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2002-03-10
Mass Composition of Cosmic Rays in the Range 2 x 10^17 - 3 x 10^18 Measured with Haverah Park Array
At the Haverah Park Array a number of air shower observables were measured that are relevant to the determination of the mass composition of cosmic rays. In this paper we discuss measurements of the risetime of signals in large area water-Cherenkov detectors and of the lateral distribution function of the water-Cherenk...
0203150v1
2002-03-13
Reprocessing of X-rays in AGN. I. Plane parallel geometry -- test of pressure equilibrium
We present a model of the vertical stratification and the spectra of an irradiated medium under the assumption of constant pressure. Such a solution has properties intermediate between constant density models and hydrostatic equilibrium models, and it may represent a flattened configuration of gas clumps accreting onto...
0203202v1
2002-03-15
Chandra Observations of the Gravitational Potential Structure in Abell 1060
We present results from a Chandra observation of Abell 1060, the nearby cluster of galaxies. The ACIS-I image shows that the central cusp-like structure, previously seen from PSPC, is caused mainly by an emission from the central elliptical galaxy NGC 3311. We confirmed that the central region is remarkably isothermal ...
0203244v1
2002-03-18
X-Ray Spectroscopy of Gamma-Ray Bursts
Observational evidence of iron absorption and emission lines in X-ray spectra of Gamma-Ray Bursts is quite compelling. I will briefly review the results, summarize different models and describe the connection with massive progenitors in star-forming regions implied by these results. This link is also supported by measu...
0203275v1
2002-03-20
Lyman-break galaxies: are they young spheroids?
We have compared the results from a model for the chemical evolution of an elliptical galaxy with initial luminous mass of 2x10^10 M_sun and effective radius of 2 kpc with the recent abundance determinations for the Lyman-break galaxy MS 1512-cB58 at a redshift z=2.7276. After correcting the iron abundance determinatio...
0203329v1
2002-03-22
Iron abundance in HII regions
Optical CCD spectra are used to determine the Fe abundances at several positions inside seven bright Galactic HII regions. The observed [FeIII] line ratios are compared with the predictions of different sets of collision strengths and transition probabilities for this ion to select the atomic data providing the best fi...
0203394v1
2002-03-26
New Members of the Cluster Family in Nearby Lenticulars
Using spectra obtained with the Keck I telescope we have demonstrated conclusively that the faint (23<V<24 mag.) and unusually extended objects we discovered in HST images of the lenticular galaxies, NGC 1023 and NGC 3384, are star clusters associated with their respective galaxies. In the case of NGC 1023 we were furt...
0203454v2
2002-04-10
The broad band X-ray spectrum of the black hole candidate GRS1758-258
We present the results of a BeppoSAX observation of the black hole candidate GRS1758-258 carried out in 1997, while the source was in its low/hard state. The X-ray spectrum, simultaneously observed over the broad energy range from 0.1 to 200 keV, can be well described by a Comptonized emission model with electron tempe...
0204176v1
2002-05-02
An unusual iron Lo-BAL quasar detected by ISOCAM
We report the discovery of an unusual low--ionization broad absorption line quasar at z=1.776 which exhibits absorption lines from many excited states of Feii. This member of the rare class of 'FeLoBAL' quasars was serendipitously found in a mid-infrared (MIR) survey of distant clusters carried out with the ISOCAM came...
0205022v1
2002-05-17
Rotation and activity in the solar-metallicity open cluster NGC2516
We report new measures of radial velocities and rotation rates (v sin i) for 51 F and early-G stars in the open cluster NGC2516, and combine these with previously published data. From high signal-to-noise spectra of two stars, we show that NGC2516 has a relative iron abundance with respect to the Pleiades of delta([Fe/...
0205300v1
2002-06-10
On the formation of inner vacuum gaps in radio pulsars
The problem of formation of the Ruderman-Sutherland type inner vacuum gap in neutron stars with ${\bf\Omega}\cdot{\bf B}<0$ is considered. It is argued by means of the condition $T_i/T_s>1$ (where $T_i$ is the critical temperature above which $^{56}_{26}$Fe ions will not be bound at the surface and $T_s$ is the actual ...
0206141v1
2002-06-11
Multiple X-ray reflection from ionized slabs
Multiple reflection of X-rays may be important when an accretion disc and its hot corona have a complicated geometry, or if returning radiation due to gravitational light bending is important, or in emission from a funnel such as proposed in some gamma-ray burst models. We simulate the effects of multiple reflection by...
0206170v1
2002-07-01
XMM-Newton observations of MR Vel/RX J0925.7-4758
We report on XMM-Newton observations of the galactic supersoft X-ray source RX J0925.7-4758. The RGS spectrum exhibits a wealth of spectral features from iron and oxygen. XMM-Newton data confirm the finding of previous Chandra HETGS/MEG observations that NLTE models of hot white dwarf atmospheres fail to represent the ...
