AGN Sources Research Articles

A search for AGN sources of the IceCube diffuse neutrino flux

The origin of the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux measured by the IceCube Observatory remains largely unknown.Although NGC 1068 and TXS 0506+056 have been identified as potential neutrino sources, the diffuse flux of neutrinos must have additional sources that have not yet been identified.Here we investigate potential correlations between IceCube's neutrino events and the Fermi and MOJAVE source catalogs, using the publicly-available IceCube data set. We perform three separate spatially-dependent, energy-dependent, and time-dependent searches, and find no statistically significant sources outside of NGC 1068. We find that, under the most optimistic assumptions of a spectral index of 2.0 and a neutrino flux uncorrelated with the gamma ray flux, no more than 13% of IceCube's neutrino flux originates from blazars over the whole sky. Then, using an energy-dependent likelihood analysis, the limit on neutrinos originating from blazars reduces to 9% in the Northern hemisphere under the same spectral index and flux assumptions. Finally, we set limits on individual sources from the MOJAVE radio catalog after finding no statistically significant time-flaring sources.

Proposing a physical mechanism to explain various observed sources of QPOs by simulating the dynamics of accretion disks around the black holes

We propose a mechanism to explain the low-frequency QPOs observed in X-ray binary systems and AGNs. To achieve this, we perturbed stable accretion disks around Kerr and EGB black holes at different angular velocities, revealing characteristics of shock waves and oscillations on the disk. By applying this perturbation to scenarios with varying alpha values for EGB black holes and different spin parameters for Kerr black holes, we numerically observed changes in the disk dynamic structure and its oscillations. Through various numerical models, we found that the formation of one- and two-armed spiral shock waves on the disk serves as a mechanism for generating QPOs. We compared the QPOs obtained from numerical calculations with the low-frequency QPOs observed in X-ray binary systems and AGN sources, finding high consistency with observations. We observed that the shock mechanism, leading to QPOs, explains the X-ray binaries and AGNs studied in this article. Our numerical findings indicate that QPOs are more strongly dependent on the EGB constant than on the black hole spin parameter. However, we highlighted that the primary impact on oscillations and QPOs is driven by the perturbation angular velocity. The results from the models showed that the perturbation asymptotic speed at V∞=0.2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$V_{\\infty }=0.2$$\\end{document} independently generates QPO frequencies, regardless of the black hole spin parameter and the EGB coupling constant. Therefore, for the moderate value of V∞\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$V_{\\infty }$$\\end{document}, a two-armed spiral shock wave formed around the black hole is suggested as a decisive mechanism in explaining low-frequency QPOs.

Tracer-field cross-correlations with k-nearest neighbour distributions

ABSTRACT In astronomy and cosmology significant effort is devoted to characterizing and understanding spatial cross-correlations between points – e.g galaxy positions, high energy neutrino arrival directions, X-ray and AGN sources, and continuous fields – e.g. weak lensing meiand Cosmic Microwave Background maps. Recently, we introduced the k-nearest neighbour (kNN) formalism to better characterize the clustering of discrete (point) data sets. Here, we extend it to the point – field cross-correlations analysis. It combines kNN measurements of the point data set with measurements of the field smoothed at many scales. The resulting statistics are sensitive to all orders in the joint clustering of the points and the field. We demonstrate that this approach, unlike the 2-pt cross-correlation, can measure the statistical dependence of two data sets even when there are no linear (Gaussian) correlations between them. We further demonstrate that this framework is far more effective than the two point function in detecting cross-correlations when the continuous field is contaminated by high levels of noise. For a particularly high level of noise, the cross-correlation between haloes and the underlying matter field in a cosmological simulation, between 10 h−1 Mpc and 30 h−1 Mpc, is detected at >5σ significance using the technique presented here, when the two-point cross-correlation significance is ∼1σ. Finally, we show that kNN cross-correlations of haloes and the matter field can be well modelled on quasi-linear scales using the Hybrid Effective Field Theory (HEFT) framework, with the same set of bias parameters as are used for 2-pt cross-correlations. The substantial improvement in the statistical power of detecting cross-correlations using this method makes it a promising tool for various cosmological applications.

