Lucimara P. Martins

Evolutionary stellar population synthesis at high spectral resolution: optical wavelengths

We present the single stellar population (SSP) synthesis results of our new synthetic stellar atmosphere models library with a spectral sampling of 0.3 A, covering the wavelength range from 3000 to 7000 A for a wide range of metallicities (twice solar, solar, half solar and 1/10 solar). The stellar library is composed of 1650 spectra computed with the latest improvements in stellar atmospheres. In particular, it incorporates non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) line-blanketed models for hot (T eff ≥ 27 500 K), and LTE line-blanketed models (Phoenix) for cool (3000 ≤ T eff ≤ 4500 K) stars. Because of the high spectral resolution of this library, evolutionary synthesis models can be used to predict the strength of numerous weak absorption lines and the evolution of the profiles of the strongest lines over a wide range of ages. The SSP results have been calculated for ages from 1 Myr to 17 Gyr using the stellar evolutionary tracks provided by the Geneva and Padova groups. For young stellar populations, our results have a very detailed coverage of high-temperature stars with similar results for the Padova and Geneva isochrones. For intermediate and old stellar populations, our results, once degraded to a lower resolution, are similar to the ones obtained by other groups (limitations imposed by the stellar evolutionary physics notwidthstanding). The limitations and advantages of our models for the analysis of integrated populations are described. The full set of the stellar library and the evolutionary models are available for retrieval at the websites http://www.iaa.csic.es/∼rosa and http://www.iaa.csic.es/∼mcs/sed@, or on request from the first two authors.

A high-resolution stellar library for evolutionary population synthesis

We present a library of 1654 high-resolution stellar spectra, with a sampling of 0.3 A and covering the wavelength range from 3000 to 7000 A. The library was computed with the latest improvements in stellar atmospheres, incorporating non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) line-blanketed models for hot, massive (T eff ≥ 27 500 K) and line-blanketed models for cool (3000 ≤ T eff ≤ 4500 K) stars. The total coverage of the grid is 3000 K ≤ T eff ≤ 55 000 K and -0.5 ≤ log g ≤ 5.5, for four chemical abundance values: twice solar, solar, half solar and 1/10 solar. Evolutionary synthesis models using this library are presented in a companion paper. We tested the general behaviour of the library by calculating and comparing equivalent widths of numerous H and He I lines, and some of the commonly used metallic indices. We also compared the library with the empirical libraries STELIB and Indo-US. The full set of the synthetic stellar spectra is available from our websites (http://www.iaa.csic.es/∼rosa and http://www.astro.iag.usp.br/∼lucimara/library.htm).

THE STELLAR POPULATIONS OF LOW-LUMINOSITY ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI. I. GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS

We present a spectroscopic study of the stellar populations of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs). Our main goal is to determine whether the stars that live in the innermost (100 pc scale) regions of these galaxies are in some way related to the emission-line properties, which would imply a link between the stellar population and the ionization mechanism. High signal-to-noise ratio, ground-based long-slit spectra in the 3500-5500 A interval were collected for 60 galaxies: 51 LINERs and LINER/H II transition objects, two starburst galaxies, and seven nonactive galaxies. In this paper, the first of a series, we (1) describe the sample; (2) present the nuclear spectra; (3) characterize the stellar populations of LLAGNs by means of an empirical comparison with normal galaxies; (4) measure a set of spectral indices, including several absorption-line equivalent widths and colors indicative of stellar populations; and (5) correlate the stellar indices with emission-line ratios that may distinguish between possible excitation sources for the gas. Our main findings are as follows: (1) Few LLAGNs have a detectable young (107 yr) starburst component, indicating that very massive stars do not contribute significantly to the optical continuum. In particular, no features due to Wolf-Rayet stars were convincingly detected. (2) High-order Balmer absorption lines of H I (HOBLs), on the other hand, are detected in ~40% of LLAGNs. These features, which are strongest in 108-109 yr intermediate-age stellar populations, are accompanied by diluted metal absorption lines and bluer colors than other objects in the sample. (3) These intermediate-age populations are very common (~50%) in LLAGNs with relatively weak [O I] emission ([O ]/Hα ≤ 0.25) but rare (~10%) in LLAGNs with stronger [O I]. This is intriguing since LLAGNs with weak [O I] have been previously hypothesized to be transition objects in which both an AGN and young stars contribute to the emission-line excitation. Massive stars, if present, are completely outshone by intermediate-age and old stars in the optical. This happens in at least a couple of objects where independent UV spectroscopy detects young starbursts not seen in the optical. (4) Objects with predominantly old stars span the whole range of [O I]/Hα values, but (5) sources with significant young and/or intermediate-age populations are nearly all (~90%) weak-[O I] emitters. These new findings suggest a link between the stellar populations and the gas ionization mechanism. The strong-[O I] objects are most likely true LLAGNs, with stellar processes being insignificant. However, the weak-[O I] objects may comprise two populations, one where the ionization is dominated by stellar processes and another where it is governed by either an AGN or a more even mixture of stellar and AGN processes. Possible stellar sources for the ionization include weak starbursts, supernova remnants, and evolved poststarburst populations. These scenarios are examined and constrained by means of complementary observations and detailed modeling of the stellar populations in forthcoming communications.

