Hot Dust Component Research Articles

Gas and dust in the beta Pictoris moving group as seen by theHerschelSpace Observatory

Context. Debris discs are thought to be formed through the collisional grinding of planetesimals, and can be considered as the outcome of planet formation. Understanding the properties of gas and dust in debris discs can help us to comprehend the architecture of extrasolar planetary systems. Herschel Space Observatory far-infrared (IR) photometry and spectroscopy have provided a valuable dataset for the study of debris discs gas and dust composition. This paper is part of a series of papers devoted to the study of Herschel PACS observations of young stellar associations. Aims. This work aims at studying the properties of discs in the Beta Pictoris Moving Group (BPMG) through far-IR PACS observations of dust and gas. Methods. We obtained Herschel-PACS far-IR photometric observations at 70, 100 and 160 microns of 19 BPMG members, together with spectroscopic observations of four of them. Spectroscopic observations were centred at 63.18 microns and 157 microns, aiming to detect [OI] and [CII] emission. We incorporated the new far-IR observations in the SED of BPMG members and fitted modified blackbody models to better characterise the dust content. Results. We have detected far-IR excess emission toward nine BPMG members, including the first detection of an IR excess toward HD 29391.The star HD 172555, shows [OI] emission, while HD 181296, shows [CII] emission, expanding the short list of debris discs with a gas detection. No debris disc in BPMG is detected in both [OI] and [CII]. The discs show dust temperatures in the range 55 to 264 K, with low dust masses (6.6*10^{-5} MEarth to 0.2 MEarth) and radii from blackbody models in the range 3 to 82 AU. All the objects with a gas detection are early spectral type stars with a hot dust component.

HerMES: SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS OF SUBMILLIMETER GALAXIES ATz> 4

We present a study of the infrared properties for a sample of seven spectroscopically confirmed submillimeter galaxies at $z>$4.0. By combining ground-based near-infrared, Spitzer IRAC and MIPS, Herschel SPIRE, and ground-based submillimeter/millimeter photometry, we construct their Spectral Energy Distributions (SED) and a composite model to fit the SEDs. The model includes a stellar emission component at $\lambda_{\rm rest} <$ 3.5$ \mu$m; a hot dust component peaking at $\lambda_{rest} \sim$ 5$\,\mu$m; and cold dust component which becomes significant for $\lambda_{\rm rest} >$ 50$\,\mu$m. Six objects in the sample are detected at 250 and 350$ \mu$m. The dust temperatures for the sources in this sample are in the range of 40$-$80 K, and their $L_{\rm FIR}$ $\sim$ 10$^{13}$ L$_{\odot}$ qualifies them as Hyper$-$Luminous Infrared Galaxies (HyperLIRGs). The mean FIR-radio index for this sample is around $< q > = 2.2$ indicating no radio excess in their radio emission. Most sources in the sample have 24$ \mu$m detections corresponding to a rest-frame 4.5$ \mu$m luminosity of Log$_{10}$(L$_{4.5}$ / L$_{\odot}$) = 11 $\sim$ 11.5. Their L$_{\rm 4.5}$/$L_{\rm FIR}$ ratios are very similar to those of starburst dominated submillimeter galaxies at $z \sim$ 2. The $L_{\rm CO}-L_{\rm FIR}$ relation for this sample is consistent with that determined for local ULIRGs and SMGs at $z \sim$ 2. We conclude that submillimeter galaxies at $z >$ 4 are hotter and more luminous in the FIR, but otherwise very similar to those at $z \sim$ 2. None of these sources show any sign of the strong QSO phase being triggered.

