Absorption Features Research Articles

JWST Spectroscopy of SN H0pe: Classification and Time Delays of a Triply Imaged Type Ia Supernova at z = 1.78

SN H0pe is a triply imaged supernova (SN) at redshift z = 1.78 discovered using the James Webb Space Telescope. In order to classify the SN spectroscopically and measure the relative time delays of its three images (designated A, B, and C), we acquired NIRSpec follow-up spectroscopy spanning 0.6–5 μm. From the high signal-to-noise spectra of the two bright images B and C, we first classify the SN, whose spectra most closely match those of SN 1994D and SN 2013dy, as a Type Ia SN. We identify prominent blueshifted absorption features corresponding to Si ii λ6355 and Ca ii H λ3970 and K λ3935. We next measure the absolute phases of the three images from our spectra, which allow us to constrain their relative time delays. The absolute phases of the three images, determined by fitting the three spectra to Hsiao07 SN templates, are 6.5−1.8+2.4 days, 24.3−3.9+3.9 days, and 50.6−15.3+16.1 days for the brightest to faintest images. These correspond to relative time delays between Image A and Image B and between Image B and Image C of −122.3−43.8+43.7 days and 49.3−14.7+12.2 days, respectively. The SALT3-NIR model yields phases and time delays consistent with these values. After unblinding, we additionally explored the effect of using Hsiao07 template spectra for simulations through 80 days instead of 60 days past maximum, and found a small (11.5 and 1.0 days, respectively) yet statistically insignificant (∼0.25σ and ∼0.1σ) effect on the inferred image delays.

Methodology for the quantification of the absorption potential of greenhouse - and pollutant gases by climbing plants used in façade greening; a case study on ivy (Hedera helix)

How much do specific climbing plants contribute to the cleansing or absorption of harmful greenhouse and pollutant gases; often regarded as the main environmental threat in cities due to their adverse effects on human health? One of the main hurdles in the quantification of such ecosystem services is associated with the difficulty to obtain and design systems that provide detailed information on the interaction between various gases and the plant in question. To tackle these questions, two highly precise and accurate instruments, namely a mid-infrared laser absorption spectrometer (TDL) and a cavity-ring-down spectrometer (CRDS) were used to monitor the fate of gases when exposed to façade climbing plants like ivy. In a laboratory setting, a relaxation type of experiment was used consisting of a reaction chamber equipped with plant species and continuously flushed by synthetic air. This setup was used to determine the timescales of decay after short injections of the above-mentioned gases. After these injections, all gases followed simple exponential decay curves. N2O, a non-reactive (inert) tropospheric gas, was used as a reference to which all other gases were compared and thereby quantified. This paper focuses on the detailed description of methods and processes to analyse the gas-absorptive behaviour of plants when exposed to gaseous pollutants. For demonstration purposes, quantified absorption features of nitrogen oxide (NO2) are presented for ivy of the variety Hedera helix “Plattensee”. Results of this method of quantification showed that - as compared to N2O (control), - NO2 had a reduced residence time (time scale) of 100 s, while N2O resulted in a 600 s residence time (indicating no interference with the plant). This is equivalent to a 0.3 cm/s deposition velocity/ absorption rate of NO2 under light conditions.

Analysis of Devanur and Manamedu Ophiolite Complexes in SGT, India: A detailed examination employing remote sensing techniques and Laboratory Spectral Signature investigations

This study employs advanced satellite imagery from ASTER and Sentinel-2A to conduct detailed lithological mapping of the Devanur and Manamedu ophiolite complexes in the southern Central Shear Zone (CSZ). The primary focus is on the Manamedu Ophiolite Complex (MOC) and the Devanur Ophiolitic Complex (DOC). Image enhancement techniques such as Color composites, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF) were utilized to differentiate various rock types. RGB band combinations derived from PCA and MNF outputs demonstrated effective discrimination of rock units. Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification methods were employed on ASTER and Sentinel-2A images, yielding classified lithologies that closely matched existing maps from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and other studies, validating the accuracy of the findings. Additionally, Laboratory Spectral Signature Studies were conducted on 10 rock samples using an ASD FieldSpec Pro® spectroradiometer, providing reflectance spectra from 350 nm to 2500 nm. These spectra, particularly the continuum-removed reflectance, revealed diagnostic absorption features that were corroborated by geochemical analyses. A detailed analysis investigated how elemental compositions and key minerals influenced absorption bands. Major oxide geochemical compositions of DOC and MOC samples were identified using XRF methods. The aim of this research is to characterize DOC and MOC through remote sensing and spectral signature analysis. Sentinel-2A data proved more effective in lithological discrimination compared to ASTER, with spectral signatures indicating the presence of iron (Fe) and magnesium (Mg) contents. Notably, SVM classification of Sentinel-2A MNF + DEM data achieved an overall accuracy of more than 90% when compared with field investigations. This study underscores the efficacy of processing VNIR and SWIR bands from ASTER and Sentinel-2A satellite imagery alongside DEM data and ground surveys for mapping mafic-ultramafic rocks in the DOC and MOC regions of the CSZ.

