Optical and near-infrared imaging of faint Gigahertz Peaked Spectrum sources     

I. A. G. Snellen    R. T. Schilizzi    M. N. Bremer    A. G. de Bruyn    G. K. Miley    H. J. A. Ro¨ttgering    R. G. McMahon  & I. Pérez Fournon 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》1998,301(4):985-1000

A sample of 47 faint Gigahertz Peaked Spectrum (GPS) radio sources selected from the Westerbork Northern Sky Survey (WENSS) has been imaged in the optical and near-infrared, resulting in an identification fraction of 87 per cent. The R  −  I R  −  K colours of the faint optical counterparts are as expected for passively evolving elliptical galaxies, assuming that they follow the R -band Hubble diagram as determined for radio-bright GPS galaxies. We find evidence that the radio spectral properties of the GPS quasars are different from those of GPS galaxies. The observed distribution of radio spectral peak frequencies for GPS sources optically identified with bright stellar objects (presumably quasars) is shifted compared with GPS sources identified with faint or extended optical objects (presumably galaxies), in the sense that a GPS quasar is likely to have a higher peak frequency than a GPS galaxy. This means that the true peak frequency distribution is different for the GPS galaxies and quasars, because the sample selection effects are independent of optical identification. The correlation between peak frequency and redshift that has been suggested for bright sources has not been found in this sample; no correlation exists between R magnitude (and therefore redshift) and peak frequency for the GPS galaxies. We therefore believe that the claimed correlation is actually caused by the dependence of the peak frequency on optical host, because the GPS galaxies are generally at lower redshifts than the quasars. The difference in the peak frequency distributions of the GPS galaxies and quasars is further evidence against the hypothesis that they form a single class of object.  相似文献   

The tilt of the Fundamental Plane of early-type galaxies: wavelength dependence     

M. Scodeggio    G. Gavazzi    E. Belsole    D. Pierini  & A. Boselli 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》1998,301(4):1001-1018

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Constraining the Mass Distribution of Cluster Galaxies by Weak Lensing     

Bernhard Geiger  & Peter Schneider 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》1998,295(3):497-510

Analysing the weak lensing distortions of the images of faint background galaxies provides a means to constrain the average mass distribution of cluster galaxies and potentially to test the extent of their dark matter haloes as a function of the density of their environment. The observable image distortions are a consequence of the interplay between the effects of a global cluster mass distribution and the perturbations resulting from individual cluster galaxies. Starting from a reconstruction of the cluster mass distribution with conventional techniques, we apply a maximum likelihood method to infer the average properties of an ensemble of cluster galaxies. From simulations this approach is found to be reliable as long as the galaxies including their dark matter haloes only contribute a small fraction to the total mass of the system. If their haloes are extended, the galaxies contain a substantial mass fraction. In this case our method is still applicable in the outer regions of clusters, where the surface mass density is low, but yields biased estimates of the parameters describing the mass profiles of the cluster galaxies in the central part of the cluster. In that case it will be necessary to resort to more sophisticated strategies by modelling cluster galaxies and an underlying global mass distribution simultaneously. We conclude that galaxy–galaxy lensing in clusters provides a unique means to probe the presence and extent of dark haloes of cluster galaxies.  相似文献   

Spectrophotometry of the planetary nebula KjPn 8     

R. Vázquez  R. L. Kingsburgh  & J. A. López 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》1998,296(3):564-568

Flux-calibrated low-resolution spectra covering the optical wavelength range from 3400 to 7500 Å have been obtained over the central region and the surroundings of the extraordinary planetary nebula (PN) KjPn 8 (PNG 112.5-00.1). The spectrum from the core is of low excitation with T _e(N  II ) = 8000 K and n _e(S  II ) = 550 cm⁻³. KjPn 8 is found to be a Type I PN according to the original classification scheme of Peimbert & Torres-Peimbert, with enriched He/H and N/O ratios with respect to mean values for PN. Increased O/H, Ne/H and Ar/H ratios over those of average PN reflect the possible metal-rich environment from which the progenitor star formed, and also are similar to those found in the extreme Type I PN He 2-111. The N/H ratio is found to be only moderately high compared to the average PN and consequently, the large O abundance pulls the N/O ratio towards the lower limit of the criterion for Type I planetary nebulae (PNe) in this case. In addition, the spectra of some knots and faint regions in the KjPn 8 surroundings are presented, which show only a few spectral lines. Low electron densities ranging from 100 to 300 cm⁻³ have been derived in these outer regions.  相似文献   

