Showing papers by "Anton M. Koekemoer published in 1999"

PKS 2250—41 and the role of jet-cloud interactions in powerful radio galaxies

Abstract: We have studied the effects of the interaction between the radio jet and the ambient gas in the powerful radio galaxy PKS2250-41 (z = 0.31). Our results show that the gas has been accelerated, compressed, heated and collisionally ionized by the shock. This study helps us to understand the processes which determine the observed properties of many high redshift radio galaxies.

H I Absorption toward the Nucleus of the Radio Galaxy PKS 2322–123 in A2597

Abstract: We present sensitive, high-resolution Very Long Baseline Array observations of the central 03 of PKS 2322-123 at 1.3 and 5 GHz. These observations reveal straight and symmetric jets emerging from both sides of an inverted spectrum core. The 21 cm line of atomic hydrogen is detected in absorption against the core and eastern jet with substantial opacities, but it is not seen toward the equally strong western jet. Both a narrow (110 km s-1 FWHM) and a very broad (735 km s-1 FWHM) line are seen, although the very broad line is seen only against the core. Both lines are redshifted (~220±100 km s-1) with respect to the systemic velocity. The most likely explanation for the observed H I kinematics are an atomic torus centered on the nucleus with considerable turbulence and inward streaming motions. The scale height of this torus is less than 20 pc. Although rare in flux-limited samples of compact radio sources, symmetric parsec-scale structure appears nearly ubiquitous among radio galaxies with H I absorption, probably because they are viewed more nearly edge-on through the torus.

The Extended Blue Continuum and Line Emission around the Central Radio Galaxy in Abell 2597

Abstract: We present results from detailed imaging of the centrally dominant radio elliptical galaxy in the cooling-flow cluster Abell 2597, using data obtained with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This object is one of the archetypal blue-lobed cooling-flow radio elliptical galaxies, also displaying a luminous emission-line nebula, a compact radio source, and a significant dust lane and evidence of molecular gas in its center. We show that the radio source is surrounded by a complex network of emission-line filaments, some of which display a close spatial association with the outer boundary of the radio lobes. We present a detailed analysis of the physical properties of ionized and neutral gas associated with the radio lobes, and show that their properties are strongly suggestive of direct interactions between the radio plasma and ambient gas. We resolve the blue continuum emission into a series of knots and clumps, and present evidence that these are most likely due to regions of recent star formation. We investigate several possible triggering mechanisms for the star formation, including direct interactions with the radio source, filaments condensing from the cooling flow, or the result of an interaction with a gas-rich galaxy, which may also have been responsible for fueling the active nucleus. We propose that the properties of the source are plausibly explained in terms of accretion of gas by the cD during an interaction with a gas-rich galaxy, which, combined with the fact that this object is located at the centre of a dense, high-pressure intracluster medium, can account for the high rates of star formation and the strong confinement of the radio source.

The Extended Blue Continuum and Line Emission around the Central Radio Galaxy in Abell 2597

Abstract: We present results from detailed imaging of the centrally dominant radio elliptical galaxy in the cooling flow cluster Abell 2597, using data obtained with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This object is one of the archetypal "blue-lobed" cooling flow radio elliptical galaxies, also displaying a luminous emission-line nebula, a compact radio source, and a significant dust lane and evidence of molecular gas in its center. We show that the radio source is surrounded by a complex network of emission-line filaments, some of which display a close spatial association with the outer boundary of the radio lobes. We present a detailed analysis of the physical properties of ionized and neutral gas associated with the radio lobes, and show that their properties are strongly suggestive of direct interactions between the radio plasma and ambient gas. We resolve the blue continuum emission into a series of knots and clumps, and present evidence that these are most likely due to regions of recent star formation. We investigate several possible triggering mechanisms for the star formation, including direct interactions with the radio source, filaments condensing from the cooling flow, or the result of an interaction with a gas-rich galaxy, which may also have been responsible for fueling the active nucleus. We propose that the properties of the source are plausibly explained in terms of accretion of gas by the cD during an interaction with a gas-rich galaxy, which combined with the fact that this object is located at the center of a dense, high-pressure ICM can account for the high rates of star formation and the strong confinement of the radio source.

X-Ray Properties of B2 1028+313: A Quasar at the Center of the Abell Cluster A1030

Abstract: X-ray observations with the ROSAT HRI and with ASCA are presented for the nearby radio quasar B2 1028+313, which is located in the cD galaxy at the center of the Abell cluster A1030. We also analyze archival ROSAT PSPC observations. We find that the X-ray emission is dominated by the quasar. The flux varied by a factor of about 2 between the ROSAT HRI and ASCA observations, which were about 1 yr apart. The X-ray spectrum of the quasar is fitted by a single power law, except at low energies where there is a soft excess. Although the shape of the soft excess is not strongly constrained, it can be fitted by a blackbody with a temperature of about 30 eV. There was evidence for extended X-ray emission, which contributed about 25% of the total flux. However, this emission does not appear to be normal X-ray emission from intracluster gas or a central cooling flow. The extended X-ray emission appears to be quite soft; if its spectrum is modeled as thermal emission, the temperature is ~0.2 keV, rather than the 5-10 keV expected for intracluster medium (ICM) emission. The radial surface distribution of the emission was not fitted by either the beta model that usually describes ICM emission or by a cooling-flow model. The ASCA and ROSAT spectra showed no convincing evidence for a thermal component with a cluster-like temperature, either in the overall spectral shape or in emission lines. In addition, the ROSAT PSPC image showed that the extended X-ray emission was highly elongated to the north-northwest and the south-southeast, in the same direction as the extended radio emission from the quasar. We suggest that the extended emission is inverse Compton emission from the extended radio lobes.

Hubble Space Telescope Observations of the Associated Absorption Systems in Q0122+0338

Abstract: We have studied a spectrum of Q0122+0338 (z = 1.202) obtained by the FOS on board HST. We present the analysis of three associated absorption systems at z = 1.207, 1.199 and 1.166. The most complex of these at z = 1.207 shows strong absorption from the highly ionized transitions of Lyman alpha, Lyman beta, N V, O VI, Si III, Si IV, and possibly P V. We derive minimal ionic column densities and compare them with those predicted from numerical photoionization models. We find that conditions in the absorbing gas are consistent with an absorber with metallicity twice solar and a total absorbing column density of N(H) = 2*10^19 cm^2. The kinematics of the absorption lines in the z = 1.207 system suggest that a correlation exists between the relative velocity and the creation ionization potential energy for each transition. This is evidence that a complex, multi-component absorber exists. Althought the location of the absorber is uncertain, we consider the origin of this absorption system using the available data and discuss how the high-ionization, and high-metallicity indicate that the absorber may be intrinsic to Q0122+0338.

PKS2250-41 and the role of jet-cloud interactions in powerful radio galaxies

Abstract: We have studied the effects of the interaction between the radio jet and the ambient gas in the powerful radio galaxy PKS2250-41 (z=0.31). Our results show that the gas has been accelerated, compressed, heated and collisionally ionized by the shock. This study helps us to understand the processes which determine the observed properties of many high redshift radio galaxies.