Dwarf spheroidal galaxies: Keystones of galaxy evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallagher, John S., III; Wyse, Rosemary F. G.

1994-01-01

Dwarf spheroidal galaxies are the most insignificant extragalactic stellar systems in terms of their visibility, but potentially very significant in terms of their role in the formation and evolution of much more luminous galaxies. We discuss the present observational data and their implications for theories of the formation and evolution of both dwarf and giant galaxies. The putative dark-matter content of these low-surface-brightness systems is of particular interest, as is their chemical evolution. Surveys for new dwarf spheroidals hidden behind the stars of our Galaxy and those which are not bound to giant galaxies may give new clues as to the origins of this unique class of galaxy.

Galaxy Zoo: quantitative visual morphological classifications for 48 000 galaxies from CANDELS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, B. D.; Lintott, Chris; Willett, Kyle W.; Masters, Karen L.; Kartaltepe, Jeyhan S.; Häußler, Boris; Kaviraj, Sugata; Krawczyk, Coleman; Kruk, S. J.; McIntosh, Daniel H.; Smethurst, R. J.; Nichol, Robert C.; Scarlata, Claudia; Schawinski, Kevin; Conselice, Christopher J.; Almaini, Omar; Ferguson, Henry C.; Fortson, Lucy; Hartley, William; Kocevski, Dale; Koekemoer, Anton M.; Mortlock, Alice; Newman, Jeffrey A.; Bamford, Steven P.; Grogin, N. A.; Lucas, Ray A.; Hathi, Nimish P.; McGrath, Elizabeth; Peth, Michael; Pforr, Janine; Rizer, Zachary; Wuyts, Stijn; Barro, Guillermo; Bell, Eric F.; Castellano, Marco; Dahlen, Tomas; Dekel, Avishai; Ownsworth, Jamie; Faber, Sandra M.; Finkelstein, Steven L.; Fontana, Adriano; Galametz, Audrey; Grützbauch, Ruth; Koo, David; Lotz, Jennifer; Mobasher, Bahram; Mozena, Mark; Salvato, Mara; Wiklind, Tommy

2017-02-01

We present quantified visual morphologies of approximately 48 000 galaxies observed in three Hubble Space Telescope legacy fields by the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) and classified by participants in the Galaxy Zoo project. 90 per cent of galaxies have z ≤ 3 and are observed in rest-frame optical wavelengths by CANDELS. Each galaxy received an average of 40 independent classifications, which we combine into detailed morphological information on galaxy features such as clumpiness, bar instabilities, spiral structure, and merger and tidal signatures. We apply a consensus-based classifier weighting method that preserves classifier independence while effectively down-weighting significantly outlying classifications. After analysing the effect of varying image depth on reported classifications, we also provide depth-corrected classifications which both preserve the information in the deepest observations and also enable the use of classifications at comparable depths across the full survey. Comparing the Galaxy Zoo classifications to previous classifications of the same galaxies shows very good agreement; for some applications, the high number of independent classifications provided by Galaxy Zoo provides an advantage in selecting galaxies with a particular morphological profile, while in others the combination of Galaxy Zoo with other classifications is a more promising approach than using any one method alone. We combine the Galaxy Zoo classifications of `smooth' galaxies with parametric morphologies to select a sample of featureless discs at 1 ≤ z ≤ 3, which may represent a dynamically warmer progenitor population to the settled disc galaxies seen at later epochs.

GREEN GALAXIES IN THE COSMOS FIELD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pan, Zhizheng; Kong, Xu; Fan, Lulu, E-mail: panzz@mail.ustc.edu.cn, E-mail: xkong@ustc.edu.cn

2013-10-10

We present research on the morphologies, spectra, and environments of ≈2350 'green valley' galaxies at 0.2 < z < 1.0 in the COSMOS field. The bimodality of dust-corrected NUV–r {sup +} color is used to define 'green valley'; it removes dusty star-forming galaxies from galaxies that are truly transitioning between the blue cloud and the red sequence. Morphological parameters of green galaxies are intermediate between those of blue and red galaxy populations, both on the Gini-asymmetry and the Gini-M{sub 20} planes. Approximately 60%-70% of green disk galaxies have intermediate or big bulges, and only 5%-10% are pure disk systems, basedmore » on morphological classification using the Zurich Estimator of Structural Types. The obtained average spectra of green galaxies are intermediate between blue and red ones in terms of [O II], Hα, and Hβ emission lines. Stellar population synthesis on the average spectra shows that green galaxies are on average older than blue galaxies but younger than red galaxies. Green galaxies and blue galaxies have similar projected galaxy density (Σ{sub 10}) distributions at z > 0.7. At z < 0.7, the fractions of M{sub *} < 10{sup 10.0} M{sub ☉} green galaxies located in a dense environment are found to be significantly larger than those of blue galaxies. The morphological and spectral properties of green galaxies are consistent with the transitioning population between the blue cloud and the red sequence. The possible mechanisms for quenching star formation activities in green galaxies are discussed. The importance of active galactic nucleus feedback cannot be well constrained in our study. Finally, our findings suggest that environmental conditions, most likely starvation and harassment, significantly affect the transformation of M{sub *} < 10{sup 10.0} M{sub ☉} blue galaxies into red galaxies, especially at z < 0.5.« less

Galaxy evolution in extreme environments: Molecular gas content star formation and AGN in isolated void galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Mousumi; Iono, Daisuke; Saito, Toshiki; Subramanian, Smitha

Since the early redshift surveys of the large scale structure of our universe, it has become clear that galaxies cluster along walls, sheet and filaments leaving large, empty regions called voids between them. Although voids represent the most under dense parts of our universe, they do contain a sparse but significant population of isolated galaxies that are generally low luminosity, late type disk galaxies. Recent studies show that most void galaxies have ongoing star formation and are in an early stage of evolution. We present radio, optical studies of the molecular gas content and star formation in a sample of void galaxies. Using SDSS data, we find that AGN are rare in these systems and are found only in the Bootes void; their black hole masses and radio properties are similar to bright spirals galaxies. Our studies suggest that close galaxy interactions and gas accretion are the main drivers of galaxy evolution in these systems despite their location in the underdense environment of the voids.

Significance of Environmental Density in Shocked Poststarburst Galaxy Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaliff, Laura

2018-01-01

The Shocked POstarbusrt Galaxy Survey (SPOGS) comprises 1,066 galaxies undergoing the transformation from blue cloud late-type spirals to red sequence non-star-forming early-type ellipticals and lenticulars. They are selected via spectral analysis of ionized gas line ratios, which indicate shocked objects, and Balmer H-δ equivalent width, which select recently formed stars, but not active star formation. E+A galaxies (Zabludoff et al. 1996), like SPOGs, contain young stars but, unlike SPOGs, no emission lines consistent with star formation. They differ in that the quality used to discern SPOGs, their shocks, produces H-α lines that prevent them from being found via the same criteria as E+As. Thus, SPOGs can be found before being entirely stripped of their gas, and, while E+As are largely red and dead, found leaving the green valley, SPOGS are mostly entering it. The environmental density data for SPOGs was retrieved via the NASA Extragalactic Database (NED) radial velocity constrained cone tool, which provides counts and densities within spheres of radii 1, 5, and 10 Mpc from the center of search as well as relative positions and redshifts of objects. The kinematic morphology-density relation (Cappellari et al. 2011) is employed as a point of comparison for how SPOGs’ environmental densities might relate to morphological and spectroscopic factors, including tidal features, asymmetry, and color, in order to fully understand the role of environmental factors in SPOGS object evolution.

Cosmology with void-galaxy correlations.

PubMed

Hamaus, Nico; Wandelt, Benjamin D; Sutter, P M; Lavaux, Guilhem; Warren, Michael S

2014-01-31

Galaxy bias, the unknown relationship between the clustering of galaxies and the underlying dark matter density field is a major hurdle for cosmological inference from large-scale structure. While traditional analyses focus on the absolute clustering amplitude of high-density regions mapped out by galaxy surveys, we propose a relative measurement that compares those to the underdense regions, cosmic voids. On the basis of realistic mock catalogs we demonstrate that cross correlating galaxies and voids opens up the possibility to calibrate galaxy bias and to define a static ruler thanks to the observable geometric nature of voids. We illustrate how the clustering of voids is related to mass compensation and show that volume-exclusion significantly reduces the degree of stochasticity in their spatial distribution. Extracting the spherically averaged distribution of galaxies inside voids from their cross correlations reveals a remarkable concordance with the mass-density profile of voids.

Study of central light concentration in nearby galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aswathy, S.; Ravikumar, C. D.

2018-06-01

We propose a novel technique to estimate the masses of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) residing at the centres of massive galaxies in the nearby Universe using simple photometry. Aperture photometry using SEXTRACTOR is employed to determine the central intensity ratio (CIR) at the optical centre of the galaxy image for a sample of 49 nearby galaxies with SMBH mass estimations. We find that the CIR of ellipticals and classical bulges is strongly correlated with SMBH masses whereas pseudo-bulges and ongoing mergers show significant scatter. Also, the CIR of low-luminosity AGNs in the sample shows significant connection with the 5 GHz nuclear radio emission suggesting a stronger link between the former and the SMBH evolution in these galaxies. In addition, it is seen that various structural and dynamical properties of the SMBH host galaxies are correlated with the CIR making the latter an important parameter in galaxy evolution studies. Finally, we propose the CIR to be an efficient and simple tool not only to distinguish classical bulges from pseudo-bulges but also to estimate the mass of the central SMBH.

Galaxies Collide to Create Hot, Huge Galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

This image of a pair of colliding galaxies called NGC 6240 shows them in a rare, short-lived phase of their evolution just before they merge into a single, larger galaxy. The prolonged, violent collision has drastically altered the appearance of both galaxies and created huge amounts of heat turning NGC 6240 into an 'infrared luminous' active galaxy.

A rich variety of active galaxies, with different shapes, luminosities and radiation profiles exist. These galaxies may be related astronomers have suspected that they may represent an evolutionary sequence. By catching different galaxies in different stages of merging, a story emerges as one type of active galaxy changes into another. NGC 6240 provides an important 'missing link' in this process.