EXPANDING THE CHARA/FLUOR HOT DISKS SURVEY

Little is presently known about the hot (&gt;300 K) dust component of debris disks surrounding main sequence stars, similar to the zodiacal dust cloud found in the inner solar system. While extensive surveys have been carried out from space, the majority of detections have surprisingly come from the ground, where near infrared interferometric observations have recently revealed small (~1%) resolved excesses around a dozen nearby main sequence stars. Most of these results have come from the CHARA array "FLUOR" instrument (Mt. Wilson, CA), which has demonstrated the best sensitivity worldwide so far for this type of studies, and has carried out an initial survey of ~40 stars. In order to further understand the origin of this "hot dust phenomenon", we will extend this initial survey to a larger number of stars and lower excess detection limits, i.e. higher visibility accuracy providing higher contrast measurements. To this end, two major instrumental developments are underway at CHARA. The first one aims at improving FLUOR's sensitivity to a median K-band magnitude limit of 5 (making 200 targets available). The second development is based on a method that we recently developed for accurate (better than 0.1%) null depth measurements of stars, and that can be extended to regular interferometric visibility measurements.

AGN and Star Formation in HerMES-IRS sources

AbstractOne of the remaining open issues in the context of the analysis of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) is the evidence that nuclear gravitational accretion is often accompanied by a concurrent starburst activity. We developed a spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting technique to derive simultaneously the physical properties of active galaxies and coexisting starbursts making the best use of Spitzer and Herschel IR observations. We apply the SED fitting procedure to a large sample of extragalactic sources representing the HerMES (Herschel/Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey) population with IRS spectra with a plethora of multi-wavelength data in order to study the impact of a possible presence of an AGN on the host galaxy's properties. We analyze the star formation rate (SFR) in conncetion to the presence of an AGN and compared the properties of the hot (AGN) and cold (starburst) dust component. Our findings are consistent with no evidence for the presence of an AGN affecting the star formation processes of the host galaxies.

The roles of star formation and AGN activity of IRS sources in the HerMES fields

In this work, we explore the impact of the presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) on the mid- and far-infrared (IR) properties of galaxies as well as the effects of simultaneous AGN and starburst activity in the same galaxies. To do this, we apply a multicomponent, multiband spectral synthesis technique to a sample of 250 μm selected galaxies of the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES), with Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) spectra available for all galaxies. Our results confirm that the inclusion of the IRS spectra plays a crucial role in the spectral analysis of galaxies with an AGN component improving the selection of the best-fitting hot dust (torus) model. We find a correlation between the obscured star formation rate, SFRIR, derived from the IR luminosity of the starburst component, and SFRPAH, derived from the luminosity of the PAH features, LPAH, with SFRFIR taking higher values than SFRPAH. The correlation is different for AGN- and starburst-dominated objects. The ratio of LPAH to that of the starburst component, LPAH/LSB, is almost constant for AGN-dominated objects but decreases with increasing LSB for starburst-dominated objects. SFRFIR increases with the accretion luminosity, Lacc, with the increase less prominent for the very brightest, unobscured AGN-dominated sources. We find no correlation between the masses of the hot (AGN-heated) and cold (starburst-heated) dust components. We interpret this as a non-constant fraction of gas driven by the gravitational effects to the AGN while the starburst is ongoing. We also find no evidence of the AGN affecting the temperature of the cold dust component, though this conclusion is mostly based on objects with a non-dominant AGN component. We conclude that our findings do not provide evidence that the presence of AGN affects the star formation process in the host galaxy, but rather that the two phenomena occur simultaneously over a wide range of luminosities.

NUCLEAR INFRARED SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION OF TYPE II ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

We present near and mid--IR observations of a sample of Seyfert II galaxies drawn from the $12\mu$m Galaxy Sample. The sample was observed in the J, H, K, L, M and N bands. Galaxy Surface Brightness Profiles are modeled using nuclear, bulge, bar (when necessary) and disk components. To check the reliability of our findings the procedure was tested using {\em Spitzer\/} observations of M\,31. Nuclear Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) are determined for 34 objects, and optical spectra are presented for 38, including analysis of their stellar populations using the STARLIGHT spectral synthesis code. Emission line diagnostic-diagrams are used to discriminate between genuine AGN and HII nuclei. Combining our observations with those found in the literature, we have a total of 40 SEDs. It is found that about 40\%\ of the SEDs are characterized by an upturn in the near-IR, which we have quantified as a NIR slope $\alpha < 1$ for an SED characterized as $\lambda f_{\lambda} \propto \lambda^{\alpha}$. Three objects with an HII nucleus and two Seyfert nuclei with strong contamination from a circumnuclear starburst, also show an upturn. For genuine AGN this component could be explained as emission from the accretion disk, a jet, or from a very hot dust component leaking from the central region through a clumpy obscuring structure. The presence of a very compact nuclear starburst as the origin for this NIR excess emission is not favored by our spectroscopic data for these objects.

