmetric at h2. In the internetwork, we find a strong correlation between h3 wavelength and profile asymmetry as well as h1 width and h2 width. The average reversal depth of the h3 core is inversely related to the magnetic field. Plage and sunspots exhibit many profiles that do not contain a reversal. These profiles also occur infrequently in the internetwork. We see indications of magnetically aligned structures in plage and network in statistics associated with the line core, but these structures are not clear or extended in the internetwork. The center-to-limb variations are compared to predictions of semi-empirical model atmospheres. We measure a pronounced limb darkening in the line core that is not predicted by the model. The aim of this work is to provide a comprehensive measurement baseline and preliminary analysis on the observed structure and formation of the Mg ii profiles observed by IRIS.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Testing the Kerr nature of black hole candidates using iron line spectra in the CPR framework

The iron Kα line commonly observed in the X-ray spectrum of both stellar-mass and supermassive black hole (BH) candidates originates from X-ray fluorescence of the inner accretion disk. Accordingly, it can be used to map the spacetime geometry around these objects. In this paper, we extend previous work using the iron Kα line to test the Kerr BH hypothesis. We adopt the Cardoso–Pani–Rico parametrization and we test the possibility of constraining possible deviations from the Kerr solution that can be obtained from observations across the range of BH spins and inclination angles. We confirm previous claims that the iron Kα line is potentially a quite powerful probe for testing the Kerr metric given sufficiently high quality data and with systematics under control, especially in the case of fast-rotating BHs and high inclination angles since both conditions serve to maximize relativistic effects. We find that some geometric perturbations from Kerr geometry manifest more strongly in the iron line profile than others. While the perturbation parameter ϵ{sub 3}{sup t} can be well constrained by the iron line profile, an orthogonal data set is necessary to constrain departures from Kerr geometry in ϵ{sub 3}{sup r}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

RADIATIVE TRANSFER MODELING OF THE ENIGMATIC SCATTERING POLARIZATION IN THE SOLAR Na i D{sub 1} LINE

The modeling of the peculiar scattering polarization signals observed in some diagnostically important solar resonance lines requires the consideration of the detailed spectral structure of the incident radiation field as well as the possibility of ground level polarization, along with the atom's hyperfine structure and quantum interference between hyperfine F-levels pertaining either to the same fine structure J-level, or to different J-levels of the same term. Here we present a theoretical and numerical approach suitable for solving this complex non-LTE radiative transfer problem. This approach is based on the density-matrix metalevel theory (where each level is viewed as a continuous distribution of sublevels) and on accurate formal solvers of the transfer equations and efficient iterative methods. We show an application to the D-lines of Na i, with emphasis on the enigmatic D{sub 1} line, pointing out the observable signatures of the various physical mechanisms considered. We demonstrate that the linear polarization observed in the core of the D{sub 1} line may be explained by the effect that one gets when the detailed spectral structure of the anisotropic radiation responsible for the optical pumping is taken into account. This physical ingredient is capable of introducing significant scattering polarization in the core of the Na i D{sub 1} line without the need for ground-level polarization.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