THE STELLAR POPULATIONS OF LOW-LUMINOSITY ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI. II. SPACE TELESCOPE IMAGING SPECTROGRAPH OBSERVATIONS

We present a study of the stellar population in Low Luminosity AGN (LLAGN). Our goal is to search for spectroscopic signatures of young and intermediate age stars, and to investigate their relationship with the ionization mechanism in LLAGN. The method used is based on the stellar population synthesis of the optical continuum of the innermost (20-100 pc) regions in these galaxies. For this purpose, we have collected high spatial resolution optical (2900-5700 A) STIS spectra of 28 nearby LLAGN that are available in the Hubble Space Telescope archive. The analysis of these data is compared with a similar analysis also presented here for 51 ground-based spectra of LLAGN. Our main findings are: (1) No features due to Wolf-Rayet stars were convincingly detected in the STIS spectra. (2) Young stars contribute very little to the optical continuum in the ground-based aperture. However, the fraction of light provided by these stars is higher than 10% in most of the weak-[OI] LLAGN STIS spectra. (3) Intermediate age stars contribute significantly to the optical continuum of these nuclei. This population is more frequent in objects with weak than with strong [OI]. Weak-[OI] LLAGN that have young stars stand out for their intermediate age population. (4) Most of the strong-[OI] LLAGN have predominantly old stellar population. A few of these objects also show a feature-less continuum that contributes significantly to the optical continuum. These results suggest that young and intermediate age stars do not play a significant role in the ionization of LLAGN with strong [OI]. However, the ionization in weak-[OI] LLAGN with young and/or intermediate age population could be due to stellar processes.We present a study of the stellar populations of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs). Our goal is to search for spectroscopic signatures of young and intermediate-age stars and to investigate their relationship with the ionization mechanism in LLAGNs. The method used is based on the stellar population synthesis of the optical continuum of the innermost (20-100 pc) regions in these galaxies. For this purpose, we have collected high spatial resolution optical (2900-5700 ?) STIS spectra of 28 nearby LLAGNs that are available in the Hubble Space Telescope archive. The analysis of these data is compared with a similar analysis also presented here for 51 ground-based spectra of LLAGNs. Our main findings are as follows: (1) No features due to Wolf-Rayet stars were convincingly detected in the STIS spectra. (2) Young stars contribute very little to the optical continuum in the ground-based aperture. However, the fraction of light provided by these stars is higher than 10% in most of the weak-[O I] ([O ]/H? ? 0.25) LLAGN STIS spectra. (3) Intermediate-age stars contribute significantly to the optical continuum of these nuclei. This population is more frequent in objects with weak than with strong [O I]. Weak-[O I] LLAGNs that have young stars stand out for their intermediate-age population. (4) Most of the strong-[O I] LLAGNs have predominantly old stellar population. A few of these objects also show a featureless continuum that contributes significantly to the optical continuum. These results suggest that young and intermediate-age stars do not play a significant role in the ionization of LLAGNs with strong [O I]. However, the ionization in weak-[O I] LLAGNs with young and/or intermediate-age populations could be due to stellar processes. A comparison of the properties of these objects with Seyfert 2 galaxies that harbor a nuclear starburst suggests that weak-[O I] LLAGNs are the lower luminosity counterparts of the Seyfert 2 composite nuclei.