0207004v1
2002-06-29
Discovery of an ionized Fe-K edge in the z=3.91 Broad Absorption Line Quasar APM 08279+5255 with XMM-Newton
Recent XMM-Newton observations of the high-redshift, lensed, broad absorption line (BAL) quasi-stellar object APM 08279+5255, one of the most luminous objects in the universe, allowed the detection of a high column density absorber ($N_H \approx 10^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$) in the form of a K-shell absorption edge of significan...
0207005v1
2002-07-12
Reflection at large distance from the central engine in Seyfert 1s
We consider the possibility that most of the reflection component, observed in the hard X-ray spectra of Seyfert galaxies, could be formed on an extended medium, at large distance from the central source of primary radiation (e.g. on a torus). Then, the reflector cannot respond to the rapid fluctuations of the primary ...
0207269v1
2002-07-15
On the Structure of the Iron K-Edge
It is shown that the commonly held view of a sharp Fe K edge must be modified if the decay pathways of the series of resonances converging to the K thresholds are adequately taken into account. These resonances display damped Lorentzian profiles of nearly constant widths that are smeared to impose continuity across the...
0207324v2
2002-07-18
Mrk 1014: An AGN Dominated ULIRG at X-rays
In this paper we report on an XMM-Newton observation of the ultraluminous infrared QSO Mrk 1014. The X-ray observation reveals a power-law dominated (photon index of about 2.2) spectrum with a slight excess in the soft energy range. AGN and starburst emission models fit the soft excess emission equally well, however, t...
0207378v1
2002-08-01
Chemical Composition of the Carbon-rich, Extremely Metal-Poor Star CS 29498--043: A New Class of Extremely Metal-Poor Stars with Excesses of Magnesium and Silicon
We analyze a high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectrum of the carbon-rich, extremely metal-poor star CS29498-043, obtained with the Subaru Telescope High Dispersion Spectrograph. We find its iron abundance is extremely low ([Fe/H] = -3.7), placing it among the few stars known with [Fe/H] < -3.5, while Mg and Si ar...
0208019v1
2002-08-02
Using Cepheids to determine the galactic abundance gradient. III.First results for the outer disc
As a continuation of our previous work, which concerned the radial abundance distribution in the galactic disc over the distances 4-10 kpc this paper presents the first results on the metallicicty in the outer disc (RG > 10 kpc). Based on high-resolution spectra obtained for 19 distant Cepheids we sampled galactocentri...
0208056v1
2002-08-09
Elemental Abundances and Ionization States within the Local Interstellar Cloud Derived from HST and FUSE Observations of the Capella Line of Sight
We use ultraviolet spectra of Capella from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellites to study interstellar absorption lines from the Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC). Measurements of these lines are used to empirically determine the ionization states of carbon, nitrogen...
0208214v1
2002-08-25
A new measurement of zinc metallicity in a DLA at z=3.35
We present chemical abundance measurements in the z_abs=3.35045 Damped Lyman-alpha (DLA) system observed in the UVES spectrum of the BAL quasar BR 1117-1329. We measure a neutral hydrogen column density N(HI)=6.9+/-1.7*10^{20} atoms/cm2 and derive mean abundances relative to solar: [Si/H] = -1.26+/-0.13, [Fe/H]=-1.51+/...
0208450v1
2002-09-05
X-ray spectroscopy of Eta Carinae with XMM-Newton
We present XMM-Newton observations of the luminous star Eta Carinae, including a high resolution soft X-ray spectrum of the surrounding nebula obtained with the Reflection Grating Spectrometer. The EPIC image of the field around Eta Car shows many early-type stars and diffuse emission from hot, shocked gas. The EPIC sp...
0209087v2
2002-09-11
Ultra-High Energy Heavy Nuclei Propagation in Extragalactic Magnetic Fields
We extend existing work on the propagation of ultra-high energy cosmic rays in extragalactic magnetic fields to a possible component of heavy nuclei, taking into account photodisintegration, pion production, and creation of e+e- pairs. We focus on the influence of the magnetic field on the spectrum and chemical composi...
0209192v1
2002-09-12
A Chandra observation of the H2O megamaser IC2560
A short Chandra ACIS-S observation of the Seyfert 2 galaxy IC 2560, which hosts a luminous nuclear water megamaser, shows: 1) the X-ray emission is extended; 2) the X-ray spectrum shows emission features in the soft (E<2 keV) X-ray band; this is the major component of the extended emission; and 3) a very strong (EW~3.6...
0209245v1
2002-10-08
Spectral Features and Masses in the PeV Region
An analysis is made of the masses and spectral features for cosmic rays in the PeV region, insofar as they have a bearing on the problem of the interaction of cosmic ray particles. In our Single Source Model we identified two 'peaks' seen in a summary of the world's data on primary spectra, and claimed that they are pr...