This image was created from combined data from the infrared array camera of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope at 3.6 and 8.0 microns (red) and visible light from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (green and blue).

Multiple Core Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, R.H.; Morrison, David (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

Nuclei of galaxies often show complicated density structures and perplexing kinematic signatures. In the past we have reported numerical experiments indicating a natural tendency for galaxies to show nuclei offset with respect to nearby isophotes and for the nucleus to have a radial velocity different from the galaxy's systemic velocity. Other experiments show normal mode oscillations in galaxies with large amplitudes. These oscillations do not damp appreciably over a Hubble time. The common thread running through all these is that galaxies often show evidence of ringing, bouncing, or sloshing around in unexpected ways, even though they have not been disturbed by any external event. Recent observational evidence shows yet another phenomenon indicating the dynamical complexity of central regions of galaxies: multiple cores (M31, Markarian 315 and 463 for example). These systems can hardly be static. We noted long-lived multiple core systems in galaxies in numerical experiments some years ago, and we have more recently followed up with a series of experiments on multiple core galaxies, starting with two cores. The relevant parameters are the energy in the orbiting clumps, their relative.masses, the (local) strength of the potential well representing the parent galaxy, and the number of cores. We have studied the dependence of the merger rates and the nature of the final merger product on these parameters. Individual cores survive much longer in stronger background potentials. Cores can survive for a substantial fraction of a Hubble time if they travel on reasonable orbits.

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): testing galaxy formation models through the most massive galaxies in the Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliva-Altamirano, P.; Brough, S.; Lidman, C.; Couch, W. J.; Hopkins, A. M.; Colless, M.; Taylor, E.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Gunawardhana, M. L. P.; Ponman, T.; Baldry, I.; Bauer, A. E.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Cluver, M.; Cameron, E.; Conselice, C. J.; Driver, S.; Edge, A. C.; Graham, A. W.; van Kampen, E.; Lara-López, M. A.; Liske, J.; López-Sánchez, A. R.; Loveday, J.; Mahajan, S.; Peacock, J.; Phillipps, S.; Pimbblet, K. A.; Sharp, R. G.

2014-05-01

We have analysed the growth of Brightest Group Galaxies and Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BGGs/BCGs) over the last 3 billion years using a large sample of 883 galaxies from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey. By comparing the stellar mass of BGGs and BCGs in groups and clusters of similar dynamical masses, we find no significant growth between redshift z = 0.27 and 0.09. We also examine the number of BGGs/BCGs that have line emission, finding that approximately 65 per cent of BGGs/BCGs show Hα in emission. From the galaxies where the necessary spectroscopic lines were accurately recovered (54 per cent of the sample), we find that half of this (i.e. 27 per cent of the sample) harbour ongoing star formation with rates up to 10 M⊙ yr-1, and the other half (i.e. 27 per cent of the sample) have an active nucleus (AGN) at the centre. BGGs are more likely to have ongoing star formation, while BCGs show a higher fraction of AGN activity. By examining the position of the BGGs/BCGs with respect to their host dark matter halo, we find that around 13 per cent of them do not lie at the centre of the dark matter halo. This could be an indicator of recent cluster-cluster mergers. We conclude that BGGs and BCGs acquired their stellar mass rapidly at higher redshifts as predicted by semi-analytic models, mildly slowing down at low redshifts.

Measuring Extinction in Local Group Galaxies Using Background Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyder, T. K.; Hodge, P. W.

1999-05-01

Knowledge of the distribution and quantity of dust in galaxies is important for understanding their structure and evolution. The goal of our research is to measure the total extinction through Local Group galaxies using measured properties of background galaxies. Our method relies on the SExtractor software as an objective and automated method of detecting background galaxies. In an initial test, we have explored two WFPC2 fields in the SMC and two in M31 obtained from the HST archives. The two pointings in the SMC are fields around the open clusters L31 and B83 while the two M31 fields target the globular clusters G1 and G170. Except for the G1 observations of M31, the fields chosen are very crowded (even when observed with HST) and we chose them as a particularly stringent test of the method. We performed several experiments using a series of completeness tests that involved superimposing comparison fields, adjusted to the equivalent exposure time, from the HST Medium-Deep and Groth-Westphal surveys. These tests showed that for crowded fields, such as the two in the core of the SMC and the one in the bulge of M31, this automated method of detecting galaxies can be completely dominated by the effects of crowding. For these fields, only a small fraction of the added galaxies was recovered. However, in the outlying G1 field in M31, almost all of the added galaxies were recovered. The numbers of actual background galaxies in this field are consistent with zero extinction. As a follow-up experiment, we used image processing techniques to suppress stellar objects while enhancing objects with non-stellar, more gradual luminosity profiles. This method yielded significant numbers of background galaxies in even the most crowded fields, which we are now analyzing to determine the total extinction and reddening caused by the foreground galaxy.

Polar ring galaxies in the Galaxy Zoo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finkelman, Ido; Funes, José G.; Brosch, Noah

2012-05-01

We report observations of 16 candidate polar-ring galaxies (PRGs) identified by the Galaxy Zoo project in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data base. Deep images of five galaxies are available in the SDSS Stripe82 data base, while to reach similar depth we observed the remaining galaxies with the 1.8-m Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope. We derive integrated magnitudes and u-r colours for the host and ring components and show continuum-subtracted Hα+[N II] images for seven objects. We present a basic morphological and environmental analysis of the galaxies and discuss their properties in comparison with other types of early-type galaxies. Follow-up photometric and spectroscopic observations will allow a kinematic confirmation of the nature of these systems and a more detailed analysis of their stellar populations.

Massive Galaxies Are Larger in Dense Environments: Environmental Dependence of Mass-Size Relation of Early-type Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Yongmin; Im, Myungshin; Kim, Jae-Woo

2017-01-01

Under the Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmological models, massive galaxies are expected to be larger in denser environments through frequent hierarchical mergers with other galaxies. Yet, observational studies of low-redshift early-type galaxies have shown no such trend, standing as a puzzle to solve during the past decade. We analyzed 73,116 early-type galaxies at 0.1 ≤ z < 0.15, adopting a robust nonparametric size measurement technique and extending the analysis to many massive galaxies. We find for the first time that local early-type galaxies heavier than 1011.2 M⊙ show a clear environmental dependence in mass-size relation, in such a way that galaxies are as much as 20%-40% larger in the densest environments than in underdense environments. Splitting the sample into the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) and non-BCGs does not affect the result. This result agrees with the ΛCDM cosmological simulations and suggests that mergers played a significant role in the growth of massive galaxies in dense environments as expected in theory.

Galaxy bias from galaxy-galaxy lensing in the DES Science Verification Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Prat, J.; et al.

We present a measurement of galaxy-galaxy lensing around a magnitude-limited (more » $$i_{AB} < 22.5$$) sample of galaxies selected from the Dark Energy Survey Science Verification (DES-SV) data. We split these lenses into three photometric-redshift bins from 0.2 to 0.8, and determine the product of the galaxy bias $b$ and cross-correlation coefficient between the galaxy and dark matter overdensity fields $r$ in each bin, using scales above 4 Mpc/$h$ comoving, where we find the linear bias model to be valid given our current uncertainties. We compare our galaxy bias results from galaxy-galaxy lensing with those obtained from galaxy clustering (Crocce et al. 2016) and CMB lensing (Giannantonio et al. 2016) for the same sample of galaxies, and find our measurements to be in good agreement with those in Crocce et al. (2016), while, in the lowest redshift bin ($$z\\sim0.3$$), they show some tension with the findings in Giannantonio et al. (2016). Our results are found to be rather insensitive to a large range of systematic effects. We measure $$b\\cdot r$$ to be $$0.87\\pm 0.11$$, $$1.12 \\pm 0.16$$ and $$1.24\\pm 0.23$$, respectively for the three redshift bins of width $$\\Delta z = 0.2$$ in the range $0.2« less

Galaxy evolution in protoclusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muldrew, Stuart I.; Hatch, Nina A.; Cooke, Elizabeth A.

2018-01-01

We investigate galaxy evolution in protoclusters using a semi-analytic model applied to the Millennium Simulation, scaled to a Planck cosmology. We show that the model reproduces the observed behaviour of the star formation history (SFH) both in protoclusters and the field. The rate of star formation peaks ∼0.7 Gyr earlier in protoclusters than in the field and declines more rapidly afterwards. This results in protocluster galaxies forming significantly earlier: 80 per cent of their stellar mass is already formed by z = 1.4, but only 45 per cent of the field stellar mass has formed by this time. The model predicts that field and protocluster galaxies have similar average specific star-formation rates (sSFR) at z > 3, and we find evidence of an enhancement of star formation in the dense protoclusters at early times. At z < 3, protoclusters have lower sSFRs, resulting in the disparity between the SFHs. We show that the stellar mass functions of protoclusters are top-heavy compared with the field due to the early formation of massive galaxies, and the disruption and merging of low-mass satellite galaxies in the main haloes. The fundamental cause of the different SFHs and mass functions is that dark matter haloes are biased tracers of the dark matter density field: the high density of haloes and the top-heavy halo mass function in protoclusters result in the early formation then rapid merging and quenching of galaxies. We compare our results with observations from the literature and highlight which observables provide the most informative tests of galaxy formation.

On the Formation of Elliptical Galaxies via Mergers in Galaxy Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taranu, Dan; Dubinski, John; Yee, Howard K. C.

