Luminosity Correlation Research Articles

The Optical Properties of Gravitational Lens Galaxies as a Probe of Galaxy Structure and Evolution

We combine photometry and lens modeling to study the properties of 17 gravitational lens galaxies between z=0.1 and 1. Most of the lens galaxies are passively evolving early-type galaxies, with a few spirals. The colors, scale lengths, and ellipticities of lens galaxies are similar to those of the general population of early-type galaxies, although there may be a deficit of apparently round lens galaxies produced by the inclination dependence of lensing cross sections. The projected mass distributions are aligned with the projected light distributions to <~ 10 deg, except in the presence of a strong external tidal perturbation, suggesting that dark matter halos have orbits that are significantly modified by interactions with the baryonic component and are not far out of alignment with the stars. Lens galaxies obey image separation/lens luminosity correlations analogous to the Faber-Jackson and Tully-Fisher relations, which are consistent with standard dark matter lens models. The lens galaxy mass-to-light ratios decrease with redshift as d(log M/L_B)/dz = -0.3\pm0.1 (-0.5\pm0.1) for Omega_0=1 (0.1), thus providing direct evidence of passive evolution for a sample of early-type galaxies in low-density environments. The evolution-corrected mass-to-light ratios are generally larger than predicted by constant M/L dynamical models, although there is significant scatter; with improved photometry, lens galaxy mass-to-light ratios would better distinguish between constant M/L and dark matter models. These conclusions are limited primarily by the quality of lens galaxy photometry.

A Brγ Probe of Disk Accretion in T Tauri Stars and Embedded Young Stellar Objects

We report on observations of Paβ and Brγ for a sample of classical T Tauri stars in Taurus and find a tight correlation between the emission-line luminosities and the accretion luminosity as measured from the hot continuum excess. We use the Brγ luminosity correlation to calculate accretion luminosities in highly reddened young stars with existing line measurements. The distribution of accretion luminosities is similar in Taurus and Ophiuchus Class II sources. For the deeply embedded Class I objects, the accretion luminosities are in general less than the bolometric luminosities, which implies that the disk accretion rates are significantly lower than the envelope infall rates. We find that the central sources of many Class I objects are quite similar to their Class II counterparts.

On Quasar Masses and Quasar Host Galaxies

The mass of massive black holes in quasar cores can be deduced using the typical velocities of Hb-emitting clouds in the Broad Line Region (BLR) and the size of this region. However, this estimate depends on various assumptions and is susceptible to large systematic errors. The Hb-deduced black hole mass in a sample of 14 bright quasars is found here to correlate with the quasar host galaxy luminosity, as determined with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This correlation is similar to the black hole mass vs. bulge luminosity correlation found by Magorrian et al. in a sample of 32 nearby normal galaxies. The similarity of the two correlations is remarkable since the two samples involve apparently different types of objects and since the black hole mass estimates in quasars and in nearby galaxies are based on very different methods. This similarity provides a ``calibration'' of the Hb-deduced black hole mass estimate, suggesting it is accurate to +-0.5 on log scale. The similarity of the two correlations also suggests that quasars reside in otherwise normal galaxies, and that the luminosity of quasar hosts can be estimated to +-0.5 mag based on the quasar continuum luminosity and the Hb line width. Future imaging observations of additional broad-line active galaxies with the HST are required in order to explore the extent, slope, and scatter of the black hole mass vs. host bulge luminosity correlation in active galaxies.

Application of principal component analysis to radio properties of Quasars

AbstractThe principal component analysis method has been applied to two samples of nearby and distant quasars with well known radio data. Relationships between physical parameters pertinent to radio morphology has been searched and the significant number of dimensions of the manifold has been found to be two. The results of this analysis confirm the existence of a redshift luminosity correlation for a subset of 36 nearby, but to a lesser extent for 43 distant, quasars. An anticorrelation seems to exist between luminosity and linear sizes for the last sample. On the other hand, application of this analysis to the above samples indicates no correlation between the viewing angle and the other physical parameters.

