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At least 1,315 records · Page 73
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Mass variation of a thin liquid film driven by an acoustic wave

In this work, we investigate the dynamics of a thin liquid film subjected to an acoustic field in its bounding vapor space. For large acoustic wavelengths, the field imposes a spatially uniform, temporally periodic temperature and pressure at the vapor side of the film interface, which leads to a periodic driving force for mass exchange with the vapor. Neglecting the dynamics of the vapor space, we adopt the “one-sided” model for evaporation/condensation of thin liquid films. In the interest of determining the effect of oscillatory mass exchange on film stability, we consider films in thermodynamic equilibrium with the mean vapor conditions. The effects of oscillatory phase change on both linear stability and nonlinear dynamics are investigated for slightly inclined ceiling films that are destabilized by gravity and subject to thermocapillary effects. At linear order, this mass exchange is not found to alter the band of unstable wave numbers and only marginally affects the growth rates. Additionally, the mass exchanged during evaporation is balanced by condensation so that the total mass of the liquid film is conserved. However, due to nonlinear effects, we find that traveling waves encouraged by the inclination are subject to net mass loss. It is then found that normal thermocapillary effects enhance this loss, and that anomalous thermocapillarity mitigates or even reverses the loss to a mass gain.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Prospects for measuring supermassive black hole masses with future extremely large telescopes

The next generation of giant-segmented mirror telescopes (>20 m) will enable us to observe galactic nuclei at much higher angular resolution and sensitivity than ever before. These capabilities will introduce a revolutionary shift in our understanding of the origin and evolution of supermassive black holes by enabling more precise black hole mass measurements in a mass range that is unreachable today. We present simulations and predictions of the observations of nuclei that will be made with the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) and the adaptive optics assisted integral-field spectrograph IRIS, which is capable of diffraction-limited spectroscopy from Z band (0.9 μm) to K band (2.2 μm). These simulations, for the first time, use realistic values for the sky, telescope, adaptive optics system, and instrument to determine the expected signal-to-noise ratio of a range of possible targets spanning intermediate mass black holes of ∼10{sup 4} M {sub ☉} to the most massive black holes known today of >10{sup 10} M {sub ☉}. We find that IRIS will be able to observe Milky Way mass black holes out the distance of the Virgo Cluster, and will allow us to observe many more of the brightest cluster galaxies where the most massive black holes are thought to reside. We also evaluate how well the kinematic moments of the velocity distributions can be constrained at the different spectral resolutions and plate scales designed for IRIS. We find that a spectral resolution of ∼8000 will be necessary to measure the masses of intermediate mass black holes. By simulating the observations of galaxies found in Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR7, we find that over 10{sup 5} massive black holes will be observable at distances between 0.005 < z < 0.18 with the estimated sensitivity and angular resolution provided by access to Z-band (0.9 μm) spectroscopy from IRIS and the TMT adaptive optics system. These observations will provide the most accurate dynamical measurements of black hole masses to enable the study of the demography of massive black holes, address the origin of the M {sub BH} – σ and M {sub BH} – L relationships, and evolution of black holes through cosmic time.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Orbital masses of nearby luminous galaxies

We use observational properties of galaxies accumulated in the Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog to derive a dark matter mass of luminous galaxies via motions of their companions. The data on orbital-to-stellar mass ratio are presented for 15 luminous galaxies situated within 11 Mpc from us: the Milky Way, M31, M81, NGC 5128, IC342, NGC 253, NGC 4736, NGC 5236, NGC 6946, M101, NGC 4258, NGC 4594, NGC 3115, NGC 3627, and NGC 3368, as well as for a composite suite around other nearby galaxies of moderate and low luminosity. The typical ratio for these galaxies is M {sub orb}/M {sub *} = 31, corresponding to the mean local density of matter Ω {sub m} = 0.09, i.e., one-third of the global cosmic density. This quantity seems to be rather an upper limit of dark matter density, since the peripheric population of the suites may suffer from the presence of fictitious unbound members. We note that the Milky Way and M31 halos have lower dimensions and lower stellar masses than those of the other 13 nearby luminous galaxies. However, the dark-to-stellar mass ratio for both the Milky Way and M31 is typical for other neighboring luminous galaxies. The distortion in the Hubble flow, observed around the Local Group and five other neighboring groups, yields their total masses within the radius of a zero velocity surface, R {sub 0}; these masses are slightly lower than the orbital and virial values. This difference may be due to the effect of dark energy producing a kind of 'mass defect' within R {sub 0}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Color-mass-to-light-ratio relations for disk galaxies

