A prediction of the classic active galactic nuclei (AGN) unification model is the presence of ionisation cones with different orientations depending on the AGN type. Confirmations of this model exist for present times, but it is less clear in the early Universe. Here, we use the morphology of giant Ly$α$ nebulae around AGNs at redshift z$\sim$3 to probe AGN emission and therefore the validity of the AGN unification model at this redshift. We compare the spatial morphology of 19 nebulae previously found around type I AGNs with a new sample of 4 Ly$α$ nebulae detected around type II AGNs. Using two independent techniques, we find that nebulae around type II AGNs are more asymmetric than around type I, at least at radial distances $r>30$~physical kpc (pkpc) from the ionizing source. We conclude that the type I and type II AGNs in our sample show evidence of different surrounding ionising geometries. This suggests that the classical AGN unification model is also valid for high-redshift sources. Finally, we discuss how the lack of asymmetry in the inner parts (r$\lesssim$30 pkpc) and the associated high values of the HeII to Ly$α$ ratios in these regions could indicate additional sources of (hard) ionizing radiation originating within or in proximity of the AGN host galaxies. This work demonstrates that the morphologies of giant Ly$α$ nebulae can be used to understand and study the geometry of high redshift AGNs on circum-nuclear scales and it lays the foundation for future studies using much larger statistical samples.
We present first results from Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations at the Very Large Telescope in the MUSE Ultra Deep Field (MUDF), a $\approx 1.2\times 1.4$ arcmin$^2$ region for which we are collecting $\approx$200 hours of integral field spectroscopy. The $\approx 40$-hour observation completed to date reveals the presence of a group of three Ly$α$ nebulae associated with a bright quasar pair at $z\simeq3.23$ with projected separation of $\approx 500\rm~kpc$. Two of the nebulae are physically associated with the quasars which are likely powering the Ly$α$ emission, and exte…
The Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) is a large integral field unit mounted on the ESO Very Large Telescope. Its spatial (60 arcsecond field) and wavelength (4800-9300A) coverage is well suited to detailed imaging spectroscopy of extended planetary nebulae, such as in the Galaxy. An overview of the capabilities of MUSE applied to planetary nebulae (PNe) is provided together with the specific advantages and disadvantages. Some examples of archival MUSE observations of PNe are provided. MUSE datacubes for two targets (NGC 3132 and NGC 7009) have been analysed in detail and they are used …
European Southern Observatory (ESO)（欧洲南方天文台）；Ritter Astrophysical Research Center, University of Toledo（托莱多大学里特天体物理研究中心）；Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg（海德堡大学天文学中心天文计算研究所）；INAF — Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri（意大利国家天体物理研究所阿切尔蒂天文台）；Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University（俄亥俄州立大学天文学系）；Center for Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics（宇宙学与高能粒子物理中心）；Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University（约翰斯·霍普金斯大学物理与天文学系）；International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, University of Western Australia（西澳大利亚大学国际射电天文学研究中心）；Universität Heidelberg, Zentrum für Astronomie, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik（海德堡大学天文学中心理论天体物理研究所）
Motivated by the recent discovery of rare Enormous Lyman-Alpha Nebulae (ELAN) around z~2 quasars, we have initiated a long-term observational campaign with the MUSE instrument to directly uncover the astrophysics of the gas around quasars. We present here the first 61 targets of our effort under the acronym QSO MUSEUM (Quasar Snapshot Observations with MUse: Search for Extended Ultraviolet eMission). These quasars have a median redshfit of z=3.17, absolute $i$ magnitude in the range $-29.67\leq M_i(z=2)\leq-27.03$, and different levels of radio-loudness. This sample unveils diverse specimens o…
Ionized nebulae provide critical insights into the conditions of the interstellar medium (ISM). Their bright emission lines enable the measurement of physical properties, such as the gas-phase metallicity, across galaxy disks and in distant galaxies. The PHANGS--MUSE survey has produced optical spectroscopic coverage of the central star-forming discs of 19 nearby main-sequence galaxies. Here, we use the Hα morphology from this data to identify 30,790 distinct nebulae, finding thousands of nebulae per galaxy. For each nebula, we extract emission line fluxes and, using diagnostic line ratios, id…