0210192v1
2002-10-18
The Chemistry of Extragalactic Globular Clusters
We present preliminary results of VLT/FORS spectroscopy of globular clusters in nearby early-type galaxies. Our project aims at studying the chemistry and determine the ages of globular cluster (sub-)populations. First results indicate that the different galaxies host from little to significant intermediate-age populat...
0210419v1
2002-10-21
Globular Clusters in nearby Galaxy Cluster
The discovery of a large population of intra-cluster star clusters in the central region of the Hydra I and Centaurus galaxy clusters is presented. Based on deep VLT photometry (V,I), many star clusters have been identified not only around the early-type galaxies, but also in the intra-cluster field, as far as 250 kpc ...
0210466v1
2002-11-11
Stationary models of relativistic magnetohydrodynamic jets
Highly relativistic jets are most probably driven by strong magnetic fields and are launched from the accretion disk surrounding a central black hole. In this paper we review some of our recent results considering the two-dimensional magnetic field structure and the dynamics of collimating relativistic jets. Applying t...
0211233v1
2002-11-20
Quiet Sun magnetic fields at high spatial resolution
We present spectro-polarimetric observations of Inter-Network magnetic fields at the solar disk center. A Fabry-Perot spectrometer was used to scan the two Fe I lines at 6301.5 A and 6302.5 A. High spatial resolution (0.5") magnetograms were obtained after speckle reconstruction. The patches with magnetic fields above ...
0211454v1
2002-12-16
Status of the KASCADE-Grande Experiment
The status and capabilities of the KASCADE-Grande extensive air shower experiment are presented. The installation is located at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe and comprises a large collecting area (0.5 km^2) electromagnetic array (Grande) operated jointly with the existing KASCADE detectors. KASCADE-Grande will cover the ...
0212347v1
2003-01-09
An XMM-Newton observation of the Narrow Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy, Markarian 896
XMM-Newton observations of the NLS1 Markarian 896 are presented. Over the 2-10 keV band, an iron emission line, close to 6.4 keV, is seen. The line is just resolved and has an equivalent width of ~170 eV. The broad-band spectrum is well modelled by a power law slope of gamma ~ 2.03, together with two blackbody componen...
0301152v1
2003-01-17
On the Progenitor of Supernova 2001du in NGC 1365
Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFPC2 archival images obtained years prior to the explosion of the Type II-plateau supernova (SN) 2001du in NGC 1365 previously have been analyzed to isolate the progenitor star. The SN site was located using precise astrometry applied to the HST images, with significant uncertainty, leavin...
0301346v2
2003-01-17
Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts, and Stellar Rotation
One of the most dramatic possible consequences of stellar rotation is its influence on stellar death, particularly of massive stars. If the angular momentum of the iron core when it collapses is such as to produce a neutron star with a period of 5 ms or less, rotation will have important consequences for the supernova ...
0301373v1
2003-01-27
The nature of the absorbing torus in compact Radio Galaxies
We present BeppoSAX observations of the two radio galaxies PKS 1934-63 and S5 1946+708. Strong Iron Kalpha lines are detected in both objects indicating that the two sources are absorbed by column densities higher than 10^24 cm^(-2). Combining radio continuum, HI absorption and X-ray data we can constrain the physica...
0301522v1
2003-02-07
Parallel Universes
I survey physics theories involving parallel universes, which form a natural four-level hierarchy of multiverses allowing progressively greater diversity. Level I: A generic prediction of inflation is an infinite ergodic universe, which contains Hubble volumes realizing all initial conditions - including an identical...
0302131v1
2003-02-11
A search for X-ray variability in the open cluster NGC 2516
We present the results of a search for X-ray variability in the galactic open cluster NGC 2516. This cluster has been observed on 8 occasions using XMM-Newton making it an excellent target for such a study. We find 4 sources which show significant variability, implying the detection of one significantly variable source...
0302200v1
2003-02-28
X-ray spectral evolution of low-mass X-ray binary GX 349+2
We present the results of a systematic investigation of spectral evolution in the Z source GX 349+2, using data obtained during 1998 with Proportional-Counter-Array (PCA) on-board the RXTE satellite. The source traced a extended normal branch (NB) and flaring branch (FB) in the color-color diagram (CD) and hardness-int...
0302581v2
2003-03-18
Iron Emission in z~6 QSOs
We have obtained low-resolution near infrared spectra of three QSOs at 5.7 < z < 6.3 using the NICMOS instrument of the Hubble Space Telescope. The spectra cover the rest-frame ultraviolet emission of the objects between lambda_rest ~ 1600A - 2800A. The Fe II emission-line complex at 2500A is clearly detected in two of...