Origin of asteroid (101955) Bennu and its connection to the New Polana family

The asteroid (142) Polana is classified as a B-type asteroid located in the inner Main Belt. This asteroid is the parent of the New Polana family, which has been proposed to be the likely source of primitive near-Earth asteroids such as the B-type asteroid (101955) Bennu. To investigate the compositional correlation between Polana and Bennu at the 3 µm band and their aqueous alteration histories, we analyzed the spectra of Polana in the ~ 2.0–4.0 µm spectral range using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawai’i. Our findings indicate that Polana does not exhibit discernable 3 µm hydrated mineral absorption (within 2σ), which is in contrast to asteroid Bennu. Bennu displayed a significant 3 µm absorption feature similar to CM- and CI-type carbonaceous chondrites. This suggests two possibilities: either Bennu did not originate from the New Polana family parented by asteroid Polana or the interior of Bennu’s parent body was not homogenous, with diverse levels of aqueous alteration. Several explanations support the latter possibility, including heating due to shock waves and pressure, which could have caused the current dehydrated state of Bennu’s parent body.

A novel vegetation-water resistant soil moisture index for remotely assessing soil surface moisture content under the low-moderate wheat cover

Soil surface moisture content (SMC) is one of the most critical and fundamental indicators of crop drought because water is vital for vegetation growth. In recent decades, satellite high-spatial-resolution optical multi-spectral remote-sensing sensors have entered a new stage. However, current optical remote sensing SMC indices (SMIs) are sensitive to cropland SMC and vegetation water content (VWC). From dry to saturated, the soil spectra decreased quickly as the SMC increased. For the vegetation spectra, the short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands decreased as the VWC increased. The differences in the responses of near-infrared (NIR) and SWIR bands to water may help distinguish soil moisture from mixed soil-vegetation spectra. This study focuses on (a) analyzing how soil and vegetation reflectance are affected by VWC and SMC, (b) designing a new vegetation-water resistant soil moisture index (VRSMI) based on the differences in the responses of NIR bands and SWIR bands to water, and (c) evaluating the potential of using VRSMI to remotely estimate SMC in low-moderate crop-covered regions. VRSMI uses SWIR1-SWIR2 as the numerator to detect the water absorption features and NIR×(SWIR1)0.5 as the denominator to weaken the vegetation effect. VRSMI and soil-VRSMI (VRSMIs) were tested using laboratory- and field-based spectra datasets. Our study presents the following conclusions: (1) The differences in the responses of NIR and SWIR bands to water help distinguish the effects of soil moisture on mixed soil-vegetation spectra. (2) VRSMIs can provide high-performance SMC estimates under low-moderate vegetation cover (NDVI < 0.55). (3) VRSMIs can be used for cropland SMC evaluation without considering crop VWC (laboratory-based spectra dataset: RMSE = 0.07–0.11, R2 = 0.96–0.98; field-based spectra dataset: RMSE = 0.17–0.18, R2 = 0.63–0.79). Our study indicates that VRSMI and VRSMIs can provide high-performance relative SMC estimates under low-to-moderate vegetation cover.

