A close look at star formation around active galactic nuclei
We analyze star formation in the nuclei of nine Seyfert galaxies at spatial resolutions down to 0.085'', corresponding to length scales of order 10 pc in most objects. Our data were taken mostly with the near-infrared adaptive optics integral field spectrograph SINFONI. The stellar light profiles typically have size scales of a few tens of parsecs. In two cases there is unambiguous kinematic evidence for stellar disks on these scales. In the nuclear regions there appear to have been recent, but no longer active, starbursts in the last 10-300 Myr. The stellar luminosity is less than a few percent of the AGN in the central 10 pc, whereas on kiloparsec scales the luminosities are comparable. The surface stellar luminosity density follows a similar trend in all the objects, increasing steadily at smaller radii up to ~1013 L☉ kpc−2 in the central few parsecs, where the mass surface density exceeds 104 M☉ pc−2. The intense starbursts were probably Eddington limited and hence inevitably short lived, implying that the starbursts occur in multiple short bursts. The data hint at a delay of 50-100 Myr between the onset of star formation and subsequent fueling of the black hole. We discuss whether this may be a consequence of the role that stellar ejecta could play in fueling the black hole. While a significant mass is ejected by OB winds and supernovae, their high velocity means that very little of it can be accreted. On the other hand, winds from AGB stars ultimately dominate the total mass loss, and they can also be accreted very efficiently because of their slow speeds.

title: The Role of Molecular Gas in Obscuring Seyfert AGN
abstract: In a sample of local active galactic nuclei studied at a spatial resolution on the order of ten parsecs we show that the interstellar medium traced by the molecular hydrogen ν=1-0 S(1) line at 2.1 μm forms a geometrically thick, clumpy disk. The kinematics of the molecular gas reveals general rotation, although an additional significant component of random bulk motion is required by the high local velocity dispersion. The size scale of the typical gas disk is found to have a radius of ∼30 pc with a comparable vertical height. Within this radius the average gas mass is estimated to be ∼10 M⊙ based on a typical gas mass fraction of 10%, which suggests column densities of NH ∼ 5 × 10 23 cm. Extinction of the stellar continuum within this same region suggest lower column densities of NH ∼ 2 × 10 cm, indicating that the gas distribution on these scales is dominated by dense clumps. In half of the observed Seyfert galaxies this lower column density is still great enough to obscure the AGN at optical/infrared wavelengths. We conclude, based on the spatial distribution, kinematics, and column densities that the molecular gas observed is spatially mixed with the nuclear stellar population and is likely to be associated with the outer extent of any smaller-scale nuclear obscuring structure. Furthermore, we find that the velocity dispersion of the molecular gas is correlated with the star formation rate per unit area, suggesting a link between the two phenomena, and that the gas surface density follows known “Schmidt-Kennicutt” relations. The molecular/dusty structure on these scales may be dynamic since it is possible that the velocity dispersion of the gas, and hence the vertical disk height, is maintained by a short, massive inflow of material into the nuclear region and/or by intense, short-lived nuclear star formation.

title: Eddington-limited starbursts in the central 10 pc of AGN and the Torus in NGC1068
abstract: We present results from a survey of nearby AGN using the near infrared adaptive optics integral field spectrograph SINFONI. These data enable us to probe the distribution and kinematics of the gas and stars at spatial resolutions as small as 0.085arcsec. We find strong evidence for recent but short lived starbursts residing in very dense nuclear disks. On scales of less than 10pc these would have reached Eddington-limited luminosities when active, perhaps accounting for their short duration. In addition, for NGC1068 at a resolution of 6pc, we present direct observations of molecular gas close around the AGN which we identify with the obscuring torus.

title: SINFONI adaptive optics integral field spectroscopy of the Circinus Galaxy
abstract: We investigate the star formation activity and the gas and stellar dynamics on scales of a few parsecs in the nucleus of the Circinus Galaxy.  Using the adaptive optics near infrared integral field spectrometer SINFONI on the VLT, we have obtained observations of the Circinus galaxy on scales of a few parsecs and at a spectral resolution of 70 km s −1 FWHM. The physical properties of the nucleus are analyzed by means of line and velocity maps extracted from the SINFONI datacube. Starburst models are constrained using the Brγ flux, stellar continuum (as traced via the CO absorption bandheads longward of 2.3 µm), and radio continuum.  The similarity of the morphologies of the H2 1−0S (1) 2.12 µ ma nd Brγ 2.17 µm lines to the stellar continuum and also their kinematics, suggest a common origin in star formation. Within 8 pc of the AGN we find there has been a recent starburst in the last 100 Myr, which currently accounts for 1.4% of the galaxy’s bolometric luminosity. The similarity of the spatial scales over which the stars and gas exist indicates that this star formation is occuring within the torus; and comparison of the gas column density through the torus to the maximum possible optical depth to the stars implies the torus is a clumpy medium. The coronal lines show asymmetric profiles with a spatially compact narrow component and a spatially extended blue wing. These characteristics are consistent with some of the emission arising in clouds gravitationally bound to the AGN, and some outflowing in cloudlets which have been eroded away from the bound clouds.

title: Near IR diffraction-limited integral-field SINFONI spectroscopy of the Circinus galaxy
abstract: Using the adaptive optics assisted near infrared integral field spectrometer SINFONI on the VLT, we have obtained observations of the Circinus galaxy on parsec scales. The morphologies of the H2 (1-0)S(1) 2.12 μm and Brγ 2.17 μm emission lines are only slightly different, but their velocity maps are similar and show a gradient along the major axis of the galaxy, consistent with rotation. Since Vrot/σ ≈ 1 suggests that random motions are also important, it is likely that the lines arise in a rotating spheroid or thickened disk around the AGN. Comparing the Brγ flux to the stellar continuum indicates that the star formation in this region began ∼108 yr ago. We also detect the [Si vi ] 1.96 μm, [Al ix ] 2.04 μm and [Ca viii ] 2.32 μm coronal lines. In all cases we observe a broad blue wing, indicating the presence of two or more components in the coronal line region. A correlation between the ionisation potential and the asymmetry of the profiles was found for these high excitation species.