We combine Spitzer 3.6 μm observations of a sample of disk galaxies spanning over 10 mag in luminosity with optical luminosities and colors to test population synthesis prescriptions for computing stellar mass. Many commonly employed models fail to provide self-consistent results: the stellar mass estimated from the luminosity in one band can differ grossly from that of another band for the same galaxy. Independent models agree closely in the optical (V band), but diverge at longer wavelengths. This effect is particularly pronounced in recent models with substantial contributions from TP-AGB stars. We provide revised color-mass-to-light ratio relations that yield self-consistent stellar masses when applied to real galaxies. The B – V color is a good indicator of the mass-to-light ratio. Some additional information is provided by V – I, but neither it nor J – K{sub s} are particularly useful for constraining the mass-to-light ratio on their own. In the near-infrared, the mass-to-light ratio depends weakly on color, with typical values of 0.6 M {sub ☉}/L {sub ☉} in the K{sub s} band and 0.47 M {sub ☉}/L {sub ☉} at 3.6 μm.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Measuring consistent masses for 25 Milky Way globular clusters

We present central velocity dispersions, masses, mass-to-light ratios (M/Ls ), and rotation strengths for 25 Galactic globular clusters (GCs). We derive radial velocities of 1951 stars in 12 GCs from single order spectra taken with Hectochelle on the MMT telescope. To this sample we add an analysis of available archival data of individual stars. For the full set of data we fit King models to derive consistent dynamical parameters for the clusters. We find good agreement between single-mass King models and the observed radial dispersion profiles. The large, uniform sample of dynamical masses we derive enables us to examine trends of M/L with cluster mass and metallicity. The overall values of M/L and the trends with mass and metallicity are consistent with existing measurements from a large sample of M31 clusters. This includes a clear trend of increasing M/L with cluster mass and lower than expected M/Ls for the metal-rich clusters. We find no clear trend of increasing rotation with increasing cluster metallicity suggested in previous work.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

A PRECISE CLUSTER MASS PROFILE AVERAGED FROM THE HIGHEST-QUALITY LENSING DATA

We outline our methods for obtaining high-precision mass profiles, combining independent weak-lensing distortion, magnification, and strong-lensing measurements. For massive clusters, the strong- and weak-lensing regimes contribute equal logarithmic coverage of the radial profile. The utility of high-quality data is limited by the cosmic noise from large-scale structure along the line of sight. This noise is overcome when stacking clusters, as too are the effects of cluster asphericity and substructure, permitting a stringent test of theoretical models. We derive a mean radial mass profile of four similar mass clusters of high-quality Hubble Space Telescope and Subaru images, in the range R = 40-2800 kpc h {sup -1}, where the inner radial boundary is sufficiently large to avoid smoothing from miscentering effects. The stacked mass profile is detected at 58{sigma} significance over the entire radial range, with the contribution from the cosmic noise included. We show that the projected mass profile has a continuously steepening gradient out to beyond the virial radius, in remarkably good agreement with the standard Navarro-Frenk-White form predicted for the family of cold dark matter (CDM) dominated halos in gravitational equilibrium. The central slope is constrained to lie in the range, -dln {rho}/dln r = 0.89{sup +0.27}{sub -0.39}. The mean concentration is c{sub vir} = 7.68{sup +0.42}{sub -0.40} (at M{sub vir} = 1.54{sup +0.11}{sub -0.10} x 10{sup 15} M{sub sun} h {sup -1}), which is high for relaxed, high-mass clusters, but consistent with {Lambda}CDM when a sizable projection bias estimated from N-body simulations is considered. This possible tension will be more definitively explored with new cluster surveys, such as CLASH, LoCuSS, Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam, and XXM-XXL, to construct the c{sub vir}-M{sub vir} relation over a wider mass range.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