Experimental Study to Visualize a Methane Leak of 0.25 mL/min by Direct Absorption Spectroscopy and Mid-Infrared Imaging

Tunable laser spectroscopy (TLS) with infrared (IR) imaging is a powerful tool for gas leak detection. This study focuses on direct absorption spectroscopy (DAS) that utilizes wavelength modulation to extract gas information. A tunable interband cascade laser (ICL) with an optical power of 5 mW is periodically modulated by a sawtooth injection current at 10 Hz across the methane absorption around 3271 nm. A fast and sensitive thermal imaging camera for the mid-infrared range between 3 and 5.7 µm is operated at a frame rate of 470 Hz. Offline processing of image stacks is performed using different algorithms (DAS-F, DAS-f and DAS-2f) based on the Lambert–Beer law and the HITRAN database. These algorithms analyze various features of gas absorption, such as area (F), peak (f) and second derivative (2f) of the absorbance. The methane concentration in ppm*m is determined on a pixel-by-pixel analysis without calibration. Leak localization for methane leak rates as low as 0.25 mL/min is accurately displayed in a single concentration image with pixelwise sensitivities of approximately 1 ppm*m in a laboratory environment. Concentration image sequences represent the spatiotemporal dynamics of a gas plume with high contrast. The DAS-2f concept demonstrates promising characteristics, including accuracy, precision, 1/f noise rejection, simplicity and computational efficiency, expanding the applications of DAS.

Discovery of the Remarkably Red L/T Transition Object VHS J183135.58-551355.9

We present the discovery of VHS J183135.58−551355.9 (hereafter VHS J1831−5513), an L/T transition dwarf identified as a result of its unusually red near-infrared colors (J − K S = 3.633 ± 0.277 mag; J − W2 = 6.249 ± 0.245 mag) from the VISTA Hemisphere Survey and CatWISE2020 surveys. We obtain low-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy of VHS J1831−5513 using the Magellan Folded port InfraRed Echellette spectrograph to confirm its extremely red nature and assess features sensitive to surface gravity (i.e., youth). Its near-infrared spectrum shows multiple CH4 absorption features, indicating an exceptionally low effective temperature for its spectral type. Based on proper-motion measurements from CatWISE2020 and a photometric distance derived from its K s -band magnitude, we find that VHS J1831−5513 is a likely (∼85% probability) kinematic member of the β Pictoris moving group. Future radial velocity and trigonometric parallax measurements will clarify such membership. Follow-up mid-infrared or higher-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy of this object will allow for further investigation as to the cause(s) of its redness, such as youth, clouds, and viewing geometry.

The JWST weather report from the nearest brown dwarfs I: multiperiod JWST NIRSpec + MIRI monitoring of the benchmark binary brown dwarf WISE 1049AB

ABSTRACT We report results from 8 h of JWST/MIRI low resolution spectroscopic (LRS) monitoring directly followed by 7 h of JWST/NIRSpec prism spectroscopic monitoring of the benchmark binary brown dwarf WISE 1049AB, the closest, brightest brown dwarfs known. We find water, methane, and CO absorption features in both components, including the 3.3 μm methane absorption feature and a tentative detection of small grain ($\lt $ 1μm) silicate absorption at $\gt $8.5 μm in WISE 1049A. Both components vary significantly ($\gt 1~{{\rm per\ cent}}$), with WISE 1049B displaying larger variations than WISE 1049A. Using K-means clustering, we find three main transition points in wavelength for both components of the binary: (1) change in behaviour at $\sim$2.3 μm coincident with a CO absorption bandhead, (2) change in behaviour at 4.2 μm, close to the CO fundamental band at $\lambda \gt $ 4.4 µm, and (3) change in behaviour at 8.3–8.5 µm, potentially corresponding to silicate absorption. We interpret the light curves observed with both NIRSpec and MIRI as likely stemming from (1) a deep pressure level driving the double-peaked variability seen in WISE 1049B at wavelengths $\lt $2.3 and $\gt $8.5 µm, (2) an intermediate pressure level shaping the light-curve morphology between 2.3 and 4.2 µm, and (3) a higher altitude pressure level producing single-peaked and plateaued light-curve behaviour between 4.2 and 8.5 µm.

SupSpec: A Python Package for Measuring the Doppler Shifts of Supernova Spectral Lines

Here we present an open-source Python package, SupSpec, which aids in finding the velocity structure of spectral features throughout supernova (SN) ejecta. This code is designed to require minimal user interaction and can ingest an arbitrarily large number of spectra. By fitting a Gaussian distribution to the spectral sequence of a single SN over time, it finds the “velocity structure”—the evolution of the velocity of a specific absorption feature over time. SupSpec is available on GitHub and on Zenodo.