ROVIBRATIONAL LINE LISTS FOR NINE ISOTOPOLOGUES OF THE CO MOLECULE IN THE X {sup 1}Σ{sup +} GROUND ELECTRONIC STATE

Extensive rovibrational line lists were computed for nine isotopologues of the CO molecule, namely, {sup 12}C{sup 16}O, {sup 12}C{sup 17}O, {sup 12}C{sup 18}O, {sup 13}C{sup 16}O, {sup 13}C{sup 17}O, {sup 13}C{sup 18}O, {sup 14}C{sup 16}O, {sup 14}C{sup 17}O, and {sup 14}C{sup 18}O in the ground electronic state with v ≤ 41, Δv ≤ 11, and J ≤ 150. The line intensity and position calculations were carried out using a newly determined piece-wise dipole moment function (DMF) in conjunction with the wavefunctions calculated from an experimentally determined potential energy function from Coxon and Hajigeorgiou. A direct-fit method that simultaneously fits all the reliable experimental rovibrational matrix elements has been used to construct the dipole moment function near equilibrium internuclear distance. In order to extend the amount and quality of input experimental parameters, new Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy experiments were carried out to enable measurements of the lines in the 4-0 band with low uncertainty as well as the first measurements of lines in the 6-0 band. A new high-level ab initio DMF, derived from a finite field approach has been calculated to cover internuclear distances far from equilibrium. Accurate partition sums have been derived for temperatures up to 9000 K. In addition to air- and self-induced broadening and shift parameters, those induced by CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2} are now provided for planetary applications. A complete set of broadening and shift parameters was calculated based on sophisticated extrapolation of high-quality measured data. The line lists, which follow HITRAN formalism, are provided as supplementary material.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

THE AKARI 2.5-5.0 μm SPECTRAL ATLAS OF TYPE-1 ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI: BLACK HOLE MASS ESTIMATOR, LINE RATIO, AND HOT DUST TEMPERATURE

We present 2.5-5.0 μm spectra of 83 nearby (0.002 < z < 0.48) and bright (K < 14 mag) type-1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) taken with the Infrared Camera on board AKARI. The 2.5-5.0 μm spectral region contains emission lines such as Brβ (2.63 μm), Brα (4.05 μm), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (3.3 μm), which can be used for studying the black hole (BH) masses and star formation activity in the host galaxies of AGNs. The spectral region also suffers less dust extinction than in the ultra violet (UV) or optical wavelengths, which may provide an unobscured view of dusty AGNs. Our sample is selected from bright quasar surveys of Palomar-Green and SNUQSO, and AGNs with reverberation-mapped BH masses from Peterson et al. Using 11 AGNs with reliable detection of Brackett lines, we derive the Brackett-line-based BH mass estimators. We also find that the observed Brackett line ratios can be explained with the commonly adopted physical conditions of the broad line region. Moreover, we fit the hot and warm dust components of the dust torus by adding photometric data of SDSS, 2MASS, WISE, and ISO to the AKARI spectra, finding hot and warm dust temperatures of ∼1100 K and ∼220 K, respectively, rather than the commonly cited hot dust temperature of 1500 K.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Identification of S VIII through S XIV emission lines between 17.5 and 50 nm in a magnetically confined plasma

43 spectral emission lines from F-like to Li-like sulphur ions have been identified in the wavelength range from 17.5 to 50 nm in spectra obtained following tracer injection into plasmas created in a magnetically confined plasma device, the stellarator TJ-II. Plasmas created and maintained in this heliac device with electron cyclotron resonance heating achieve central electron temperatures and densities up to 1.5 keV and 8 × 10 18 m –3 , respectively. Tracer injections were performed with ≤6 × 10 16 atoms of sulphur contained within ~300 μm diameter polystyrene capsules, termed tracer encapsulated solid pellets, using a gas propulsion system to achieve velocities between 250 and 450 m s –1 . Once ablation of the exterior polystyrene shell by plasma particles is completed, the sulphur is deposited in the plasma core where it is ionized up to S +13 and transported about the plasma. In order to aid line identification, which is made using a number of atomic line emission databases, spectra are collected before and after injection using a 1 m focal length normal incidence spectrometer equipped with a CCD camera. Furthermore, this work is motivated by the need to clearly identify sulphur emission lines in the vacuum ultraviolet range of magnetically confined plasmas, as sulphur x-ray emission lines are regularly observed in both tokamak and stellarator plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Gamma-ray lines and one-loop continuum from s-channel dark matter annihilations