THE NUMBER DENSITY AND MASS DENSITY OF STAR-FORMING AND QUIESCENT GALAXIES AT 0.4 {<=} z {<=} 2.2

We study the buildup of the bimodal galaxy population using the NEWFIRM Medium-Band Survey, which provides excellent redshifts and well-sampled spectral energy distributions of {approx}27, 000 galaxies with K < 22.8 at 0.4 < z < 2.2. We first show that star-forming galaxies and quiescent galaxies can be robustly separated with a two-color criterion over this entire redshift range. We then study the evolution of the number density and mass density of quiescent and star-forming galaxies, extending the results of the COMBO-17, DEEP2, and other surveys to z = 2.2. The mass density of quiescent galaxies with M {approx}> 3 x 10{sup 10} M{sub sun} increases by a factor of {approx}10 from z {approx} 2 to the present day, whereas the mass density in star-forming galaxies is flat or decreases over the same time period. Modest mass growth by a factor of {approx}2 of individual quiescent galaxies can explain roughly half of the strong density evolution at masses >10{sup 11} M{sub sun}, due to the steepness of the exponential tail of the mass function. The rest of the density evolution of massive, quiescent galaxies is likely due to transformation (e.g., quenching) of the massive star-forming population, a conclusion which is consistent with the density evolution we observe for the star-forming galaxies themselves, which is flat or decreasing with cosmic time. Modest mass growth does not explain the evolution of less massive quiescent galaxies ({approx}10{sup 10.5} M{sub sun}), which show a similarly steep increase in their number densities. The less massive quiescent galaxies are therefore continuously formed by transforming galaxies from the star-forming population.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

RESOLVING THE DYNAMICAL MASS OF A z {approx} 1.3 QUASI-STELLAR OBJECT HOST GALAXY USING SINFONI AND LASER GUIDE STAR ASSISTED ADAPTIVE OPTICS

Recent studies of the tight scaling relations between the masses of supermassive black holes (BHs) and their host galaxies have suggested that in the past BHs constituted a larger fraction of their host galaxies' mass. However, these arguments are limited by selection effects and difficulties in determining robust host galaxy masses at high redshifts. Here we report the first results of a new, complementary diagnostic route: we directly determine a dynamical host galaxy mass for the z = 1.3 luminous quasar J090543.56+043347.3 through high spatial resolution (0.''47, 4 kpc FWHM) observations of the host galaxy gas kinematics over 30 x 40 kpc using the European Southern Observatory/Very Large Telescope/SINFONI with laser guide star adaptive optics. Combining our result of M{sub dyn} = 2.05{sup +1.68}{sub -0.74} x 10{sup 11} M{sub sun} (within a radius 5.25 {+-} 1.05 kpc) with M{sub BH,MgII} = 9.02 {+-} 1.43 x 10{sup 8} M{sub sun}, M{sub BH,H{alpha}} = 2.83{sup +1.93}{sub -1.13} x 10{sup 8} M{sub sun}, we find that the ratio of BH mass to host galaxy dynamical mass for J090543.56+043347.3 matches the present-day relation for M{sub BH} versus M{sub Bulge,Dyn}, well within the IR scatter, and deviating at most by a factor of two from the mean. J090543.56+043347.3 displays clear signs of an ongoing tidal interaction and of spatially extended star formation at a rate of 50-100 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}, above the cosmic average for a galaxy of this mass and redshift. We argue that its subsequent evolution may move J090543.56+043347.3 even closer to the z = 0 relation for M{sub BH} versus M{sub Bulge,Dyn}. Our results support the picture in which any substantive evolution in these relations must occur prior to z {approx} 1.3. Having demonstrated the power of this modeling approach, we are currently analyzing similar data on seven further objects to better constrain such evolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