2015-01-01

Giant elliptical galaxies have long been thought to form through gas-rich "major" mergers of two roughly equal-mass spiral galaxies. However, elliptical galaxies are often found at the centers of groups, and so are likely to have undergone several significant mergers. We test the hypothesis that ellipticals form through multiple, mainly minor and dry mergers in groups, using a novel sample of hundreds of N-body simulations of mergers in groups of three to twenty-five spiral galaxies.Realistic mock observations of the simulated central merger remnants show that they have comparable surface brightness profiles to observed ellipticals from SDSS and ATLAS3D - so long as the progenitor spirals begin with concentrated bulges. The remnants follow tight size-luminosity and velocity dispersion-luminosity relations (<0.12 dex scatter), with similar slopes as observed. Stochastic merging can produce tight scaling relations if the merging galaxies follow tight scaling relations themselves. However, the remnants are too large and have too low dispersions at fixed luminosity. Some remnants show substantial (v/σ > 0.1) rotational support, but most are slow rotators with v/σ << 0.5.Ellipticals also follow a tight "fundamental plane" scaling relation between size R, mean surface brightness μ and velocity dispersion σ: R ∝ σaμb, with small (<0.06 dex) scatter and significantly different coefficients from the expected scaling (a "tilt"). The remnants lie on a similar fundamental plane, with even smaller scatter (0.02 dex), as well as a tilt in the correct sense - albeit weaker than observed. This tilt is mainly driven by variable dark matter fractions within Reff, such that massive merger remnants have larger central dark matter fractions than their lower-mass counterparts.These results suggest that massive ellipticals can originate from multiple, mainly minor and dry mergers. However, significant gas dissipation may be needed to produce lower-mass, rapidly

The galaxy clustering crisis in abundance matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Duncan; van den Bosch, Frank C.; Padmanabhan, Nikhil; Mao, Yao-Yuan; Zentner, Andrew R.; Lange, Johannes U.; Jiang, Fangzhou; Villarreal, Antonio

2018-06-01

Galaxy clustering on small scales is significantly underpredicted by sub-halo abundance matching (SHAM) models that populate (sub-)haloes with galaxies based on peak halo mass, Mpeak. SHAM models based on the peak maximum circular velocity, Vpeak, have had much better success. The primary reason for Mpeak-based models fail is the relatively low abundance of satellite galaxies produced in these models compared to those based on Vpeak. Despite success in predicting clustering, a simple Vpeak-based SHAM model results in predictions for galaxy growth that are at odds with observations. We evaluate three possible remedies that could `save' mass-based SHAM: (1) SHAM models require a significant population of `orphan' galaxies as a result of artificial disruption/merging of sub-haloes in modern high-resolution dark matter simulations; (2) satellites must grow significantly after their accretion; and (3) stellar mass is significantly affected by halo assembly history. No solution is entirely satisfactory. However, regardless of the particulars, we show that popular SHAM models based on Mpeak cannot be complete physical models as presented. Either Vpeak truly is a better predictor of stellar mass at z ˜ 0 and it remains to be seen how the correlation between stellar mass and Vpeak comes about, or SHAM models are missing vital component(s) that significantly affect galaxy clustering.

Galaxy clusters as hydrodynamics laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roediger, Elke; Sheardown, Alexander; Fish, Thomas; ZuHone, John; Hunt, Matthew; Su, Yuanyuan; Kraft, Ralph P.; Nulsen, Paul; Forman, William R.; Churazov, Eugene; Randall, Scott W.; Jones, Christine; Machacek, Marie E.

2017-08-01

The intra-cluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters shows a wealth of hydrodynamical features that trace the growth of clusters via the infall of galaxies or smaller subclusters. Such hydrodynamical features include the wakes of the infalling objects as well as the interfaces between the host cluster’s ICM and the atmosphere of the infalling object. Furthermore, the cluster dynamics can be traced by merger shocks, bow shocks, and sloshing motions of the ICM.The characteristics of these dynamical features, e.g., the direction, length, brightness, and temperature of the galaxies' or subclusters' gas tails varies significantly between different objects. This could be due to either dynamical conditions or ICM transport coefficients such as viscosity and thermal conductivity. For example, the cool long gas tails of of some infalling galaxies and groups have been attributed to a substantial ICM viscosity suppressing mixing of the stripped galaxy or group gas with the hotter ambient ICM.Using hydrodynamical simulations of minor mergers we show, however, that these features can be explained naturally by the dynamical conditions of each particular galaxy or group infall. Specifically, we identify observable features to distinguish the first and second infall of a galaxy or group into its host cluster as well as characteristics during apocentre passage. Comparing our simulations with observations, we can explain several puzzling observations such as the long and cold tail of M86 in Virgo and the very long and tangentially oriented tail of the group LEDA 87445 in Hydra A.Using our simulations, we also assess the validity of the stagnation pressure method that is widely used to determine an infalling galaxy's velocity. We show that near pericentre passage the method gives reasonable results, but near apocentre it is not easily applicable.

Morphology and Structures of Nearby Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Mira; Ann, HongBae

2015-08-01

We performed an analysis of the structure of nearby dwarf galaxies based on a 2-dimensional decomposition of galaxy images using GALFIT. The present sample consists of ~1,100 dwarf galaxies with redshift less than z = 0.01, which is is derived from the morphology catalog of the Visually classified galaxies in the local universe (Ann, Seo, and Ha 2015). In this catalog, dwarf galaxies are divided into 5 subtypes: dS0, dE, dSph, dEbc, dEblue with distinction of the presence of nucleation in dE, dSph, and dS0. We found that dSph and dEblue galaxies are fainter than other subtypes of dwarf galaxies. In most cases, single component, represented by the Sersic profile with n=1~1.5, well describes the luminosity distribution of dwarf galaxies in the present sample. However, a significant fraction of dS0, dEbc, and dEbue galaxies show sub-structures such as spiral arms and rings. We will discuss the morphology dependent evolutionary history of the local dwarf galaxies.

Spatially-resolved star formation histories of CALIFA galaxies. Implications for galaxy formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González Delgado, R. M.; Pérez, E.; Cid Fernandes, R.; García-Benito, R.; López Fernández, R.; Vale Asari, N.; Cortijo-Ferrero, C.; de Amorim, A. L.; Lacerda, E. A. D.; Sánchez, S. F.; Lehnert, M. D.; Walcher, C. J.

2017-11-01

This paper presents the spatially resolved star formation history (SFH) of nearby galaxies with the aim of furthering our understanding of the different processes involved in the formation and evolution of galaxies. To this end, we apply the fossil record method of stellar population synthesis to a rich and diverse data set of 436 galaxies observed with integral field spectroscopy in the CALIFA survey. The sample covers a wide range of Hubble types, with stellar masses ranging from M⋆ 109 to 7 × 1011 M⊙. Spectral synthesis techniques are applied to the datacubes to retrieve the spatially resolved time evolution of the star formation rate (SFR), its intensity (ΣSFR), and other descriptors of the 2D SFH in seven bins of galaxy morphology (E, S0, Sa, Sb, Sbc, Sc, and Sd) and five bins of stellar mass. Our main results are that (a) galaxies form very fast independently of their current stellar mass, with the peak of star formation at high redshift (z > 2). Subsequent star formation is driven by M⋆ and morphology, with less massive and later type spirals showing more prolonged periods of star formation. (b) At any epoch in the past, the SFR is proportional to M⋆, with most massive galaxies having the highest absolute (but lowest specific) SFRs. (c) While today, the ΣSFR is similar for all spirals and significantly lower in early-type galaxies (ETG), in the past, the ΣSFR scales well with morphology. The central regions of today's ETGs are where the ΣSFR reached the highest values (> 103 M⊙ Gyr-1 pc-2), similar to those measured in high-redshift star-forming galaxies. (d) The evolution of ΣSFR in Sbc systems matches that of models for Milky Way-like galaxies, suggesting that the formation of a thick disk may be a common phase in spirals at early epochs. (e) The SFR and ΣSFR in outer regions of E and S0 galaxies show that they have undergone an extended phase of growth in mass between z = 2 and 0.4. The mass assembled in this phase is in agreement with

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): the signatures of galaxy interactions as viewed from small scale galaxy clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunawardhana, M. L. P.; Norberg, P.; Zehavi, I.; Farrow, D. J.; Loveday, J.; Hopkins, A. M.; Davies, L. J. M.; Wang, L.; Alpaslan, M.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Brough, S.; Holwerda, B. W.; Owers, M. S.; Wright, A. H.

2018-06-01

Statistical studies of galaxy-galaxy interactions often utilise net change in physical properties of progenitors as a function of the separation between their nuclei to trace both the strength and the observable timescale of their interaction. In this study, we use two-point auto, cross and mark correlation functions to investigate the extent to which small-scale clustering properties of star forming galaxies can be used to gain physical insight into galaxy-galaxy interactions between galaxies of similar optical brightness and stellar mass. The Hα star formers, drawn from the highly spatially complete Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey, show an increase in clustering on small separations. Moreover, the clustering strength shows a strong dependence on optical brightness and stellar mass, where (1) the clustering amplitude of optically brighter galaxies at a given separation is larger than that of optically fainter systems, (2) the small scale clustering properties (e.g. the strength, the scale at which the signal relative to the fiducial power law plateaus) of star forming galaxies appear to differ as a function of increasing optical brightness of galaxies. According to cross and mark correlation analyses, the former result is largely driven by the increased dust content in optically bright star forming galaxies. The latter could be interpreted as evidence of a correlation between interaction-scale and optical brightness of galaxies, where physical evidence of interactions between optically bright star formers, likely hosted within relatively massive halos, persist over larger separations than those between optically faint star formers.

Exploring the Merger/Starburst/AGN Connection in Nearby Infrared- Luminous Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chynoweth, Katie; Knop, Robert; Gibbons, Rachel

2007-02-01

We propose to explore the connection between galaxy interactions, starburst activity, and (in a few cases) AGN activity by obtaining spatially resolved optical spectroscopy of a sample of 11 infrared- luminous galaxies. The targets are chosen from the IRAS Bright Galaxy Sample (BGS), all of which show evidence for an ongoing starburst. Additionally, many of these galaxies are advanced mergers, or show clear signs of strong interactions. The kinematics of these galaxies are complicated, and many of them have significant off-nuclear star formation activity. We plan to use the DensePak Fiber Array on the WIYN 3.5m telescope to obtain spectra across the entire face of each galaxy system. These data in combination with similar data obtained for southern galaxies will contribute to understanding of interacting galaxies, galaxy evolution, and star formation. We will use line ratios, velocities, and profile as a means of tracing the dynamics of the gas, the age, strength, and progress of starburst activity throughout the system, and (for those few galaxies that show it) dynamical processes (e.g. outflows) arising from a central AGN.