Dust Around T Tauri Stars

To reproduce the multiple broad peaks and the fine spectral features in the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of T Tauri stars, we model dust around T Tauri stars using a radiative transfer model for multiple isothermal circumstellar dust shells. We calculate the radiative transfer model SEDs for multiple dust shells using the opacity functions for various dust grains at different temperatures. For six sample stars, we compare the model results with the observed SEDs including the Spitzer spectral data. We present model parameters for the best fit model SEDs that would be helpful to understand the overall structure of dust envelopes around classical T Tauri stars. We find that at least three separate dust components are required to reproduce the observed SEDs. For all the sample stars, an innermost hot (250-550 K) dust component of amorphous (silicate and carbon) and crystalline (corundum for all objects and forsterite for some objects) grains is needed. Crystalline forsterite grains can reproduce many fine spectral features of the sample stars. We find that crystal line forsterite grains exist in cold regions (80-100 K) as well as in hot inner shells.

Hot graphite dust and the infrared spectral energy distribution of active galactic nuclei

We present a detailed investigation of the near-to-far infrared (IR) spectral energy distribution (SED) of a large sample of Spitzer-observed active galactic nuclei (AGN). We fitted the spectra of 51 narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) and 64 broad line Seyfert 1 galaxies (BLS1s) using a three component model: a clumpy torus, a dusty narrow line region (NLR) and hot pure-graphite dust located in the outer part of the broad line region (BLR). The fitting is performed on star formation (SF) subtracted SEDs using SF templates that take into account the entire range of possible host galaxy properties. We find that the mid-IR intrinsic emission of NLS1s and BLS1s are very similar, regardless of the AGN luminosity, with long wavelength downturn at around 20-25 um. We present a detailed model of the hot dust component that takes into account the distribution of dust temperature within the clouds and their emission line spectrum. The hot dust continuum provides a very good fit to the observed near-IR continuum spectrum. Most line emission in this component is dramatically suppressed, except MgII(2798A) and HeI lines that are still contributing significantly to the total BLR spectrum. We calculate the covering factors of all the AGN components and show that the covering factor of the hot-dust clouds is about 0.15-0.35, similar to the covering factor of the torus, and is anti-correlated with the source luminosity and the normalized accretion rate.

Spectral energy distributions of quasars selected in the mid-infrared

AbstractWe present preliminary results on fitting of SEDs to 142 z &lt; 1 quasars selected in the mid-infrared. Our quasar selection finds objects ranging in extinction from highly obscured, type-2 quasars, through more lightly reddened type-1 quasars and normal type-1s. We find a weak tendency for the objects with the highest far-infrared emission to be obscured quasars, but no bulk systematic offset between the far-infrared properties of dusty and normal quasars as might be expected in the most naive evolutionary schemes. The hosts of the type-2 quasars have stellar masses comparable to those of radio galaxies at similar redshifts. Many of the type-1s, and possibly a one of the type-2s require a very hot dust component in addition to the normal torus emission.