ON THE ACCURACY OF WEAK-LENSING CLUSTER MASS RECONSTRUCTIONS

We study the bias and scatter in mass measurements of galaxy clusters resulting from fitting a spherically symmetric Navarro, Frenk, and White model to the reduced tangential shear profile measured in weak-lensing (WL) observations. The reduced shear profiles are generated for {approx}10{sup 4} cluster-sized halos formed in a {Lambda}CDM cosmological N-body simulation of a 1 h{sup -1} Gpc box. In agreement with previous studies, we find that the scatter in the WL masses derived using this fitting method has irreducible contributions from the triaxial shapes of cluster-sized halos and uncorrelated large-scale matter projections along the line of sight. Additionally, we find that correlated large-scale structure within several virial radii of clusters contributes a smaller, but nevertheless significant, amount to the scatter. The intrinsic scatter due to these physical sources is {approx}20% for massive clusters and can be as high as {approx}30% for group-sized systems. For current, ground-based observations, however, the total scatter should be dominated by shape noise from the background galaxies used to measure the shear. Importantly, we find that WL mass measurements can have a small, {approx}5%-10%, but non-negligible amount of bias. Given that WL measurements of cluster masses are a powerful way to calibrate cluster mass-observable relations for precision cosmological constraints, we strongly emphasize that a robust calibration of the bias requires detailed simulations that include more observational effects than we consider here. Such a calibration exercise needs to be carried out for each specific WL mass estimation method, as the details of the method determine in part the expected scatter and bias. We present an iterative method for estimating mass M{sub 500c} that can eliminate the bias for analyses of ground-based data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

BLACK HOLE MASS ESTIMATES BASED ON C IV ARE CONSISTENT WITH THOSE BASED ON THE BALMER LINES

Using a sample of high-redshift lensed quasars from the CASTLES project with observed-frame ultraviolet or optical and near-infrared spectra, we have searched for possible biases between supermassive black hole (BH) mass estimates based on the C IV, H{alpha}, and H{beta} broad emission lines. Our sample is based upon that of Greene, Peng, and Ludwig, expanded with new near-IR spectroscopic observations, consistently analyzed high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) optical spectra, and consistent continuum luminosity estimates at 5100 A. We find that BH mass estimates based on the full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of C IV show a systematic offset with respect to those obtained from the line dispersion, {sigma}{sub l}, of the same emission line, but not with those obtained from the FWHM of H{alpha} and H{beta}. The magnitude of the offset depends on the treatment of the He II and Fe II emission blended with C IV, but there is little scatter for any fixed measurement prescription. While we otherwise find no systematic offsets between C IV and Balmer line mass estimates, we do find that the residuals between them are strongly correlated with the ratio of the UV and optical continuum luminosities. This means that much of the dispersion in previous comparisons of C IV and H{beta} BH mass estimates are due to the continuum luminosities rather than to any properties of the lines. Removing this dependency reduces the scatter between the UV- and optical-based BH mass estimates by a factor of approximately two, from roughly 0.35 to 0.18 dex. The dispersion is smallest when comparing the C IV {sigma}{sub l} mass estimate, after removing the offset from the FWHM estimates, and either Balmer line mass estimate. The correlation with the continuum slope is likely due to a combination of reddening, host contamination, and object-dependent SED shapes. When we add additional heterogeneous measurements from the literature, the results are unchanged. Moreover, in a trial observation of a remaining outlier, the origin of the deviation is clearly due to unrecognized absorption in a low S/N spectrum. This not only highlights the importance of the quality of the observations, but also raises the question whether cases like this one are common in the literature, further biasing comparisons between C IV and other broad emission lines.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

