No Arabic abstract
The Chandra Multiwavelength Project (ChaMP) has discovered a jet-like structure associated with a newly recognized QSO at redshift z=1.866. The system was 9.4 arcmin off-axis during an observation of 3C 207. Although significantly distorted by the mirror PSF, we use both a raytrace and a nearby bright point source to show that the X-ray image must arise from some combination of point and extended sources, or else from a minimum of three distinct point sources. We favor the former situation, as three unrelated sources would have a small probability of occurring by chance in such a close alignment. We show that interpretation as a jet emitting X-rays via inverse Compton (IC) scattering on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is plausible. This would be a surprising and unique discovery of a radio-quiet QSO with an X-ray jet, since we have obtained upper limits of 100 microJy on the QSO emission at 8.46 GHz, and limits of 200 microJy for emission from the putative jet.
We present a clustering analysis of QSOs over the redshift range z=0.3-2.9. We use a sample of 10558 QSOs taken from the preliminary catalogue of the 2dF QSO Redshift Survey (2QZ). The two-point redshift-space correlation function of QSOs is shown to follow a power law on scales s~1-35h-1Mpc. Fitting a power law to QSO clustering averaged over the redshift interval 0.3<z<2.9 we find s_0=3.99+0.28-0.34h-1Mpc and gamma=1.58+0.10-0.09 for an Einstein-de Sitter cosmology (EdS). With Omega_0=0.3 and lambda_0=0.7 the power law extends to s~60h-1Mpc with a best fit of s_0=5.69+0.42-0.50h-1Mpc and gamma=1.56+0.10-0.09. These values, measured at a mean redshift of z=1.49, are comparable to the clustering of local optically selected galaxies. We measure the evolution of QSO clustering as a function of redshift. For an EdS cosmology there is no evolution in comoving coordinates over the redshift range of the 2QZ. For Omega_0=0.3 and lambda_0=0.7 QSO clustering shows a marginal increase at high redshift. Although the clustering of QSOs is measured on large scales where linear theory should apply, the evolution of QSO clustering does not follow the linear theory predictions for growth via gravitational instability (rejected at the >99 per cent confidence level). A redshift dependent bias is required to reconcile QSO clustering observations with theory. A simple biasing model, in which QSOs have cosmologically long lifetimes (or alternatively form in peaks above a constant threshold in the density field) is acceptable in an EdS cosmology, but is only marginally acceptable if Omega_0=0.3 and lambda_0=0.7. Biasing models which assume QSOs form over a range in redshift, based on the Press-Schechter formalism are approximately consistent with QSO clustering evolution (abridged).
A strong X-ray source only 8 from the nucleus of the Sy2 galaxy NGC 7319 in Stephans Quintet has been discovered by Chandra. We have identified the optical counterpart and show it is a QSO with $z_e = 2.114$. It is also a ULX with $L_x = 1.5 x 10^{40} erg sec^{-1}$. From the optical spectra of the QSO and interstellar gas in the galaxy (z = .022) we show that it is very likely that the QSO and the gas are interacting.
We present some preliminary results from a series of extremely large, high-resolution N-body simulations of the formation of early nonlinear structures. We find that the high-z halo mass function is inconsistent with the Sheth-Tormen mass function, which tends to over-estimate the abundance of rare halos. This discrepancy is in rough agreement with previous results based on smaller simulations. We also show that the number density of minihaloes is correlated with local matter density, albeit with a significant scatter that increases with redshift, as minihaloes become increasingly rare. The average correlation is in rough agreement with a simple analytical extended Press-Schechter model, but can differ by up to factor of 2 in some regimes.
We aim to illustrate the potentiality of the Advanced Large, Homogeneous Area, Medium-Band Redshift Astronomical (ALHAMBRA) survey to investigate the high redshift universe through the detection of quasi stellar objects (QSOs) at redshifts larger than 5. The search for z>5 QSOs candidates was done by fitting an extensive library of spectral energy distributions --including active and non-active galaxy templates as well as stars-- to the photometric database of the ALHAMBRA survey (composed of 20 optical medium-band plus the 3 broad-band JHKs filters). Our selection over ~1 square degree of ALHAMBRA data (~1/4 of the total area covered by the survey), combined with GTC/OSIRIS spectroscopy, has yielded the identification of an optically faint QSO at very high redshift (z = 5.41). The QSO has an absolute magnitude of ~-24 at the 1450{AA} continuum, a bolometric luminosity of ~2x10^46 erg/s and an estimated black hole mass of ~10^8 Msolar. This QSO adds itself to a reduced number of known UV faint sources at these redshifts. The preliminary derived space density is compatible with the most recent determinations of the high-z QSO luminosity functions (QLF). This new detection shows how ALHAMBRA, as well as forthcoming well designed photometric surveys, can provide a wealth of information on the origin and early evolution of this kind of objects.
We report the discovery of a partial Einstein ring of radius 1.48arcsec produced by a massive (and seemingly isolated) elliptical galaxy. The spectroscopic follow-up at the VLT reveals a 2L* galaxy at z=0.986, which is lensing a post-starburst galaxy at z=3.773. This unique configuration yields a very precise measure of the mass of the lens within the Einstein radius, (8.3e11 +- 0.4)/h70 Msolar. The fundamental plane relation indicates an evolution rate of d [log (M/L)B] / dz = -0.57+-0.04, similar to other massive ellipticals at this redshift. The source galaxy shows strong interstellar absorption lines indicative of large gas-phase metallicities, with fading stellar populations after a burst. Higher resolution spectra and imaging will allow the detailed study of an unbiased representative of the galaxy population when the universe was just 12% of its current age.