Low-Mass Pre-Main Sequence Stars and Their X-ray Emission

To investigate the formation and early evolution of stars, astronomers study the x-ray emission of T Tauri stars, which are young, solar-mass stars called pre–main sequence stars. Two Earth-orbiting x-ray satellites, the Röntgen X-ray Satellite (ROSAT) and the Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA), have discovered x-ray emission from young protostars, called Class I objects. Many T Tauri stars were detected as x-ray sources by ROSAT. X-ray luminosity functions and correlations with other stellar parameters can be studied and used to investigate the x-ray emission mechanism. From the ROSAT data hundreds of T Tauri stars have been discovered, some of which are located outside regions of ongoing star formation. Stellar x-rays also irradiate circumstellar disks, regions where planets may form, so x-ray emission data from T Tauri stars may also be used to investigate the formation of planets.

On the Correlation of Torque and Luminosity in GX 1+4

Over 5 years of daily hard X-ray (>20 keV) monitoring of the 2 minute accretion-powered pulsar GX 1+4 with the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory/BATSE large-area detectors has found nearly continuous rapid spin-down, interrupted by a bright 200 day spin-up episode. During spin-down, the torque becomes more negative as the luminosity increases (assuming that the 20-60 keV pulsed flux traces bolometric luminosity), the opposite of what is predicted by standard accretion torque theory. No changes in the shape of the 20-100 keV pulsed energy spectrum were detected, so that a very drastic change in the spectrum below 20 keV or the pulsed fraction would be required to make the 20-60 keV pulsed flux a poor luminosity tracer. These are the first observations that flatly contradict standard magnetic disk accretion theory, and they may have important implications for understanding the spin evolution of X-ray binaries, cataclysmic variables, and protostars. We briefly discuss the possibility that GX 1+4 may be accreting from a retrograde disk during spin-down, as previously suggested.

The soft X-ray properties of a complete sample of radio sources

We present the soft X-ray (0.1--2.4 keV) properties of a complete sample of 88 southern radio sources derived from the Wall \& Peacock 2-Jy sample. It comprises 68 radio galaxies, 18 quasars and 2 BL Lac objects. Whereas both BL Lac objects and all but one quasar are detected in the {\it ROSAT} All-Sky Survey, the fraction of detected radio galaxies is only $\sim$ 60 per cent. For the undetected sources upper limits to the X-ray flux are given. We confirm the correlation of the soft X-ray luminosity (\lx) with the core radio luminosity (\lc) for galaxies as well as for quasars using partial correlation analysis, whereas the corresponding correlations between \lx and \lt are probably spurious due to sample selection effects. We also find strong correlations between \lx and \lc for both Fanaroff-Riley type I (FR~I) and type II galaxies. The broad-line radio galaxies (BLRGs) and the quasars are at the top end of the X-ray luminosity distribution and the detection rate of these objects generally is higher than that of the narrow- or weak-lined radio galaxies. This indicates the presence of an anisotropic X-ray component in BLRGs and quasars, as predicted by unified schemes for radio sources.

New Results from Complete Samples of Faint Radio Galaxies and Quasars

In any flux-limited sample a tight correlation of luminosity (P) and redshift (z) is inevitable. It is therefore necessary to obtain complete samples at lower and lower flux-limits in order to have adequate coverage of the P–z plane, essential if we are to decouple the trends in epoch from trends in luminosity. This we have done for a number of flux-limits — giving coverage of the P–z plane seen in Fig. 1. Our redshift information is spectroscopic; the results of Eales et al (in prep.), namely the increased scatter in theK-z plot for samples lower in luminosity than 3C, strongly warn us against using redshifts estimated from K-magnitudes.

