Dust-free Region Research Articles

Dust-free region over horizontal hot surfaces

We study the formation of dust-free regions above hot horizontal surfaces of uniform temperature and propose relations for its height in the limit of small particle inertia and gravitational effects. By including particle inertia, thermophoretic, gravitational and viscous effects, we conduct Lagrangian simulations of particle dynamics in a natural convection boundary layer over a horizontal surface. Trajectory analysis of the particles inside the boundary layer on the surface reveals the existence of two separatrices originating from a saddle point, which form the boundary of the dust-free region. These separatrices for low gravitational effects follow the boundary layer thickness, but are of much lower height and also depend on the dimensionless thermophoretic number ( $Th$ ) and Prandtl number ( $Pr$ ). We obtain a relation for the dimensionless height of the dust-free region ( $\eta _{df}$ ) as a function of $Pr$ and $Th$ , for low dimensionless gravitational number ( $Gn$ ); the numerical solution of this equation gives us the dust-free region height for any $Th$ and $Pr$ . We then obtain scaling laws for $\eta _{df}$ using the boundary layer equations corresponding to the $Pr \gg 1$ and $Pr \ll 1$ cases; these scaling laws are shown to be valid respectively for $Pr>1$ and $Pr<1$ , except in the large $\eta$ limit for $Pr>1$ , where $\eta$ is the boundary layer similarity variable. We then obtain an empirical relation in this large $\eta$ limit using the numerical solutions of the boundary layer equations for the intermediate $Pr$ case to obtain scaling laws for dust-free region height for the whole range of $Pr \ll 1$ to $Pr \gg 1$ .

Multi-epoch UV–X-Ray Spectral Study of NGC 4151 with AstroSat

We present a multiwavelength spectral study of NGC 4151 based on five epochs of simultaneous AstroSat observations in the near-ultraviolet (NUV) to hard X-ray band (∼0.005–80 keV) during 2017–2018. We derived the intrinsic accretion disk continuum after correcting for internal and Galactic extinction, contributions from broad- and narrow-line regions, and emission from the host galaxy. We found a bluer continuum at brighter UV flux, possibly due to variations in the accretion disk continuum or the UV reddening. We estimated the intrinsic reddening, E(B − V) ∼ 0.4, using high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/STIS spectrum acquired in 2000 March. We used thermal Comptonization, neutral and ionized absorption, and X-ray reflection to model the X-ray spectra. We obtained the X-ray absorbing neutral column varying between N H ∼1.2 and 3.4 × 1023 cm−2, which are ∼100 times larger than that estimated from UV extinction, assuming the Galactic dust-to-gas ratio. To reconcile this discrepancy, we propose two plausible configurations of the obscurer: (a) a two-zone obscurer consisting of dust-free and dusty regions, divided by the sublimation radius, or (b) a two-phase obscurer consisting of clumpy, dense clouds embedded in a low-density medium, resulting in a scenario where a few dense clouds obscure the compact X-ray source substantially, while the bulk of UV emission arising from the extended accretion disk passes through the low-density medium. Furthermore, we find a positive correlation between the X-ray absorption column and NUV − far-UV color and UV flux, indicative of enhanced winds possibly driven by the “bluer-when-brighter” UV continuum.

The Inner Disk Rim of HD 163296: Linking Radiative Hydrostatic Models with Infrared Interferometry

Previous studies of the protoplanetary disk HD 163296 revealed that the morphology of its sub-au infrared emission encompasses the terminal sublimation front of dust grains, referred to as the inner rim, but also extends into the (supposedly) dust-free region within it. Here, we present a set of radiative hydrostatic simulations of the inner rim in order to assess how much the rim alone can contribute to the observed interferometric visibilities V, half-light radii R hl, and fractional disk fluxes F in the wavelength range 1.5–13 μm. In our set of models, we regulate the cooling efficiency of the disk via the boundary condition for radiation diffusion and we also modify the shape of the sublimation front. We find that when the cooling efficiency is reduced, the infrared photosphere at the rim becomes hotter, leading to an increase in R hl sufficient to match the observations. However, the near-infrared disk flux is typically too low ( F≃0.25 at 1.5 μm), resulting in H-band visibility curves located above the observed data. We show that the match to the H-band observations up to moderate baselines can be improved when a wall-shaped rather than curved sublimation front is considered. Nevertheless, our model visibilities always exhibit a bounce at long baselines, which is not observed, confirming the need for additional emission interior to the rim. In summary, our study illustrates how the temperature structure and geometry of the inner rim need to change in order to boost the rim’s infrared emission.