Stellar models for very low-mass main-sequence stars: the role of model atmospheres     

Brocato  Cassisi  & Castellani 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》1998,295(3):711-724

We present very low-mass stellar models as computed using non-grey model atmospheres for selected assumptions about the stellar metallicities. The role of atmospheres is discussed and the models are compared with models based on the Eddington approximation, and with similar models that have appeared in the recent literature. Theoretical predictions concerning both the HR diagram location and the mass–luminosity relation are presented and discussed in terms of expectations in selected photometric bands. Comparison with available observational data concerning both galactic globular clusters and dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood reveals a satisfactory agreement together with the existence of some residual mismatches.  相似文献   

A search for optical polarization from the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy RE J1034+396     

Breeveld  & Puchnarewicz 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》1998,295(3):568-572

We present spectropolarimetry data on RE J1034+396, an ultra-soft X-ray narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy, and find an upper limit of ∼ 0.4 to the linear polarization in the optical band. This suggests that there is no synchrotron emission in this AGN, and thus it is unlikely that RE J1034+396 is related to BL Lac objects. Furthermore, any other polarization arising from transmission through dust, or reflection from dust and electrons, must be cancelled out by geometrical effects or diluted to a high degree by unpolarized radiation.  相似文献   

Mass segregation in young stellar clusters     

Ian A. Bonnell  & Melvyn B. Davies 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》1998,295(3):691-698

We investigate the evolutionary effect of dynamical mass segregation in young stellar clusters. Dynamical mass segregation acts on a time-scale of order the relaxation time of a cluster. Although some degree of mass segregation occurs earlier, the position of massive stars in rich young clusters generally reflects the cluster's initial conditions. In particular, the positions of the massive stars in the Trapezium cluster in Orion cannot be due to dynamical mass segregation, but indicate that they formed in, or near, the centre of the cluster. Implications of this for cluster formation and for the formation of high-mass stars are discussed.  相似文献   

TRIFFID Photometry of Globular Cluster Cores — I. Photometric Techniques and Variable Stars in M15     

Butler  Shearer  Redfern  Colhoun  O'Kane  Penny  Morris  Griffiths  & Cullum 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》1998,296(2):379-391

The Galway/DIAS Image Sharpening Camera, TRIFFID, has been used to make observations in two colours of the centre of the post-core-collapse globular cluster M15. We present here our analysis of the photometry in B over two seasons. We have combined the complementary qualities of the HST 's high astrometric precision and TRIFFID's extended coverage and photometric precision, to perform crowded-field photometry in the innermost region of M15. Our technique virtually eliminates the problem of extreme crowding which has hitherto hampered studies of the variable star populations in globular cluster cores, and thereby provides an extension of the HST 's capability. Candidate variables detected with the HST have been confirmed and monitored over longer periods. We show that most of these are RR Lyrae stars, and that one is a short-period Type II Cepheid (the third to be discovered in M15). Our photometric study also produced evidence of a similar number of new variables. These also appear to be RR Lyrae stars, except for a possible eclipsing system. Further data from an upgraded version of TRIFFID have recently been obtained to help to refine the light curves of all these objects.  相似文献   

The WC10 central stars CPD−56° 8032 and He 2-113 – II. Model analysis and comparison with nebular properties     

Orsola De Marco  & Crowther 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》1998,296(2):419-429

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An optimal extraction algorithm for imaging photometry     

Tim Naylor 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》1998,296(2):339-346

This paper is primarily an investigation of whether the 'optimal extraction' techniques used in CCD spectroscopy can be applied to imaging photometry. It is found that using such techniques provides a gain of around 10 per cent in signal-to-noise ratio over normal aperture photometry. Formally, it is shown to be equivalent to profile fitting, but offers advantages of robust error estimation, freedom from bias introduced by mis-estimating the point spread function, and convenience. In addition some other techniques are presented, which can be applied to profile fitting, aperture photometry and the 'optimal' photometry. Code implementing these algorithms is available at http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/~timn/.  相似文献