HOT-DUST CLOUDS WITH PURE-GRAPHITE COMPOSITION AROUND TYPE-I ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

We fitted the optical to mid-infrared (MIR) spectral energy distributions of ∼15,000 type-I, 0.75 < z < 2, active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in an attempt to constrain the properties of the physical component responsible for the rest-frame near-infrared (NIR) emission. We combine optical spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and MIR photometry from the preliminary data release of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. The sample spans a large range of AGN properties: luminosity, black hole mass, and accretion rate. Our model has two components: a UV-optical continuum source and very hot, pure-graphite dust clouds. We present the luminosity of the hot-dust component and its covering factor, for all sources, and compare it with the intrinsic AGN properties. We find that the hot-dust component is essential to explain the (rest) NIR emission in almost all AGNs in our sample, and that it is consistent with clouds containing pure-graphite grains and located between the dust-free broad-line region and the "standard" torus. The covering factor of this component has a relatively narrow distribution around a peak value of ∼0.13, and it correlates with the AGN bolometric luminosity. We suggest that there is no significant correlation with either black hole mass or normalized accretion rate. The fraction of hot-dust-poor AGNs in our sample is ∼15%–20%, consistent with previous studies. We do not find a dependence of this fraction on redshift or source luminosity.

Intermediate-age stars as the origin of low stellar velocity dispersion nuclear rings: the case of Mrk 1157

We have used the Gemini Near-Infrared Integral-Field Spectrograph to map the age distribution of the stellar population in the inner 400 pc of the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 1157 (NGC 591), at a spatial resolution of 35 pc. We have performed wavelet and principal component analysis on the data in order to remove instrumental signatures. An old stellar population component (age ≳ 5 Gyr) is dominant within the inner ≈130 pc which we attribute to the galaxy bulge. Beyond this region, up to the borders of the observation field, young- to intermediate-age components (0.1–0.7 Gyr) dominate. As for Mrk 1066, previously studied by us, we find a spatial correlation between this intermediate-age component and a partial ring of low stellar velocity dispersion (σ*). Low-σ* nuclear rings have been observed in other active galaxies, and our results for Mrk 1157 and Mrk 1066 reveal that they are formed by intermediate-age stars. Such age is consistent with a scenario in which the origin of the low-σ* rings is a past event which triggered an inflow of gas and formed stars which still keep the colder kinematics of the gas from which they have formed. No evidence for the presence of an unresolved featureless continuum and hot dust component – as found in Mrk1066 – is found for Mrk 1157.

DUST EMISSION FROM EVOLVED AND UNEVOLVED H II REGIONS IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD

We present a study of the dust properties of 12 classical and superbubble HII regions in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We use infrared photometry from Spitzer (8, 24, 70, and 160 \mum bands), obtained as part of the Surveying the Agents of a Galaxy's Evolution (SAGE) program, along with archival spectroscopic classifications of the ionizing stars to examine the role of stellar sources on dust heating and processing. Our infrared observations show surprisingly little correlation between the emission properties of the dust and the effective temperatures or bolometric magnitudes of stars in the HII regions, suggesting that the HII region evolutionary timescale is not on the order of the dust processing timescale. We find that the infrared emission of superbubbles and classical HII regions shows little differentiation between the two classes, despite the significant differences in age and morphology. We do detect a correlation of the 24 \mum emission from hot dust with the ratio of 70 to 160 \mum flux. This correlation can be modeled as a trend in the temperature of a minority hot dust component, while a majority of the dust remains significantly cooler.