Intermediate-mass black holes and the Fundamental Plane of black hole accretion

ABSTRACT We present new 5 GHz Very Large Array observations of a sample of eight active intermediate-mass black holes with masses 104.9 M⊙ < M < 106.1 M⊙ found in galaxies with stellar masses M* < 3 × 109 M⊙. We detected five of the eight sources at high significance. Of the detections, four were consistent with a point source, and one (SDSS J095418.15+471725.1, with black hole mass M < 105 M⊙) clearly shows extended emission that has a jet morphology. Combining our new radio data with the black hole masses and literature X-ray measurements, we put the sources on the Fundamental Plane of black hole accretion. We find that the extent to which the sources agree with the Fundamental Plane depends on their star-forming/composite/active galactic nucleus (AGN) classification based on optical narrow emission-line ratios. The single star-forming source is inconsistent with the Fundamental Plane. The three composite sources are consistent, and three of the four AGN sources are inconsistent with the Fundamental Plane. We argue that this inconsistency is genuine and not a result of misattributing star formation to black hole activity. Instead, we identify the sources in our sample that have AGN-like optical emission-line ratios as not following the Fundamental Plane and thus caution the use of the Fundamental Plane to estimate masses without additional constraints, such as radio spectral index, radiative efficiency, or the Eddington fraction.

An alternative scheme to estimate AstroSat/LAXPC background for faint sources

An alternative scheme is described to estimate the layer 1 LAXPC 20 background for faint sources where the source contribution to the 50-80 keV count rate is less than 0.25 counts/sec (15 milli-crabs or $6 \times 10^{-11}$ ergs/s/cm$^2$). We consider 12 blank sky observations and based on their 50-80 keV count rate in 100 second time-bins, generate four template spectra which are then used to estimate the background spectrum and lightcurve for a given faint source observation. The variance of the estimated background subtracted spectra for the 12 blank sky observations is taken as the energy dependent systematic uncertainty which will dominate over the statistical one for exposures longer than 5 ksecs. The estimated 100 second time bin background lightcurve in the 4-20 keV band with a 3\% systematic error matches with the blank sky ones. The 4-20 keV spectrum can be constrained for a source with flux $\gtrapprox 1$ milli-crab. Fractional r.m.s variability of 10\% can be determined for a $\sim 5$ milli-crab source lightcurve binned at 100 seconds. To illustrate the scheme, the lightcurves, and spectra of three different blank sky observations, three AGN sources (Mrk 0926, Mrk 110, NGC 4593), and LMC X-1 are shown.

Observing AGN sources with the Event Horizon Telescope

AbstractIn April 2017 Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has delivered first resolved images of a shadow of a supermassive black hole. Apart from black hole sources in M87 and in the Galactic Center, observed with resolution comparable to the Schwarzschild radius scale, EHT observed multiple AGN sources during the 2017 campaign. These include 3C279, Centaurus A, OJ287 and more. For most of the considered sources EHT 2017 data set should allow to reconstruct images with highest angular resolution in the history of their observations, approaching 20 uas. While the analysis of these data is still ongoing, I will talk about the scientific opportunities related to observing AGN sources with the extreme resolution of the EHT as well as about the astrophysical questions that these observations may help answering.

The NuSTAR Extragalactic Survey: Average Broadband X-Ray Spectral Properties of the NuSTAR-detected AGNs

Abstract We present a study of the average X-ray spectral properties of the sources detected by the NuSTAR extragalactic survey, comprising observations of the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (E-CDFS), Extended Groth Strip (EGS), and the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS). The sample includes 182 NuSTAR sources (64 detected at 8–24 keV), with 3–24 keV fluxes ranging between f 3 – 24 keV ≈ 10 − 14 and 6 × 10−13 erg cm−2 s−1 ( f 8 – 24 keV ≈ 3 × 10 − 14 – 3 × 10 − 13 erg cm−2 s−1) and redshifts in the range of z = 0.04 – 3.21 . We produce composite spectra from the Chandra + NuSTAR data ( E ≈ 2 – 40 keV , rest frame) for all the sources with redshift identifications (95%) and investigate the intrinsic, average spectra of the sources, divided into broad-line (BL) and narrow-line (NL) active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and also in different bins of X-ray column density and luminosity. The average power-law photon index for the whole sample is Γ = 1.65 − 0.03 + 0.03 , flatter than the Γ ≈ 1.8 typically found for AGNs. While the spectral slope of BL and X-ray unabsorbed AGNs is consistent with the typical values ( Γ = 1.79 − 0.01 + 0.01 ), a significant flattening is seen in NL AGNs and heavily absorbed sources ( Γ = 1.60 − 0.05 + 0.08 and Γ = 1.38 − 0.12 + 0.12 , respectively), likely due to the effect of absorption and to the contribution from the Compton reflection component to the high-energy flux ( E > 10 keV). We find that the typical reflection fraction in our spectra is R ≈ 0.5 (for Γ = 1.8 ), with a tentative indication of an increase of the reflection strength with X-ray column density. While there is no significant evidence for a dependence of the photon index on X-ray luminosity in our sample, we find that R decreases with luminosity, with relatively high levels of reflection ( R ≈ 1.2 ) for L 10 – 40 keV < 10 44 erg s−1 and R ≈ 0.3 for L 10 – 40 keV > 10 44 erg s−1 AGNs, assuming a fixed spectral slope of Γ = 1.8 .