title: LIINUS/SERPIL: a design study for interferometric imaging spectroscopy at the LBT
abstract: LIINUS/SERPIL is a design study to augment LBTs interferometric beam combiner camera LINC-NIRVANA with imaging spectroscopy. The FWHM of the interferometric main beam at 1.5 micron will be about 10 mas, offering unique imaging and spectroscopic capabilities well beyond the angular resolution of current 8-10m telescopes. At 10 mas angular scale, e.g., one resolution element at the distance of the Galactic Center corresponds to the average diameter of the Pluto orbit (79 AU), hence the size of the solar system. Taking advantage of the LBT interferometric beam with an equivalent maximum diameter of 23 m, LIINUS/SERPIL is an ideal precursor instrument for (imaging) spectrographs at extremely large full aperture telescopes. LIINUS/SERPIL will be built upon the LINC-NIRVANA hardware and LIINUS/SERPIL could potentially be developed on a rather short timescale. The study investigates several concepts for the optical as well as for the mechanical design. We present the scientific promises of such an instrument together with the current status of the design study.

title: Measurements of |V(cb)|, form-factors and branching fractions in the decays anti-B0 ---> D*+ lepton- anti-lepton-neutrino and anti-B0 ---> D+ lepton- anti-lepton-neutrino
abstract: Two samples of exclusive semileptonic decays, 579 events and 261 events, are selected from approximately 3.9 million hadronic Z decays collected by the ALEPH detector at LEP. From the reconstructed differential decay rate of each sample, the product of the hadronic form factor (ω) at zero recoil of the D(∗)+ meson and the CKM matrix element |Vcb| are measured to be , FD+(1)|Vcb| = (27.8 ± 6.8stat ± 6.5syst) × 10−3. The ratio of the form factors FD+(1) and is measured to be . A value of |Vcb| is extracted from the two samples, using theoretical constraints on the slope and curvature of the hadronic form factors and their normalization at zero recoil, with the result |Vcb| = (34.4 ± 1.6stat ± 2.3syst ± 1.4th) × 10−3. The branching fractions are measured from the two integrated spectra to be %, %.

title: Study of the four-fermion final state at the Z resonance
abstract: process e+e−→, where l is a charged or a neutral lepton and f any charged fermion, is analyzed. The study uses the ALEPH data collected at LEP from 1989 to 1993 at centre-of-mass energies between 88 and 95 GeV, corresponding to almost two million hadronic Z decays and to a total integrated luminosity of 79 pb−1. For all channels, the data agree well with the standard model expectation both in shape and normalization. The indication of an excess in the
$$e^ + e^ - \to \tau ^ + \tau ^ - f\bar f$$
 channel, reported by ALEPH in 1991, is not confirmed.

title: Measurement of the W mass in $e^+e^-$ collisions at production threshold
abstract: In June 1996, the LEP centre-of-mass energy was raised to 161 GeV. Pair production of W bosons in e+e− collisions was observed for the first time by the LEP experiments. An integrated luminosity of 11 pb−1 was recorded in the ALEPH detector, in which WW candidate events were observed. In 6 events both Ws decay leptonically. In 16 events, one W decays leptonically, the other into hadrons. In the channel where both Ws decay into hadrons, a signal was separated from the large background by means of several multi-variate analyses. The W pair cross-section is measured to be σWW = 4.23 ± 0.73 (stat.) ± 0.19 (syst.) pb. From this cross-section, the W mass is derived within the framework of the Standard Model: mW = 80.14 ± 0.34 (stat.) ± 0.09 (syst.) ± 0.03 (LEP energy) GeV/c2

title: Measurement of the effective b quark fragmentation function at the Z resonance
abstract: Using a sample of about 1.46 million hadronic Z decays collected between 1991 and 1993 with the ALEPH detector at LEP, the energy distribution of the B0 and B± mesons produced at the Z resonance is measured by reconstructing semileptonic decays B → lνlD(X) or . The charmed mesons are reconstructed through the decay modes D0 → K−π+, D0 → K−π+π−π+, D+ → K−π+π+ and . The neutrino energy is estimated from the missing energy in the lepton hemisphere. Accounting for B∗ and B∗∗ production, the shape of the scaled energy distribution xE(b) for mesons containing a b quark is compared to the predictions of different fragmentation models. The mean value of xE(b) is found to be 〈xE(b)〉 = 0.715 ± 0.007(stat) ± 0.013(syst).

title: Kinematic distributions and nuclear effects of J/ψ production in 920 GeV fixed-target proton-nucleus collisions
abstract: AbstractMeasurements of the kinematic distributions of J/ψ mesons produced in p–C, p–Ti and p–W collisions at 
$\sqrt{s}=41.6~\mathrm{GeV}$ 
in the Feynman-x region −0.34<xF<0.14 and for transverse momentum up to pT=5.4 GeV/c are presented. The xF and pT dependencies of the nuclear suppression parameter, α, are also given. The results are based on 2.4×105J/ψ mesons reconstructed in both the e+e− and μ+μ− decay channels. The data have been collected by the HERA-B experiment at the HERA proton ring of the DESY laboratory. The measurement explores the negative region of xF for the first time. The average value of α in the measured xF region is 0.981±0.015. The data suggest that the strong nuclear suppression of J/ψ production previously observed at high xF turns into an enhancement at negative xF.