THE INFRARED PROPERTIES OF EMBEDDED SUPER STAR CLUSTERS: PREDICTIONS FROM THREE-DIMENSIONAL RADIATIVE TRANSFER MODELS

With high-resolution infrared data becoming available that can probe the formation of high-mass stellar clusters for the first time, appropriate models that make testable predictions of these objects are necessary. We utilize a three-dimensional radiative transfer code, including a hierarchically clumped dusty envelope, to study the earliest stages of super star cluster (SSC) evolution. We explore a range of parameter space in geometric sequences that mimic the hypothesized evolution of an embedded SSC. The inclusion of a hierarchically clumped medium can make the envelope porous, in accordance with previous models and supporting observational evidence. The infrared luminosity inferred from observations can differ by a factor of two from the true value in the clumpiest envelopes depending on the viewing angle. The infrared spectral energy distribution also varies with viewing angle for clumpy envelopes, creating a range in possible observable infrared colors and magnitudes, silicate feature depths, and dust continua. General observable features of cluster evolution differ between envelopes that are relatively opaque or transparent to mid-infrared photons. For optically thick envelopes, evolution is marked by a gradual decline of the 9.8 μm silicate absorption feature depth and a corresponding increase in the visual/ultraviolet flux. For the optically thin envelopes, clusters typically begin with a strong hot dust component and silicates in emission, and these features gradually fade until the mid-infrared polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon features are predominant. For the models with a smooth dust distribution, the Spitzer MIPS or Herschel PACS [70]−[160] color is a good probe of the stellar mass relative to the total mass or star formation efficiency (SFE). Likewise, the IRAC/MIPS [3.6]−[24] color can be used to constrain the Rin and Rout values of the envelope. However, clumpiness confuses the general trends seen in the smooth dust distribution models, making it harder to determine a unique set of envelope properties. Nevertheless, good diagnostic colors were found for each of the input parameters: again, the [70]−[160] color can be used to separate models with different SFEs; the Spitzer IRAC/MIPS [8.0]−[24] color is able to constrain Rin and Rout values; and the IRAC [3.6]−[5.8] color is sensitive to the fraction of the dust distributed in clumps. Finally, in a comparison of this model set to IRAS data of ultracompact H ii regions, we find good agreement, suggesting that these models are physically relevant, and will provide useful diagnostic ability for data sets of resolved, embedded SSCs with the advent of high-resolution infrared telescopes like James Webb Space Telescope.

DETECTION OF THE DETACHED DUST SHELL OF U ANTLIAE AT MID-INFRARED WAVELENGTHS WITH AKARI /IRC

We report mid-infrared (MIR) imaging observations of the carbon star U Ant made with the Infrared Camera (IRC) on board AKARI. Subtraction of the artifacts and extended point-spread function of the central star reveals the detached dust shell around the carbon star at MIR wavelengths (15 and 24 μm) for the first time. The observed radial brightness profiles of the MIR emission are well explained by two shells at 43'' and 50'' from the central star detected in optical scattered light observations. Combining Herschel/PACS, AKARI/FIS, and AKARI/IRC data, we obtain the infrared spectral energy distribution (SED) of the thermal emission from the detached shell of U Ant in a wide infrared spectral range of 15–160 μm. Thermal emission of amorphous carbon grains with a single temperature cannot account for the observed SED from 15 to 160 μm: it underestimates the emission at 15 μm. Alternatively, the observed SED is fitted by the model in which amorphous carbon grains in the two shells have different temperatures of 60 and 104 K, which allocates most dust mass in the shell at 50''. This supports the previous suggestion that the 43'' shell is gas-rich and the 50'' shell is dust-rich. We suggest a possibility that the segregation of the gas and dust resulting from the drift motion of submicron-sized dust grains relative to the gas and that the hot dust component associated with the gas-rich shell is composed of very small grains that are strongly coupled with the gas.

POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON EMISSION WITHIN Lyα BLOBS

We present Spitzer observations of Lyα blobs (LABs) at z = 2.38-3.09. The mid-infrared ratios (4.5 μm/8 μm and 8 μm/24 μm) indicate that ~60% of LAB infrared counterparts are cool, consistent with their infrared output being dominated by star formation and not active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The rest have a substantial hot dust component that one would expect from an AGN or an extreme starburst. Comparing the mid-infrared to submillimeter fluxes (~850 μm or rest-frame far-infrared) also indicates that a large percentage (~2/3) of the LAB counterparts have total bolometric energy output dominated by star formation, although the number of sources with submillimeter detections or meaningful upper limits remains small (~10). We obtained Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) spectra of six infrared-bright sources associated with LABs. Four of these sources have measurable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission features, indicative of significant star formation, while the remaining two show a featureless continuum, indicative of infrared energy output completely dominated by an AGN. Two of the counterparts with PAHs are mixed sources, with PAH line-to-continuum ratios and PAH equivalent widths indicative of large energy contributions from both star formation and AGN. Most of the LAB infrared counterparts have large stellar masses, around 10^(11) M_⊙. There is a weak trend of mass upper limit with the Lyα luminosity of the host blob, particularly after the most likely AGN contaminants are removed. The range in likely energy sources for the LABs found in this and previous studies suggests that there is no single source of power that is producing all the known LABs.