A multifrequency radio continuum and IRAS faint source survey of markarian galaxies

Results are presented from a multifrequency radio continumm survey of Markarian galaxies (MRKs) and are supplemented by IRAS infrared data from the Faint Source Survey. Radio data are presented for 899 MRKs observed at nu = 4.755 GHz with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO)-Green Bank 300 foot (91 m) telescope, including nearly 88% of those objects in Markarian lists VI-XIV. In addition, 1.415 GHz measurements of 258 MRKs, over 30% of the MRKs accessible from the National Aeronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC)-Arecibo, are reported. Radio continuum observations of smaller numbers of MRKs were made at 10.63 GHz and at 23.1 GHz and are also presented. Infrared data from the IRAS Faint Source Survey (Ver. 2) are presented for 944 MRKs, with reasonably secure identifications extracted from the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database. MRKs exhibit the same canonical infrared characteristics as those reported for various other galaxy samples, that is well-known enhancement of the 25 micrometer/60 micrometer color ratio among Seyfert MRKs, and a clear tendency for MRKs with warmer 60 micrometer/100 micrometer colors to also possess cooler 12 micrometer/25 micrometer colors. In addition, non-Seyfert are found to obey the well-documented infrared/radio luminosity correlation, with the tightest correlation seen for starburst MRKs.

Hubble Space Telescope far-ultraviolet imaging of M31, M32, and NGC 205

Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Faint Object Camera (FOC) f/48 images of M31, M32, and NGC 205 (field of view 23 sec x 23 sec with 0.45 sec pixel size) are analyzed as observed through the combined UV filters F150W and F130LP. The absolute calibration of the data and the internal disagreement between observed and expected count rates in the UV region lead us to suggest that the filter combination F150W+F130LP suffers from a 5 times degraded UV sensitivity. A corrected efficiency curve is construced using the UV/optical spectral energy distributions of these three galaxies, which is consistent with all of the data analyzed here. Eighty-one individual stars are detected in M31, 10 stars in M32, and 78 stars in NGC 205. Comparisons with other UV images and optical images indicates that these stars are hot, UV-bright stars, even though our corrected efficiency curve suggests that flux from 1200-2450 A contributes only 7% of the counts in M32, 19% in M31, and 60% in NGC 205. The complex nucleus of M31 as seen by Lauer et al. (1993) is confirmed; M32 has a generally smooth appearance and NGC 205 is dominated by a UV-bright, somewhat resolved nucleus. Analysis of these data is done through the new, extensive stellar isochrones of Bertelli et al. (1994) and the population synthesis models of Bressan, Chiosi, and Fagotto (1994). This analysis shows that high-metal stars (Z greater than 0.05) evolve into UV-bright stars (P-EAGB, H-HB, and AGB-manque stars) that are less luminous and cooler but are significantly longer lived than the P-AGB stars produced by stars with Z less than 0.05. Moreover, the proportion of P-EAGB, H-HB, and AGB-manque stars is also a function of age, with older stars of fixed mean metallicity having a higher proportion than younger stars. Hence, with either metallicity or age differences as an interpretation of the line-strength luminosity correlation for ellipticals, the high-metallicity 'tail' of the stellar content of a galaxy can produce far-UV flux in much greater proportion than its actual proportion of galaxy mass. The resulting model of the sources of far-UV flux is inherently composite, with the total UV flux from a stellar population both rapidly increasing and changing its mean spectrum with increasing mean metallicity (or mean age). This model is consistent with several pieces of observational evidence.