ON THE LAST 10 BILLION YEARS OF STELLAR MASS GROWTH IN STAR-FORMING GALAXIES

The star formation rate-stellar mass relation (SFR-M{sub *}) and its evolution (i.e., the SFR main sequence) describe the growth rate of galaxies of a given stellar mass and at a given redshift. Assuming that present-day star-forming galaxies (SFGs) were always star forming in the past, these growth rate observations can be integrated to calculate average star formation histories (SFHs). Using this Main Sequence Integration (MSI) approach, we trace present-day massive SFGs back to when they were 10%-20% of their current stellar mass. The integration is robust throughout those epochs: the SFR data underpinning our calculations are consistent with the evolution of stellar mass density in this regime. Analytic approximations to these SFHs are provided. Integration-based results reaffirm previous suggestions that current SFGs formed virtually all of their stellar mass at z < 2. It follows that massive galaxies observed at z > 2 are not the typical progenitors of SFGs today. We also check MSI-based SFHs against those inferred from analysis of the fossil record-from spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of SFGs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of resolved stars in dwarf irregular galaxies. Once stellar population age uncertainties are accounted for, the main sequence is in excellent agreement with SED-based SFHs (from VESPA). Extrapolating SFR main sequence observations to dwarf galaxies, we find differences between MSI results and SFHs from CMD analysis of Advanced Camera for Surveys Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury and Local Group galaxies. Resolved dwarfs appear to grow much slower than main sequence trends imply, and also slower than slightly higher mass SED-analyzed galaxies. This difference may signal problems with SFH determinations, but it may also signal a shift in star formation trends at the lowest stellar masses.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

MAJOR-MERGER GALAXY PAIRS IN THE COSMOS FIELD-MASS-DEPENDENT MERGER RATE EVOLUTION SINCE z = 1

We present results of a statistical study of the cosmic evolution of the mass-dependent major-merger rate since z = 1. A stellar mass limited sample of close major-merger pairs (the CPAIR sample) was selected from the archive of the COSMOS survey. Pair fractions at different redshifts derived using the CPAIR sample and a local K-band-selected pair sample show no significant variations with stellar mass. The pair fraction exhibits moderately strong cosmic evolution, with the best-fitting function of f{sub pair} = 10{sup -1.88({+-}0.03)}(1 + z){sup 2.2({+-}0.2)}. The best-fitting function for the merger rate is R{sub mg} (Gyr{sup -1}) = 0.053 Multiplication-Sign (M{sub star}/10{sup 10.7} M{sub Sun} ){sup 0.3}(1 + z){sup 2.2}/(1 + z/8). This rate implies that galaxies of M{sub star} {approx} 10{sup 10}-10{sup 11.5} M{sub Sun} have undergone {approx}0.5-1.5 major mergers since z = 1. Our results show that, for massive galaxies (M{sub star} {>=} 10{sup 10.5} M{sub Sun }) at z {<=} 1, major mergers involving star-forming galaxies (i.e., wet and mixed mergers) can account for the formation of both ellipticals and red quiescent galaxies (RQGs). On the other hand, major mergers cannot be responsible for the formation of most low mass ellipticals and RQGs of M{sub star} {approx}< 10{sup 10.3} M{sub Sun }. Our quantitative estimates indicate that major mergers have significant impact on the stellar mass assembly of the most massive galaxies (M{sub star} {>=} 10{sup 11.3} M{sub Sun }), but for less massive galaxies the stellar mass assembly is dominated by the star formation. Comparison with the mass-dependent (ultra)luminous infrared galaxies ((U)LIRG) rates suggests that the frequency of major-merger events is comparable to or higher than that of (U)LIRGs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

ELLIPTICAL GALAXY MASSES OUT TO FIVE EFFECTIVE RADII: THE REALM OF DARK MATTER

We estimate the masses of elliptical galaxies out to five effective radii using planetary nebulae and globular clusters as tracers. A sample of 15 elliptical galaxies with a broad variation in mass is compiled from the literature. A distribution function-maximum likelihood analysis is used to estimate the overall potential slope, normalization, and velocity anisotropy of the tracers. We assume power-law profiles for the potential and tracer density and a constant velocity anisotropy. The derived potential power-law indices lie in between the isothermal and Keplerian regime and vary with mass: there is tentative evidence that the less massive galaxies have steeper potential profiles than the more massive galaxies. We use stellar mass-to-light ratios appropriate for either a Chabrier/KTG (Kroupa, Tout and Gilmore) or Salpeter initial mass function to disentangle the stellar and dark matter components. The fraction of dark matter within five effective radii increases with mass, in agreement with several other studies. We employ simple models to show that a combination of star formation efficiency and baryon extent are able to account for this trend. These models are in good agreement with both our measurements out to five effective radii and recent Sloan Lens ACS Survey measurements within one effective radii when a universal Chabrier/KTG initial mass function is adopted.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE MISSING WEAK LENSING MASS IN A781