Status of the Thai 40-m Radio Telescope

AbstractSince the first light of the 2.4-m Thai National Telescope in 2013, Thailand foresees another great leap forward in astronomy. A project known as “Radio Astronomy Network and Geodesy for Development” (RANGD) by National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) has been approved for year 2017-2021. A 40-m radio telescope has been planned to operate up to 115-GHz observation with prime-focus capability for low frequency and phased array feed receivers. The telescope’s first light is expected in late 2019 with a cryogenics K-band and L-band receivers. RFI environment at the site has been investigated and shown to be at reasonable level. A 13-m VGOS telescope is also included for geodetic applications. Early single-dish science will focus on time domain observations, such as pulsars and transients, outbursts and variability of maser and AGN sources.

Intermittency and Anisotropy in the Ionized Interstellar Medium

AbstractThe discovery of pulsars was closely followed by the discovery of dispersion and scattering in the interstellar plasma (ionized interstellar medium - IISM). The rich phenomena of scattering and scintillation have since been successfully modelled as propagation through a statistically uniform plasma turbulence with an isotropic Kolmogorov spectrum of density. However, this enticingly simple model fails to explain the many recent observations, that show anisotropic scattering from highly localized regions of the IISM often referred to as phase screens. I summarize the recent evidence from pulsars and also from very compact AGN sources, which can exhibit rapid scintillation and occasionally ESEs. The unknown astrophysical origin of these phenomena includes thin current sheets, the diffuse remnants of old supernova shells, and plasma filaments surrounding ubiquitous molecular clumps near young hot stars.

THE QUEST–La SILLA AGN VARIABILITY SURVEY

We present the characterization and initial results from the QUEST-La Silla AGN variability survey. This is an effort to obtain well sampled optical light curves in extragalactic fields with unique multi-wavelength observations. We present photometry obtained from 2010 to 2012 in the XMM-COSMOS field, which was observed over 150 nights using the QUEST camera on the ESO-Schmidt telescope. The survey uses a broadband filter, the $Q$-band, similar to the union of the $g$ and the $r$ filters, achieving an intrinsic photometric dispersion of $0.05$ mag, and a systematic error of $0.05$ mag in the zero-point. Since some detectors of the camera show significant non-linearity, we use a linear correlation to fit the zero-points as a function of the instrumental magnitudes, thus obtaining a good correction to the non-linear behavior of these detectors. We obtain good photometry to an equivalent limiting magnitude of $r\sim 20.5$. Studying the optical variability of X-ray detected sources in the XMM-COSMOS field, we find that the survey is $\sim75-80$% complete to magnitudes $r\sim20$, and $\sim67$% complete to a magnitude $r\sim21$. The determination and parameterization of the structure function (${SF}_{norm}(\tau) = A \tau^{\gamma}$) of the variable sources shows that most BL AGN are characterized by $A > 0.1$ and $\gamma > 0.025$. It is further shown that variable NL AGN and GAL sources occupying the same parameter space in $A$ and $\gamma$ are very likely to correspond to obscured or low luminosity AGN. Our samples are, however, small, and we expect to revisit these results using larger samples with longer light curves obtained as part of our ongoing survey.

Compact sources in the Bologna Complete Sample: high-resolution VLA observations and optical data

Among radio galaxies, compact sources are a class of objects not yet well understood, and most of them cannot be included in classical populations of compact radio sources (flat spectrum AGN or compact steep spectrum sources). Our main goal is to analyze the radio and optical properties of a sample of compact sources and compare them with FRI/FRII extended radio galaxies. We selected in the Bologna Complete Sample a sub sample of Compact sources, naming it the C BCS sample. We collected new and literature sub-arcsecond resolution multi-frequency VLA images and optical data. We compared total and nuclear radio power with optical emission line measurements. The [OIII] luminosity - 408 MHz total power relation found in High and Low excitation galaxies, as well as in young (CSS) sources, holds also for the C BCSs. However, C BCSs present higher [OIII] luminosity than expected at a given total radio power, and they show the same correlation of Core Radio Galaxies, but with a higher radio power. C BCSs appear to be the high power tail of Core Radio Galaxies. For most of the C BCSs, the morphology seems to be strongly dependent to the presence of dense environments (e.g. cluster or HI-rich galaxies) and to a low age or restarted radio activity.