Three-dimensional extinction maps: Inverting inter-calibrated extinction catalogues

Context. Three-dimensional (3D) maps of the extinction density in the Milky Way can be built through the inversion of large catalogues of distance-extinction pairs for individual target stars. Considerable progress is currently achieved in this field through the Gaia mission. Available catalogues are based on various types of photometric or spectrophotometric information and on different techniques of extinction estimations. Aims. The spatial resolution of the maps that can be achieved increases with the spatial density of the target stars, and, consequently, with the combination of input catalogues containing different target lists. However, this requires careful inter-calibration of the catalogues. Our aim is to develop methods of inter-comparison and inter-calibration of two different extinction catalogues. Methods. The catalogue we used as reference for inter-calibration is a spectrophotometric catalogue. It provides a more accurate extinction than a purely photometric catalogue. In order to reduce the dimension of the problem, a principal component analysis was performed in (G, GB, GR, J, H, K) multi-colour space. The subspace constituted by the two first components was split into cells in which we estimated the deviations from the reference. The deviations were computed using all targets from the reference catalogue that were located at a short spatial distance of each secondary target. Corrections and filtering were deduced for each cell in the multi-colour space. Results. We applied the inter-calibration to two very different extinction datasets: on the one hand, extinctions based on both spectroscopy and photometry, representing 6 million objects and serving as a reference, and, on the other hand, a catalogue of 35 million extinctions based on photometry of Gaia eDR3 and 2MASS. After calibration, the dispersion of the extinction among neighbouring points in the second catalogue is reduced, regardless of whether reference targets are present locally. Weak structures are then more apparent. The extinction of high Galactic latitude targets is significantly more tightly correlated with the dust emission measured by Planck, a property acquired from the first catalogue. A hierarchical inversion technique was applied to the two merged inter-calibrated catalogues to produce 3D extinction density maps corresponding to different volumes and maximum spatial resolution. The maximum resolution is 10 pc for a 3000 pc × 3000 pc × 800 pc volume around the Sun, and the maximum size of the maps is 10 kpc × 10 kpc × 800 pc for a resolution of 50 pc. The inclusion of the spectroscopic survey data increases the dynamic range of the extinction density, improves the accuracy of the maps, and allows the mapping to be extended to greater distances to better constrain the remarkable ≃ 2.5 kpc wide dust-free region in the second quadrant in particular, which now appears as a giant oval superbubble. Maps can be downloaded or used by means of on-line tools.

Scanning Disk Rings and Winds in CO at 0.01–10 au: A High-resolution M-band Spectroscopy Survey with IRTF-iSHELL

Abstract We present an overview and first results from a M-band spectroscopic survey of planet-forming disks performed with iSHELL on the Infrared Telescope Facility, using two slits that provide resolving power R ≈ 60,000–92,000 (5–3.3 km s−1). iSHELL provides a nearly complete coverage at 4.52–5.24 μm in one shot, covering >50 lines from the R and P branches of 12CO and 13CO for each of multiple vibrational levels, and providing unprecedented information on the excitation of multiple emission and absorption components. Some of the most notable new findings of this survey are: (1) the detection of two CO Keplerian rings at <2 au (in HD 259431), (2) the detection of H2O rovibrational lines at 5 μm (in AS 205 N), and (3) the common kinematic variability of CO lines over timescales of 1–14 yr. By homogeneously analyzing this survey together with a previous survey of cooler stars, we discuss a unified view of CO spectra where emission and absorption components scan the disk surface across radii from a dust-free region within dust sublimation out to ≈10 au. We classify two fundamental types of CO line shapes interpreted as emission from Keplerian rings (double-peak lines) and a disk surface plus a low-velocity part of a wind (triangular lines), where CO excitation reflects different emitting regions (and their gas-to-dust ratio) rather than just the irradiation spectrum. A disk+wind interpretation for the triangular lines naturally explains several properties observed in CO spectra, including the line blueshifts, line shapes that turn into narrow absorption at high inclinations, and the frequency of disk winds as a function of the stellar type.