0303424v1
2003-03-19
Absorption spectra of Fe L-lines in Seyfert 1 galaxies
Absorption L-lines of iron ions are observed, in absorption, in spectra of Seyfert 1 galaxies by the new generation of X-ray satellites: Chandra (NASA) and XMM-Newton (ESA). Lines associated to Fe23+ to Fe17+ are well resolved. Whereas, those corresponding to Fe16+ to Fe6+ are unresolved. Forbidden transitions of the F...
0303435v1
2003-03-20
A grid of synthetic ionizing spectra for very hot compact stars from NLTE model atmospheres
The precise analysis of properties of planetary nebulae is strongly dependent on good models for the stellar ionizing spectrum. Observations in the UV - X-ray wavelength range as well as NLTE model atmosphere calculations of spectra of their exciting stars have shown that neither blackbody fluxes nor "standard" NLTE at...
0303464v1
2003-03-28
The properties of the absorbing and line emitting material in IGR J16318-4848
We have performed a detailed analysis of the XMM-Newton observation of IGR J16318-4848, to study the properties of the matter responsible for the obscuration and for the emission of Fe and Ni lines. Even if the line of sight material has a column density of about 2x10^24 cm^-2, from the Fe Kalpha line EW and Compton Sh...
0303626v1
2003-04-02
Binary Blue Metal-Poor Stars: Evidence for AGB Mass Transfer
We present new abundance analyses of six blue metal-poor (BMP) stars with very low iron abundances ([Fe/H] < -2), based on new high resolution echelle spectra. Three are spectroscopic binaries and three have constant radial velocities. The chemical compositions of these two groups are very different, as the binary BMP ...
0304064v1
2003-04-03
Induced Formation of Primordial Low-Mass Stars
We show that the explosion of the first supernovae can trigger low-mass star formation via gravitational fragmentation of the supernova-driven gas shell. If the shell mass does not exceed the host galaxy gas mass, all explosions with energies E_SN > 10^{51} erg can lead to shell fragmentation. However, the minimum ambi...
0304074v2
2003-04-04
Metastable strange matter and compact quark stars
Strange quark matter in beta equilibrium at high densities is studied in a quark confinement model. Two equations of state are dynamically generated for the {\it same} set of model parameters used to describe the nucleon: one corresponds to a chiral restored phase with almost massless quarks and the other to a chiral b...
0304096v1
2003-04-14
Low-Mass Relics of Early Star Formation
The earliest stars to form in the Universe were the first sources of light, heat and metals after the Big Bang. The products of their evolution will have had a profound impact on subsequent generations of stars. Recent studies of primordial star formation have shown that, in the absence of metals (elements heavier than...
0304254v1
2003-04-15
Detailed Analysis of Nearby Bulgelike Dwarf Stars III. Alpha and Heavy-element abundances
The present sample of nearby bulgelike dwarf stars has kinematics and metallicities characteristic of a probable inner disk or bulge origin. Ages derived by using isochrones give 10-11 Gyr for these stars and metallicities are in the range -0.80< [Fe/H]< +0.40. We calculate stellar parameters from spectroscopic data, a...
0304282v2
2003-04-23
How did the metals in a giant star originate?
The chemical composition of stars with extremely low metal contents (taking ``metals'' to mean all elements other than hydrogen and helium) provides us with information on the masses of the stars that produced the first metals. Such a direct connection is not possible, however, if the surface of the star has been pollu...
0304415v1
2003-05-12
Stellar Abundances in Dwarf Irregular Galaxies
Dwarf irregular galaxies appear to have undergone very slow chemical evolution since they have low nebular abundances, but have had ongoing star formation over the past 15 Gyr. They are too distant for red giant abundance analyses to examine the details of their chemical evolution, however the isolated, bright blue sup...
0305188v1
2003-05-19
A BeppoSAX observation of MKN6
We have used the BeppoSAX satellite to study the broad band (0.5-100 keV) X-ray spectrum of the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy MKN6. The source is characterized by a power law of Gamma=1.7 [+0.08, -0.07] and there is no strong evidence for either a reflection bump or a high energy cut-off. We have detected a narrow iron line at 6....
0305329v1
2003-05-20
An Estimate Of The Primary Mass Of Cosmic Rays At $10^{18}$ eV As Inferred From Volcano Ranch Data
Accurate measurements of the lateral distribution of extensive air showers produced by cosmic rays of energy greater than $10^{17}$ eV were made in the 1970s by Linsley. At the time, the state of knowledge about the best hadronic interaction model to use to describe such data prevented conclusions about the cosmic ray ...
0305351v1
2003-05-23
Metal Rich Stars in omega Centauri
I present some preliminary results from a high-resolution spectroscopic observing campaign conducted with UVES at the ESO VLT, devoted to the study of the newly discovered, metal-rich red giant branch (RGB-a) in omega Centauri. In particular, I derive and discuss accurate abundances of iron-peak elements, alpha-element...