Comparing the VANDELS Sample to a Zoom-in Radiative Hydrodynamical Simulation: Using the Si ii and C ii Line Spectra as Tracers of Galaxy Evolution and Lyman Continuum Leakage

We compare mock ultraviolet C ii and Si ii absorption and emission line features generated using a ∼109 M ⊙ virtual galaxy with observations of 131 z ∼ 3 galaxies from the vandels survey. We find that the mock spectra reproduce reasonably well a large majority (83%) of the vandels spectra (χ 2 < 2), but do not resemble the most massive objects (⪆1010 M ⊙), which exhibit broad absorption features. Interestingly, the best-matching mock spectra originate from periods of intense star formation in the virtual galaxy, where its luminosity is 4 times higher than in periods of relative quiescence. Furthermore, for each galaxy, we predict the Lyman continuum (LyC) escape fractions ( fesc(pred)LyC ) using the environment of the virtual galaxy. We derive an average fesc(pred)LyC of 0.01 ± 0.02, consistent with other estimates from the literature. The fesc(pred)LyC are tightly correlated with the Lyα escape fractions and highly consistent with observed empirical trends. Additionally, galaxies with larger fesc(pred)LyC exhibit bluer β slopes, more Lyα flux, and weaker low-ionization absorption lines. Building upon the good agreement between fesc(pred)LyC and observationally established LyC diagnostics, we examine the LyC leakage mechanisms in the simulation. We find that LyC photon leakage is enhanced in directions where the observed flux dominantly emerges from compact regions depleted of neutral gas and dust, mirroring the scenario inferred from observational data. In general, this study further highlights the potential of high-resolution radiation hydrodynamics simulations in analyzing UV absorption and emission line features and providing valuable insights into the LyC leakage of star-forming galaxies.

Analysing type of plants for reducing noise pollution in climate change adaptation

Abstract The noisier a region or city is, the faster the rate of global warming. Noise is not a substance. However, most sources of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are also sources of noise; for example, busy highways in cities can occasionally see as many as 100 cars per hour. Planting trees to mitigate noise pollution has been identified as one of the most sustainable methods to employ, since plants may function as a buffer and absorb sounds. Several plant species were chosen to assess noise absorption based on parameters such as leaf thickness, breadth, surface area, and length. The initial goal of this study is to estimate the noise absorption on the selected flora native to the Malaysian environment, where the noise was measured using an in-house developed impedance tube to discover the effective acoustic characteristics of leaves. The investigation was then carried on by assessing the data on the correlation coefficient parameter in order to determine the link between noise absorption and leaf features. Because of the freshness and perishability of the materials, measurements were repeated twice. Only 100% and 50% vegetation quantity size were measured for 10 sample species during the initial data collection. According to the findings, half of the leaves’ features were connected with noise absorption. This might be owing to the freshness state, which cannot be maintained for an extended period of time. To acquire a better value, the experiment was repeated within the permissible freshness time. The findings are as predicted, with the maximum noise absorption and features correlation at 100% plant density including twigs. When the vegetation amount is lowered to 50%, this will progressively diminish. The notion is confirmed by the fact that a tube packed with thicker samples absorbs more noise. The correlation study identifies that each leaf has its unique capacity for noise absorption dependent on its properties and freshness level.

Identification of Potential Lead Compounds against BCL-2 through In-silico Screening of Phytochemicals of Nigella sativa and Cuscuta reflexa for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Management

Significance of the study: In silico analysis is frequently used in physicochemical characterisation, the discovery and improvement of novel compounds with affinity to a target, and the elucidation of absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity features. Aim and Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of Nigella sativa and Cuscuta reflexa in targeting Bcl2-antiapoptotic protein in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma through in silico analysis. Materials and Methods: The present study was designed to formulate a drug against Oral Squamous cell carcinoma against the target protein Bcl-2. Protein Database (PDB) was used to select and analyse the protein. Based on the literature search, the original molecules selected were thymoquinone, tannin pyrogallol, Cuscutin, kaempferol, nigellicine and the ligand structures were obtained ZINC15 database. Target protein structure was recognised through Protein sequence from PB (Protein Data Bank). Swiss ADME was used for assessing the properties of the molecules. Twenty new molecules were identified from zinc pharmer and docking was done for all the 20 using Swiss dock. Binding energy was assessed and compared with the original molecules.ZINC73690300 and ZINC73690304 had better binding energy than that of original molecules. Both molecules can be potential candidates for Bcl2 inhibition to prevent OSCC. Results: ZINC73690300 and ZINC73690304 had better binding energy than that of the original molecules. Both molecules can be potential candidates for Bcl-2 inhibition to prevent OSCC. Conclusion: The present study evaluated the binding energy and bioavailability of the combined extract, thus attempting to predict the target ligand binding between the compounds in OSCC before attempting in vitro studies.-