Host Galaxies, Obscuration, and Nuclear Structure of Three Nearby Compact Symmetric Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perlman, Eric S.; Stocke, John T.; Conway, John; Reynolds, Chris

2001-08-01

We present three-band Hubble Space Telescope imaging of three nearby (z<=0.1) compact symmetric objects: 4C 31.04, 1946+708, and 1146+596. These objects were chosen on the basis of proximity to Earth as well as H I 21 cm line absorption. The inner H-band isophotes of these galaxies are well fitted by Nuker models, typical of nearby elliptical galaxies. Each shows a significant flattening in the isophotal profile at radii ~0.5", as well as significant variations in ellipticity and P.A. However, as previous authors have noted, neither is uncommon for elliptical galaxies. All three objects show modest departures from Nuker law models at radii of 1-5 h-160 kpc. Each galaxy shows large well-distributed dust features, which are somewhat concentrated in the nuclear regions in features that resemble disks or tori. We find that the amount of dust in these galaxies is about 10 times higher than normal for elliptical galaxies and radio galaxy hosts. The major axes of the nuclear dust disks tend to be oriented roughly perpendicular to the radio axis. One galaxy, 4C 31.04, exhibits bright nuclear regions well aligned with the radio axis, while another, 1146+596, shows a significant near-IR excess resembling a stellar bar along its dust disk. The combination of outwardly normal isophotal profiles with significant variations in P.A. and ellipticity is consistent with the host galaxies being relatively recent merger remnants and the mergers having occurred >~108 yr ago. Such a merger could have ``triggered'' the onset of the current active phase seen in these objects, but our data require a significant time delay between the merger event and the onset of nuclear activity. However, these data are also consistent with the hypothesis that the onset of nuclear activity in radio galaxies is due to relatively minor ``feeding'' events and/or the formation of ``bars within bars,'' events which would disturb the internal kinematics only slightly.

Galaxy NGC5474

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-25

NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer took this ultraviolet color image of the galaxy NGC5474 on June 7, 2003. NGC5474 is located 20 million light-years from Earth and is within a group of galaxies dominated by the Messier 101 galaxy. Star formation in this galaxy shows some evidence of a disturbed spiral pattern, which may have been induced by tidal interactions with Messier 101. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04634

KPC-SCALE STUDY OF SUBSTRUCTURES INSIDE GALAXIES out to z ~ 1.3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemmati, Shoubaneh; Mobasher, B.; Miller, S.; Nayyeri, H.

2014-01-01

Studying the resolved properties of galaxies in kpc scale has the capability to address major questions in galaxy structure formation and stellar properties evolution. We use a unique sample of 129 morphologically inclusive disk-like galaxies in the redshift range 0.2significant improvements in determining rotational velocity for each galaxy. We take advantage of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ACS and WFC3 mosaics from the CANDELS program, to perform SED modeling per resolution element in each galaxy and produce resolved rest-frame (U-V) color, stellar mass, star formation rate, age and extinction map for each galaxy. We analyze the effect of changing the Metallicity from solar to sub-solar on all our measurements. We identify red and blue regions inside galaxies based on their rest-frame (U-V) color maps with an innovative method. We show that red regions have higher stellar masses and older ages compared to the blue regions in galaxies. We also demonstrate that red regions are on average closer to the center of the galaxy than the blue regions and their spatial distance does not show a significant evolution with redshift and stellar mass of the host galaxy. Investigating the specific star formation rate evolution with redshift and dynamical mass, we notice that the evolutions in the whole galaxies are in perfect agreement with predictions from theory and previous observations. Blue regions show significantly higher sSFR and also higher slopes with redshift and dynamical mass compared to the whole galaxies and red regions are below the well-defined relation for the main sequence of star forming galaxies.

Declining Rotation Curves at z = 2 in ΛCDM Galaxy Formation Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teklu, Adelheid F.; Remus, Rhea-Silvia; Dolag, Klaus; Arth, Alexander; Burkert, Andreas; Obreja, Aura; Schulze, Felix

2018-02-01

Selecting disk galaxies from the cosmological, hydrodynamical simulation Magneticum Pathfinder, we show that almost half of our poster child disk galaxies at z = 2 show significantly declining rotation curves and low dark matter fractions, very similar to recently reported observations. These galaxies do not show any anomalous behavior, they reside in standard dark matter halos, and they typically grow significantly in mass until z = 0, where they span all morphological classes, including disk galaxies matching present-day rotation curves and observed dark matter fractions. Our findings demonstrate that declining rotation curves and low dark matter fractions in rotation-dominated galaxies at z = 2 appear naturally within the ΛCDM paradigm and reflect the complex baryonic physics, which plays a role at the peak epoch of star formation. In addition, we find some dispersion-dominated galaxies at z = 2 that host a significant gas disk and exhibit similar shaped rotation curves as the disk galaxy population, rendering it difficult to differentiate between these two populations with currently available observation techniques.

Seyfert Galaxies in the Infrared

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz-Nishiky, Milagros

1997-10-01

This thesis contains complementary aspects of the Seyfert phenomenon, each of which is analysed to bring a better understanding of present unification theories. Observations of the nuclear regions of various types of Seyfert galaxies were mostly made at infrared wavelengths which allow the study of dusty environments and provide new information on the physical conditions of these objects. For example, near infrared spectroscopy of Seyfert 2 galaxies revealed that there is a subclass of type 2 Seyferts with hot IR excess at ~3μm with broad IR emission lines suggesting that some Seyfert 2s do in fact contain a hidden Seyfert 1 nucleus. Additional spectropolarimetry showed that the scattering screens, postulated in the standard model, are not always present in Seyfert 2s. At mid infrared wavelengths, it was found that the 10 μm nuclear emission of Seyferts with broad emission lines is intrinsically brighter than that of Seyferts with no broad lines. The extended 10μm emission shows that Seyfert 2 galaxies present enhanced star-formation when compared to Seyfert 1s. Both results pose obstacles for present unification ideas and I discuss possible interpretations to these observations. Seyfert galaxies were also observed at radio wavelengths to study their large scale emission of 1-0 CO. Surprisingly, this emission usually related with star formation activity was found to be similar in both types of Seyfert galaxies and therefore does not explain why Seyfert 2 galaxies have enhanced star formation as concluded in the 10μm study. A study of galaxy morphology and companions in this set of Seyferts shows at a significant statistical level that Seyfert 2s present a higher incidence of asymmetric morphologies compared to Seyfert 1s and field galaxies, and therefore are undergoing gravitational perturbations which may induce star formation. Near infrared spectroscopy of a large sample of Seyfert galaxies is analysed to study the excitation mechanisms of (FeII) and H2 lines

Submillimeter Follow-up of WISE-selected Hyperluminous Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jingwen; Tsai, Chao-Wei; Sayers, Jack; Benford, Dominic; Bridge, Carrie; Blain, Andrew; Eisenhardt, Peter R. M.; Stern, Daniel; Petty, Sara; Assef, Roberto; Bussmann, Shane; Comerford, Julia M.; Cutri, Roc; Evans, Neal J., II; Griffith, Roger; Jarrett, Thomas; Lake, Sean; Lonsdale, Carol; Rho, Jeonghee; Stanford, S. Adam; Weiner, Benjamin; Wright, Edward L.; Yan, Lin

2012-09-01

We have used the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) to follow-up a sample of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) selected, hyperluminous galaxies, the so-called W1W2-dropout galaxies. This is a rare (~1000 all-sky) population of galaxies at high redshift (peaks at z = 2-3), which are faint or undetected by WISE at 3.4 and 4.6 μm, yet are clearly detected at 12 and 22 μm. The optical spectra of most of these galaxies show significant active galactic nucleus activity. We observed 14 high-redshift (z > 1.7) W1W2-dropout galaxies with SHARC-II at 350-850 μm, with nine detections, and observed 18 with Bolocam at 1.1 mm, with five detections. Warm Spitzer follow-up of 25 targets at 3.6 and 4.5 μm, as well as optical spectra of 12 targets, are also presented in the paper. Combining WISE data with observations from warm Spitzer and CSO, we constructed their mid-IR to millimeter spectral energy distributions (SEDs). These SEDs have a consistent shape, showing significantly higher mid-IR to submillimeter ratios than other galaxy templates, suggesting a hotter dust temperature. We estimate their dust temperatures to be 60-120 K using a single-temperature model. Their infrared luminosities are well over 1013 L ⊙. These SEDs are not well fitted with existing galaxy templates, suggesting they are a new population with very high luminosity and hot dust. They are likely among the most luminous galaxies in the universe. We argue that they are extreme cases of luminous, hot dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs), possibly representing a short evolutionary phase during galaxy merging and evolution. A better understanding of their long-wavelength properties needs ALMA as well as Herschel data.

SUBMILLIMETER FOLLOW-UP OF WISE-SELECTED HYPERLUMINOUS GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu Jingwen; Eisenhardt, Peter R. M.; Stern, Daniel

2012-09-01

We have used the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) to follow-up a sample of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) selected, hyperluminous galaxies, the so-called W1W2-dropout galaxies. This is a rare ({approx}1000 all-sky) population of galaxies at high redshift (peaks at z = 2-3), which are faint or undetected by WISE at 3.4 and 4.6 {mu}m, yet are clearly detected at 12 and 22 {mu}m. The optical spectra of most of these galaxies show significant active galactic nucleus activity. We observed 14 high-redshift (z > 1.7) W1W2-dropout galaxies with SHARC-II at 350-850 {mu}m, with nine detections, and observed 18 with Bolocam atmore » 1.1 mm, with five detections. Warm Spitzer follow-up of 25 targets at 3.6 and 4.5 {mu}m, as well as optical spectra of 12 targets, are also presented in the paper. Combining WISE data with observations from warm Spitzer and CSO, we constructed their mid-IR to millimeter spectral energy distributions (SEDs). These SEDs have a consistent shape, showing significantly higher mid-IR to submillimeter ratios than other galaxy templates, suggesting a hotter dust temperature. We estimate their dust temperatures to be 60-120 K using a single-temperature model. Their infrared luminosities are well over 10{sup 13} L{sub Sun }. These SEDs are not well fitted with existing galaxy templates, suggesting they are a new population with very high luminosity and hot dust. They are likely among the most luminous galaxies in the universe. We argue that they are extreme cases of luminous, hot dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs), possibly representing a short evolutionary phase during galaxy merging and evolution. A better understanding of their long-wavelength properties needs ALMA as well as Herschel data.« less