Measuring cluster masses accurately is important for testing the cosmological paradigm. Weak lensing is one of the most promising methods for detecting, measuring, and calibrating cluster mass estimates made using other mass proxies (e.g., X-ray, Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, spectroscopy). However, it is still essential to characterize and understand the causes of systematic error and bias in weak lensing measurements. A781D is a cluster of galaxies with a mass and redshift that places it well within the theoretical detection limits of weak lensing analyses from the ground yet has evaded detection in previous weak lensing studies. Previous weak lensing measurements in the region surrounding this cluster from the Deep Lens Survey were unable to detect it and placed a 1{sigma} limit on the mass of <5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 13} M{sub Sun }. Given independent estimates of the cluster mass by X-ray and spectroscopic measurements and its spectroscopically confirmed redshift of 0.43, it is difficult to explain its absence from the weak lensing mass reconstructions. We re-analyzed this cluster using imaging from the Orthogonal Parallel Transfer Imaging Camera and archival Suprime-Cam data. We successfully detect A781A in both analyses, but A781D remains undetected. We use these two new independent analyses to rule out systematic effects from the telescope, instrument, and point-spread function correction as the cause of the null detection. We also demonstrate the first use of an orthogonal transfer camera for weak lensing analysis and demonstrate its suitability for weak lensing studies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

HOW DO STAR-FORMING GALAXIES AT z > 3 ASSEMBLE THEIR MASSES?

We investigate how star-forming galaxies typically assemble their masses at high redshift. Taking advantage of the deep multi-wavelength coverage of the GOODS data set, we select two of the largest samples of high-redshift star-forming galaxies based on their UV colors and measure stellar mass of individual galaxies. We use template-fitting photometry to obtain optimal estimates of the fluxes in lower-resolution ground-based and Spitzer images using prior information about galaxy positions, shapes, and orientations. By combining the data and realistic simulations to understand measurement errors and biases, we make a statistically robust determination of stellar mass function (SMF) of the UV-selected star-forming galaxies at z {approx} 4 and 5. We report a broad correlation between stellar mass and UV luminosity, such that more UV-luminous galaxies are, on average, also more massive. However, we show that the correlation has a substantial intrinsic scatter, particularly for UV-faint galaxies, evidenced by the fact there is a non-negligible number of UV faint but massive galaxies. Furthermore, we find that the low-mass end of the SMF does not rise as steeply as the UV luminosity function ({alpha}{sub UVLF} Almost-Equal-To - (1.7-1.8) while {alpha}{sub SMF} Almost-Equal-To - (1.3-1.4)) of the same galaxies. In a smooth and continuous formation scenario where star formation rates (SFRs) are sustained at the observed rates for a long time, these galaxies would have accumulated more stellar mass (by a factor of Almost-Equal-To 3) than observed and therefore the SMF would mirror more closely that of the UV luminosity function. The relatively shallow slope of the SMF is due to the fact that many of the UV-selected galaxies are not massive enough, and therefore are too faint in their rest-frame optical bands, to be detected in the current observations. Our results favor a more episodic formation history in which SFRs of low-mass galaxies vary significantly over cosmic time, a scenario currently favored by galaxy clustering. Our findings for the UV-faint galaxies at high redshift are in contrast with previous studies on more UV-luminous galaxies, which exhibit a tighter SFR-M{sub star} correlation. The discrepancy may suggest that galaxies at different luminosities may have different evolutionary paths. Such a scenario presents a nontrivial test to theoretical models of galaxy formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

