V. L. Afanas’ev

Astroclimate of Northern Caucasus—Myths and reality

We list the principal stages of astroclimatic studies concerned with choosing the sites for astrophysical observatories in Caucasus and Crimea. We chow that the sites for three observatories in Northern Caucasus (Kislovodsk Mountain Astronomical Station of Pulkovo Main Astronomical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Terskol Observatory) were chosen without obtaining representative statistical data in terms of the number of clear night hours and seeing. We report the data on the number of clear night hours and seeing for the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences based on results of long-term observations. We discuss the possible causes of the discrepancies between experimental and forecast data and conclude that currently none of the three observatories in the North Caucasus can be preferred because of the great variety of the methods employed and limited statistics in terms of astroclimatic and meteorological parameters for some sites.

Kinematics of Disk Galaxies with Known Masses of Their Supermassive Black Holes. Observations

This is the first paper in a project aimed at analyzing relations between the masses of supermassive black holes or nuclear clusters in galaxies and the kinematic features of the host galaxies. We present long-slit spectroscopic observations of galaxies obtained on the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory using the SCORPIO focal reducer. Radial profiles of the line-of-sight velocities and velocity dispersions of the stellar populations were obtained for seven galaxies with known masses of their supermassive black holes (Mkn 79, Mkn 279, NGC 2787, NGC 3245, NGC 3516, NGC 7457, and NGC 7469), and also for one galaxy with a nuclear cluster (NGC 428). Velocity profiles of the emitting gas were obtained for some of these galaxies as well. We present preliminary galactic rotation curves derived from these data.

Interstellar Medium Surrounding the WO Star in the Galaxy IC 1613: New Optical and Radio Observations

Observations of the nebula S3 associated with the WO star in the galaxy IC 1613 and of an extended region surrounding S3 are reported. The star and bright core of the nebula were observed with a multipupil fiber spectrograph mounted on the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Images in the principle spectral lines and integrated spectra of the star and three compact clumps were obtained, and the radial-velocity field constructed. An extended region of the galaxy was observed with the Very Large Array at 21 cm. A giant ring or H I shell enclosing a large fraction of the stellar population in IC 1613 was discovered. The WO star and associated bipolar nebula, which we discovered earlier, lie at the inner edge of the H I ring. A local H I deficiency and two arclike H I ridges were also detected for the first time and probably represent the neutral component of the bipolar shell surrounding the WO star. The two arclike ridges may also have been produced by the collective stellar wind (and supernova explosions?) in OB association No. 9 from the list of Hodge. A scenario for the formation of the extended bipolar feature is discussed, based on the new data.

Observations of stellar objects at a shell boundary in the star-forming complex in the galaxy IC 1613

The single region of ongoing star formation in the galaxy IC 1613 has been observed in order to reveal the nature of compact emission-line objects at the edges of two shells in the complex, identified earlier in Hα line images. The continuum images show these compact objects to be stars. Detailed spectroscopic observations of these stars and the surrounding nebulae were carried out with an MPFS spectrograph mounted on the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory. The resulting stellar spectra were used to determine the spectral types and luminosity classes of the objects. Of star we identified the only object of this spectral type in IC 1613. The results of optical observations of the multishell complex are compared to 21-cm radio observations. The shells harboring the stars at their boundaries constitute the most active part of the star-forming region. There is evidence that shocks have played an important role in the formation of the shells.

A giant bipolar shell around the WO star in the galaxy IC 1613: Structure and kinematics

Observations of the nebula associated with the WO star in the galaxy IC 1613 are presented. The observations were carried out with a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer in Hα using the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory telescope; narrow-band Hα and [O III]images were obtained with the 4-m KPNO telescope (USA). The monochromatic Hα image clearly reveals a giant bipolar shell structure outside the bright nebula S3. The sizes of the southeastern and northwestern shells are 112×77 and (186–192)×(214–224) pc, respectively. We have studied the object’s kinematics for the first time and found evidence for expansion of both shells. The expansion velocities of the southeastern and northwestern shells exceed 50 and 70 km s−1, respectively. We revealed a filamentary structure of the shells and several compact features in the S3 core. A scenario is proposed for the formation of the giant bipolar structure by the stellar wind from the central WO star located at the boundary of a “supercavity” in the galaxy’s H I distribution.