Ultraluminous infrared galaxies and the radio-optical correlation for quasars

Through analysis of available optical spectrophotometric data and radio flux density measurements in the literature, it is demonstrated that a good correlation exists between the radio power and bolometric luminosity of the optically-selected OSOs in the Bright Quasar Sample (BOS) of Schmidt and Green (1983). We have recently used VLBI measurements of a sample of ultraluminous infrared galaxies to infer the likely existence of radio-quiet Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) deeply enshrouded in dust within their nuclei (Lonsdale, Smith, and Lonsdale 1993). We employ the radio-bolometric luminosity correlation for the BQS quasars to test whether these hypothetical buried AGNs can be energetically responsible for the observed far-infrared luminosities of the ultraluminous infrared galaxies. The ultraluminous infrared galaxies are shown to follow the same relation between radio core power and bolometric luminosity as the radio-quiet QSOs, suggesting that buried AGNs can account for essentially all the observed infrared luminosity, and raising the possibility that any starburst which may be in progress may not be energetically dominant. The broader implications of the radio-optical correlation in quasars for AGNs and luminous infrared galaxy models and the use of radio astronomy as a probe of the central powerhouse in radio quiet AGNs and luminous infrared galaxies are briefly discussed.

The cosmic X-ray background-IRAS galaxy correlation and the local X-ray volume emissivity

We have cross-correlated the galaxies from the IRAS 2 Jy redshift survey sample and the 0.7 Jy projected sample with the all-sky cosmic X-ray background (CXB) map obtained from the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO) 1 A-2 experiment. We have detected a significant correlation signal between surface density of IRAS galaxies and the X-ray background intensity, with W(sub xg) = (mean value of ((delta I)(delta N)))/(mean value of I)(mean value of N)) of several times 10(exp -3). While this correlation signal has a significant implication for the contribution of the local universe to the hard (E greater than 2 keV) X-ray background, its interpretation is model-dependent. We have developed a formulation to model the cross-correlation between CXB surface brightness and galaxy counts. This includes the effects of source clustering and the X-ray-far-infrared luminosity correlation. Using an X-ray flux-limited sample of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), which has IRAS 60 micrometer measurements, we have estimated the contribution of the AGN component to the observed CXB-IRAS galaxy count correlations in order to see whether there is an excess component, i.e., contribution from low X-ray luminosity sources. We have applied both the analytical approach and Monte Carlo simulations for the estimations. Our estimate of the local X-ray volume emissivity in the 2-10 keV band is rho(sub x) approximately = (4.3 +/- 1.2) x 10(exp 38) h(sub 50) ergs/s/cu Mpc, consistent with the value expected from the luminosity function of AGNs alone. This sets a limit to the local volume emissivity from lower luminosity sources (e.g., star-forming galaxies, low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions (LINERs)) to rho(sub x) less than or approximately = 2 x 10(exp 38) h(sub 50) ergs/s/cu Mpc.

Statistically efficient parallel testing of the Friedmann and chronometric flux-redshift predictions in the radio band

view Abstract Citations (6) References (18) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Statistically Efficient Parallel Testing of the Friedmann and Chronometric Flux-Redshift Predictions in the Radio Band Segal, I. E. ; Nicoll, J. F. ; Blackman, E. Abstract The flux-redshift predictions of Friedmann and chronometric cosmology are subjected to statistically efficient parallel tests on the basis of the 3C catalog of radio sources, as updated by Spinrad et al. (1985). Sub-samples limited in flux, redshift, and spectral index are treated to this end. Luminosity functions are estimated by an optimal nonparametric procedure that does not postulate spatial homogeneity or require completeness in redshift. Directly observed quantities are compared with the predictions of the respective cosmologies, and objective statistical significance levels are determined. Within the frame of the Friedmann cosmology, the disperson in log flux invariably exceeds the observed value, and the same is true of the correlation of log luminosity with redshift. Over the full redshift range of the sample, extending to z ~ 2.5, the deviations are significant at the ~4 σ, level. On the parallel basis the chronometric predictions are highly consistent with the observations, without evolution or any adjustable cosmological parameter such as q_0_. Moreover, the chronometric cosmology predicts quite accurately the deviations of the Friedmann predictions from direct observation, while the Friedmann cosmology is unable to explain the excellent fit of the chronometric predictions. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: July 1994 DOI: 10.1086/174382 Bibcode: 1994ApJ...430...63S Keywords: Computational Astrophysics; Cosmology; Galactic Evolution; Prediction Analysis Techniques; Radio Sources (Astronomy); Red Shift; Statistical Tests; Astronomical Catalogs; Chronology; Luminosity; Astrophysics; COSMOLOGY: THEORY; GALAXIES: DISTANCES AND REDSHIFTS; GALAXIES: EVOLUTION; RADIO CONTINUUM: GALAXIES full text sources ADS |