Narrow absorption lines from intervening material in supernovae

Narrow absorption features in nearby supernova (SN) spectra are a powerful diagnostic of the slow-moving material in the line of sight: they are extensively used to infer dust extinction from the host galaxies, and they can also serve in the detection of circumstellar material originating from the SN progenitor and present in the vicinity of the explosion. Despite their wide use, very few studies have examined the biases of the methods to characterize narrow lines, and not many statistical analyses exist. This is the first paper of a series in which we present a statistical analysis of narrow lines of SN spectra of various resolutions. We developed a robust automated methodology to measure the equivalent width (EW) and velocity of narrow absorption lines from intervening material in the line of sight of SNe, including Na I D, Ca II H&amp;K, K I, and diffuse interstellar bands. We carefully studied systematic biases in heterogeneous spectra from the literature by simulating different signal-to-noise, spectral resolution, size and orientation of the slit, and we present the real capabilities and limitations of using low- and mid-resolution spectra to study these lines. In particular, we find that the measurement of the EW of the narrow lines in low-resolution spectra is highly affected by the evolving broad P-Cygni profiles of the SN ejecta, both for core-collapse and type Ia SNe, inducing a conspicuous apparent evolution. Such pervading non-physical evolution of narrow lines might lead to wrong conclusions on the line-of-sight material, for example concerning circumstellar material ejected from the SN progenitors. We thus present an easy way to detect and exclude those cases to obtain more robust and reliable measurements. Finally, after considering all possible effects, we analysed the temporal evolution of the narrow features in a large sample of nearby SNe to detect any possible variation in their EWs over time. We find no time evolution of the narrow line features in our large sample for all SN types.

White dwarf constraints on geological processes at the population level

ABSTRACT White dwarf atmospheres are frequently polluted by material from their own planetary systems. Absorption features from Ca, Mg, Fe, and other elements can provide unique insights into the provenance of this exoplanetary material, with their relative abundances being used to infer accretion of material with core- or mantle-like composition. Across the population of white dwarfs, the distribution of compositions reveals the prevalence of geological and collisional processing across exoplanetary systems. By predicting the distribution of compositions in three evolutionary scenarios, this work assesses whether they can explain current observations. We consider evolution in an asteroid belt analogue, in which collisions between planetary bodies that formed an iron core lead to core- or mantle-rich fragments. We also consider layer-by-layer accretion of individual bodies, such that the apparent composition of atmospheric pollution changes during the accretion of a single body. Finally, we consider that compositional spread is due to random noise. We find that the distribution of Ca, Fe, and Mg in a sample of 202 cool DZs is consistent with the random noise scenario, although 7 individual systems show strong evidence of core-mantle differentiation from additional elements and/or low noise levels. Future surveys that detect multiple elements in each of a few hundred white dwarfs, with well-understood biases, have the potential to confidently distinguish between the three models.

Low-frequency Absorption and Radio Recombination Line Features of the Galactic Center Lobe

The Galactic center lobe (GCL) is a ∼1° object located north of the Galactic center. In the mid-infrared, the GCL appears as two 8.0 μm filaments that roughly define an ellipse. There is strong 24 μm and radio continuum emission in the interior of the ellipse. Due to its morphology and location in the sky, previous authors have argued that the GCL is created by outflows from star formation in the central molecular zone or by activity of the central black hole Sgr A*. We present images of the GCL from the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array survey in radio continuum that show thermal absorption against the Galactic center, incompatible with an interpretation of synchrotron self-absorption. Estimates of the cosmic-ray emissivity in this direction allow us to place a distance constraint on the GCL. To be consistent with standard emissivity assumptions, the GCL would be located 2 kpc away. At a distance of 8 kpc, the synchrotron background emissivity is enhanced by ∼75% in the direction of the GCL. We also present radio recombination line data from the Green Bank Telescope that constrain the electron temperature and line widths in this region, which are also more explicable if the GCL lies relatively close.