Radio and optical spectral studies of radio sources

Optical identifications and an analysis of the radio spectra of eight radio sources from a flux-density-complete sample at declinations 4°–6° (B 1950) are presented. The observations were carried out at 4000–9000 Å on the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory and at 0.97–21.7 GHz on the RATAN-600 telescope. Five of the eight sources are quasars and three are emission-line radio galaxies.

Radio and optical spectra of objects from three complete samples of radio sources

We present classifications, optical identifications, and radio spectra for 19 radio sources from three complete samples, with declinations 4°–6° (B1950, S3.9 GHz > 200 mJy), 10°–12°30′ (J2000, S4.85 GHz > 200 mJy), and 74°–75° (J2000, S4.85 GHz > 100 mJy). We also present corresponding information for the radio source J0527+0331. The right ascensions are 0–24h and the Galactic latitudes |b| > 15° for all the samples. Our observations were obtained with the 6 m telescope from the Special Astrophysical Observatory in the range 4000–9000 Å or 4000–7500 Å and the RATAN-600 radio telescope at frequencies in the range 0.97–21.7 GHz. We obtained flux densities for the radio sources and optical spectra for their optical counterparts. Nine objects were classified as quasars with redshifts from z = 1.029 to 3.212; nine objects are emission-line galaxies with redshifts from 0.172 to 0.546, and one is a galaxy with burstlike star formation at z = 0.156, and one is a BL Lac object with z = 0.509. The spectra of five radio sources were decomposed into extended and compact components. The radio source J0527+0331, identified with a BL Lac object, displays significant variations of time scales from several days to several years. Data on flux variations are presented for 11 radio sources, as well as their spectra at several epochs.

Spectral distribution of the polarized radiation from standard accretion disks in Active Galactic Nuclei: Observational analysis

Spectropolarimetric observations of a number of Active Galactic Nuclei obtained using the SCORPIO-2 aperture focal reducer installed on the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences are used to estimate physical parameters of these objects. The measured polarization and its wavelength dependence are consistent with the expectations of a standard accretion-disk model taking into account the effect of Faraday depolarization over the mean free path of the emitted photons. Estimates of the magnetic field in the accretion disk near the innermost stable orbit and the spin of the accreting central black hole are obtained. It is concluded that supermassive black holes with standard accretion disks and equal magnetic and radiative pressures are primarily Kerr black holes.

Optical identifications and spectra of radio sources

We present classifications, optical identifications, and radio spectra for eight radio sources from three flux-density-complete samples in the following declination ranges: 4°–6° (B1950), S3.9 > 200 mJy; 10°–12°30′ (J2000), S4.85 > 200 mJy; 74°−75° (J2000), S4.85 > 100 mJy. For all these samples, the right ascensions are 0h–24h and the Galactic latitudes, |b| > 15°. Our optical observations at 4000–7500 ° were made with the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory; we also observed at 0.97–21.7 GHz with the RATAN-600 radio telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory. We classify four of the objects as quasars and four as galaxies. Five of the radio sources have power-law spectra at 0.97–21.7 GHz, while two objects have flat spectra. The quasar J2358+0430 virtually did not vary during 23 years.

Spectroscopy of RC sources

The results of spectroscopic observations of the host galaxies of objects in the RC catalog (the “Big Trio” program) obtained using the new SCORPIO spectrograph of the Special Astrophysical Observatory are presented. The spectroscopic redshifts of the objects are compared with their photometric color redshifts, and the errors in the latter are estimated. Based on BV RI observations obtained on the 6-m telescope of the SAO, the errors for the population of powerful radio galaxies are close to those found previously for radio quiet galaxies (about 10–20%). The detection of Ly α in the B filter in RC 1626+0448 is confirmed. This object is the second spectrally studied FR II radio source from the RC catalog to have a redshift z>2.5. Star formation in its host galaxy began at a redshift z>3.3. This first use of the new SCORPIO spectrograph demonstrates its promise for studies of very distant steep-spectrum radio galaxies brighter than 23m–24m in V.