0305449v1
2003-05-26
XMM-Newton study of the persistent X-ray source 1E1743.1-2843 located in the Galactic Center direction
We report the results of an XMM-Newton observation of the persistent X-ray source 1E1743.1-2843, located in the Galactic Center (GC) direction. We determine the position of the source at alpha_J2000=17h46m21.0s, delta_J2000=-28deg43'44" (with an uncertainty of 1.5"), which is the most accurate to date, and will enable ...
0305489v1
2003-06-05
Where was the Iron Synthesized in Cassiopeia A?
We investigate the properties of Fe-rich knots on the east limb of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant using observations with Chandra/ACIS and analysis methods developed in a companion paper. We use the fitted ionization age and electron temperature of the knots to constrain the ejecta density profile and the Lagrangia...
0306120v1
2003-06-09
An AGN Sample with High X-ray-to-optical Flux Ratio from RASS II.Optical Emission Line Properties of Seyfert 1 Type AGN
This work studies the optical emission line properties of a sample of 155 low-redshift bright X-ray selected ROSAT Seyfert~1 type AGN for which adequate signal-to-noise ratio spectroscopic observations are available. We measured emission line properties by performing multi-component fits to the emission line profiles, ...
0306169v1
2003-06-12
Long Term X-ray Variability in GX13+1: Energy Dependent Periodic Modulation
A search is made for periodic modulation in the X-ray flux from the low mass X-ray binary GX13+1 using Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer All Sky Monitor data collected over a period of almost seven years. From a filtered data set, which excludes measurements with exceptionally large error bars and so maximizes signal to nois...
0306262v1
2003-06-13
Delayed soft X-ray emission lines in the afterglow of GRB 030227
Strong, delayed X-ray line emission is detected in the afterglow of GRB 030227, appearing near the end of the XMM-Newton observation, nearly twenty hours after the burst. The observed flux in the lines, not simply the equivalent width, sharply increases from an undetectable level (<1.7e-14 erg/cm^2/s, 3 sigma) to 4.1e-...
0306284v2
2003-06-16
Modeling of iron K lines: radiative and Auger decay data for Fe II-Fe IX
A detailed analysis of the radiative and Auger de-excitation channels of K-shell vacancy states in Fe II-Fe IX has been carried out. Level energies, wavelengths, A-values, Auger rates and fluorescence yields have been calculated for the lowest fine-structure levels populated by photoionization of the ground state of th...
0306321v2
2003-06-27
The Chemical Composition and Gas-to-Dust Mass Ratio of Nearby Interstellar Matter
Recent results on nearby interstellar gas and interstellar byproducts within the solar system are used to select among the equilibrium radiative transfer models of the nearest interstellar material of Slavin and Frisch (2002). Assuming O/H~400 ppm, Models 2 and 8 are found to yield good fits to available data on local ...
0306590v2
2003-07-08
The Chemistry of Galaxy Clusters
From X-ray observations of galaxy clusters one derives the mass of the intracluster medium along with its chemical composition. Optical/infrared observations are used to estimate the mass of the stellar components of galaxies, along with their chemical composition and age. This review shows that when combining all this...
0307146v1
2003-07-09
Nitrogen Abundances in High-z DLAs
Determination of chemical abundances for elements produced mainly by Type I SNae and intermediate mass stars in high redshift DLAs probes the early chemical build-up on time-scales comparable with their production. Nitrogen shows a peculiar behaviour never detected before in any other class of objects. For [N/H] < -3 t...
0307173v1
2003-07-30
On the origin of HE0107-5240, the most iron deficient star presently known
We show that the "puzzling" chemical composition observed in the extremely metal poor star HE0107-5240 may be naturally explained by the concurrent pollution of at least two supernovae. In the simplest possible model a supernova of quite low mass (~15 Msun), underwent a "normal" explosion and ejected ~0.06 Msun of 56Ni...
0307527v1
2003-08-15
Stellar pollution and [Fe/H] in the Hyades
The Hyades open cluster presents a unique laboratory for planet formation and stellar pollution studies because all of the stars have essentially the same age and were born from the same cloud of gas. Furthermore, with an age of roughly 650 Myr most of the intermediate and low mass stars are on the main sequence. Given...
0308268v1
2003-08-20
The chemical composition of a mild barium star HD202109
We present the result of chemical abundances of a mild barium star HD202109 (zeta Cyg) determined from the analysis of spectrum obtained by using a 2-m telescope at the Peak Terskol Observatory and a high-resolution spectrometer with R=80,000, signal to noise ratio >100. We also present the atmospheric parameters of th...