Deep galaxy count predictions in the radio, infrared, and X-ray spectral bands

The existence of a dominant population of strongly evolving starburst sources at moderate redshift is a plausible explanation for the excess number of faint blue galaxies detected in deep sky surveys. Multiwavelength observations at faint magnitudes would allow the existence of such a population to be confirmed. We use observed luminosity correlations and physical properties of known starburst galaxies to predict their contribution to the deep radio, infrared, and X-ray counts, as well as to the diffuse extragalactic background radiation in these various spectral bands.

THE STELLAR ANGULAR CORRELATION: CLUES TO WIDE BINARY STAR PROPERTIES

ABSTRACT The angular distribution of stars brighter than visual magnitude 14 is analyzed for evidence of gravitationally bound systems with widely separated components. Binary stars with separations on the order of 0.1 parsec are interesting as probes of Galactic dynamics, disk dark matter, the Oort comet cloud, and the postulated solar companion star, Nemesis. Catalogs of stars, complete to a resolution limit of four arcseconds, were constructed from digitized Schmidt telescope plates covering over 600 square degrees of the sky in four directions. I analyze the clustering properties of stars and star pairs using two-point and three-point angular correlation functions. Significant correlation (assumed to be due to binary stars) is detected only for angular separations less than 40 arcseconds. No significant numbers of ternary systems are detected. Employing a modified Wasserman-Weinberg technique, I directly compare the angular correlation functions with a simple model of wide binary star properties. The wide binary semimajor axis distribution at low Galactic latitudes is best described as a single power law of index -1.3. Near the North Galactic Pole (NGP), the power law is less steep and the distribution is consistent with a cutoff near 0.1~parsec. The derived wide binary density is unrealistically large, suggesting that the basic model inadequately characterizes wide binary properties. I also study a sample of stars from the Space Telescope Guide Star Catalog (GSC). The region analyzed lies within thirty degrees of the NGP and covers 2500 square degrees of sky. This large, low-resolution sample complements the smaller, more uniform plate catalogs. I identify many systematic errors in the GSC and attempt to account for image misclassifications and poorly defined resolution limits. The corrected stellar correlation function from the GSC is found to be consistent with a wide binary separation cutoff near 0.1parsec. The dissolution of a poor Galactic cluster at the NGP may explain the observed wide binary distribution in that direction. Evidence for weak clustering on scales of one degree is seen in the pair-pair correlation function. The unphysically large wide binary density derived from magnitude-limited samples is explained well by a luminosity correlation between the binary components. An alternative solution requires all F to K dwarfs to be members of wide binaries. Based on the observed properties of wide binary stars, the probability that the Sun has a stellar companion capable of inducing periodic mass extinctions on Earth is only 0.05 percent. In an analogy with Oort cloud dynamics, I suggest a mechanism that can substantially reduce the number of wide binaries with separations greater than 0.1 parsec.

Radio, optical and X-ray luminosity correlations and beaming model in BL Lac objectsAApS 12/4 (1992) 340–348

We derive here a relatively simple expression for the total wind mass loss rates in QSOs within the accretion disk wind scenario. We show that the simple expression derived here for QSO disk wind mass loss rate is in a very good agreement with the more “exact” values obtained through significantly more complex and detailed numerically intensive 2.5D time-dependent simulations. Additionally we show that for typical QSO parameters, the disk itself will be emitting mostly in the UV/optical spectrum, in turn implying that the X-ray emission from QSOs likely is produced through some physical mechanism acting at radii smaller than the inner disk radius (for a standard accretion disk, half of the initially gravitational potential energy of the accreting disk mass is emitted directly by the disk, while the other half “falls” closer towards the black hole than the inner disk radius). We also show that for typical QSO parameters, the disk itself is dominated by continuum radiation pressure (rather than thermal pressure), resulting in a “flat disk” (except for the innermost disk regions).

