No Arabic abstract
We present 5 GHz EVN+MERLIN observations of the nuclear region of the ultra luminous infrared galaxy Mrk 273. These observations confirms the detection, on the mas scale, of two resolved component labelled as N and SE in the literature. We use published VLBA observations at 1.4 GHz, at the same resolution, to derive spectral index information of component N and SE and discuss these findings in relation with different hypothesis (compact starburst or AGN) for the origin of the radio emission.
We report on 1.6 and 5.0 GHz observations of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) Mrk 273, using the European VLBI Network (EVN) and the Multi-Element Radio-Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN). We also make use of published 1.4 GHz VLBA observations of Mrk 273 by Carilli & Taylor (2000). Our 5 GHz images have a maximum resolution of 5-10 mas, which corresponds to linear resolutions of 3.5-7 pc at the distance of Mrk 273, and are the most sensitive high-resolution radio observations yet made of this ULIRG. Component N1, often pinpointed as a possible AGN, displays a steep spectral index ($alpha = 1.2 pm 0.1; S_ u propto u^{-alpha}$); hence it is very difficult to reconcile with N1 being an AGN, and rather suggests that the compact nonthermal radio emission is produced by an extremely high luminous individual radio supernova (RSN), or a combination of unresolved emission from nested supernova remnants (SNR), luminous RSNe, or both. Component N2 is partly resolved out into several compact radio sources --none of which clearly dominates-- and a region of extended emission about 30 pc in size. The integrated spectral index of this region is flat ($alpha = 0.15 pm 0.1$), which can be interpreted as due to a superposition of several unresolved components, e.g., RSNe or SNRs, whose radio emission peaks at different frequencies and is partially free-free absorbed. The overall extended radio emission from component N is typical of nonthermal, optically thin radio emission ($alpha = 0.8 pm 0.1$), and its 1.4 GHz luminosity ($L_{1.4 rm GHz} = (2.2 pm 0.1)times 10^{23} $ WHz$^{-1}$) is consistent with being produced by relativistic electrons diffused away from supernova remnants in an outburst.
The ULIRG Mrk 273 contains two infrared nuclei, N and SW, separated by 1 arcsec. A Chandra observation has identified the SW nucleus as an absorbed X-ray source with nH ~4e23 cm-2 but also hinted at the possible presence of a Compton thick AGN in the N nucleus, where a black hole of 10^9 Msun is inferred from the ionized gas kinematics. The intrinsic X-ray spectral slope recently measured by NuSTAR is unusually hard (photon index of ~1.3) for a Seyfert nucleus, for which we seek an alternative explanation. We hypothesise a strongly absorbed X-ray source in N, of which X-ray emission rises steeply above 10 keV, in addition to the known X-ray source in SW, and test it against the NuSTAR data, assuming the standard spectral slope (photon index of 1.9). This double X-ray source model gives a good explanation of the hard continuum spectrum, the deep Fe K absorption edge, and the strong Fe K line observed in this ULIRG, without invoking the unusual spectral slope required for a single source interpretation. The putative X-ray source in N is found to be absorbed by nH = 1.4(+0.7/-0.4)e24 cm-2. The estimated 2-10 keV luminosity of the N source is 1.3e43 erg/s, about a factor of 2 larger than that of SW during the NuSTAR observation. Uncorrelated variability above and below 10 keV between the Suzaku and NuSTAR observations appears to support the double source interpretation. Variability in spectral hardness and Fe K line flux between the previous X-ray observations is also consistent with this picture.
There is X-ray, optical, and mid-infrared imaging and spectroscopic evidence that the late-stage ultraluminous infrared galaxy merger Mrk 273 hosts a powerful active galactic nucleus (AGN). However, the exact location of the AGN and the nature of the nuclei have been difficult to determine due to dust obscuration and the limited wavelength coverage of available high-resolution data. Here we present near-infrared integral-field spectra and images of the nuclear region of Mrk 273 taken with OSIRIS and NIRC2 on the Keck II Telescope with laser guide star adaptive optics. We observe three spatially resolved components, and analyze the local molecular and ionized gas emission lines and their kinematics. We confirm the presence of the hard X-ray AGN in the southwest nucleus. In the north nucleus, we find a strongly rotating gas disk whose kinematics indicate a central black hole of mass 1.04 +/- 0.1 x 10^9 Msun. The H2 emission line shows an increase in velocity dispersion along the minor axis in both directions, and an increased flux with negative velocities in the southeast direction; this provides direct evidence for a collimated molecular outflow along the axis of rotation of the disk. The third spatially distinct component appears to the southeast, 640 and 750 pc from the north and southwest nuclei, respectively. This component is faint in continuum emission but shows several strong emission line features, including [Si vi] 1.964 {mu}m which traces an extended coronal-line region. The geometry of the [Si vi] emission combined with shock models and energy arguments suggest that [Si vi] in the southeast component must be at least partly ionized by the SW AGN or a putative AGN in the northern disk, either through photoionization or through shock-heating from strong AGN- and circumnuclear starburst-driven outflows. This lends support to a scenario in which Mrk 273 may be a dual AGN system.
We present a detailed study of the stellar cluster M82F, using multi-band high resolution HST imaging and deep ground based optical slit and integral field spectroscopy. Using the imaging we create colour maps of the cluster and surrounding region in order to search for substructure. We find a large amount of substructure, which we interpret as the result of differential extinction across the projected face of the cluster. With this interpretation, we are able to construct a spatially resolved extinction map across the cluster which is used to derive the intrinsic flux distribution. Fitting cluster profiles (King and EFF) to the intrinsic images we find that the cluster is 15-30% larger than previous estimates, and that no strong evidence of mass segregation in this cluster exists. Using the optical spectra, we find that the age of M82F is 60-80 Myr and from its velocity conclude that the cluster is not physically associated with a large HII region that it is projected upon, both in agreement with previous studies. The reconstructed integral field maps show that that majority of the line emission comes from a nearby HII region. The spatial dependence of the line widths (implying the presence of multiple components)measured corresponds to the extinction map derived from photometry, indicating that the gas/dust clouds responsible for the extinction are also partially ionised. Even with the wealth of observations presented here, we do not find a conclusive solution to the problem of the high light-to-mass ratio previously found for this cluster and its possible top-heavy stellar IMF.
Since the development of Boson sampling, there has been a quest to construct more efficient and experimentally feasible protocols to test the computational complexity of sampling from photonic states. In this paper we interpret and extend the results presented in [Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 170501 (2017)]. We derive an expression that relates the probability to measure a specific photon output pattern from a Gaussian state to the textit{hafnian} matrix function and us it to design a Gaussian Boson sampling protocol. Then, we discuss the advantages that this protocol has relative to other photonic protocols and the experimental requirements for Gaussian Boson Sampling. Finally, we relate it to the previously most general protocol, Scattershot Boson Sampling [Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 100502 (2014)]