0308337v2
2003-08-20
Rosseland and Planck Mean Opacities for Protoplanetary Discs
In this paper, we present mean gas and dust opacities relevant to the physical conditions typical of protoplanetary discs. As the principal absorber for temperatures below ~1,500 K, we consider spherical and aggregate dust particles of various sizes, chemical structure, and porosity, consisting of ice, organics, troili...
0308344v1
2003-08-21
Sgr A East and its surroundings observed in X-rays
We report the results of an XMM-Newton observation of Sgr A East and its surroundings. The X-ray spectrum of Sgr A East is well represented with a two-temperature plasma model with temperatures of ~1 and ~4 keV. Only the iron abundance shows clear spatial variation; it concentrates in the core of Sgr A East. The derive...
0308373v1
2003-08-27
3EG J2027+3429 another Blazar behind the Galactic Plane
We report on the association of an X-ray source (WGA J2025.1+3342), serendipitously found with BeppoSAX in two separate observations, with the unidentified EGRET source 3EG J2027+3429. The source is detected from 1 keV up to about 100 keV, has a flat (0.6-1.5) spectrum and is highly variable both in intensity and shape...
0308473v1
2003-08-28
On the filling factor of emitting material in the upper atmosphere of Epsilon Eri (K2 V)
The emission measure distribution in the upper transition region and corona of Epsilon Eri is derived from observed emission line fluxes. Theoretical emission measure distributions are calculated assuming that the radiation losses are balanced by the net conductive flux. We discuss how the area factor of the emitting r...
0308502v1
2003-09-01
Fe II lifetimes and transition probabilities
Fe II radiative lifetimes were measured applying the time-resolved nonlinear laser-induced fluoresence technique. We investigated 21 levels of up to 47000 1/cm. The uncertainties are typically 2-3%. The lifetimes provide an improved absolute scale to our branching fractions which were measured with a Fourier transform ...
0309023v3
2003-09-16
XMM-Newton Observations of the Perseus Cluster II: Evidence for Gas Motions in the Core
The 5-9 keV spectrum of the inner ~100 kpc of the Perseus cluster measured by XMM-Newton can be well described by an optically thin plasma emission model as predicted by the APEC code, without any need for invoking a strong Ni overabundance or the effects of resonant scattering. For the strongest 6.7 keV line of He-lik...
0309427v1
2003-09-18
Inferring the coronal flaring patterns in AGN from reverberation maps
The relativistically broadened iron K-alpha line at 6.4 keV observed in the Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG-6-30-15 has provided a probe of the strong-gravity environment near a black hole, in particular suggesting that it is rapidly spinning. An important variable in such analyses is the geometry of the illuminating source. We p...
0309518v2
2003-09-29
A common trend in the chemical evolution of Local Group dwarf spheroidals and Damped Ly-alpha systems
We compare chemical abundances of Local Group dwarf spheroidals, obtained from recent UVES/VLT observations, and of high redshift Damped Lyman alpha systems (DLAs), corrected for dust effects. We focus, in particular, on the abundance ratio between alpha-capture elements and iron, alpha/Fe, a well known indicator of ch...
0309765v1
2003-10-06
A new population of X-ray transients in the Galactic Centre
A comparison of the XMM-Newton and Chandra Galactic Centre (GC) Surveys has revealed two faint X-ray transients with contrasting properties. The X-ray spectrum of XMM J174544-2913.0 shows a strong iron line with an equivalent width of ~2 keV, whereas that of XMM J174457-2850.3 is characterised by a very hard continuum ...
0310140v1
2003-10-06
Emission Line Properties of AGN from a post-COSTAR FOS HST Spectral Atlas
This paper joins a series compiling consistent emission line measurements of large AGN spectral databases, useful for reliable statistical studies of emission line properties. It is preceded by emission line measurements of 993 spectra from the Large Bright Quasar Survey (Forster et al. 2001) and 174 spectra of AGN obt...
0310165v1
2003-10-08
Determination of the calorimetric energy in extensive air showers
The contribution of different components of an air shower to the total energy deposit in the atmosphere, for different angles and primary particles, was studied using the CORSIKA air shower simulation code. The amount of missing energy, parameterized in terms of the calorimetric energy, was calculated. The results show...
0310234v3
2003-10-21
Coronal abundances from high-resolution X-ray data: The case of Algol
We discuss the determination of elemental abundances from high resolution X-ray data. We emphasize the need for an accurate determination of the underlying temperature structure and advocate the use of a line ratio method which allows us to utilize, first, the strongest lines observed in the X-ray spectra, and second, ...
0310594v1
2003-10-21
The Formation of the First Low-Mass Stars From Gas With Low Carbon and Oxygen Abundances
The first stars in the Universe are predicted to have been much more massive than the Sun. Gravitational condensation accompanied by cooling of the primordial gas due to molecular hydrogen, yields a minimum fragmentation scale of a few hundred solar masses. Numerical simulations indicate that once a gas clump acquires ...