ACHANDRAOBSERVATION OF THE ULTRALUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXY IRAS 19254–7245 (THE SUPERANTENNAE): X-RAY EMISSION FROM THE COMPTON-THICK ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS AND THE DIFFUSE STARBURST

We present a {\it Chandra} observation of IRAS 19254--7245, a nearby ULIRG also known as {\it the Superantennae}. The high spatial resolution of {\it Chandra} allows us to disentangle for the first time the diffuse starburst emission from the embedded Compton-thick AGN. The 2-10 keV spectrum of the AGN emission is fitted by a flat power-law $\Gamma=1.3$) and a He-like Fe K$\alpha$ line with EW$\sim$1.5 keV, consistent with previous observations. The Fe K$\alpha$ line profile could be resolved as a blend of a neutral 6.4 keV line and an ionized 6.7 keV (He-like) or 6.9 keV (H-like) line. Variability is detected compared with the previous {\it XMM-Newton} and {\it suzaku} observations, demonstrating the compact size of the iron line emission. We fit the spectrum of the galaxy-scale extended emission excluding the AGN and other bright point sources with a soft thermal component with kT~0.8 keV. The luminosity of the extended emission is about one order of magnitude lower than that of the AGN. The basic physical and structural properties of the extended emission are fully consistent with a galactic wind being driven by the starburst (no contribution to the feedback by the AGN is required). A candidate ultra-luminous X-ray source is detected 8\arcsec\ south of the southern nucleus. The 0.3-10 keV luminosity of this off-nuclear point source is ~$6\times 10^{40}$ erg s$^{-1}$ if the emission is isotropic and the source is associated with the Superantennae.

THESWIFTBAT SURVEY DETECTS TWO OPTICAL BROAD LINE, X-RAY HEAVILY OBSCURED ACTIVE GALAXIES: NVSS 193013+341047 AND IRAS 05218–1212

The Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) is discovering interesting new objects while monitoring the sky in the 14-195 keV band. Here we present the X-ray properties and spectral energy distributions for two unusual AGN sources. Both NVSS 193013+341047 and IRAS 05218-1212 are absorbed, Compton-thin, but heavily obscured (NH \sim 10^23 cm-2), X-ray sources at redshifts < 0.1. The spectral energy distributions reveal these galaxies to be very red, with high extinction in the optical and UV. A similar SED is seen for the extremely red objects (EROs) detected in the higher redshift universe. This suggests that these unusual BAT-detected sources are a low- redshift (z << 1) analog to EROs, which recent evidence suggests are a class of the elusive type II quasars. Studying the multi-wavelength properties of these sources may reveal the properties of their high redshift counterparts.

The double galaxy cluster Abell 2465 - I. Basic properties: optical imaging and spectroscopy

Optical imaging and spectroscopic observations of the z = 0.245 double galaxy cluster Abell 2465 are described. This object appears to be undergoing a major merger. It is a double X-ray source and is detected in the radio at 1.4 GHz. This paper investigates signatures of the interaction of the two components. Redshifts were measured to determine velocity dispersions and virial radii of each component. The technique of fuzzy clustering was used to assign membership weights to the galaxies in each clump. Using redshifts of 93 cluster members within 1.4 Mpc of the subcluster centres, the virial masses and anisotropy parameters are derived. 37% of the spectroscopically observed galaxies show emission lines and are predominantly star forming in the diagnostic diagram. No strong AGN sources were found. The emission line galaxies tend to lie between the two cluster centres with more near the SW clump. The luminosity functions of the two subclusters differ. The NE component is similar to many rich clusters, while the SW component has more faint galaxies. The NE clump's light profile follows a single NFW profile with c = 10 while the SW is better fit with an extended outer region and a compact inner core, consistent with available X-ray data indicating that the SW clump has a cooling core. The observed differences and properties of the two components of Abell 2465 are interpreted to have been caused by a collision 2-4 Gyr ago, after which they have moved apart and are now near their apocentres, although the start of a merger remains a possibility. The number of emission line galaxies gives weight to the idea that galaxy cluster collisions trigger star formation.

