A BAYESIAN APPROACH TO ESTIMATE THE SIZE AND STRUCTURE OF THE BROAD-LINE REGION IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI USING REVERBERATION MAPPING DATA
This is the first paper in a series devoted to the systematic study of the size and structure of the broad-line region (BLR) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) using reverberation mapping (RM) data. We employ a recently developed Bayesian approach that statistically describes the variability as a damped random walk process and delineates the BLR structure using a flexible disk geometry that can account for a variety of shapes, including disks, rings, shells, and spheres. We allow for the possibility that the line emission may respond non-linearly to the continuum, and we detrend the light curves when there is clear evidence for secular variation. We use a Markov Chain Monte Carlo implementation based on Bayesian statistics to recover the parameters and uncertainties for the BLR model. The corresponding transfer function is obtained self-consistently. We tentatively constrain the virial factor used to estimate black holemasses; more accurate determinations will have to await velocity-resolved RM data. Application of our method to RM data with H beta monitoring for about 40 objects shows that the assumed BLR geometry can reproduce quite well the observed emission-line fluxes from the continuum light curves. We find that the H beta BLR sizes obtained from our method are on average similar to 20% larger than those derived from the traditional cross-correlation method. Nevertheless, we still find a tight BLR size-luminosity relation with a slope of alpha = 0.55 +/- 0.03 and an intrinsic scatter of similar to 0.18 dex. In particular, we demonstrate that our approach yields appropriate BLR sizes for some objects (such as Mrk 142 and PG 2130+099) where traditional methods previously encountered difficulties.

title: Suppressed star formation in circumnuclear regions in seyfert galaxies
abstract: Feedback from black hole activity is widely believed to play a key role in regulating star formation and black hole growth. A long-standing issue is the relation between star formation and the fueling of the supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We compile a sample of 57 Seyfert galaxies to tackle this issue. We estimate the surface densities of gas and star formation rates in circumnuclear regions (CNRs). Comparing them with the well-known Kennicutt-Schmidt (K-S) law, we find that the star formation rates (SFRs) in the CNRs of most Seyfert galaxies are suppressed in this sample. Feedback is suggested to explain the suppressed SFRs.

title: The afterglows of ultraluminous quasars
abstract: Quasars represent a brief phase in the life cycle of most massive galaxies, but the evolutionary connection between central black holes and their host galaxies remains unclear. While quasars are active and shining brighter than the Compton-limit luminosity, their radiation heats the surrounding medium to the Compton temperature, forming Compton spheres extending to the Stromgren radius of Fe26+/He2+. After the quasars shut off, their "afterglow" can be detected through three signatures: (1) an extended X-ray envelope, with a characteristic temperature of ~3 × 107 K, (2) Lyα and Lyβ lines and the K edge of Fe26+, and (3) nebulosity from hydrogen and helium recombination emission lines. We discuss the possibility of detecting these signatures using Chandra, the planned X-Ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy mission, and ground-based optical telescopes. The luminosity and size of quasar afterglows can be used to constrain the lifetime of quasars.

title: INTEGRAL and RXTE/ASM observations on IGR J17098−3628
abstract: To probe further the possible nature of the unidentified source IGR J17098-3628, we have carried out a detailed analysis of its long-term time variability as monitored by RXTE/ASM, and of its hard X-ray properties as observed by INTEGRAL. INTEGRAL has monitored this sky region over years and significantly detected IGR J17098-3628 only when the source was in this dubbed active state. In particular, at $\ge$ 20 keV, IBIS/ISGRI caught an outburst in March 2005, lasting for $\sim$5 days with detection significance of 73$\sigma$ (20-40 keV) and with the emission at $ $20 keV) outburst by $\sim$2 days. This resembles the behavior of X-ray novae like XN 1124-683, hence it further suggests a LMXB nature for IGR  While the quality of the ASM data prevents us from drawing any definite conclusions, these discoveries are important clues that, coupled with future observations, will help to resolve the as yet unknown nature of IGR J17098-3628.

title: EVOLUTION OF GASEOUS DISK VISCOSITY DRIVEN BY SUPERNOVA EXPLOSIONS IN STAR-FORMING GALAXIES AT HIGH REDSHIFT
abstract: Motivated by Genzel et al.'s observations of high-redshift star-forming galaxies, containing clumpy and turbulent rings or disks, we build a set of equations describing the dynamical evolution of gaseous disks with inclusion of star formation and its feedback. Transport of angular momentum is due to "turbulent" viscosity induced by supernova explosions in the star formation region. Analytical solutions of the equations are found for the initial cases of a gaseous ring and the integrated form for a gaseous disk, respectively. For a ring with enough low viscosity, it evolves in a slow process of gaseous diffusion and star formation near the initial radius. For a high viscosity, the ring rapidly diffuses in the early phase. The diffusion drives the ring into a region with a low viscosity and starts the second phase undergoing pile-up of gas at a radius following the decreased viscosity torque. The third is a sharply decreasing phase because of star formation consumption of gas and efficient transportation of gas inward forming a stellar disk. We apply the model to two z similar to 2 galaxies BX 482 and BzK 6004, and find that they are undergoing a decline in their star formation activity.