Submillimeter Follow-Up of WISE-Selected Hyperluminous Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Jingwen; Tsai, Chao-Wei; Sayers, Jack; Benford, Dominic; Bridge, Carrie; Blain, Andrew; Eisenhardt, Peter R.; Stern, Daniel; Petty, Sara; Assef, Roberto;

Submillimeter Follow-up of Wise-Selected Hyperluminous Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Jingwen; Tsai, Chao-Wei; Sayers, Jack; Benford, Dominic; Bridge, Carrie; Blain, Andrew; Eisenhardt, Peter R. M.; Stern, Daniel; Petty, Sara; Assef, Roberto;

THE AROMATIC FEATURES IN VERY FAINT DWARF GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu Ronin; Hogg, David W.; Moustakas, John

2011-04-01

We present optical and mid-infrared photometry of a statistically complete sample of 29 dwarf galaxies (M{sub r} > - 15 mag) selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopic sample and observed in the mid-infrared with Spitzer IRAC. This sample contains nearby (redshift {approx}<0.005) galaxies 3 mag fainter than previously studied samples. We compare our sample with other star-forming galaxies that have been observed with both IRAC and SDSS. We examine the relationship of the infrared color, [3.6]-[7.8], sensitive to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) abundance and also hot dust and stellar continuum, with star formation rates (SFRs), oxygen abundances,more » and radiation hardness, all estimated by optical emission lines. Consistent with studies of more luminous dwarfs, we find that these dwarf galaxies show much redder [3.6]-[7.8] color than luminous galaxies with similar specific SFRs. Unlike luminous galaxies, we find that these dwarf galaxies show no significant dependence at all of the [3.6]-[7.8] color on SFR, oxygen abundance, or radiation hardness, despite the fact that the sample spans a significant range in all of these quantities. When the dwarfs in our sample are compared with more luminous dwarfs, we find that the [3.6]-[7.8] color, potentially tracing the PAH emission, depends on oxygen abundance and radiation hardness. However, these two parameters are correlated with one another as well; we break this degeneracy by looking at the PAH-oxygen abundance relation at a fixed radiation hardness and the PAH-hardness relation at a fixed oxygen abundance. This test shows that the [3.6]-[7.8] color in dwarf galaxies appears to depend more directly on oxygen abundance based on the data currently available.« less

Galaxy NGC 247

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

This image of the dwarf spiral galaxy NGC 247 was taken by Galaxy Evolution Explorer on October 13, 2003, in a single orbit exposure of 1600 seconds. The region that looks like a 'hole' in the upper part of the galaxy is a location with a deficit of gas and therefore a lower star formation rate and ultraviolet brightness. Optical images of this galaxy show a bright star on the southern edge. This star is faint and red in the Galaxy Evolution Explorer ultraviolet image, revealing that it is a foreground star in our Milky Way galaxy. The string of background galaxies to the North-East (upper left) of NGC 247 is 355 million light years from our Milky Way galaxy whereas NGC 247 is a mere 9 million light years away. The faint blue light that can be seen in the Galaxy Evolution Explorer image of the upper two of these background galaxies may indicate that they are in the process of merging together.

Galaxy NGC 300

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-12-10

This image of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 300 was taken by Galaxy Evolution Explorer in a single orbit exposure of 27 minutes on October 10, 2003. NGC 300 lies 7 million light years from our Milky Way galaxy and is one of a group of galaxies in the constellation Sculptor. NGC 300 is often used as a prototype of a spiral galaxy because in optical images it displays flowing spiral arms and a bright central region of older (and thus redder) stars. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer image taken in ultraviolet light shows us that NGC 300 is an efficient star-forming galaxy. The bright blue regions in the Galaxy Evolution Explorer image reveal new stars forming all the way into the nucleus of NGC 300. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04924

Galaxy bias from galaxy–galaxy lensing in the DES science verification data

DOE PAGES

Prat, J.; Sánchez, C.; Miquel, R.; ...

2017-09-25

Here, we present a measurement of galaxy–galaxy lensing around a magnitude-limited (i AB < 22.5) sample of galaxies from the dark energy survey science verification (DES-SV) data. We split these lenses into three photometric-redshift bins from 0.2 to 0.8, and determine the product of the galaxy bias b and cross-correlation coefficient between the galaxy and dark matter overdensity fields r in each bin, using scales above 4 h –1 Mpc comoving, where we find the linear bias model to be valid given our current uncertainties. We compare our galaxy bias results from galaxy–galaxy lensing with those obtained from galaxy clusteringmore » and CMB lensing for the same sample of galaxies, and find our measurements to be in good agreement with those in Crocce et al., while, in the lowest redshift bin (z ~ 0.3), they show some tension with the findings in Giannantonio et al. We measure b · r to be 0.87 ± 0.11, 1.12 ± 0.16 and 1.24 ± 0.23, respectively, for the three redshift bins of width Δz = 0.2 in the range 0.2 < z < 0.8, defined with the photometric-redshift algorithm bpz. Using a different code to split the lens sample, tpz, leads to changes in the measured biases at the 10–20 per cent level, but it does not alter the main conclusion of this work: when comparing with Crocce et al. we do not find strong evidence for a cross-correlation parameter significantly below one in this galaxy sample, except possibly at the lowest redshift bin (z ~ 0.3), where we find r = 0.71 ± 0.11 when using tpz, and 0.83 ± 0.12 with bpz.« less

Galaxy bias from galaxy–galaxy lensing in the DES science verification data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Prat, J.; Sánchez, C.; Miquel, R.

Here, we present a measurement of galaxy–galaxy lensing around a magnitude-limited (i AB < 22.5) sample of galaxies from the dark energy survey science verification (DES-SV) data. We split these lenses into three photometric-redshift bins from 0.2 to 0.8, and determine the product of the galaxy bias b and cross-correlation coefficient between the galaxy and dark matter overdensity fields r in each bin, using scales above 4 h –1 Mpc comoving, where we find the linear bias model to be valid given our current uncertainties. We compare our galaxy bias results from galaxy–galaxy lensing with those obtained from galaxy clusteringmore » and CMB lensing for the same sample of galaxies, and find our measurements to be in good agreement with those in Crocce et al., while, in the lowest redshift bin (z ~ 0.3), they show some tension with the findings in Giannantonio et al. We measure b · r to be 0.87 ± 0.11, 1.12 ± 0.16 and 1.24 ± 0.23, respectively, for the three redshift bins of width Δz = 0.2 in the range 0.2 < z < 0.8, defined with the photometric-redshift algorithm bpz. Using a different code to split the lens sample, tpz, leads to changes in the measured biases at the 10–20 per cent level, but it does not alter the main conclusion of this work: when comparing with Crocce et al. we do not find strong evidence for a cross-correlation parameter significantly below one in this galaxy sample, except possibly at the lowest redshift bin (z ~ 0.3), where we find r = 0.71 ± 0.11 when using tpz, and 0.83 ± 0.12 with bpz.« less

Sub-mm galaxies as progenitors of compact quiescent galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toft, Sune

2015-08-01

Three billion years after the big bang (at redshift z=2), half of the most massive galaxies were already old, quiescent systems with little to no residual star formation and extremely compact with stellar mass densities at least an order of magnitude larger than in low redshift ellipticals, their descendants. Little is known about how they formed, but their evolved, dense stellar populations suggest formation within intense, compact starbursts 1-2 Gyr earlier (at 3 < z < 6). Simulations show that gas-rich major mergers can give rise to such starbursts which produce dense remnants. Sub-millimetre selected galaxies (SMGs) are prime examples of intense, gas-rich, starbursts. With a new, mass-complete spectroscopic sample of compact quiescent galaxies at z=2 and a statistically well-understood sample of SMGs, we show that z = 3 -6 SMGs are consistent with being the progenitors of z = 2 quiescent galaxies, matching their formation redshifts and their distributions of sizes, stellar masses and internal velocities. Assuming an evolutionary connection, their space densities also match if the mean duty cycle of SMG starbursts is 42 (+40/-29) Myr (consistent with independent estimates), indicating that the bulk of stars in these massive galaxies were formed in a major, early surge of star-formation. These results suggests a coherent picture of the formation history of the most massive galaxies in the universe, from their initial burst of violent star-formation through their appearance as high stellardensity galaxy cores and to their ultimate fate as giant ellipticals.If time permits i will show novel, spatially resolved spectroscopic observations of the inner regions (rgalaxies at z>2, allowing for strong new constraints on their formation and evolutionary path

Starburst galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weedman, Daniel W.

1987-01-01

The infrared properties of star-forming galaxies, primarily as determined by the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS), are compared to X-ray, optical, and radio properties. Luminosity functions are reviewed and combined with those derived from optically discovered samples using 487 Markarian galaxies with redshifts and published IRAS 60 micron fluxes, and 1074 such galaxies in the Center for Astrophysics redshift survey. It is found that the majority of infrared galaxies which could be detected are low luminosity sources already known from the optical samples, but non-infrared surveys have found only a very small fraction of the highest luminosity sources. Distributions of infrared to optical fluxes and available spectra indicate that the majority of IRAS-selected galaxies are starburst galaxies. Having a census of starburst galaxies and associated dust allow severl important global calculations. The source counts are predicted as a function of flux limits for both infrared and radio fluxes. These galaxies are found to be important radio sources at faint flux limits. Taking the integrated flux to z = 3 indicates that such galaxies are a significant component of the diffuse X-ray background, and could be the the dominant component depending on the nature of the X-ray spectra and source evolution.