We report on the discovery of extended Ly-alpha nebulae at z~3.3 in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF, ~ 40 kpc X 80 kpc) and behind the Hubble Frontier Fields galaxy cluster MACSJ0416 (~ 40kpc), spatially associated with groups of star-forming galaxies. VLT/MUSE integral field spectroscopy reveals a complex structure with a spatially-varying double peaked Ly-alpha emission. Overall, the spectral profiles of the two Ly-alpha nebulae are remarkably similar, both showing a prominent blue emission, more intense and slightly broader than the red peak. From the first nebula, located in the HUDF, no…
NGC 1052-DF2, an ultra diffuse galaxy (UDG), has been the subject of intense debate. Its alleged absence of dark matter, and the brightness and number excess of its globular clusters (GCs) at an initially assumed distance of 20Mpc, suggested a new formation channel for UDGs. We present the first systematic spectroscopic analysis of both the stellar body and the GCs (six of which were previously known, and one newly confirmed member) of this galaxy using MUSE@VLT. Even though NGC 1052-DF2 does not show any spatially extended emission lines we report the discovery of three planetary nebulae (PNe…
Aims. As a new approach to the study of resolved stellar populations in nearby galaxies, our goal is to demonstrate in NGC300 that integral field spectroscopy with high spatial resolution and excellent seeing conditions reaches an unprecedented depth in severely crowded fields. Methods. MUSE observations with seven pointings in NGC300 have resulted in datacubes that are analyzed in four ways: (1) PSF-fitting 3D spectroscopy with PampelMUSE yields deblended spectra of individually distinguishable stars. The technique also provides samples of planetary nebulae that are complete down to m5007=28.…
Direct Ly $α$ imaging of intergalactic gas at $z\sim2$ has recently revealed giant cosmological structures around quasars, e.g. the Slug Nebula (Cantalupo et al. 2014). Despite their high luminosity, the detection rate of such systems in narrow-band and spectroscopic surveys is less than 10%, possibly encoding crucial information on the distribution of gas around quasars and the quasar emission properties. In this study, we use the MUSE integral-field instrument to perform a blind survey for giant Ly $α$ nebulae around 17 bright radio-quiet quasars at $3<z<4$ that does not suffer from most of …
Recent wide-field integral field spectroscopy has revealed the detailed properties of high redshift Lyman-alpha (Lya) nebulae, most often targeted due to the presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Here, we use VLT/MUSE to resolve the morphology and kinematics of a nebula initially identified due to strong Lya emission at $z\sim3.2$ (LABn06; Nilsson et al. 2006). Our observations reveal a two-lobed Lya nebula, at least $\sim$173 pkpc in diameter, with a light-weighted centroid near a mid-infrared source (within $\approx$17.2 pkpc) that appears to host an obscured AGN. The Lya emission ne…
We present MUSE deep integral-field unit spectroscopy of three planetary nebulae(PNe) with high abundance discrepancy factors (ADF > 20): NGC 6778, M 1-42 and Hf 2-2. We have constructed flux maps for more than 40 emission lines, and use them to build extinction, electron temperature (T$_e$), electron density (n$_e$), and ionic abundances maps of a number of ionic species. The effects of the contribution of recombination to the auroral [N II] and [O II] lines on T$_e$ and the abundance maps of low-ionization species are evaluated using recombination diagnostics. As a result, low T$_e$ values a…
We perform a deep survey of planetary nebulae (PNe) in the spiral galaxy NGC 300 to construct its planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF). We aim to derive the distance using the PNLF and to probe the characteristics of the most luminous PNe. We analyse 44 fields observed with MUSE at the VLT, covering a total area of $\sim11$ kpc$^2$. We find [OIII]5007 sources using the differential emission line filter (DELF) technique. We identify PNe through spectral classification using the aid of the BPT-diagram. The PNLF distance is derived using the maximum likelihood estimation technique. For the…
We present the results from a MUSE survey of twelve $z\simeq3.15$ quasars, which were selected to be much fainter (20<i<23) than in previous studies of Giant Ly$α$ Nebulae around the brightest quasars (16.6<i<18.7). We detect HI Ly$α$ nebulae around 100% of our target quasars, with emission extending to scales of at least 60 physical kpc, and up to 190 pkpc. We explore correlations between properties of the nebulae and their host quasars, with the goal of connecting variations in the properties of the illuminating QSO to the response in nebular emission. We show that the surface brightness pro…
