Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • n3 Poster - Rhit

    Uploaded by

    Anonymous yScGwK
    13 views1 page
    Here we report on the short-term variability and spectral line radio observations of the point source N3 located in the vicinity of the Galactic Center. VLA spectral line observations reveal that N3 is likely behind the compact molecular cloud adjacent to N3 in projection. Long-term variability for N3 was established in Yusef-Zadeh (1987), Lang (1997), and Ludovici et al. (2016), but short-term variability has proven inconclusive due to the ongoing nature of the variability studies in 4-8 GHz and 8-12 GHz. Previously detected in the compact molecular cloud were CH3CN, CH3OH, CS, HC3N, HNCO, SiO, SO, and NH3. Our observations also confirmed the existence of a CH3OH absorption maser in the J=5-6 transition, H2CO absorption in the J=1(1,0)-1(1,1) transition, and a likely HC3N emission maser in the J=1-0 transition. We are currently unable to reach a conclusion on the classification of N3 due to the ongoing nature of the variability studies, though the existence of short-term variability would turn speculation from N3 being a background AGN to being a micro-blazar.

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    Here we report on the short-term variability and spectral line radio observations of the point source N3 located in the vicinity of the Galactic Center. VLA spectral line observations reveal that N3 is likely behind the compact molecular cloud adjacent to N3 in projection. Long-term variability for N3 was established in Yusef-Zadeh (1987), Lang (1997), and Ludovici et al. (2016), but short-term variability has proven inconclusive due to the ongoing nature of the variability studies in 4-8 GHz and 8-12 GHz. Previously detected in the compact molecular cloud were CH3CN, CH3OH, CS, HC3N, HNCO, SiO, SO, and NH3. Our observations also confirmed the existence of a CH3OH absorption maser in the J=5-6 transition, H2CO absorption in the J=1(1,0)-1(1,1) transition, and a likely HC3N emission maser in the J=1-0 transition. We are currently unable to reach a conclusion on the classification of N3 due to the ongoing nature of the variability studies, though the existence of short-term variability would turn speculation from N3 being a background AGN to being a micro-blazar.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    13 views1 page

    n3 Poster - Rhit

    Uploaded by

    Anonymous yScGwK
    Here we report on the short-term variability and spectral line radio observations of the point source N3 located in the vicinity of the Galactic Center. VLA spectral line observations reveal that N3 is likely behind the compact molecular cloud adjacent to N3 in projection. Long-term variability for N3 was established in Yusef-Zadeh (1987), Lang (1997), and Ludovici et al. (2016), but short-term variability has proven inconclusive due to the ongoing nature of the variability studies in 4-8 GHz and 8-12 GHz. Previously detected in the compact molecular cloud were CH3CN, CH3OH, CS, HC3N, HNCO, SiO, SO, and NH3. Our observations also confirmed the existence of a CH3OH absorption maser in the J=5-6 transition, H2CO absorption in the J=1(1,0)-1(1,1) transition, and a likely HC3N emission maser in the J=1-0 transition. We are currently unable to reach a conclusion on the classification of N3 due to the ongoing nature of the variability studies, though the existence of short-term variability would turn speculation from N3 being a background AGN to being a micro-blazar.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 1

    Determining the Nature of Radio Galactic Center Source N3

    1
    R.A. Dunnagan
    1 1
    D.A. Ludovici , K.M. Colledge
    N.O. Butterfield2, C.C. Lang3, A.G. Ginsburg2, R.L. Mutel3, M.R. Morris4, N. Jones3, D. Pare3
    1
    RHIT, 2NRAO,3U-Iowa,4UCLA

    Motivation Spectral Lines


    Spectral Line Data
    Throughout the past 30 years, the Radio Arc region of the Galactic
    center has remained a mystery. One interesting feature is N3, a In the X band data (8-10 GHz), we also observed an
    Though the spectral lines observed alongside the
    bright radio point source located in the line of sight to a bright emission maser line from HC3N at 9.098 GHz along the line
    continuum data were not our focus, their detection has
    region in the Radio Arc. Past observations have been dedicated to of sight to N3. This is a particularly rare molecule to
    revealed new information about N3’s location and about
    determining the nature of N3, through they were not conclusive. In observe, as it has only been detected as a maser in one
    the cloud itself. In the C band observations (4-8 GHz), we
    this study of the region in the A Array of the VLA, we looked for other case — the supermassive molecular cloud Sgr B2. It
    detected CH3OH_M absorption at 6.668 GHz as expected.
    short-term and long-term variability in the source as well as appeared in the F=2-1 hyperfine transition, but was not
    However, we also observed an H2CO absorption line at
    combined continuum and spectral line imaging. detectable in the F=0-1 or F=1-1 hyperfine transitions. This
    4.829 GHz. This line shows that N3 lies completely behind
    points toward cloud densities between 103 and 104 cm-3,
    the molecular cloud in its line of sight.
    which is rather dense considering how small the cloud in
    the line of sight to N3 is.