The redshift and broad-band spectral energy distribution of NRAO 150

Context. NRAO 150 is one of the brightest radio and mm AGN sources on the northern sky. It has been revealed as an interesting source where to study extreme relativistic jet phenomena. However, its cosmological distance has not been reported so far, because of its optical faintness produced by strong Galactic extinction. Aims. Aiming at measuring the redshift of NRAO 150, and hence to start making possible quantitative studies from the source. Methods. We have conducted spectroscopic and photometric observations of the source in the near-IR, as well as in the optical. Results. All such observations have been successful in detecting the source. The near-IR spectroscopic observations reveal strong H$\alpha$ and H$\beta$ emission lines from which the cosmological redshift of NRAO 150 ($z=1.517\pm0.002$) has been determined for the first time. We classify the source as a flat-spectrum radio-loud quasar, for which we estimate a large super-massive black-hole mass $\sim5\times 10^{9} \mathrm{M_\odot}$. After extinction correction, the new near-IR and optical data have revealed a high-luminosity continuum-emission excess in the optical (peaking at $\sim2000$\,\AA, rest frame) that we attribute to thermal emission from the accretion disk for which we estimate a high accretion rate, $\sim30$\,% of the Eddington limit. Conclusions. Comparison of these source properties, and its broad-band spectral-energy distribution, with those of Fermi blazars allow us to predict that NRAO 150 is among the most powerful blazars, and hence a high luminosity -although not detected yet- $\gamma$-ray emitter.

Project RESUN, a Radio EVLA Search for UHE Neutrinos

In the past decade there have been several attempts to detect Ultra High Energy (UHE) neutrinos via radio Ĉerenkov bursts in terrestrial ice or the lunar regolith. So far these searches have yielded no detections, but the inferred flux upper limits have started to constrain physical models for UHE neutrino generation. We report results from the Radio EVLA Search for UHE Neutrinos (RESUN) experiment, aimed at further limiting isotropic and point-source production models. RESUN uses the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA) configured in multiple sub-arrays of four antennas observing at 1.4 GHz and pointed along the lunar limb to detect cm-wavelength Ĉerenkov bursts. No pulses of lunar origin exceeding a threshold of 0.017 μV m −1 MHz −1 were detected during a observing campaign totaling 200 h. The RESUN null detection implies an upper limit to the differential isotropic neutrino flux EdN/ dE < 1 km −2 yr −1 sr −1 at 90% confidence level for sources with energy ( E) exceeding 10 21.2 eV and EdN/ dE < 0.1 km −2 yr −1 sr −1 for E > 10 22.5 eV. The isotropic flux upper limit is the lowest published for lunar searches in the range 10 20.7 eV < E < 10 22.3 eV and is inconsistent with extragalactic and halo Z-burst models for neutrino generation, in agreement with the ANITA Antarctic ice observations and WMAP neutrino mass estimates. Further, we establish 90% confidence differential flux limits for selected AGN sources located along the lunar celestial path.

A lower-limit flux for the extragalactic background light

... A strict lower-limit flux for the evolving extragalactic background light (and in particular the cosmic infrared background) has been calculated up to redshift of 5. The computed flux is below the existing upper limits from direct observations, and in agreement with all existing limits derived from very-high energy gamma-ray observations. The corrected spectra are still in agreement with simple theoretical predictions. The derived strict lower-limit EBL flux is very close to the upper limits from gamma-ray observations. This is true for the present day EBL but also for the diffuse flux at higher redshift. If future detections of high redshift gamma-ray sources require a lower EBL flux than derived here, the physics assumptions used to derive the upper limits have to be revised. The lower-limit EBL model is not only needed for absorption features in AGN and other gamma-ray sources but is also essential when alternative particle processes are tested, which could prevent the high energy gamma-rays from being absorbed. It can also be used for a quaranteed interaction of cosmic-ray particles. The model is available online.