0310622v1
2003-10-22
Accretion and Outflow in the AGN and Starburst of NGC 5135
Observations of the Seyfert 2 and starburst galaxy NGC 5135 with the Chandra X-ray Observatory demonstrate that both of these phenomena contribute significantly to its X-ray emission. We spatially isolate the active galactic nucleus (AGN) and demonstrate that it is entirely obscured by column density N_H > 10^{24} cm^{...
0310669v1
2003-10-27
Oxygen trends in the Galactic thin and thick disks
We present oxygen abundances for 72 F and G dwarf stars in the solar neighbourhood. Using the kinematics of the stars we divide them into two sub-samples with space velocities that are typical for the thick and thin disks, respectively. The metallicities of the stars range from [Fe/H] = -0.9 to +0.4 and we use the deri...
0310741v1
2003-10-29
Luminosity and Redshift Dependence of Quasar Spectral Properties
Using a large sample of quasar spectra from the SDSS, we examine the composite spectral trends of quasars as functions of both redshift and luminosity, independently of one another. Aside from the well known Baldwin effect (BE) -- the decrease of line equivalent width with luminosity -- the average spectral properties ...
0310840v1
2003-10-30
Hints of star fomation at z>6: the chemical abundances of the DLA system in the QSO BRI 1202-0725 (z_abs = 4.383)
The Damped Ly-alpha (DLA) absorber at redshift z_abs=4.383 observed toward QSO BRI 1202-0725 is studied by means of high resolution (FWHM ~ 7 km/s) VLT-UVES spectra. We refine a previously determined Si abundance and derive with confidence abundances for C, N and O which are poorly known in DLAs. The [O/Fe] ratio is ~0...
0310866v1
2003-11-26
Evolution and nucleosynthesis of primordial low mass stars
We discuss in detail the evolutionary properties of low mass stars M< 1 M(Solar) having metallicity lower than Z=10^(-6) from the pre- main sequence up to (almost) the end of the Asymptotic Giant Branch phase. We also discuss the possibility that the large [C,N/Fe] observed on the surface of the most Iron poor star pre...
0311580v1
2003-12-05
XMM-Newton observations of 3C 273
A series of nine XMM-Newton observations of the radio-loud quasar 3C 273 are presented, concentrating mainly on the soft excess. Although most of the individual observations do not show evidence for iron emission, co-adding them reveals a weak, broad line (EW ~ 56 eV). The soft excess component is found to vary, confir...
0312148v1
2003-12-17
Doppler broadening of the iron line and R-Gamma correlation in black hole binaries
RXTE/PCA observations of several black hole X-ray binaries in the low spectral state revealed a tight correlation between spectral parameters and characteristic frequencies of variability of X-ray flux. In particular, the amplitude of reflection increases and the slope of Comptonized radiation steepens as the noise fre...
0312445v1
2003-12-18
Atomic and Molecular Data for Stellar Physics: Former Successes and Future Challenges
This review highlights current (and future) hot topics in astrophysics where atomic or molecular input data are (or will be) essential, with special emphasis on topics relating to nucleosynthesis and cosmochemistry. We first discuss issues (like the abundances of oxygen and iron in the Sun, and that of lithium in pos...
0312486v1
2003-12-23
Gamma-Ray Bursts observed by XMM-Newton
Analysis of observations with XMM-Newton have made a significant contribution to the study of Gamma-ray Burst (GRB) X-ray afterglows. The effective area, bandpass and resolution of the EPIC instrument permit the study of a wide variety of spectral features. In particular, strong, time-dependent, soft X-ray emission lin...
0312602v1
2004-01-09
The Evolution of the Accretion Disk around 4U 1820-30 During a Superburst
Accretion from a disk onto a collapsed, relativistic star -- a neutron star or black hole -- is the mechanism widely believed to be responsible for the emission from compact X-ray binaries. Because of the extreme spatial resolution required, it is not yet possible to directly observe the evolution or dynamics of the in...
0401154v1
2004-01-14
Abundances of neutron-capture elements in the Hot Extreme-Helium Stars V1920 Cygni and HD 124448
Analysis of HST STIS ultraviolet spectra of two hot extreme helium stars (EHes): V1920 Cyg and HD 124448 provide the first measurements of abundances of neutron-capture elements for EHes. Although the two stars have similar abundances for elements up through the iron-group, they differ strikingly in their abundances of...
0401263v1
2004-01-15
INTEGRAL observations of the transient source IGR J19140+098
IGR J19140+098 was discovered during the early INTEGRAL observations of GRS1915+105 in March 2003. The following observations by INTEGRAL and RXTE show significant variability on various time scales from 100s to 1ks, but no pulsations. The ISGRI spectra show strong spectral variability in the 20-80keV range. Combined J...