Galaxy evolution in the cluster Abell 85: new insights from the dwarf population

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habas, Rebecca; Fadda, Dario; Marleau, Francine R.; Biviano, Andrea; Durret, Florence

2018-04-01

We present the first results of a new spectroscopic survey of the cluster Abell 85 targeting 1466 candidate cluster members within the central ˜1 deg2 of the cluster and having magnitudes mr < 20.5 using the VIsible MultiObject Spectrograph on the VLT and the Hydra spectrograh on WIYN. A total of 520 galaxies are confirmed as either relaxed cluster members or part of an infalling population. A significant fraction are low mass; the median stellar mass of the sample is 109.6 M⊙, and 25 per cent have stellar masses below 109 M⊙ (i.e. 133 dwarf galaxies). We also identify seven active galactic nuclei (AGN), four of which reside in dwarf host galaxies. We probe the evolution of star formation rates, based on Hα emission and continuum modelling, as a function of both mass and environment. We find that more star-forming galaxies are observed at larger clustercentric distances, while infalling galaxies show evidence for recently enhanced star-forming activity. Main-sequence galaxies, defined by their continuum star formation rates, show different evolutionary behaviour based on their mass. At the low-mass end, the galaxies have had their star formation recently quenched, while more massive galaxies show no significant change. The time-scales probed here favour fast quenching mechanisms, such as ram-pressure stripping. Galaxies within the green valley, defined similarly, do not show evidence of quenching. Instead, the low-mass galaxies maintain their levels of star-forming activity, while the more massive galaxies have experienced a recent burst.

Kinematic scaling relations of CALIFA galaxies: A dynamical mass proxy for galaxies across the Hubble sequence.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aquino-Ortíz, E.; Valenzuela, O.; Sánchez, S. F.; Hernández-Toledo, H.; Ávila-Reese, V.; van de Ven, G.; Rodríguez-Puebla, A.; Zhu, L.; Mancillas, B.; Cano-Díaz, M.; García-Benito, R.

2018-06-01

We used ionized gas and stellar kinematics for 667 spatially resolved galaxies publicly available from the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area survey (CALIFA) 3rd Data Release with the aim of studying kinematic scaling relations as the Tully & Fisher (TF) relation using rotation velocity, Vrot, the Faber & Jackson (FJ) relation using velocity dispersion, σ, and also a combination of Vrot and σ through the SK parameter defined as SK^2 = KV_{rot}^2 + σ ^2 with constant K. Late-type and early-type galaxies reproduce the TF and FJ relations. Some early-type galaxies also follow the TF relation and some late-type galaxies the FJ relation, but always with larger scatter. On the contrary, when we use the SK parameter, all galaxies, regardless of the morphological type, lie on the same scaling relation, showing a tight correlation with the total stellar mass, M⋆. Indeed, we find that the scatter in this relation is smaller or equal to that of the TF and FJ relations. We explore different values of the K parameter without significant differences (slope and scatter) in our final results with respect the case K = 0.5 besides than a small change in the zero point. We calibrate the kinematic SK^2 dynamical mass proxy in order to make it consistent with sophisticated published dynamical models within 0.15 dex. We show that the SK proxy is able to reproduce the relation between the dynamical mass and the stellar mass in the inner regions of galaxies. Our result may be useful in order to produce fast estimations of the central dynamical mass in galaxies and to study correlations in large galaxy surveys.

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): ugriz galaxy luminosity functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loveday, J.; Norberg, P.; Baldry, I. K.; Driver, S. P.; Hopkins, A. M.; Peacock, J. A.; Bamford, S. P.; Liske, J.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Brough, S.; Brown, M. J. I.; Cameron, E.; Conselice, C. J.; Croom, S. M.; Frenk, C. S.; Gunawardhana, M.; Hill, D. T.; Jones, D. H.; Kelvin, L. S.; Kuijken, K.; Nichol, R. C.; Parkinson, H. R.; Phillipps, S.; Pimbblet, K. A.; Popescu, C. C.; Prescott, M.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Sharp, R. G.; Sutherland, W. J.; Taylor, E. N.; Thomas, D.; Tuffs, R. J.; van Kampen, E.; Wijesinghe, D.

2012-02-01

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) is a project to study galaxy formation and evolution, combining imaging data from ultraviolet to radio with spectroscopic data from the AAOmega spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. Using data from Phase 1 of GAMA, taken over three observing seasons, and correcting for various minor sources of incompleteness, we calculate galaxy luminosity functions (LFs) and their evolution in the ugriz passbands. At low redshift, z < 0.1, we find that blue galaxies, defined according to a magnitude-dependent but non-evolving colour cut, are reasonably well fitted over a range of more than 10 magnitudes by simple Schechter functions in all bands. Red galaxies, and the combined blue plus red sample, require double power-law Schechter functions to fit a dip in their LF faintwards of the characteristic magnitude M* before a steepening faint end. This upturn is at least partly due to dust-reddened disc galaxies. We measure the evolution of the galaxy LF over the redshift range 0.002 < z < 0.5 both by using a parametric fit and by measuring binned LFs in redshift slices. The characteristic luminosity L* is found to increase with redshift in all bands, with red galaxies showing stronger luminosity evolution than blue galaxies. The comoving number density of blue galaxies increases with redshift, while that of red galaxies decreases, consistent with prevailing movement from blue cloud to red sequence. As well as being more numerous at higher redshift, blue galaxies also dominate the overall luminosity density beyond redshifts z≃ 0.2. At lower redshifts, the luminosity density is dominated by red galaxies in the riz bands, and by blue galaxies in u and g.

Andromeda Galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site]

This image is a Galaxy Evolution Explorer observation of the large galaxy in Andromeda, Messier 31. The Andromeda galaxy is the most massive in the local group of galaxies that includes our Milky Way. Andromeda is the nearest large galaxy to our own. The image is a mosaic of 10 separate Galaxy Evolution Explorer images taken in September, 2003. The color image (with near ultraviolet shown by red and far ultraviolet shown by blue) shows blue regions of young, hot, high mass stars tracing out the spiral arms where star formation is occurring, and the central orange-white 'bulge' of old, cooler stars formed long ago. The star forming arms of Messier 31 are unusual in being quite circular rather than the usual spiral shape. Several companion galaxies can also be seen. These include Messier 32, a dwarf elliptical galaxy directly below the central bulge and just outside the spiral arms, and Messier 110 (M110), which is above and to the right of the center. M110 has an unusual far ultraviolet bright core in an otherwise 'red,' old star halo. Many other regions of star formation can be seen far outside the main body of the galaxy.

Galaxy NGC 247

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-12-10

This image of the dwarf spiral galaxy NGC 247 was taken by Galaxy Evolution Explorer on October 13, 2003, in a single orbit exposure of 1600 seconds. The region that looks like a "hole" in the upper part of the galaxy is a location with a deficit of gas and therefore a lower star formation rate and ultraviolet brightness. Optical images of this galaxy show a bright star on the southern edge. This star is faint and red in the Galaxy Evolution Explorer ultraviolet image, revealing that it is a foreground star in our Milky Way galaxy. The string of background galaxies to the North-East (upper left) of NGC 247 is 355 million light years from our Milky Way galaxy whereas NGC 247 is a mere 9 million light years away. The faint blue light that can be seen in the Galaxy Evolution Explorer image of the upper two of these background galaxies may indicate that they are in the process of merging together. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04922

Submillimeter Galaxies as Progenitors of Compact Quiescent Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toft, S.; Smolcic, V.; Magnelli, B.; Karim, A.; Zirm, A.; Michalowski, M.; Capak, P.; Sheth, K.; Schawinski, K.; Krogager, J.-K.;

Submillimeter Galaxies as Progenitors of Compact Quiescent Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toft, S.; Smolčić, V.; Magnelli, B.; Karim, A.; Zirm, A.; Michalowski, M.; Capak, P.; Sheth, K.; Schawinski, K.; Krogager, J.-K.; Wuyts, S.; Sanders, D.; Man, A. W. S.; Lutz, D.; Staguhn, J.; Berta, S.; Mccracken, H.; Krpan, J.; Riechers, D.

2014-02-01

Three billion years after the big bang (at redshift z = 2), half of the most massive galaxies were already old, quiescent systems with little to no residual star formation and extremely compact with stellar mass densities at least an order of magnitude larger than in low-redshift ellipticals, their descendants. Little is known about how they formed, but their evolved, dense stellar populations suggest formation within intense, compact starbursts 1-2 Gyr earlier (at 3 < z < 6). Simulations show that gas-rich major mergers can give rise to such starbursts, which produce dense remnants. Submillimeter-selected galaxies (SMGs) are prime examples of intense, gas-rich starbursts. With a new, representative spectroscopic sample of compact, quiescent galaxies at z = 2 and a statistically well-understood sample of SMGs, we show that z = 3-6 SMGs are consistent with being the progenitors of z = 2 quiescent galaxies, matching their formation redshifts and their distributions of sizes, stellar masses, and internal velocities. Assuming an evolutionary connection, their space densities also match if the mean duty cycle of SMG starbursts is 42^{+40}_{-29} Myr (consistent with independent estimates), which indicates that the bulk of stars in these massive galaxies were formed in a major, early surge of star formation. These results suggest a coherent picture of the formation history of the most massive galaxies in the universe, from their initial burst of violent star formation through their appearance as high stellar-density galaxy cores and to their ultimate fate as giant ellipticals.

Characterising and identifying galaxy protoclusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lovell, Christopher C.; Thomas, Peter A.; Wilkins, Stephen M.

2018-03-01

We study the characteristics of galaxy protoclusters using the latest L-GALAXIES semi-analytic model. Searching for protoclusters on a scale of ˜10 cMpc gives an excellent compromise between the completeness and purity of their galaxy populations, leads to high distinction from the field in overdensity space, and allows accurate determination of the descendant cluster mass. This scale is valid over a range of redshifts and selection criteria. We present a procedure for estimating, given a measured galaxy overdensity, the protocluster probability and its descendant cluster mass for a range of modelling assumptions, particularly taking into account the shape of the measurement aperture. This procedure produces lower protocluster probabilities compared to previous estimates using fixed size apertures. The relationship between active galactic nucleus (AGN) and protoclusters is also investigated and shows significant evolution with redshift; at z ˜ 2, the fraction of protoclusters traced by AGN is high, but the fraction of all AGNs in protoclusters is low, whereas at z ≥ 5 the fraction of protoclusters containing AGN is low, but most AGNs are in protoclusters. We also find indirect evidence for the emergence of a passive sequence in protoclusters at z ˜ 2, and note that a significant fraction of all galaxies reside in protoclusters at z ≥ 2, particularly the most massive.