The JCMT Nearby Galaxies Legacy Survey - V. The CO(J= 3-2) distribution and molecular outflow in NGC 4631

We have made the first map of CO(J= 3–2) emission covering the disc of the edge-on galaxy, NGC 4631, which is known for its spectacular gaseous halo. The strongest emission, which we model with a Gaussian ring, occurs within a radius of 5 kpc. Weaker disc emission is detected out to radii of 12 kpc, the most extensive molecular component yet seen in this galaxy. From comparisons with infrared data, we find that CO(J= 3–2) emission more closely follows the hot dust component, rather than the cold dust, consistent with it being a good tracer of star formation. The first maps of R3−2/1−0, H2 mass surface density and star formation efficiency (SFE) have been made for the inner 2.4 kpc radius region. Only 20 per cent of the star formation occurs in this region and excitation conditions are typical of galaxy discs, rather than of central starbursts. The SFE suggests long gas consumption time-scales (>109 yr). The velocity field is dominated by a steeply rising rotation curve in the region of the central molecular ring followed by a flatter curve in the disc. A very steep gradient in the rotation curve is observed at the nucleus, providing the first evidence for a central concentration of mass: Mdyn= 5 × 107 M⊙ within a radius of 282 pc. The velocity field shows anomalous features indicating the presence of molecular outflows; one of them is associated with a previously observed CO(J= 1–0) expanding shell. Consistent with these outflows is the presence of a thick (z up to 1.4 kpc) CO(J= 3–2) disc. We suggest that the interaction between NGC 4631 and its companion(s) has agitated the disc and also initiated star formation which was likely higher in the past than it is now. These may be necessary conditions for seeing prominent haloes.

Infrared Excess sources: Compton thick QSOs, low-luminosity Seyferts or starbursts?

We explore the nature of Infrared Excess sources (IRX), which are proposed as candidates for luminous [LX(2–10 keV) > 1043 erg s−1] Compton thick (NH > 2 × 1024 cm−2) QSOs at z≈ 2. Lower redshift, z≈ 1, analogues of the distant IRX population are identified by first redshifting to z= 2 the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of all sources with secure spectroscopic redshifts in the AEGIS (6488) and the GOODS-North (1784) surveys and then selecting those that qualify as IRX sources at that redshift. A total of 19 galaxies are selected. The mean redshift of the sample is z≈ 1. We do not find strong evidence for Compton thick QSOs in the sample. For nine sources with X-ray counterparts, the X-ray spectra are consistent with Compton thin active galactic nucleus (AGN). Only three of them show tentative evidence for Compton thick obscuration. The SEDs of the X-ray undetected population are consistent with starburst activity. There is no evidence for a hot dust component at the mid-infrared associated with AGN heated dust. If the X-ray undetected sources host AGN, an upper limit of LX(2–10 keV) = 1043 erg s−1 is estimated for their intrinsic luminosity. We propose that a large fraction of the z≈ 2 IRX population is not Compton thick quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) but low-luminosity [LX(2–10 keV) < 1043 erg s−1], possibly Compton thin, AGN or dusty starbursts. It is shown that the decomposition of the AGN and starburst contribution to the mid-IR is essential for interpreting the nature of this population, as star formation may dominate this wavelength regime.