title: Possible hard X-ray shortages in bursts from KS 1731-260 and 4U 1705-44
abstract: A hard X-ray shortage, implying the cooling of the corona, was observed during bursts of IGR J17473-272, 4U 1636-536, Aql X-1, and GS 1826-238. Apart from these four sources, we investigate here an atoll sample, in which the number of bursts for each source is larger than 5, to explore the possible additional hard X-ray shortage during Rossi X-ray timing explorer (RXTE) era.  According to the source catalog that shows type-I bursts, we analyzed all the available pointing observations of these sources carried out by the RXTE proportional counter array. We grouped and combined the bursts according to their outburst states and searched for the possible hard X-ray shortage while bursting.  We found that the island states of KS 1731-260 and 4U 1705-44 show a hard X-ray shortage at significant levels of 4.5 and 4.7σ and a systematic time lag of 0.9 ± 2.1 s and 2.5 ± 2.0 s with respect to the soft X-rays, respectively. While in their banana branches and other sources, we did not find any consistent shortage.

title: A Jet Deceleration Model on TeV BL Lacertae Objects
abstract: The current understanding of the kinetics of known TeV BL Lac objects' jets is that they substantially decelerate from a subparsec scale with a large Lorentz factor, emitting TeV radiation to a parsec scale, where the observed radio component is predominantly subluminal or mildly relativistic. A decelerating jet model of TeV BL Lac objects including jet dynamics and particle injection is proposed. The jet plasma is assumed to be continuously injected at the base of the jet and to dissipate at some distance from the central core. It is found that the deceleration profile of the jet depends on the density distribution of the external medium, showing slower variation in an external medium with a fast-falling density profile. The dissipated kinetic energy of the jet is assumed to be transferred to electron acceleration. The relativistic electrons are injected along the jet and then produce synchrotron and inverse Compton emission. The general characteristics of the physical quantities of the jet are discussed. It is shown that the resulting spectral energy distributions (SEDs) mainly depend on the energy distribution of injected electrons in the dissipation region, the magnetic structure, and the viewing angle of the jet. The model describes the underlying undisturbed jet and is applied to fit the quiescent infrared to X-ray spectra of several TeV BL Lac objects. In this scenario, the dissipated bulk kinetic energy of TeV BL Lac objects can provide relativistic electrons for radiation, and their initial magnetic fields are under equipartition with the emitting electrons.

title: Partially obscured quasars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Early Data Release
abstract: We have compiled a sample of 21 low redshift (z . 0.3), luminous active galactic nuclei (AGN) with large Balmer decrements (Hα/Hβ > 7) using the galaxy and QSO catalogs of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Early Data Release. Using this sample we attempt to determine the fraction of quasars with large internal absorption. We find that these AGN have Strong [O III] λ5007 and broad Hα emission, and that starlight dominates the spectra in the blue band, suggesting that these objects are heavily reddened. Their narrow emission line ratios are similar to those of Seyfert 2 galaxies, yet the average [O III] λ5007 emission is ∼10 times more luminous. Applying the empirical relation between the optical continuum and the Balmer line luminosity for blue quasars, we find that the intrinsic luminosities of these 21 objects are in the range for quasars. We propose that they are obscured, intermediate type quasars analogous to type 1.8 and 1.9 Seyfert galaxies. The ratio of these optically selected, intermediate type quasars to type 1 quasars are found to be around 1, similar to that for local Seyfert galaxies. Preliminary study indicates that most of these quasars are hosted in early type galaxies.  quasars: general — galaxies: nuclei

title: VARIATIONAL-CUMULANT EXPANSION TREATMENT OF SU(2) MIXED MODEL IN LATTICE GAUGE THEORY
abstract: The phase diagrams of the SU(2) mixed model are calculated in four and five dimensions by using the variational method with the cumulant expansion as its corrections. The results are much better than that of the original variational treatment. Comparison with the Monte Carlo results and other approximate analytic results are given.

title: Broad‐line Balmer decrements in blue active galactic nuclei
abstract: We have investigated the broad-line Balmer decrements (H alpha/H beta) for a large, homogeneous sample of Seyfert 1 galaxies and quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) using spectroscopic data obtained in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The sample, drawn from the Fourth Data Release, comprises 446 low-redshift (z less than or similar to 0.35) active galactic nuclei (AGN) that have blue optical continua as indicated by the spectral slopes in order to minimize the effect of dust extinction. We find that (i) the distribution of the intrinsic broad-line H alpha/H beta ratio can be well described by log-Gaussian, with a peak at H alpha/H beta = 3.06 and a standard deviation of about 0.03 dex only; (ii) the Balmer decrement does not correlate with AGN properties such as luminosity, accretion rate and continuum slope, etc.; (iii) on average, the Balmer decrements are found to be only slightly larger in radio-loud sources (3.37) and sources having double-peaked emission-line profiles (3.27) compared to the rest of the sample. We therefore suggest that the broad-line H alpha/H beta ratio can be used as a good indicator for dust extinction in the AGN broad-line region; this is especially true for radio-quiet AGN with regular emission-line profiles, which constitute the vast majority of the AGN population.

title: First muon-neutrino disappearance study with an off-axis beam
abstract: We report a measurement of muon-neutrino disappearance in the T2K experiment. The 295-km muon-neutrino beam from Tokai to Kamioka is the first implementation of the off-axis technique in a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. With data corresponding to 1.43 x 10(20) protons on target, we observe 31 fully-contained single mu-like ring events in Super-Kamiokande, compared with an expectation of 104 +/- 14 (syst) events without neutrino oscillations. The best-fit point for two-flavor nu(mu) -> nu(tau) oscillations is sin(2)(2 theta(23)) = 0.98 and vertical bar Delta m(32)(2)vertical bar = 2.65 x 10(-3) eV(2). The boundary of the 90% confidence region includes the points sin(2)(2 theta(23)), vertical bar Delta m(32)(2)vertical bar = (1.0, 3.1 x 10(-3) eV(2)), (0.84, 2.65 x 10(-3) eV(2)) and (1.0, 2.2 x 10(-3) eV(2)).