0401308v1
2004-01-25
Propagation of electromagnetic waves in space plasma
Coherent Raman Effect on Incoherent Light (CREIL), shifts the frequencies of normally incoherent light without any blurring of the images or altering the order of the spectra. CREIL operates in gases having quadrupolar resonances in the megaherz range, and it is easily confused with Doppler effects. When CREIL is taken...
0401529v1
2004-02-05
Timing and spectral studies of the transient X-ray pulsar EXO 053109-6609.2 with ASCA and Beppo-SAX
We report timing and spectral properties of the transient Be X-ray pulsar EXO 053109--6609.2 studied using observations made with the ASCA and BeppoSAX observatories. Though there must have been at least one spin-down episode of the pulsar since its discovery, the new pulse period measurements show a monotonic spin-up ...
0402127v1
2004-02-10
Implications of the central metal abundance peak in cooling core clusters of galaxies
Recent XMM-Newton observations of clusters of galaxies have provided detailed information on the distribution of heavy elements in the central regions of clusters with cooling cores providing strong evidence that most of these metals come from recent SN type Ia. In this paper we compile information on the cumulative ma...
0402216v1
2004-02-13
Models for extremely metal-poor halo stars
Two alternative scenarios concerning the origin and evolution of extremely metal-poor halo stars are investigated. The first one assumes that the stars have been completely metal-free initially and produced observed carbon and nitrogen overabundances during the peculiar core helium flash typical for low-mass Population...
0402334v1
2004-02-26
A Far-UV Spectroscopic Analysis of the Central Star of the Planetary Nebula Longmore 1
We have performed a non-LTE spectroscopic analysis using far-UV and UV data of the central star of the planetary nebula K1-26 (Longmore 1), and found Teff = 120+/-10 kK, logg = 6.7 +0.3/-0.7, and y = 0.10. The temperature is significantly hotter than previous results based on optical line analyses, highlighting the imp...
0402653v1
2004-03-01
An XMM-Newton study of the RGH 80 galaxy group
We present an X-ray study of the galaxy group RGH 80, observed by XMM-Newton. The X-ray emission of the gas is detected out to ~ 462h^{-1}_{50} kpc, corresponding to ~ 0.45 r_{200}. The group is relatively gas rich and luminous with respect to its temperature of 1.01 +/- 0.01 keV. Using the deprojected spectral analysi...
0403026v1
2004-03-10
Hydra Observations of Aluminum Abundances in the Red Giants of the Globular Clusters M80 and NGC 6752
Aluminum and other metal abundances were determined in 21 red giants in the globular clusters NGC 6752 and M80 as part of a larger study to determine whether the aluminum distribution on the red giant branch is related to the second parameter effect that causes clusters of similar metallicity to display different horiz...
0403263v1
2004-03-17
Chemical Abundances in the Secondary Star in the Black Hole Binary A0620-00
Using a high resolution spectrum of the secondary star in the black hole binary A0620-00, we have derived the stellar parameters and veiling caused by the accretion disk in a consistent way. We have used a chi^2 minimization procedure to explore a grid of 800 000 LTE synthetic spectra computed for a plausible range of ...
0403402v1
2004-04-02
The first broad-band persistent X-ray spectrum of the dipping low mass X-ray binary EXO 0748-676
We report on the results of a BeppoSAX observation of the dipping LMXRB EXO 0748-676 performed in 2000 November. This is the first simultaneous observation of this source over the 0.1-100 keV energy range. The persistent spectrum is complex and shows a soft excess, which requires the inclusion of an ionized absorber (w...
0404038v1
2004-04-02
The complex X-ray spectrum of NGC 4507
XMM-Newton and Chandra/HETG spectra of the Compton-thin (NH 4x10^{23} cm^{-2}) Seyfert 2 galaxy, NGC 4507, are analyzed and discussed. The main results are: a) the soft X-ray emission is rich in emission lines; an (at least) two--zone photoionization region is required to explain the large range of ionization states. b...
0404050v1
2004-04-16
Revealing the nature of the highly obscured galactic source IGR J16318-4848
The X-ray source IGR J16318-4848 was the first source discovered by INTEGRAL on 2003, January 29. We carried out optical and near-infrared (NIR) observations at the European Southern Observatory (ESO La Silla) in the course of a Target of Opportunity (ToO) programme. We discovered the optical counterpart and confirmed ...
0404332v1
2004-04-19
Central Stars of Planetary Nebulae in the Large Magellanic Cloud: A Far-UV Spectroscopic Analysis
We observed seven central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPN) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), and performed a model-based analysis of these spectra in conjunction with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) spectra in the UV and optical range to determine the stellar and ...
0404367v1