OPTIMAL MASS CONFIGURATIONS FOR LENSING HIGH-REDSHIFT GALAXIES

We investigate the gravitational lensing properties of lines of sight containing multiple cluster-scale halos, motivated by their ability to lens very high redshift (z {approx} 10) sources into detectability. We control for the total mass along the line of sight, isolating the effects of distributing the mass among multiple halos and of varying the physical properties of the halos. Our results show that multiple-halo lines of sight can increase the magnified source-plane region compared to the single cluster lenses typically targeted for lensing studies and thus are generally better fields for detecting very high redshift sources. The configurations that result in optimal lensing cross sections benefit from interactions between the lens potentials of the halos when they overlap somewhat on the sky, creating regions of high magnification in the source plane not present when the halos are considered individually. The effect of these interactions on the lensing cross section can even be comparable to changing the total mass of the lens from 10{sup 15} M{sub Sun} to 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} M{sub Sun }. The gain in lensing cross section increases as the mass is split into more halos, provided that the lens potentials are projected close enough to interact with each other. A nonzero projected halo angular separation, equal halo mass ratio, and high projected halo concentration are the best mass configurations, whereas projected halo ellipticity, halo triaxiality, and the relative orientations of the halos are less important. Such high-mass, multiple-halo lines of sight exist in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A STELLAR DYNAMICAL MASS MEASUREMENT OF THE BLACK HOLE IN NGC 3998 FROM KECK ADAPTIVE OPTICS OBSERVATIONS

We present a new stellar dynamical mass measurement of the black hole in the nearby, S0 galaxy NGC 3998. By combining laser guide star adaptive optics observations obtained with the OH-Suppressing Infrared Imaging Spectrograph on the Keck II telescope with long-slit spectroscopy from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck I telescope, we map out the stellar kinematics on both small spatial scales, well within the black hole sphere of influence, and large scales. We find that the galaxy is rapidly rotating and exhibits a sharp central peak in the velocity dispersion. Using the kinematics and the stellar luminosity density derived from imaging observations, we construct three-integral, orbit-based, triaxial stellar dynamical models. We find the black hole has a mass of M{sub BH} = (8.1{sup +2.0}{sub -1.9}) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 8} M{sub Sun }, with an I-band stellar mass-to-light ratio of M/L = 5.0{sup +0.3}{sub -0.4} M{sub Sun }/L{sub Sun} (3{sigma} uncertainties), and that the intrinsic shape of the galaxy is very round, but oblate. With the work presented here, NGC 3998 is now one of a very small number of galaxies for which both stellar and gas dynamical modeling have been used to measure the mass of the black hole. The stellar dynamical mass is nearly a factor of four larger than the previous gas dynamical black hole mass measurement. Given that this cross-check has so far only been attempted on a few galaxies with mixed results, carrying out similar studies in other objects is essential for quantifying the magnitude and distribution of the cosmic scatter in the black hole mass-host galaxy relations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

CIRCUMBINARY CHAOS: USING PLUTO'S NEWEST MOON TO CONSTRAIN THE MASSES OF NIX AND HYDRA

The Pluto system provides a unique local laboratory for the study of binaries with multiple low-mass companions. In this paper, we study the orbital stability of P4, the most recently discovered moon in the Pluto system. This newfound companion orbits near the plane of the Pluto-Charon (PC) binary, roughly halfway between the two minor moons Nix and Hydra. We use a suite of few body integrations to constrain the masses of Nix and Hydra, and the orbital parameters of P4. For the system to remain stable over the age of the solar system, the masses of Nix and Hydra likely do not exceed 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 16} kg and 9 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 16} kg, respectively. These upper limits assume a fixed mass ratio between Nix and Hydra at the value implied by their median optical brightness. Our study finds that stability is more sensitive to their total mass and that a downward revision of Charon's eccentricity (from our adopted value of 0.0035) is unlikely to significantly affect our conclusions. Our upper limits are an order of magnitude below existing astrometric limits on the masses of Nix and Hydra. For a density at least that of ice, the albedos of Nix and Hydra would exceed 0.3. This constraint implies they are icy, as predicted by giant impact models. Even with these low masses, P4 only remains stable if its eccentricity e {approx}< 0.02. The 5:1 commensurability with Charon is particularly unstable, combining stability constraints with the observed mean motion places the preferred orbit for P4 just exterior to the 5:1 resonance. These predictions will be tested when the New Horizons satellite visits Pluto. Based on the results for the PC system, we expect that circumbinary, multi-planet systems will be more widely spaced than their singleton counterparts. Further, circumbinary exoplanets close to the three-body stability boundary, such as those found by Kepler, are less likely to have other companions nearby.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