Smokin Hot Galaxy animation

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-03-16

This infrared image from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope shows a galaxy that appears to be sizzling hot, with huge plumes of smoke swirling around it. The galaxy is known as Messier 82 or the Cigar galaxy.

The role of submillimetre galaxies in galaxy evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pope, Erin Alexandra

2007-08-01

estimate of the redshift, s(D z /(1 + z )) = 0.07. The median redshift of the secure submm counterparts is 2.0. Using X-ray and mid-IR imaging data, only 5% of the secure counterparts show strong evidence for an active galactic nucleus (AGN) dominating the IR luminosity. This thesis also presents deep Spitzer mid-IR spectroscopy of 13 of these SMGs in order to determine the contribution from AGN and starburst emission to the IR luminosity. I find strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission features in all of the targets, while only 2/13 SMGs have a significant mid-IR rising power-law component which would indicate an AGN. In the high signal-to- noise ratio composite spectrum of the SMGs I find that the AGN component contributes at most 30% of the mid-IR luminosity, implying that the total LIR in SMGs is dominated by star formation and not AGN emission. I also find that the SMGs lie on the relation between the luminosity of the main PAH features and L IR established for local starburst galaxies, confirming that the PAH luminosity can be used as a proxy for the star formation rate. Interestingly, local ULIRGs, which are often thought to be the low redshift analogues of SMGs, lie off these relations, as they appear deficient in PAH luminosity for a given L IR . In terms of an evolutionary scenario for IR luminous galaxies, SMGs are consistent with being an earlier phase in the massive merger (compared with other local or high redshift ULIRGs) in which the AGN has not yet become strong enough to heat the dust and dilute the PAH emission. I further investigate the overlap between high redshift infrared and submm populations using a statistical stacking analysis to measure the contribution of near- and mid-IR galaxy populations to the 850 mm submm background. For the first time, it is found that the 850 mm background can be completely resolved into individual galaxies and the bulk of these galaxies lie at z [Special characters omitted.] 3. Additionally I present a

INTEGRAL-FIELD STELLAR AND IONIZED GAS KINEMATICS OF PECULIAR VIRGO CLUSTER SPIRAL GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cortés, Juan R.; Hardy, Eduardo; Kenney, Jeffrey D. P., E-mail: jcortes@alma.cl, E-mail: ehardy@nrao.cl, E-mail: jeff.kenney@yale.edu

2015-01-01

We present the stellar and ionized gas kinematics of 13 bright peculiar Virgo cluster galaxies observed with the DensePak Integral Field Unit at the WIYN 3.5 m telescope in order to look for kinematic evidence that these galaxies have experienced gravitational interactions or gas stripping. Two-dimensional maps of the stellar velocity V, stellar velocity dispersion σ, and the ionized gas velocity (Hβ and/or [O III]) are presented for the galaxies in the sample. The stellar rotation curves and velocity dispersion profiles are determined for 13 galaxies, and the ionized gas rotation curves are determined for 6 galaxies. Misalignments between themore » optical and kinematical major axes are found in several galaxies. While in some cases this is due to a bar, in other cases it seems to be associated with gravitational interaction or ongoing ram pressure stripping. Non-circular gas motions are found in nine galaxies, with various causes including bars, nuclear outflows, or gravitational disturbances. Several galaxies have signatures of kinematically distinct stellar components, which are likely signatures of accretion or mergers. For all of our galaxies, we compute the angular momentum parameter λ {sub R}. An evaluation of the galaxies in the λ {sub R} ellipticity plane shows that all but two of the galaxies have significant support from random stellar motions, and have likely experienced gravitational interactions. This includes some galaxies with very small bulges and truncated/compact Hα morphologies, indicating that such galaxies cannot be fully explained by simple ram pressure stripping, but must have had significant gravitational encounters. Most of the sample galaxies show evidence for ICM-ISM stripping as well as gravitational interactions, indicating that the evolution of a significant fraction of cluster galaxies is likely strongly impacted by both effects.« less

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Morphological transformation of galaxies across the green valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bremer, M. N.; Phillipps, S.; Kelvin, L. S.; De Propris, R.; Kennedy, Rebecca; Moffett, Amanda J.; Bamford, S.; Davies, L. J. M.; Driver, S. P.; Häußler, B.; Holwerda, B.; Hopkins, A.; James, P. A.; Liske, J.; Percival, S.; Taylor, E. N.

2018-05-01

We explore constraints on the joint photometric and morphological evolution of typical low redshift galaxies as they move from the blue cloud through the green valley and on to the red sequence. We select Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey galaxies with 10.25 < log(M*/M⊙) < 10.75 and z < 0.2 classified according to their intrinsic u* - r* colour. From single component Sérsic fits, we find that the stellar mass-sensitive K-band profiles of red and green galaxy populations are very similar while g-band profiles indicate more disc-like morphologies for the green galaxies: apparent (optical) morphological differences arise primarily from radial mass-to-light ratio variations. Two-component fits show that most green galaxies have significant bulge and disc components and that the blue to red evolution is driven by colour change in the disc. Together, these strongly suggest that galaxies evolve from blue to red through secular disc fading and that a strong bulge is present prior to any decline in star formation. The relative abundance of the green population implies a typical time-scale for traversing the green valley ˜1-2 Gyr and is independent of environment, unlike that of the red and blue populations. While environment likely plays a rôle in triggering the passage across the green valley, it appears to have little effect on time taken. These results are consistent with a green valley population dominated by (early type) disc galaxies that are insufficiently supplied with gas to maintain previous levels of disc star formation, eventually attaining passive colours. No single event is needed to quench their star formation.

A Bayesian Hierarchical Approach to Galaxy-Galaxy Lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonnenfeld, Alessandro; Leauthaud, Alexie

2018-04-01

We present a Bayesian hierarchical inference formalism to study the relation between the properties of dark matter halos and those of their central galaxies using weak gravitational lensing. Unlike traditional methods, this technique does not resort to stacking the weak lensing signal in bins, and thus allows for a more efficient use of the information content in the data. Our method is particularly useful for constraining scaling relations between two or more galaxy properties and dark matter halo mass, and can also be used to constrain the intrinsic scatter in these scaling relations. We show that, if observational scatter is not properly accounted for, the traditional stacking method can produce biased results when exploring correlations between multiple galaxy properties and halo mass. For example, this bias can affect studies of the joint correlation between galaxy mass, halo mass, and galaxy size, or galaxy colour. In contrast, our method easily and efficiently handles the intrinsic and observational scatter in multiple galaxy properties and halo mass. We test our method on mocks with varying degrees of complexity. We find that we can recover the mean halo mass and concentration, each with a 0.1 dex accuracy, and the intrinsic scatter in halo mass with a 0.05 dex accuracy. In its current version, our method will be most useful for studying the weak lensing signal around central galaxies in groups and clusters, as well as massive galaxies samples with log M* > 11, which have low satellite fractions.

A Bayesian hierarchical approach to galaxy-galaxy lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonnenfeld, Alessandro; Leauthaud, Alexie

2018-07-01

We present a Bayesian hierarchical inference formalism to study the relation between the properties of dark matter haloes and those of their central galaxies using weak gravitational lensing. Unlike traditional methods, this technique does not resort to stacking the weak lensing signal in bins, and thus allows for a more efficient use of the information content in the data. Our method is particularly useful for constraining scaling relations between two or more galaxy properties and dark matter halo mass, and can also be used to constrain the intrinsic scatter in these scaling relations. We show that, if observational scatter is not properly accounted for, the traditional stacking method can produce biased results when exploring correlations between multiple galaxy properties and halo mass. For example, this bias can affect studies of the joint correlation between galaxy mass, halo mass, and galaxy size, or galaxy colour. In contrast, our method easily and efficiently handles the intrinsic and observational scatter in multiple galaxy properties and halo mass. We test our method on mocks with varying degrees of complexity. We find that we can recover the mean halo mass and concentration, each with a 0.1 dex accuracy, and the intrinsic scatter in halo mass with a 0.05 dex accuracy. In its current version, our method will be most useful for studying the weak lensing signal around central galaxies in groups and clusters, as well as massive galaxies samples with log M* > 11, which have low satellite fractions.

The galaxy ancestor problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Disney, M. J.; Lang, R. H.

2012-11-01

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) findsgalaxies whose Tolman dimming exceeds 10 mag. Could evolution alone explain these as our ancestor galaxies or could they be representatives of quite a different dynasty whose descendants are no longer prominent today? We explore the latter hypothesis and argue that surface brightness selection effects naturally bring into focus quite different dynasties from different redshifts. Thus, the HST z = 7 galaxies could be examples of galaxies whose descendants are both too small and too choked with dust to be recognizable in our neighbourhood easily today. Conversely, the ancestors of the Milky Way and its obvious neighbours would have completely sunk below the sky at z > 1.2, unless they were more luminous in the past, although their diffused light could account for the missing re-ionization flux. This Succeeding Prominent Dynasties Hypothesis (SPDH) fits the existing observations both naturally and well even without evolution, including the bizarre distributions of galaxy surface brightness found in deep fields, the angular size ˜(1 + z)-1 law, 'downsizing' which turns out to be an 'illusion' in the sense that it does not imply evolution, 'infant mortality', that is, the discrepancy between stars born and stars seen, the existence of 'red nuggets', and finally the recently discovered and unexpected excess of quasar absorption line damped Lyα systems at high redshift. If galaxies were not significantly brighter in the past and the SPDH were true, then a large proportion of galaxies could remain sunk from sight, possibly at all redshifts, and these sunken galaxies could supply the missing re-ionization flux. We show that fishing these sunken galaxies out of the sky by their optical emissions alone is practically impossible, even when they are nearby. More ingenious methods are needed to detect them. It follows that disentangling galaxy evolution through studying ever higher redshift galaxies may be a forlorn hope because one could

Galaxy Messier 83

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-25

This image of the spiral galaxy Messier 83 was taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer on June 7, 2003. Located 15 million light years from Earth and known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, Messier 83 displays significant amounts of ultraviolet emissions far from the optically bright portion of the galaxy. It is also known to have an extended hydrogen disc that appears to radiate a faint ultraviolet emission. The red stars in the foreground of the image are Milky Way stars. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04629

The effects of assembly bias on the inference of matter clustering from galaxy-galaxy lensing and galaxy clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McEwen, Joseph E.; Weinberg, David H.