The dust-gas AGN torus as constrained from X-ray and mid-infrared observations

Context. In recent decades, several multiwavelength studies have been dedicated to exploring the properties of the obscuring material in active galactic nuclei (AGN). Various models have been developed to describe the structure and distribution of this material and constrain its physical and geometrical parameters through spectral fitting techniques. However, questions around the way in which torus mid-infrared (mid-IR) and X-ray emission are related remain unanswered. Aims. In this work, we aim to study whether the dust continuum at mid-IR and gas reflection at X-rays have the same distribution in a sample of AGN. Methods. We carefully selected a sample of 36 nearby AGN with NuSTAR and Spitzer spectra available that satisfy the following criteria: (1) the AGN component dominates the mid-IR spectra (i.e., the stellar and interstellar medium components contribute less than 50% to the spectrum), and (2) the reflection component contributes significantly to the X-ray spectrum. Furthermore, we discarded the sources whose reflection component could be produced by ionized material in the disk. We derived the properties of the nuclear dust and gas through a spectral fitting, using models developed for mid-IR and X-ray wavelengths assuming smooth and clumpy distributions for this structure. Results. We find that a combination of smooth and clumpy distributions of gas and dust, respectively, is preferred for ∼80% of sources with good spectral fits according to the Akaike criterion. However, considering extra information about each individual source, such as the absorption variability, we find that ∼50% of our sources are best described by a clumpy distribution of both dust and gas. The remaining ∼50% of our sources can still be explained with a smooth distribution of gas and a clumpy distribution of dust. Furthermore, we explored the torus dust-to-gas ratio, finding that it is [0.01–1] times that of the interstellar medium. Conclusions. The results presented in this paper suggest that the distribution of the gas and dust in AGN is complex. We find at least six scenarios to explain the observed properties of our sample. In these scenarios, three gas–dust distribution combinations are possible: clumpy–clumpy, smooth–smooth, and smooth–clumpy. Most of them are in agreement with the notion that gas could also be located in the dust-free region, which is consistent with the dust-to-gas ratio found.

The GRAVITY young stellar object survey

Context. 51 Oph is a Herbig Ae/Be star that exhibits strong near-infrared CO ro-vibrational emission at 2.3 μm, most likely originating in the innermost regions of a circumstellar disc. Aims. We aim to obtain the physical and geometrical properties of the system by spatially resolving the circumstellar environment of the inner gaseous disc. Methods. We used the second-generation Very Large Telescope Interferometer instrument GRAVITY to spatially resolve the continuum and the CO overtone emission. We obtained data over 12 baselines with the auxiliary telescopes and derive visibilities, and the differential and closure phases as a function of wavelength. We used a simple local thermal equilibrium ring model of the CO emission to reproduce the spectrum and CO line displacements. Results. Our interferometric data show that the star is marginally resolved at our spatial resolution, with a radius of ~10.58 ± 2.65R⊙. The K-band continuum emission from the disc is inclined by 63° ± 1°, with a position angle of 116° ± 1°, and 4 ± 0.8 mas (0.5 ± 0.1 au) across. The visibilities increase within the CO line emission, indicating that the CO is emitted within the dust-sublimation radius. By modelling the CO bandhead spectrum, we derive that the CO is emitted from a hot (T = 1900–2800 K) and dense (NCO = (0.9–9) × 1021 cm−2) gas. The analysis of the CO line displacement with respect to the continuum allows us to infer that the CO is emitted from a region 0.10 ± 0.02 au across, well within the dust-sublimation radius. The inclination and position angle of the CO line emitting region is consistent with that of the dusty disc. Conclusions. Our spatially resolved interferometric observations confirm the CO ro-vibrational emission within the dust-free region of the inner disc. Conventional disc models exclude the presence of CO in the dust-depleted regions of Herbig AeBe stars. Ad hoc models of the innermost disc regions, that can compute the properties of the dust-free inner disc, are therefore required.