INDICATORS OF INTRINSIC ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS LUMINOSITY: A MULTI-WAVELENGTH APPROACH

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) consist of an accretion disk around a supermassive black hole which in turn is surrounded by an obscuring torus of dust and gas. As the resulting geometry of this system affects the observable properties, quantifying isotropic indicators of intrinsic AGN luminosity is important in selecting unbiased samples of AGNs. In this paper, we consider five such proxies: the luminosities of the [O?III]?5007 line, the [O IV]25.89??m line, the mid-infrared (MIR) continuum emission by the torus, and the radio and hard X-ray (E > 10 keV) continuum emission. We compare these different proxies using two complete samples of low-redshift Type 2 AGNs selected in a homogeneous way based on different indicators: an optically selected [O III] sample and an MIR-selected 12??m sample. To assess the relative merits of these proxies, we have undertaken two analyses. First, we examine the correlations between all five different proxies, and find better agreement for the [O IV], MIR, and [O III] luminosities than for the hard X-ray and radio luminosities. Next, we compare the ratios of the fluxes of the different proxies to their values in unobscured Type 1 AGNs. The agreement is best for the ratio of the [O IV] and MIR fluxes, while the ratios of the hard X-ray to [O III], [O IV], and MIR fluxes are systematically low by about an order of magnitude in the Type 2 AGNs, indicating that hard X-ray-selected samples do not represent the full Type 2 AGN population. In a similar spirit, we compare different optical and MIR diagnostics of the relative energetic contributions of AGN and star formation processes in our samples of Type 2 AGNs. We find good agreement between the various diagnostic parameters, such as the equivalent width of the MIR polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon features, the ratio of the MIR [O IV]/[Ne II] emission lines, the spectral index of the MIR continuum, and the commonly used optical emission-line ratios. Finally, we test whether the presence of cold gas associated with star formation leads to an enhanced conversion efficiency of AGN ionizing radiation into [O III] or [O IV] emission. We find that no compelling evidence exists for this scenario for the luminosities represented in this sample (L bol 109 ? 8 ? 1011 L ?).

XMM-NEWTON OBSERVATIONS OF A COMPLETE SAMPLE OF OPTICALLY SELECTED TYPE 2 SEYFERT GALAXIES

The majority of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) suffer from significant obscuration by surrounding dust and gas. The penetrating power and sensitivity of hard X-ray observations allow obscured AGNs to be probed out to high redshifts. However, X-ray surveys in the 2-10 keV band will miss the most heavily obscured AGNs in which the absorbing column density exceeds ~1024 cm–2 (the Compton-thick AGN). It is, therefore, vital to know the fraction of AGNs that are missed in such X-ray surveys and to determine if these AGNs represent some distinct population in terms of the fundamental properties of AGNs and/or their host galaxies. In this paper, we present the analysis of XMM-Newton X-ray data for a complete sample of 17 low-redshift Type 2 Seyfert galaxies chosen from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey based solely on the high observed flux of the [O III]λ5007 emission line. This line is formed in the narrow-line region hundreds of parsecs away from the central engine. Thus, unlike the X-ray emission, it is not affected by obscuration due to the torus surrounding the black hole. It therefore provides a useful isotropic indicator of the AGN luminosity. As additional indicators of the intrinsic AGN luminosity, we use the Spitzer Space Telescope to measure the luminosities of the mid-infrared continuum and the [O IV] 25.89 μm narrow emission line. We then use the ratio of the 2-10 keV X-ray luminosity to the [O III], [O IV], and mid-infrared luminosities to assess the amount of X-ray obscuration and to distinguish between Compton-thick and Compton-thin objects. The various diagnostics of AGN luminosity with heavily obscured hard X-ray emission are in broad agreement. We find that the majority of the sources suffer significant amounts of obscuration: the observed 2-10 keV emission is depressed by more than an order of magnitude in 11 of the 17 cases (as expected for Compton-thick sources). Thus, surveys in the rest-frame 2-10 keV band will be significantly incomplete for obscured AGNs. We find a strong inverse correlation between the ratio of the 2-10 keV X-ray and [O III] (or [O IV] or mid-IR) fluxes and the equivalent width of the 6.4 keV Fe Kα line. This demonstrates that the weak hard X-ray continuum emission is due to obscuration (rather than due to intrinsically weak emission). In several cases, the large amount of obscuration is not consistent with the values of absorbing column density derived from simple spectral fits to the data. We run simulations of a more physically realistic model with partial covering of the X-ray source plus Compton scattering, and show that such models are consistent with the data. We show that the distribution of obscuration in the 2-10 keV band in our sample is similar to what is seen in samples selected in the Swift BAT energy band (14-195 keV). This implies that the BAT surveys do recover a significant fraction of the local population of Compton-thick AGNs. Finally, we find no relationship between the amount of X-ray obscuration and the other properties of the AGN and its host galaxy. Hence, Compton-thick and Compton-thin sources do not seem to trace distinct populations.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Galaxies at z ~ 0.1: The Effect of Star Formation and Active Galactic Nuclei

We present the analysis of the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) spectra of a sample of 92 typical star forming galaxies at 0.03 <z <0.2 observed with the Spitzer IRS. We compare the relative strengths of PAH emission features with SDSS optical diagnostics to probe the relationship between PAH grain properties and star formation and AGN activity. Short-to-long wavelength PAH ratios, and in particular the 7.7-to-11.3 micron feature ratio, are strongly correlated with the star formation diagnostics Dn(4000) and H-alpha equivalent width, increasing with younger stellar populations. This ratio also shows a significant difference between active and non-active galaxies, with the active galaxies exhibiting weaker 7.7 micron emission. A hard radiation field as measured by [OIII]/H-beta and [NeIII]/[NeII] affects PAH ratios differently depending on whether this field results from starburst activity or an AGN. Our results are consistent with a picture in which larger PAH molecules grow more efficiently in richer media and in which smaller PAH molecules are preferentially destroyed by AGN.