The era of indirect detection searches for dark matter has begun, with the sensitivities of gamma-ray detectors now approaching the parameter space relevant for weakly interacting massive particles. In particular, gamma ray lines would be smoking gun signatures of dark matter annihilation, although they are typically suppressed compared to the continuum. In this paper, we pay particular attention to the 1-loop continuum generated together with the gamma-ray lines and investigate under which conditions a dark matter model can naturally lead to a line signal that is relatively enhanced. We study generic classes of models in which DM is a fermion that annihilates through an s-channel mediator which is either a vector or scalar and identify the coupling and mass conditions under which large line signals occur. We focus on the ''forbidden channel mechanism'' advocated a few years ago in the ''Higgs in space'' scenario for which tree level annihilation is kinematically forbidden today. Detailed calculations of all 1-loop annihilation channels are provided. We single out very simple models with a large line over continuum ratio and present general predictions for a large range of WIMP masses that are relevant not only for Fermi and Hess II but also for the next generation of telescopes such as CTA and Gamma-400. Constraints from the relic abundance, direct detection and collider bounds are also discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Relativistic iron lines in accretion disks: the contribution of higher order images in the strong deflection limit

The shapes of relativistic iron lines observed in spectra of candidate black holes carry the signatures of the strong gravitational fields in which the accretion disks lie. These lines result from the sum of the contributions of all images of the disk created by gravitational lensing, with the direct and first-order images largely dominating the overall shapes. Higher order images created by photons tightly winding around the black holes are often neglected in the modeling of these lines, since they require a substantially higher computational effort. With the help of the strong deflection limit, we present the most accurate semi-analytical calculation of these higher order contributions to the iron lines for Schwarzschild black holes. We show that two regimes exist depending on the inclination of the disk with respect to the line of sight. Many useful analytical formulae can be also derived in this framework.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A FOURTH H I 21 cm ABSORPTION SYSTEM IN THE SIGHT LINE OF MG J0414+0534: A RECORD FOR INTERVENING ABSORBERS

We report the detection of a strong H I 21 cm absorption system at z = 0.5344, as well as a candidate system at z = 0.3389, in the sight line toward the z = 2.64 quasar MG J0414+0534. This, in addition to the absorption at the host redshift and the other two intervening absorbers, takes the total to four (possibly five). The previous maximum number of 21 cm absorbers detected along a single sight line is two and so we suspect that this number of gas-rich absorbers is in some way related to the very red color of the background source. Despite this, no molecular gas (through OH absorption) has yet been detected at any of the 21 cm redshifts, although, from the population of 21 cm absorbers as a whole, there is evidence for a weak correlation between the atomic line strength and the optical-near-infrared color. In either case, the fact that so many gas-rich galaxies (likely to be damped Ly{alpha} absorption systems) have been found along a single sight line toward a highly obscured source may have far-reaching implications for the population of faint galaxies not detected in optical surveys, a possibility which could be addressed through future wide-field absorption line surveys with the Square Kilometer Array.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A KEY PHYSICAL MECHANISM FOR UNDERSTANDING THE ENIGMATIC LINEAR POLARIZATION OF THE SOLAR Ba II AND Na I D{sub 1} LINES

The linearly polarized spectrum of the solar limb radiation produced by scattering processes is of great diagnostic potential for exploring the magnetism of the solar atmosphere. This spectrum shows an impressive richness of spectral details and enigmatic Q/I signals, whose physical origin must be clearly understood before they can be exploited for diagnostic purposes. The most enduring enigma is represented by the polarization signals observed in the D{sub 1} resonance lines of Na I (5896 A) and Ba II (4934 A), which were expected to be intrinsically unpolarizable. The totality of sodium and 18% of barium have hyperfine structure (HFS), and it has been argued that the only way to produce a scattering polarization signal in such lines is through the presence of a substantial amount of atomic polarization in their lower HFS levels. The strong sensitivity of these long-lived levels to depolarizing mechanisms led to the paradoxical conclusion that the observed D{sub 1}-line polarization is incompatible with the presence in the lower solar chromosphere of inclined magnetic fields sensibly stronger than 0.01 G. Here we show that by properly taking into account the fact that the solar D{sub 1}-line radiation has a non-negligible spectral structure over the short frequency interval spanned by the HFS transitions, it is possible to produce scattering polarization signals in the D{sub 1} lines of Na I and Ba II without the need of ground-level polarization. The resulting linear polarization is not so easily destroyed by elastic collisions and/or magnetic fields.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