We present a study of the environment of 27 z=3-4.5 bright quasars from the MUSE Analysis of Gas around Galaxies (MAGG) survey. With medium-depth MUSE observations (4 hours on target per field), we characterise the effects of quasars on their surroundings by studying simultaneously the properties of extended gas nebulae and Lyalpha emitters (LAEs) in the quasar host haloes. We detect extended (up to ~ 100 kpc) Lyalpha emission around all MAGG quasars, finding a very weak redshift evolution between z=3 and z=6. By stacking the MUSE datacubes, we confidently detect extended emission of CIV and o…
We present MUSE integral field spectroscopic observations of the host galaxy (PGC 043234) of one of the closest ($z=0.0206$, $D\simeq 90$ Mpc) and best-studied tidal disruption events (TDE), ASASSN-14li. The MUSE integral field data reveal asymmetric and filamentary structures that extend up to $\gtrsim 10$ kpc from the post-starburst host galaxy of ASASSN-14li. The structures are traced only through the strong nebular [O III] $λ$5007, [N II] $λ$6584, and H$α$ emission lines. The total off nuclear [O III] $λ$5007 luminosity is luminosity is $4.7\times 10^{39}$ erg s$^{-1}$ and the ionized H ma…
The Fornax cluster provides a uniquely compact laboratory to study the detailed history of early-type galaxies and the role played by environment in driving their evolution and their transformation from late-type galaxies. Using the superb capabilities of the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer on the Very Large Telescope, high-quality integral-field spectroscopic data were obtained for the inner regions of all the bright ($m_B\leq15$) galaxies within the virial radius of Fornax. The stellar haloes of early-type galaxies are also covered out to about four effective radii. State-of-the-art stella…
Using MUSE AO data, we probe the ISM in the local spiral galaxy NGC 7793 at a spatial resolution of $\sim$ 10 pc. We identify HII regions and compile a catalogue of supernova remnants (SNRs), planetary nebulae (PNe) and Wolf Rayet stars (WR). We compute electron densities and temperatures from the [SII]6716/6731 and [SIII]6312/9069 line ratios. We study the properties of the ionised gas through BPT diagrams combined with gas velocity dispersion. We spectroscopically confirm 2 previously detected WR stars and a SNR and report the discovery of 7 WR, 1 SNR, and 2 PNe. The diffuse ionized gas (DIG…
A Comprehensive Study of Morphology and Kinematics in Extended Nebulae Around UV Luminous Quasars at $z\approx1$
University of Michigan（密歇根大学）；The University of Chicago（芝加哥大学）；Aix-Marseille Univ.（艾克斯-马赛大学）；CNRS（法国国家科学研究中心）；French-Chilean Laboratory for Astronomy, IRL 3386, CNRS and Universidad de Concepción（中智天文学联合实验室，IRL 3386，法国国家科学研究中心与康塞普西翁大学）；Universidad de Concepción（康塞普西翁大学）；Space Telescope Science Institute（太空望远镜科学研究所）；Johns Hopkins University（约翰斯·霍普金斯大学）；National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign（伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校超级计算应用国家中心）；Michigan Institute for Data Science, University of Michigan（密歇根大学数据科学研究所）
Towards Precision Cosmology With Improved PNLF Distances Using VLT-MUSE. III. Impact of Stellar Populations in Early-Type Galaxy
Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP)（波茨坦莱布尼茨天体物理研究所）；Institut für Physik und Astronomie, Universität Potsdam（波茨坦大学物理与天文学研究所）；Universitäts-Sternwarte, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München（慕尼黑路德维希-马克西米利安大学大学天文台物理学院）；Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University（宾夕法尼亚州立大学天文与天体物理系）；Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University（宾夕法尼亚州立大学引力与宇宙研究所）；NSF’s NOIRLab（美国国家科学基金会NOIR实验室）；European Southern Observatory（欧洲南方天文台）
Extragalactic planetary nebulae (PNe) are detectable through relatively strong nebulous [OIII] emission and act as direct probes into the local stellar population. Because they have an apparently universal invariant magnitude cut-off, PNe are also considered to be a remarkable standard candle for distance estimation. Through detecting PNe within the galaxies, we aim to connect the relative abundances of PNe to the properties of their host galaxy stellar population. By removing the stellar background components from FCC 167 and FCC 219, we aim to produce PN luminosity functions (PNLF) of these …