Probing the near-infrared stellar population of Seyfert galaxies

We employ Infrared Telescope Facility SpeX near-infrared (NIR; 0.8-2.4 μm) spectra to investigate the stellar population (SP), active galactic nuclei (AGN) featureless continuum (FC) and hot dust properties in nine Sy 1 and 15 Sy 2 galaxies. Both the STARLIGHT code and the hot dust as an additional base element were used for the first time in this spectral range. We found evidence of correlation among the equivalent widths (W λ ) Si I 1.59 μm x Mg I 1.58 μm, equally for both kinds of activity. Part of the W NaI2.21 μm and W CO 2.3 μm strengths may be related to galaxy inclination. Our synthesis shows significant differences between Sy I and Sy 2 galaxies: the hot dust component is required to fit the K-band spectra of ∼90 per cent of the Sy 1 galaxies, and only of ∼25 per cent of the Sy 2; about 50 per cent of the Sy 2 galaxies require an FC component contribution ≳20 per cent, while this fraction increases to about 60 per cent in the Sy 1; also, in about 50 per cent of the Sy2, the combined FC and young components contribute with more than 20 per cent, while this occurs in 90 per cent of the Syl, suggesting recent star formation in the central region. The central few hundred parsec of our galaxy sample contain a substantial fraction of intermediate-age SPs with a mean metallicity near solar. Our SP synthesis confirms that the 1.1 μm CN band can be used as a tracer of intermediate-age SPs. The simultaneous fitting of SP, FC and hot dust components increased in ∼150 per cent the number of AGNs with hot dust detected and the mass estimated. The NIR emerges as an excellent window to study the SP of Sy I galaxies, as opposed to the usually heavily attenuated optical range. Our approach opens a new way to investigate and quantify the individual contribution of the three most important NIR continuum components observed in AGNs.

DUSTY STRUCTURE AROUND TYPE-I ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI: CLUMPY TORUS NARROW-LINE REGION AND NEAR-NUCLEUS HOT DUST

We fitted Spitzer/IRS ~2-35 um spectra of 26 luminous QSOs in attempt to define the main emission components. Our model has three major components: a clumpy torus, dusty narrow line region (NLR) clouds and a blackbody-like dust. The models utilize the clumpy torus of Nenkova et al. (2008) and are the first to allow its consistent check in type-I AGNs. Single torus models and combined torus-NLR models fail to fit the spectra of most sources but three component models adequately fit the spectra of all sources. We present torus inclination, cloud distribution, covering factor and torus mass for all sources and compare them with bolometric luminosity, black hole mass and accretion rate. The torus covering factor and mass are found to be correlated with the bolometric luminosity of the sources. We find that a substantial amount of the ~2-7 um radiation originates from a hot dust component, which likely situated in the innermost part of the torus. The luminosity radiated by this component and its covering factor are comparable to those of the torus. We quantify the emission by the NLR clouds and estimate their distance from the center. The distances are ~700 times larger than the dust sublimation radius and the NLR covering factor is about 0.07. The total covering factor by all components is in good agreement with the known AGN type-I:type-II ratio.

NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF SDSS J0303 - 0019: A LOW-LUMINOSITY, HIGH-EDDINGTON-RATIO QUASAR AT z {approx} 6

We present sensitive near-infrared (NIR) VLT ISAAC spectroscopic observations of the z = 6.08 quasar SDSS J030331.40-001912.9. This quasi-stellar object (QSO) is more than a magnitude fainter than other QSOs at z {approx} 6 for which NIR spectroscopy has been obtained to date and is therefore presumably more representative of the QSO population at the end of cosmic reionization. Combining rest-frame UV continuum luminosity with the width measurements of the Mg II and C IV lines, we derive a black hole mass of 2{sup +1.0} {sub -0.5} x 10{sup 8} M {sub sun}, the lowest mass observed for z {approx} 6 QSOs to date, and derive an Eddington ratio of 1.6{sup +0.4} {sub -0.6}, among the highest value derived for QSOs at any redshift. The Spitzer 24 {mu}m nondetection of this QSO does not leave space for a significant hot dust component in its optical/NIR spectral energy distribution, in common with one other faint QSO at z = 6, but in contrast to more than 20 more z = 6 QSOs and all known lower redshift QSOs with sufficiently deep multiwavelength photometry. We conclude that we have found evidence for differences in the intrinsic properties of at least one z more » {approx} 6 QSO as compared to the lower redshift population. « less