    Above: We have a spectral line profile for the HC3N maser detection. Throughout the
    Above: An elliptical region profile shows the absorption line of methanol (CH 3OH) data cube this detection lasts for about 4 km/s before fading away completely. The
    Above: Very Large Array radio interferometer arrangement. Photo Credit: NRAO
    versus the absorption line of H2CO. While the methanol absorption line is only in one emission line becomes strongest around 7km/s in the J=1-0 F=2-1 transition. In the
    part of the cloud (which ranges from –30km/s to 30km/s), the H2CO line spans a great other hyperfine transitions, there was not enough information to claim a detection of
    portion of the cloud’s known size, proving that N3 lies somewhere behind the cloud. the 1-1 and 0-1 hyperfine transitions.
    Observing N3
    Over the course of about a month and a half, we used the VLA to Variability in N3
    gather a total of an hour and a half of on-source observation time in
    Variability studies are currently ongoing. A rough first look at the data shows variability in N3 of around 15% through our
    twelve minute increments to study the variability of the source. We
    observations and the variability in our calibrator sources of around 3%. This is indicative of potential variability in N3 over
    also included nine potential spectral line frequency windows in our
    the timescale of our observations. However, the variability plots from this initial analysis of the data shows the calibrator
    continuum observation that were higher resolution to detect any
    sources and N3 following similar patterns in variance. This calls into question the variability of N3, and further, more
    absorption or emission lines along the line of sight or nearby to N3.
    detailed analysis is required to conclusively state the variability of N3 on short time scales.
    In D. A. Ludovici et al 2016 ApJ 826 218, Ludovici rules out
    numerous explanations of N3, leaving two distinct possibilities: a
    micro-blazar and an Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Short term
    Top Right: An initial plot of the rough
    variability in the intensity of the source would indicate a strong variability measurements of N3 over
    chance that N3 is a micro-blazar in the galactic center. the observing period. It is noted that
    N3 experienced a significant change in
    Radio Arc flux between observations 2 and 3.
    Right: MeerKAT Sgr A*
    Region

    radio image of the


    galactic center Bottom right: An initial plot of the
    region. Photo credit: rough variability of the polarization
    SARAO calibrator over the observing period. It
    Insert: Radio Arc should be noted that the calibrator
    region containing variability follows a very similar
    N3. Photo credit: pattern to N3’s variability in the last 5
    Ludovici et al. 2016 observations
    Fig 1

    Conclusions and Future Work


    From the current analysis, we have determined that N3 is located behind the adjacent compact molecular cloud along its line of sight, rather than inside of it as previous thought. The
    3 4 -3
    approximate density of the compact molecular cloud, from Wernli et al. (2007) is between 10 and 10 cm , making it remarkably dense for how small it is. Variability studies are ongoing but
    thus far inconclusive due to the possibility of instrumentation effects affecting the variability pattern of the calibrator sources and N3. Consequently, the nature of N3 cannot be definitively
    concluded from our current analysis.

    Future work includes finishing the variability studies to conclusively identify the variability time scale of N3 as well as potential further observations of the compact molecular cloud along the
    line of sight to N3.

    References and Acknowledgments


    Acknowledgements:
    We would like to thank the National Radio Astronomy Observatory for the use of the Very Large Array to take this data.
    We would like to thank Dr. Allison Costa from University of Virginia for assistance and the use of some her Python programs.

    References:
    Wenli et al. “Rotational excitation of HC3N by H2 and He at low temperatures” 2006
    Hunt et al. “High-resolution observations of the J=1-0 transition of cyanoacetylene in Sgr B2” 1999
    Ludovici et al. “The Unusual Galactic Center Radio Source N3” 2016

    You might also like