We present the PHANGS-MUSE survey, a programme using the MUSE IFS at the ESO VLT to map 19 massive $(9.4 < \log(M_{*}/M_\odot) < 11.0)$ nearby (D < 20 Mpc) star-forming disc galaxies. The survey consists of 168 MUSE pointings (1'x1' each), a total of nearly 15 Million spectra, covering ~1.5 Million independent spectra. PHANGS-MUSE provides the first IFS view of star formation across different local environments (including galaxy centres, bars, spiral arms) in external galaxies at a median resolution of 50~pc, better than the mean inter-cloud distance in the ionised interstellar medium. This `c…
The well-known quasar SDSS J095253.83+011421.9 (J0952+0114) at z=3.02 has one of the most peculiar spectra discovered so far, showing the presence of narrow Ly$α$ and broad metal emission lines. Although recent studies have suggested that a Proximate Damped Ly$α$ system (PDLA) causes this peculiar spectrum, the origin of the gas associated with the PDLA is unknown. Here we report the results of MUSE observations that reveal a new giant ($\approx$ 100 physical kpc) Lyman $α$ nebula. The detailed analysis of the Ly$α$ velocity, velocity dispersion, and surface brightness profiles suggests that t…
Extragalactic Planetary Nebulae (xPNe). Determining Distances out to 100 Mpc and the Renaissance of the PN Luminosity Function Method
ESO（欧洲南方天文台）；MPE（马克斯·普朗克地外物理研究所）；AIP（阿基米德研究所）；CAR, Univ. Hertfordshire（赫特福德大学计算与应用研究中心）；FINCA（图尔库天体物理学中心）；LMU（慕尼黑大学）；NSFʼs NOIRLab（美国国家科学基金会NOIR天文实验室）；Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University（宾夕法尼亚州立大学天文与天体物理系）
In this work we report deep MUSE observations of a Broad Absorption Line (BAL) quasar at z ~ 5, revealing a Lyman alpha nebula with a maximum projected linear size of ~ 60 kpc around the quasar (down to our 2-sigma SB limit per layer of ~ 9e-19 erg/s/cm^2/arcsec^2 for a 1 arcsec^2 aperture). After correcting for the cosmological surface brightness dimming, we find that our nebula, at z ~ 5, has an intrinsically less extended Lyman alpha emission than nebulae at lower redshift. However, such a discrepancy is greatly reduced when referring to comoving distances, which take into account the cosmo…
Resolving the physics of Quasar Ly$α$ Nebulae (RePhyNe): II. The dense and clumpy CGM of Quasars at $z \sim$ 3.5
Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca（米兰比可卡大学）；INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste（意大利国家天体物理研究所的里雅斯特天文台）；Leiden University（莱顿大学）；University of Groningen（格罗宁根大学）；New York University Abu Dhabi（纽约大学阿布扎比分校）；Università degli Studi dell’Insubria（因斯布鲁克大学）；INFN, Sezione di Milano-Bicocca（意大利国家核物理研究所米兰比可卡分部）
Resolving circumgalactic gas flows around a z$\approx$3.6 quasar using MUSE and ALMA
Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca（米兰比可卡大学）；DTU Space, Technical University of Denmark（丹麦技术大学空间中心）；Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)（宇宙黎明中心）；INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste（意大利国家天体物理研究所的里雅斯特天文台）；Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen（格罗宁根大学卡普坦天文研究所）；INAF–Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio（意大利国家天体物理研究所天文与空间科学观测站）；IUCAA（印度天体物理学与宇宙学大学研究中心）；Leiden Observatory, Leiden University（莱顿大学莱顿天文台）
Quasar feedback is suspected to play a key role in the evolution of massive galaxies, by removing or reheating gas in quasar host galaxies and thus limiting the amount of star formation. In this paper we continue our investigation of quasar-driven winds on galaxy-wide scales. We conduct Gemini Integral Field Unit spectroscopy of a sample of luminous unobscured (type 1) quasars, to determine the morphology and kinematics of ionized gas around these objects, predominantly via observations of the [O III]5007 emission line. We find that ionized gas nebulae extend out to ~13 kpc from the quasar, th…
We report the discovery of a ~100 kpc ionized nebula associated with the radio quiet type 2 quasar (QSO2) nicknamed the "Teacup" (z=0.085). The giant nebula is among the largest known around active galaxies at any z. We propose that it is part of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of the QSO2 host, which has been populated with tidal debris by galactic interactions. This rich gaseous medium has been rendered visible due to the illumination by the powerful active nucleus (AGN). Subsolar abundances (~0.5Z(sun)) are tentatively favored by AGN photoionization models. We also report the detection of c…
Deep observations have detected extended Ly$α$ emission nebulae surrounding tens of quasars at redshift 2 to 6. However, the metallicity of such extended haloes is still poorly understood. We perform a detailed analysis on a large sample of 80 quasars at $z\sim3$ based on MUSE-VLT data. We find clear evidence of extended emission of the UV nebular lines such as CIV or HeII for about 20$\%$ of the sample, while CIII] is only marginally detected in a few objects. By stacking the cubes we detect emission of CIV, HeII and CIII] out to a radius of about 45 kpc. CIV and HeII show a radial decline mu…