Correlations between the far-infrared, radio, and blue luminosities of spiral galaxies

FIR-radio luminosity correlations are presently derived for two statistically complete samples spanning a wide luminosity range. While observed correlations are tight, they are not linear; the observed scattering is mostly intrinsic. An empirical correction to the radio luminosities, based on observed blue luminosities, makes the corrected FIR-radio correlation linear and eliminates most of the residual variance. A two-component model that is consistent with the improved correlation is proposed for the heating luminosity within galaxies. The first, radio-loud component contains young massive stars that heat the dust, while contributing to the cool cirrus dust-heating interstellar radiation field. The second, radio-quiet component is made up of less massive older stars.

Non-linearity of the Tully-Fisher relation

A systematic variation of the dark matter abundance in spiral galaxies, previously reported (Persic & Salucci), accounts for the observed non-linearity of the Tully–Fisher relation. Increasing proportions of dark mass at low luminosities, as revealed by optical rotation curves, make faint galaxies shift to higher rotation velocities for a given luminosity, thus inducing a curvature in the velocity–luminosity correlation.

Comparison of VLBI radio-core and X-ray flux densities of extragalactic radio sources

We have selected a sample of 56 extragalactic sources that were observed both at X-ray energies with the Einstein Observatory and at radio frequencies with VLBI. From the VLBI observations found in the literature, we extract 10.7 GHz core flux densities, in some cases extrapolating by assuming an inverted core spectrum of index -0.5. If the X-ray emission mechanism is synchrotron self-Compton (SSC), we expect the core radio and X-ray flux densities to be closely related. We test this hypothesis by analyzing the correlation between the radio-core and X-ray flux densities and luminosities. The radio-core-X-ray spectral indices are narrowly distributed about a mean of 0.85, with a dispersion of 0.10. The detailed correlation between the radio-core and X-ray flux densities is poor, however. The correlation between the luminosities, on the other hand, is quite good. The strong luminosity correlation is due mainly to the common distance factor. The slope of the luminosity correlation deviates significantly from unity. The probable cause of this is an excess of X-ray flux from low-redshift sources. The narrow dispersion of spectral index and the poor one-to-one correspondence of radio-core and X-ray flux density are consistent with the SSC process. The basic level of SSC emission requires a radio brightness temperature of order 2 x 10^11^ K, as occurs in most compact radio sources, while the exact X-ray flux density is highly sensitive to several radio source parameters.

Radio absorption by the intergalactic medium

view Abstract Citations (10) References (11) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Radio Absorption by the Intergalactic Medium Lerner, Eric J. Abstract The infrared-radio correlation for spiral galaxies has been used to measure the absorption of 1.49 GHz radiation by the intergalactic medium. Contrary to conventional expectation, a sample of 237 galaxies shows a strong inverse correlation of radio luminosity (at a given IR luminosity) with distance, L_r_ ~ D^-0.4^, over a range of distances from 0.7-55 Mpc. Strong absorption by the intergalactic medium is the only reasonable explanation of this correlation, which is statistically significant at the 2 x 10^-12^ level. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: September 1990 DOI: 10.1086/169167 Bibcode: 1990ApJ...361...63L Keywords: Intergalactic Media; Microwave Attenuation; Radiation Absorption; Infrared Sources (Astronomy); Luminosity; Relic Radiation; Spiral Galaxies; Astrophysics; GALAXIES: INTERGALACTIC MEDIUM full text sources ADS | data products NED (237) SIMBAD (236)