HIGH-n HYDROGEN RECOMBINATION LINES FROM THE FIRST GALAXIES

We investigate the prospects of blind and targeted searches in the radio domain (10 MHz to 1 THz) for high-n hydrogen recombination lines from the first generation of galaxies, at z ∼< 10. The expected optically thin spontaneous α-line luminosities are calculated as a function of the absolute AB magnitude of a galaxy at 1500 Å. For a blind search, semi-empirical luminosity functions are used to calculate the number of galaxies whose expected flux densities exceed an assumed detectability threshold. Plots of the minimum sky area, within which at least one detectable galaxy is expected at a given observing frequency, in the fiducial instantaneous passband of 10{sup 4} km s{sup –1}, allow us to assess the blind search time necessary for detection by a given facility. We show that the chances for detection are the highest in the millimeter and submillimeter domains, but finding spontaneous emission in a blind search, especially from redshifts z >> 1, is a challenge even with powerful facilities, such as the Actama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array and Square Kilometre Array. The probability of success is higher for a targeted search of lines with principal quantum number n ∼ 10 in Lyman-break galaxies amplified by gravitational lensing. Detection of more than one hydrogen line in such a galaxy will allow for line identification and a precise determination of the galaxy's redshift.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

ASYMMETRIC FUNDAMENTAL BAND CO LINES AS A SIGN OF AN EMBEDDED GIANT PLANET

We investigate the formation of double-peaked asymmetric line profiles of CO in the fundamental band spectra emitted by young (1-5 Myr) protoplanetary disks hosted by a 0.5-2 M {sub ☉} star. Distortions of the line profiles can be caused by the gravitational perturbation of an embedded giant planet with q = 4.7 × 10{sup –3} stellar-to-planet mass ratio. Locally isothermal, two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations show that the disk becomes globally eccentric inside the planetary orbit with stationary ∼0.2-0.25 average eccentricity after ∼2000 orbital periods. For orbital distances 1-10 AU, the disk eccentricity is peaked inside the region where the fundamental band of CO is thermally excited. Hence, these lines become sensitive indicators of the embedded planet via their asymmetries (both in flux and wavelength). We find that the line shape distortions (e.g., distance, central dip, asymmetry, and positions of peaks) of a given transition depend on the excitation energy (i.e., on the rotational quantum number J). The magnitude of line asymmetry is increasing/decreasing with J if the planet orbits inside/outside the CO excitation zone (R {sub CO} ≤ 3, 5, and 7 AU for a 0.5, 1, and 2 M {sub ☉} star, respectively), thus one can constrain the orbital distance of a giant planet by determining the slope of the peak asymmetry-J profile. We conclude that the presented spectroscopic phenomenon can be used to test the predictions of planet formation theories by pushing the age limits for detecting the youngest planetary systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A NON-ISOTHERMAL THEORY FOR INTERPRETING SODIUM LINES IN TRANSMISSION SPECTRA OF EXOPLANETS

We present a theory for interpreting the sodium lines detected in transmission spectra of exoplanetary atmospheres. Previous analyses employed the isothermal approximation and dealt only with the transit radius. By recognizing the absorption depth and the transit radius as being independent observables, we develop a theory for jointly interpreting both quantities, which allows us to infer the temperatures and number densities associated with the sodium lines. We are able to treat a non-isothermal situation with a constant temperature gradient. Our novel diagnostics take the form of simple-to-use algebraic formulae and require measurements of the transit radii (and their corresponding absorption depths) at line center and in the line wing for both sodium lines. We apply our diagnostics to the HARPS data of HD 189733b, confirm the upper atmospheric heating reported by Huitson et al., derive a temperature gradient of 0.4376 ± 0.0154 K km{sup −1}, and find densities ∼1–10{sup 4} cm{sup −3}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