Dust and gas in the central region of NGC 1316 (Fornax A)

Context. The early-type galaxy NGC 1316, associated with the radio source Fornax A, hosts about 107 M⊙ of dust within a central radius of 5 kpc. These prominent dust structures are believed to have an external origin, which is also a popular interpretation for other dusty early-type galaxies. Moreover, it has been long known that ionised gas is present in NGC 1316, but to date there has been a lack of detailed investigation. Aims. Our aim is to understand the nature of ionised gas and dust in NGC 1316 and to offer an interpretation for the origin of the dust. Methods. We use archival Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys data to construct colour maps that delineate the dust pattern in detail, and we compare these data with maps constructed with data from the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument of the Very Large Telescope at the European Southern Observatory. Twelve MUSE pointings in wide field mode form a mosaic of the central 3.3 × 2.4 arcmin2. We use the tool PyParadise to fit the stellar population. We use the residual emission lines and the residual interstellar absorption NaI D-lines, and we measure line strengths, the velocity field, and the velocity dispersion field. Results. The emission lines resemble low-ionisation nuclear emission-line region lines, with [NII] being the strongest line everywhere. Ionising sources are plausibly the post-asymptotic giant branch stars of the old or intermediate-age stellar population. There is a striking match between the dust structures, ionised gas, and atomic gas distributions, the last of which is manifested by interstellar absorption residuals of the stellar NaI D-lines. In the dust-free regions, the interstellar NaI D-lines appear in emission, which is indicative of a galactic wind. The velocity field of the ionised gas (and thus of the dust) is characterised by small-scale turbulent movements that indicate short lifetimes. At the very centre, a bipolar velocity field of the ionised gas is observed, which we interpret as an outflow. The low-velocity part is associated with dust. We identify a strongly inclined gaseous dusty disc along the major axis of NGC 1316. A straight beam of ionised gas with a length of about 4 kpc emanates from the centre. Conclusions. The dust in NGC 1316 has different origins. Our findings are strongly suggestive of a dusty outflow that is curved along the line-of-sight. Nuclear outflows may be important dust-producing machines in galaxies. Another dusty gaseous component forms a disc that we identify as the predecessor of a central dust lane.

A study of accretion and disk diagnostics in the NGC 2264 cluster

Context. Understanding disk dissipation is essential for studying how planets form. Disk gaps and holes, which almost correspond to dust-free regions, are inferred from infrared observations of T Tauri stars (TTS), indicating the existence of a transitional phase between thick accreting disks and debris disks. Transition disks are usually referred to as candidates for newly formed planets. Aims. We searched for transition disk candidates belonging to NGC 2264. Using stellar and disk parameters obtained in the observational multiwavelength campaign CSI 2264, we characterized accretion, disk, and stellar properties of transition disk candidates and compared them to systems with a full disk and diskless stars. Methods. We modeled the spectral energy distribution (SED) of a sample of 401 TTS, observed with both CFHT equipped with MegaCam and IRAC instrument on the Spitzer, with Hyperion SED fitting code using photometric data from the U band (0.3 μm) to the Spitzer/MIPS 24 μm band. We used the SED modeling to distinguish transition disk candidates, full disk systems, and diskless stars. Results. We classified ∼52% of the sample as full disk systems, ∼41% as diskless stars, and ∼7% of the systems as transition disk candidates, among which seven systems are new transition disk candidates belonging to the NGC 2264 cluster. The sample of transition disk candidates present dust in the inner disk similar to anemic disks, according to the αIRAC classification, which shows that anemic disk systems can be candidate transition disks. We show that the presence of a dust hole in the inner disk does not stop the accretion process since 82% of transition disk candidates accrete and show Hα, UV excess, and mass accretion rates at the same level as full disk systems. We estimate the inner hole sizes, ranging from 0.1 to 78 AU, for the sample of transition disk candidates. In only ∼18% of the transition disk candidates, the hole size could be explained by X-ray photoevaporation from stellar radiation.