AVERAGE INFRARED GALAXY SPECTRA FROM SPITZER FLUX-LIMITED SAMPLES

The mid-infrared spectroscopic analysis of a flux-limited sample of galaxies with fv(24um) > 10 mJy is presented. Sources observed are taken from the Spitzer First Look Survey (FLS) catalog and from the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey region in Bootes (NDWFS). The spectroscopic sample includes 60 of the 100 sources in these combined catalogs having fv(24um) > 10 mJy. New spectra from the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph are presented for 25 FLS sources and for 11 Bootes AGN; these are combined with 24 Bootes starburst galaxies previously published to determine the distribution of mid-infrared spectral characteristics for the total 10 mJy sample. Sources have 0.01 < z < 2.4 and 41.8 < log vLv(15um) < 46.2 (ergs/s). Average spectra are determined as a function of luminosity; lower luminosity sources (log vLv(15um) < 44.0) are dominated by PAH features and higher luminosity sources (log vLv(15um) > 44.0) are dominated by silicate absorption or emission. We find that a rest frame equivalent width of 0.4um for the 6.2um PAH emission feature provides a well defined division between lower luminosity, "pure" starbursts and higher luminosity AGN or composite sources. Using the average spectra, fluxes fv(24um) which would be observed with the Spitzer MIPS are predicted as a function of redshift for sources with luminosities that correspond to the average spectra. AGN identical to those in this 10 mJy sample could be seen to z = 3 with fv(24um) > 1 mJy, but starbursts fall to fv(24um) < 1 mJy by z ~ 0.5. This indicates that substantial luminosity evolution of starbursts is required to explain the numerous starbursts found in other IRS results having fv(24um) > 1 mJy and z ~ 2.

Light nuclei solving the AUGER puzzles: the Cen-A imprint

Ultra-high-energy cosmic rays' (UHECR) maps at 60 EeV have been found recently by the AUGER group to be spreading anisotropy signatures in the sky. The results have been interpreted as a manifestation of AGN sources ejecting protons at GZK (Greisen–Zatsepin–Kuzmin) edges, around or below 80 Mpc distances, mostly from Supergalactic (SG) plane. The result is surprising due to the lack of correlation with the much nearer Virgo cluster. Moreover, early GZK cutoff in the spectra may be better reconciled with light nuclei (than with protons). In addition, a large group (of nearly a dozen) of events cluster suspiciously along Cen-A. Finally, proton UHECR composition nature is in sharp disagreement with the earlier AUGER claim of a heavy nuclei dominance at 40 EeV, within 13 extreme events (ln A=2.6±0.6). Therefore, we interpret here the signals as mostly UHECR light nuclei (He, Be, B, C and O) ejected from nearest Cen-A, UHECR smeared by galactic magnetic fields, whose random vertical bending is overlapping with SG arm. The (possible) AUGER misunderstanding took place because of a rare coincidence between the SG plane (arm) and the smeared (randomized) signals from Cen-A, bent orthogonally to the galactic fields. Our derivation verifies the consistency of the random smearing angles for He, Be, B, C and O range, respectively, ≳2.7°–11° in reasonable agreement with the AUGER main group event around Cen-A. Only a few other rare events are spread elsewhere. The more collimated from Cen-A, the lighter (lnAHe⩽2). The more spread, the heavier (lnA⩾2). Consequently, Cen-A is probably one of the best candidate UHE neutrinos at tens–hundreds of PeVs. This solution may be tested soon by future (and may even have already been recorded) clustering around the Cen-A barycenter, events smeared by vertical galactic magnetic forces on the lightest nuclei.

Active Galactic Nucleus and Starburst Classification fromSpitzerMid‐Infrared Spectra for High‐Redshift SWIRE Sources

Spectra have been obtained with the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on the Spitzer Space Telescope for 20 sources in the Lockman Hole field of the SWIRE survey. The sample is divided between sources with indicators of an obscured AGN, based primarily on X-ray detections of optically faint sources, and sources with indicators of a starburst, based on optical and near-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs), which show a luminosity peak from stellar photospheric emission. Ten of the 11 AGN sources have IRS spectra that show silicate absorption or are power laws; only one AGN source shows PAH emission features. All nine of the sources showing starburst SEDs in the near-infrared show PAH emission features in the IRS spectra. Redshifts are determined from the IRS spectra for all nine starbursts (1.0 < z < 1.9) and 8 of the 11 AGNs (0.6 < z < 2.5). Classification as AGN because of an X-ray detection, the classification as AGN or starburst derived from the photometric SED, and the IRS spectroscopic classification as AGN (silicate absorption) or starburst (PAH emission) are all consistent in 18 of 20 sources. The surface density for starbursts that are most luminous in the mid-infrared is less than that for the most luminous AGNs within the redshift interval 1.7 ≾ z ≾ 1.9. This result implies that mid-infrared source counts at high redshift are dominated by AGNs for f_ν(24 μm) ≳ 1.0 mJy.