Impact of Self-shielding Minihalos on the Lyα Forest at High Redshift

Dense gas in minihalos with masses of 106−108 M ⊙ can shield themselves from reionization for ∼100 Myr after being exposed to the UV background. These self-shielded systems, often unresolved in cosmological simulations, can introduce strong absorption in quasar spectra. This paper is the first systematic study on the impact of these systems on the Lyα forest. We first derive the H i column density profile of photoevaporating minihalos by conducting 1D radiation–hydrodynamics simulations. We utilize these results to estimate the Lyα opacity from minihalos in a large-scale simulation that cannot resolve self-shielding. When the ionization rate of the background radiation is 0.03 × 10−12 s−1, as expected near the end of reionization at z ∼ 5.5, we find that the incidence rate of damped Lyα absorbers increases by a factor of ∼2−4 compared to at z = 4.5. The Lyα flux is, on average, suppressed by ∼3% of its mean due to minihalos. The absorption features enhance the 1D power spectrum up to ∼5% at k ∼ 0.1 h Mpc−1 (or 10−3 km−1 s), which is comparable to the enhancement caused by inhomogeneous reionization. The flux is particularly suppressed in the vicinity of large halos along the line-of-sight direction at separations of up to 10 h −1 Mpc at r ⊥ ≲ 2 h −1 Mpc. However, these effects become much smaller for higher ionizing rates (≳0.3 × 10−12 s−1) expected in the post-reionization Universe. Our findings highlight the need to consider minihalo absorption when interpreting the Lyα forest at z ≳ 5.5. Moreover, the sensitivity of these quantities to the ionizing background intensity can be exploited to constrain the intensity itself.

The Role of Intraligand Charge Transfer Processes in Iridium(III) Complexes with Morpholine-Decorated 4'-Phenyl-2,2':6',2″-terpyridine.

To investigate the impact of the electron-donating morpholinyl (morph) group on the ground- and excited-state properties of two different types of Ir(III) complexes, [IrCl3(R-C6H4-terpy-κ3N)] and [Ir(R-C6H4-terpy-κ3N)2](PF6)3, the compounds [IrCl3(morph-C6H4-terpy-κ3N)] (1A), 4[Ir(morph-C6H4-terpy-κ3N)2](PF6)3 (2A), [IrCl3(Ph-terpy-κ3N)] (1B) and [Ir(Ph-terpy-κ3N)2](PF6)3 (2B) were obtained. Their photophysical properties were comprehensively investigated with the aid of static and time-resolved spectroscopic methods accompanied by theoretical DFT/TD-DFT calculations. In the case of bis-terpyridyl iridium(III) complexes, the attachment of the morpholinyl group induced dramatic changes in the absorption and emission characteristics, manifested by the appearance of a new, very strong visible absorption tailing up to 600 nm, and a significant bathochromic shift in the emission of 2A relative to the model chromophore. The emission features of 2A and 2B were found to originate from the triplet excited states of different natures: intraligand charge transfer (3ILCT) for 2A and intraligand with a small admixture of metal-to-ligand charge transfer (3IL-3MLCT) for 2B. The optical properties of the mono-terpyridyl iridium(III) complexes were less significantly impacted by the morpholinyl substituent. Based on UV-Vis absorption spectra, emission wavelengths and lifetimes in different environments, transient absorption studies, and theoretical calculations, it was demonstrated that the visible absorption and emission features of 1A are governed by singlet and triplet excited states of a mixed MLLCT-ILCT nature, with a dominant contribution of the first component, that is, metal-ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (MLLCT). The involvement of ILCT transitions was reflected by an enhancement of the molar extinction coefficients of the absorption bands of 1A in the range of 350-550 nm, and a small red shift in its emission relative to the model chromophore.