X-ray spectral and eclipsing model of the clumpy obscurer in active galactic nuclei

We present a unification model for a clumpy obscurer in active galactic nuclei (AGN) and investigate the properties of the resulting X-ray spectrum. Our model is constructed to reproduce the column density distribution of the AGN population and cloud eclipse events in terms of their angular sizes and frequency. We developed and released a generalised Monte Carlo X-ray radiative transfer code, XARS, to compute X-ray spectra of obscurer models. The geometry results in strong Compton scattering, causing soft photons to escape also along Compton-thick sight lines. This makes our model spectra very similar to our TORUS previous model. However, only if we introduce an additional Compton-thick reflector near the corona, we achieve good fits to NuSTAR spectra. This additional component in our model can be interpreted as part of the dust-free broad-line region, an inner wall or rim, or a warped disk. It cannot be attributed to a simple disk because the reflector must simultaneously block the line of sight to the corona and reflect its radiation. We release our model as an Xspec table model and present corresponding CLUMPY infrared spectra, paving the way for self-consistent multi-wavelength analyses.

Cloud macro-physical properties in Saharan-dust-laden and dust-free North Atlantic trade wind regimes: a lidar case study

Abstract. The Next-generation Aircraft Remote-Sensing for Validation Studies (NARVAL) aimed at providing a better understanding of shallow marine trade wind clouds and their interplay with long-range-transported elevated Saharan dust layers over the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean. Two airborne campaigns were conducted – the first one in December 2013 (winter) and the second one in August 2016, the latter one during the peak season of transatlantic Saharan dust transport (summer). In this study airborne lidar measurements in the vicinity of Barbados performed during both campaigns are used to investigate possible differences between shallow marine cloud macro-physical properties in dust-free regions and regions comprising elevated Saharan dust layers as well as between different seasons. The cloud top height distribution derived in dust-laden regions differs from the one derived in dust-free regions and indicates that there are less and shallower clouds in the dust-laden than in dust-free trades. Additionally, a clear shift of the distribution to higher altitudes is observed in the dust-free winter season, compared to the summer season. While during the summer season most cloud tops are observed in heights ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 km, most cloud tops in winter season are detected between 2.0 and 2.5 km. Moreover, it is found that regions comprising elevated Saharan dust layers show a larger fraction of small clouds and larger cloud-free regions, compared to dust-free regions. The cloud fraction in the dust-laden summer trades is only 14 % compared to a fraction of 31 % and 37 % in dust-free trades and the winter season. Dropsonde measurements show that long-range-transported Saharan dust layers come along with two additional inversions which counteract convective development, stabilize the stratification and may lead to a decrease in convection in those areas. Moreover, a decreasing trend of cloud fractions and cloud top heights with increasing dust layer vertical extent as well as aerosol optical depth is found.

The first spectroscopic dust reverberation programme on active galactic nuclei: the torus in NGC 5548

Abstract We have recently initiated the first spectroscopic dust reverberation programme on active galactic nuclei in the near-infrared. Spectroscopy enables measurement of dust properties, such as flux, temperature, and covering factor, with higher precision than photometry. In particular, it enables measurement of both luminosity-based dust radii and dust response times. Here we report results from a 1 yr campaign on NGC 5548. The hot dust responds to changes in the irradiating flux with a lag time of ∼70 light-days, similar to what was previously found in photometric reverberation campaigns. The mean and rms spectra are similar, implying that the same dust component dominates both the emission and the variations. The dust lag time is consistent with the luminosity-based dust radius only if we assume a wavelength-independent dust emissivity law, i.e. a blackbody, which is appropriate for grains of large sizes (of a few μm). For such grains the dust temperature is ∼1450 K. Therefore, silicate grains have most likely evaporated and carbon is the main chemical component. But the hot dust is not close to its sublimation temperature, contrary to popular belief. This is further supported by our observation of temperature variations largely consistent with a heating/cooling process. Therefore, the inner dust-free region is enlarged and the dusty torus rather a ‘dusty wall’, whose inner radius is expected to be luminosity-invariant. The dust-destruction mechanism that enlarges the dust-free region seems to also partly affect the dusty region. We observe a cyclical decrease in dust mass with implied dust reformation times of ∼5–6 months.

