Related papers: Partial Coverage and Time Variability of Narrow-Li…
We present new brightness monitoring observations of the 4 components of gravitationally lensed system Q2237+0305, which show detection of an intrinsic quasar brightness fluctuation at a time of subdued microlensing activity, between June…
In a Networked Dynamical System (NDS), each node is a system whose dynamics are coupled with the dynamics of neighboring nodes. The global dynamics naturally builds on this network of couplings and it is often excited by a noise input with…
We investigate the impact of recent observational advances in research on the gaseous content of the universe on our knowledge of star formation histories of disk galaxies. Several contemporary surveys indicate that large quantities of gas…
Time variability of astronomical sources provides crude information on their typical size and on the implied physical mechanisms. PKS1830-211 is a remarkable radio-bright lensed quasar with a foreground molecular absorber at z=0.89.…
Obscuration in quasars may arise from steep viewing angles along the dusty torus, or instead may represent a distinct phase of supermassive black hole growth. We test these scenarios by probing the host dark matter halo environments of…
We discuss issues concerning the physical nature of intervening MgII quasar absorption systems in light of results from our recent surveys using SDSS EDR QSO spectra and data obtained at the MMT. These surveys indicate an excess of weak…
We propose a three component model consisting of minihalos and galactic halos with embedded thin discs for absorbers producing all the observed classes of intervening quasar absorption line systems. We show that this model, based on CDM…
We review observations of molecular absorption line systems at high redshift toward red quasars and gravitational lenses.
We searched the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph archive for ultraviolet spectra of 428 AGN to identify intrinsic NV absorption systems. We filtered out Type 2 AGN, blazars, and spectra that do not cover at least part of…
Associated absorption lines (AALs) in quasar spectra are valuable probes of the gas kinematics and physical conditions in quasar environments. The host galaxies are by definition in an active evolution stage that might involve large-scale…
All estimates of cluster mass have some intrinsic scatter and perhaps some bias with true mass even in the absence of measurement errors for example caused by cluster triaxiality and large scale structure. Knowledge of the bias and scatter…
High resolution optical (HIRES/Keck) and UV (STIS/HST) spectra, covering a large range of chemical transitions, are analyzed for three single-cloud weak MgII absorption systems along the line of sight toward the quasar PG 1634+706. Weak…
This work investigates the quantum transport in a narrow constriction acted upon by a finite-range transversely polarized time-dependent electric field. A generalized scattering-matrix method is developed that has incorporated a…
Context: A significantly higher incidence of strong (rest equivalent width W_r > 1 {\AA}) intervening Mg II absorption is observed along gamma-ray burst (GRB) sight-lines relative to those of quasar sight-lines. A geometrical explanation…
Using high resolution VLT spectra, we study the multi-component outflow systems of two quasars exhibiting intrinsic Fe II absorption (QSO 2359-1241 and SDSS J0318-0600). From the extracted ionic column densities and using photoionization…
We explore the general question of correlations among different waveband luminosities in a flux-limited multiband observational data set. Such correlations, often observed for astronomical sources, may either be intrinsic or induced by the…
Gravitational lensing of background compact objects like active galactic nuclei and quasars, by extended intermediate mass lenses such as globular clusters and and dark matter clumps with masses 10^5 - 10^8 M_sun, is considered. It is shown…
The cold dark matter scenario of hierarchical large-scale structure formation predicts the existence of abundant subhalos around large galaxies. However, the number of observed dwarf galaxies is far from this theoretical prediction,…
We present a new and simple technique for selecting extensive, complete and pure quasar samples, based on their intrinsic variability. We parametrize the single-band variability by a power-law model for the light-curve structure function,…
Quadruply-imaged strongly lensed quasars (quads) are routinely used for measurements of the expansion rate of the Universe with time delays. It has recently been suggested that any quad lens is subject to a Malmquist-like bias that causes…