UNCOVERING OBSCURED ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI IN HOMOGENEOUSLY SELECTED SAMPLES OF SEYFERT 2 GALAXIES

We have analyzed archival Chandra and XMM-Newton data for two nearly complete homogeneously selected samples of type 2 Seyfert galaxies (Sy2s). These samples were selected based on intrinsic active galactic nuclei (AGNs) flux proxies: a mid-infrared (MIR) sample from the original IRAS 12 ?m survey and an optical ([O III]? 5007 flux limited) sample from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, providing a total of 45 Sy2s. As the MIR and [O III] fluxes are largely unaffected by AGN obscuration, these samples can present an unbiased estimate of the Compton-thick (column density N H>1024?cm?2) subpopulation. We find that the majority of this combined sample are likely heavily obscured, as evidenced by the 2-10?keV X-ray attenuation (normalized by intrinsic flux diagnostics) and the large Fe K? equivalent widths (several hundred eV to over 1?keV). A wide range of these obscuration diagnostics is present, showing a continuum of column densities, rather than a clear segregation into Compton-thick and Compton-thin sub-populations. We find that, in several instances, the fitted column densities severely underrepresent the attenuation implied by these obscuration diagnostics, indicating that simple X-ray models may not always recover the intrinsic absorption. We compared AGNs and host galaxy properties, such as intrinsic luminosity, central black hole mass, accretion rate, and star formation rate with obscuration diagnostics. No convincing evidence exists to link obscured sources with unique host galaxy populations from their less absorbed counterparts. Finally, we estimate that a majority of these Seyfert 2s will be detectable in the 10-40?keV range by the future NuSTAR mission, which would confirm whether these heavily absorbed sources are indeed Compton-thick.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Galaxies at z 0.1 : The Effect of Star Formation and AGN

We present the analysis of the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) spectra of a sample of 92 typical star forming galaxies at 0.03 <z <0.2 observed with the Spitzer IRS. We compare the relative strengths of PAH emission features with SDSS optical diagnostics to probe the relationship between PAH grain properties and star formation and AGN activity. Short-to-long wavelength PAH ratios, and in particular the 7.7-to-11.3 micron feature ratio, are strongly correlated with the star formation diagnostics Dn(4000) and H-alpha equivalent width, increasing with younger stellar populations. This ratio also shows a significant difference between active and non-active galaxies, with the active galaxies exhibiting weaker 7.7 micron emission. A hard radiation field as measured by [OIII]/H-beta and [NeIII]/[NeII] affects PAH ratios differently depending on whether this field results from starburst activity or an AGN. Our results are consistent with a picture in which larger PAH molecules grow more efficiently in richer media and in which smaller PAH molecules are preferentially destroyed by AGN.

A spectral atlas of H ii galaxies in the near-infrared

Recent models show that TP-AGB stars should dominate the NIR spectra of populations 0.3 to 2 Gyr old, leaving unique signatures that can be used to detect young/intermediate stellar population in galaxies. However, no homogeneous database of star-forming galaxies is available in the NIR to fully explore these results. With this in mind, we study the NIR spectra of a sample of 23 HII and starburst galaxies, aimed at characterizing the most prominent spectral features and continuum shape in the 0.8-2.4 micron region of these objects. Spectral indices are derived for the relevant absorption lines/bands and a comparison with optical indices of the same sample available in the literature is made. We found no correlation between the optical and the NIR indexes. This is probably due to the differences in aperture between these two sets of data. That result is further supported by the absence or weakness of emission lines in the NIR for a subsample galaxies, while in the optical the emission lines are strong and clear, which means that the ionisation source in many of these galaxies is not nuclear, but circumnuclear or located in hot spots. We detected important signatures predicted for a stellar population dominated by the TP-AGBs, like CN 1.1 micron and CO 2.3 micron. In at least one galaxy (NGC 4102) the CN band at 1.4 micron was detected for the first time. We also detect TiO and ZrO bands that have never been reported before in extragalactic sources. The shape of the continuum emission is found to be strongly correlated to the presence/lack of emission lines. An observational template for the star-forming galaxies is derived to be used as a benchmark of stellar population(s) in starburst galaxies against which to compare near-IR spectroscopy of different types of galaxies, especially those with AGN activity and/or those at high-redshift.