SMASHing the LMC: A Tidally Induced Warp in the Outer LMC and a Large-scale Reddening Map

Abstract We present a study of the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using ∼2.2 million red clump (RC) stars selected from the Survey of the MAgellanic Stellar History. To correct for line-of-sight dust extinction, the intrinsic RC color and magnitude and their radial dependence are carefully measured by using internal nearly dust-free regions. These are then used to construct an accurate 2D reddening map (165 deg2 area with ∼10′ resolution) of the LMC disk and the 3D spatial distribution of RC stars. An inclined disk model is fit to the 2D distance map, yielding a best-fit inclination angle degrees with random errors of ±0.°19 and line-of-nodes position angle degrees with random errors of ±0.°49. These angles vary with galactic radius, indicating that the LMC disk is warped and twisted likely due to the repeated tidal interactions with the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). For the first time, our data reveal a significant warp in the southwestern part of the outer disk starting at ρ ∼ 7° that departs from the defined LMC plane up to ∼4 kpc toward the SMC, suggesting that it originated from a strong interaction with the SMC. In addition, the inner disk encompassing the off-centered bar appears to be tilted up to 5°–15° relative to the rest of the LMC disk. These findings on the outer warp and the tilted bar are consistent with the predictions from the Besla et al. simulation of a recent direct collision with the SMC.

Peering Through the Dust. II. XMM-Newton Observations of Two Additional FIRST-2MASS Red Quasars

Abstract We obtained XMM-Newton observations of two highly luminous dust-reddened quasars, F2M1113+1244 and F2M1656+3821, that appear to be in the early, transitional phase predicted by merger-driven models of quasar/galaxy co-evolution. These sources have been well studied at optical through mid-infrared wavelengths and are growing relatively rapidly, with Eddington ratios . Their black hole masses are relatively small compared to their host galaxies, placing them below the relation. We find that for both sources, an absorbed power-law model with 1%–3% of the intrinsic continuum scattered or leaked back into the line of sight best fits their X-ray spectra. We measure the absorbing column density (N H ) and constrain the dust-to-gas ratios in these systems, finding that they lie well below the Galactic value. This, combined with the presence of broad emission lines in their optical and near-infrared spectra, suggests that the dust absorption occurs far from the nucleus and in the host galaxy, while the X-rays are mostly absorbed in the nuclear, dust-free region within the sublimation radius. We also compare the quasars’ absorption-corrected, rest-frame X-ray luminosities (2–10 keV) to their rest-frame infrared luminosities (6 μm) and find that red quasars, similar to other populations of luminous obscured quasars, are either underluminous in X-rays or overluminous in the infrared.

Analytic Expressions for the Inner-rim Structure of Passively Heated Protoplanetary Disks

Abstract We analytically derive the expressions for the structure of the inner region of protoplanetary disks based on the results from the recent hydrodynamical simulations. The inner part of a disk can be divided into four regions: a dust-free region with a gas temperature in the optically thin limit, an optically thin dust halo, an optically thick condensation front, and the classical, optically thick region, in order from the innermost to the outermost. We derive the dust-to-gas mass ratio profile in the dust halo using the fact that partial dust condensation regulates the temperature relative to the dust evaporation temperature. Beyond the dust halo, there is an optically thick condensation front where all the available silicate gas condenses out. The curvature of the condensation surface is determined by the condition that the surface temperature must be nearly equal to the characteristic temperature ∼1200 K. We derive the midplane temperature in the outer two regions using the two-layer approximation, with the additional heating by the condensation front for the outermost region. As a result, the overall temperature profile is step-like, with steep gradients at the borders between the outer three regions. The borders might act as planet traps where the inward migration of planets due to gravitational interaction with the gas disk stops. The temperature at the border between the two outermost regions coincides with the temperature needed to activate magnetorotational instability, suggesting that the inner edge of the dead zone must lie at this border. The radius of the dead zone inner edge predicted from our solution is ∼2–3 times larger than that expected from the classical optically thick temperature.

Spatially Offset Active Galactic Nuclei. II. Triggering in Galaxy Mergers

Abstract Galaxy mergers are likely to play a role in triggering active galactic nuclei (AGNs), but the conditions under which this process occurs are poorly understood. In Paper I, we constructed a sample of spatially offset X-ray AGNs that represent galaxy mergers hosting a single AGN. In this paper, we use our offset AGN sample to constrain the parameters that affect AGN observability in galaxy mergers. We also construct dual-AGN samples with similar selection properties for comparison. We find that the offset AGN fraction shows no evidence for a dependence on AGN luminosity, while the dual-AGN fractions show stronger evidence for a positive dependence, suggesting that the merger events forming dual AGNs are more efficient at instigating accretion onto supermassive black holes than those forming offset AGNs. We also find that the offset and dual-AGN fractions both have a negative dependence on nuclear separation and are similar in value at small physical scales. This dependence may become stronger when restricted to high AGN luminosities, although a larger sample is needed for confirmation. These results indicate that the probability of AGN triggering increases at later merger stages. This study is the first to systematically probe down to nuclear separations of <1 kpc (∼0.8 kpc) and is consistent with predictions from simulations that AGN observability peaks in this regime. We also find that the offset AGNs are not preferentially obscured compared to the parent AGN sample, suggesting that our selection may be targeting galaxy mergers with relatively dust-free nuclear regions.