Investigation into the origin of the soft excess in Ark 564 using principal component analysis

We combined a principal component analysis (PCA) and spectroscopy to investigate the origin of the soft excess in narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy Ark 564 with XMM-Newton observations over a period of ten years. We find that the principal components in different epochs are very similar, suggesting stable variability patterns in this source. More importantly, although its spectra could be equally well fitted by the two soft excess models, simulations show that the principal components from the relativistically smeared reflection model match the data well. At the same time, the principal components from the warm corona model show significant inconsistency. This finding indicates that the soft excess in Ark 564 originates from the relativistically smeared reflection, rather than the Comptonization in the warm corona, thereby favoring the reflection origin or the "hybrid" origin of the soft excess. Furthermore, the presence of the narrow absorption features in the spectra suggests that the soft excess is unlikely to originate from absorptions due to possible outflowing winds. Our results indicate that the PCA coupled with spectral analysis is a promising approach to exploring the origin of the soft excess in active galactic nuclei (AGNs).

A disc wind origin for the optical spectra of dwarf novae in outburst

ABSTRACT Many high-state cataclysmic variables (CVs) exhibit blue-shifted absorption features in their ultraviolet (UV) spectra – a smoking-gun signature of outflows. However, the impact of these outflows on optical spectra remains much more uncertain. During its recent outburst, the eclipsing dwarf nova V455 And displayed strong optical emission lines whose cores were narrower than expected from a Keplerian disc. Here, we explore whether disc + wind models developed for matching UV observations of CVs can also account for these optical spectra. Importantly, V455 And was extremely bright at outburst maximum: the accretion rate implied by fitting the optical continuum with a standard disc model is $\dot{M}_{\rm acc} \simeq 10^{-7}~{\rm M}_\odot ~{\rm yr^{-1}}$. Allowing for continuum reprocessing in the outflow helps to relax this constraint. A disc wind can also broadly reproduce the optical emission lines, but only if the wind is (i) highly mass-loaded, with a mass-loss rate reaching $\dot{M}_{\rm wind} \simeq 0.4 \dot{M}_{\rm acc}$, and/or (ii) clumpy, with a volume filling factor $f_V \simeq 0.1$. The same models can describe the spectral evolution across the outburst, simply by lowering $\dot{M}_{\rm acc}$ and $\dot{M}_{\rm wind}$. Extending these models to lower inclinations and into the UV produces spectra consistent with those observed in face-on high-state CVs. We also find, for the first time in simulations of this type, P-Cygni-like absorption features in the Balmer series, as have been observed in both CVs and X-ray binaries. Overall, dense disc winds provide a promising framework for explaining multiple observational signatures seen in high-state CVs, but theoretical challenges persist.

MALS discovery of a rare H I 21 cm absorber at z ∼ 1.35: Origin of the absorbing gas in powerful active galactic nuclei

We report a new, rare detection of H I 21 cm absorption associated with a quasar (only six quasars are known at 1 &lt; z &lt; 2) toward J2339−5523 at zem = 1.3531, discovered through the MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey (MALS). The absorption profile is broad (∼400 km s−1 ), and the peak is redshifted by ∼200 km s−1 from zem. Interestingly, optical/far-UV spectra of the quasar from the Magellan-MIKE/HST-COS spectrographs do not show any absorption features associated with the 21 cm absorption, despite the coincident presence of the optical quasar and the radio core inferred from a flat-spectrum component with a flux density of ∼65 mJy at high frequencies (&gt; 5 GHz). The simplest explanation would be that no large H I column (N(H I) &gt; 1017 cm−2) is present toward the radio core and the optical active galactic nucleus. Based on the joint optical and radio analysis of a heterogeneous sample of 16 quasars (zmedian = 0.7) and 19 radio galaxies (zmedian = 0.4) with H I 21 cm absorption detection and matched in 1.4 GHz luminosity (L1.4 GHz), a consistent picture emerges according to which quasars primarily trace the gas in the inner circumnuclear disk and cocoon created by the interaction of the jet with interstellar medium. They (i.e., quasars) exhibit a L1.4 GHz – ΔVnull correlation and a frequent mismatch of the radio and optical spectral lines. The radio galaxies show no such correlation and likely trace the gas from the cocoon and the galaxy-wide interstellar medium outside the photoionization cone. The analysis presented here demonstrates the potential of radio spectroscopic observations to reveal the origin of the absorbing gas associated with active galactic nuclei that may be missed in optical observations.