Interaction of UV laser pulses with reactive dusty plasmas

This contribution deals with the effects of UV photons on the synthesis and transport of nanoparticles in reactive complex plasmas (capacitively coupled RF discharge). First measurements showed that the irradiation of a reactive acetylene-argon plasma with high-energy, ns UV laser pulses (355 nm, 75 mJ pulse energy, repetition frequency 10Hz) can have a large effect on the global discharge characteristics. One particular example concerns the formation of a dust void in the center of the discharge. At sufficiently high pulse energies, this formation of a dust free region - which occurs without laser irradiation---is totally suppressed. Moreover the experiments indicate that the laser pulses influence the early stages of the particle formation. Although the interaction between the laser and the plasma is not yet fully understood, it is remarkable that these localized nanosecond laser pulses can influence the plasma on a global scale. Besides new insights into fundamental problems, this phenomenon opens also new possibilities for the controlled manipulation of particle growth and particle transport in reactive plasmas.

Optical diagnostics of dusty plasmas during nanoparticle growth

Carbon-based thin films deposited on surfaces exposed to a typical capacitively-coupled RF plasma are sources of molecular precursors at the origin of nanoparticle growth. This growth leads to drastic changes of the plasma characteristics. Thus, a precise understanding of the dusty plasma structure and dynamics is required to control the plasma evolution and the nanoparticle growth. Optical diagnostics can reveal some particular features occurring in these kinds of plasmas. High-speed imaging of the plasma glow shows that instabilities induced by nanoparticle growth can be constituted of small brighter plasma regions (plasmoids) that rotate around the electrodes. A single bigger region of enhanced emission is also of particular interest: the void, a main central dust-free region, has very distinct plasma properties than the surrounding dusty region. This particularity is emphasized using optical emission spectroscopy with spatiotemporal resolution. Emission profiles are obtained for the buffer gas and the carbonaceous molecules giving insights on the changes of the electron energy distribution function during dust particle growth. Dense clouds of nanoparticles are shown to be easily formed from two different thin films, one constituted of polymer and the other one created by the plasma decomposition of ethanol.

Development of voids in pulsed and CW- driven reactive plasmas with large nanoparticle density

This contribution deals with the nanoparticle distribution inside of plasma with large nanoparticle density. In particular, the formation of voids i.e. dust-free regions in pulsed and CW discharge regime is analyzed. The discharge was ignited in a mixture of argon and acetylene in the conditions favorable for nanoparticles’ formation and growth. The temporal evolution of the spatial distribution of nanoparticles during their growth is studied experimentally by means of a laser light scattering technique. The experimental results show that the void expands much faster in the case of pulsed plasma than in the CW plasma operated for the same gas mixture and at the same (average) input power. In the CW plasma, we observed a rapid expansion of the void after some tens of minutes, whereas the corresponding process in the pulsed plasma occurred after some tens of seconds.

Dust-void formation in a dc glow discharge.

Experimental investigations of dusty plasma parameters of a dc glow discharge were performed in a vertically oriented discharge tube. Under certain conditions, dust-free regions (voids) were formed in the center of the dust particle clouds that levitated in the strong electric field of a stratified positive column. A model for radial distribution of dusty plasma parameters of a dc glow discharge in inert gases was developed. The behavior of void formation was investigated for different discharge conditions (type of gas, discharge pressure, and discharge current) and dust particle parameters (particle radii and particle total number). It was shown that it is the ion drag force radial component that leads to the formation of voids. Both experimental and calculated results show that the higher the discharge current the wider dust-free region (void). The calculations also show that more pronounced voids are formed for dust particles with larger radii and under lower gas pressures.