2018-07-01

The combination of galaxy-galaxy lensing and galaxy clustering is a promising route to measuring the amplitude of matter clustering and testing modified gravity theories of cosmic acceleration. Halo occupation distribution (HOD) modelling can extend the approach down to non-linear scales, but galaxy assembly bias could introduce systematic errors by causing the HOD to vary with the large-scale environment at fixed halo mass. We investigate this problem using the mock galaxy catalogs created by Hearin & Watson (2013, HW13), which exhibit significant assembly bias because galaxy luminosity is tied to halo peak circular velocity and galaxy colour is tied to halo formation time. The preferential placement of galaxies (especially red galaxies) in older haloes affects the cutoff of the mean occupation function ⟨Ncen(Mmin)⟩ for central galaxies, with haloes in overdense regions more likely to host galaxies. The effect of assembly bias on the satellite galaxy HOD is minimal. We introduce an extended, environment-dependent HOD (EDHOD) prescription to describe these results and fit galaxy correlation measurements. Crucially, we find that the galaxy-matter cross-correlation coefficient, rgm(r) ≡ ξgm(r) . [ξmm(r)ξgg(r)]-1/2, is insensitive to assembly bias on scales r ≳ 1 h-1 Mpc, even though ξgm(r) and ξgg(r) are both affected individually. We can therefore recover the correct ξmm(r) from the HW13 galaxy-galaxy and galaxy-matter correlations using either a standard HOD or EDHOD fitting method. For Mr ≤ -19 or Mr ≤ -20 samples the recovery of ξmm(r) is accurate to 2 per cent or better. For a sample of red Mr ≤ -20 galaxies, we achieve 2 per cent recovery at r ≳ 2 h-1 Mpc with EDHOD modelling but lower accuracy at smaller scales or with a standard HOD fit. Most of our mock galaxy samples are consistent with rgm = 1 down to r = 1 h-1 Mpc, to within the uncertainties set by our finite simulation volume.

The effects of assembly bias on the inference of matter clustering from galaxy-galaxy lensing and galaxy clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McEwen, Joseph E.; Weinberg, David H.

2018-04-01

The combination of galaxy-galaxy lensing (GGL) and galaxy clustering is a promising route to measuring the amplitude of matter clustering and testing modified gravity theories of cosmic acceleration. Halo occupation distribution (HOD) modeling can extend the approach down to nonlinear scales, but galaxy assembly bias could introduce systematic errors by causing the HOD to vary with large scale environment at fixed halo mass. We investigate this problem using the mock galaxy catalogs created by Hearin & Watson (2013, HW13), which exhibit significant assembly bias because galaxy luminosity is tied to halo peak circular velocity and galaxy colour is tied to halo formation time. The preferential placement of galaxies (especially red galaxies) in older halos affects the cutoff of the mean occupation function for central galaxies, with halos in overdense regions more likely to host galaxies. The effect of assembly bias on the satellite galaxy HOD is minimal. We introduce an extended, environment dependent HOD (EDHOD) prescription to describe these results and fit galaxy correlation measurements. Crucially, we find that the galaxy-matter cross-correlation coefficient, rgm(r) ≡ ξgm(r) . [ξmm(r)ξgg(r)]-1/2, is insensitive to assembly bias on scales r ≳ 1 h^{-1} Mpc, even though ξgm(r) and ξgg(r) are both affected individually. We can therefore recover the correct ξmm(r) from the HW13 galaxy-galaxy and galaxy-matter correlations using either a standard HOD or EDHOD fitting method. For Mr ≤ -19 or Mr ≤ -20 samples the recovery of ξmm(r) is accurate to 2% or better. For a sample of red Mr ≤ -20 galaxies we achieve 2% recovery at r ≳ 2 h^{-1} Mpc with EDHOD modeling but lower accuracy at smaller scales or with a standard HOD fit. Most of our mock galaxy samples are consistent with rgm = 1 down to r = 1h-1Mpc, to within the uncertainties set by our finite simulation volume.

CHEMODYNAMIC EVOLUTION OF DWARF GALAXIES IN TIDAL FIELDS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williamson, David; Martel, Hugo; Romeo, Alessandro B., E-mail: david-john.williamson.1@ulaval.ca

The mass–metallicity relation shows that the galaxies with the lowest mass have the lowest metallicities. As most dwarf galaxies are in group environments, interaction effects such as tides could contribute to this trend. We perform a series of smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of dwarf galaxies in external tidal fields to examine the effects of tides on their metallicities and metallicity gradients. In our simulated galaxies, gravitational instabilities drive gas inwards and produce centralized star formation and a significant metallicity gradient. Strong tides can contribute to these instabilities, but their primary effect is to strip the outer low-metallicity gas, producing amore » truncated gas disk with a large metallicity. This suggests that the effect of tides on the mass–metallicity relation is to move dwarf galaxies to higher metallicities.« less

Galaxy Zoo: evidence for rapid, recent quenching within a population of AGN host galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smethurst, R. J.; Lintott, C. J.; Simmons, B. D.; Schawinski, K.; Bamford, S. P.; Cardamone, C. N.; Kruk, S. J.; Masters, K. L.; Urry, C. M.; Willett, K. W.; Wong, O. I.

2016-12-01

We present a population study of the star formation history of 1244 Type 2 active galactic nuclei (AGN) host galaxies, compared to 6107 inactive galaxies. A Bayesian method is used to determine individual galaxy star formation histories, which are then collated to visualize the distribution for quenching and quenched galaxies within each population. We find evidence for some of the Type 2 AGN host galaxies having undergone a rapid drop in their star formation rate within the last 2 Gyr. AGN feedback is therefore important at least for this population of galaxies. This result is not seen for the quenching and quenched inactive galaxies whose star formation histories are dominated by the effects of downsizing at earlier epochs, a secondary effect for the AGN host galaxies. We show that histories of rapid quenching cannot account fully for the quenching of all the star formation in a galaxy's lifetime across the population of quenched AGN host galaxies, and that histories of slower quenching, attributed to secular (non-violent) evolution, are also key in their evolution. This is in agreement with recent results showing that both merger-driven and non-merger processes are contributing to the co-evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes. The availability of gas in the reservoirs of a galaxy, and its ability to be replenished, appear to be the key drivers behind this co-evolution.

The Tully-Fisher relation of the IRAS minisurvey galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Driel, W.; Van Den Broek, A. C.; Baan, W. A.

1995-01-01

We investigated the possible influence on the Tully-Fisher relation of active massive star formation in IRAS galaxies, in order to estimate the contribution of star formation to their near-infrared luminosity. We observed 60 galaxies from the infrared complete so-called IRAS Minisurvey sample in the 21 cm H1 line at Arecibo, determined the near-infrared (H-band) Tully-Fisher relation for the 36 objects in the sample we judged to be usable for this purpose, and compared this relation with that of optically selected normal galaxies. The results show no significant enhancement of the near-infrared luminosities of the IRAS Minisurvey galaxies compared to those of the optically selected normal glaxies. From these results we inferred that in the minisurvey galaxies the average contribution of the active massive star formation to the total near-infrared luminosity is less and that exponential decay times for the starbursts occurring in the Minisurvey galaxies are of the order of 10 Myr. The Tully-Fisher relation shows one exceptional galaxy (IRAS 03565+2139) with an about 25 times higher luminosity than average for its rotational velocity.

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): active galactic nuclei in pairs of galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, Yjan A.; Owers, Matt S.; Pimbblet, Kevin A.; Croom, Scott M.; Alpaslan, Mehmet; Baldry, Ivan K.; Brough, Sarah; Brown, Michael J. I.; Cluver, Michelle E.; Conselice, Christopher J.; Davies, Luke J. M.; Holwerda, Benne W.; Hopkins, Andrew M.; Gunawardhana, Madusha L. P.; Loveday, Jonathan; Taylor, Edward N.; Wang, Lingyu

2017-03-01

There exist conflicting observations on whether or not the environment of broad- and narrow-line active galatic nuclei (AGN) differ and this consequently questions the validity of the AGN unification model. The high spectroscopic completeness of the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey makes it ideal for a comprehensive analysis of the close environment of galaxies. To exploit this, and conduct a comparative analysis of the environment of broad- and narrow-line AGN within GAMA, we use a double-Gaussian emission line fitting method to model the more complex line profiles associated with broad-line AGN. We select 209 type 1 (I.e. unobscured), 464 type 1.5-1.9 (partially obscured), and 281 type 2 (obscured) AGN within the GAMA II data base. Comparing the fractions of these with neighbouring galaxies out to a pair separation of 350 kpc h-1 and Δz < 0.012 shows no difference between AGN of different type, except at separations less than 20 kpc h-1 where our observations suggest an excess of type 2 AGN in close pairs. We analyse the properties of the galaxies neighbouring our AGN and find no significant differences in colour or the star formation activity of these galaxies. Further to this, we find that Σ5 is also consistent between broad- and narrow-line AGN. We conclude that the observations presented here are consistent with AGN unification.

High resolution imaging of galaxy cores

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crane, P.; Stiavelli, M.; King, I. R.; Deharveng, J. M.; Albrecht, R.; Barbieri, C.; Blades, J. C.; Boksenberg, A.; Disney, M. J.; Jakobsen, P.

1993-01-01

Surface photometry data obtained with the Faint Object Camera of the Hubble Space Telescope in the cores of ten galaxies is presented. The major results are: (1) none of the galaxies show truly 'isothermal' cores, (2) galaxies with nuclear activity show very similar light profiles, (3) all objects show central mass densities above 10 exp 3 solar masses/cu pc3, and (4) four of the galaxies (M87, NGC 3862, NGC 4594, NGC 6251) show evidence for exceptional nuclear mass concentrations.

The fraction of AGNs in major merger galaxies and its luminosity dependence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weigel, Anna K.; Schawinski, Kevin; Treister, Ezequiel; Trakhtenbrot, Benny; Sanders, David B.

2018-05-01

We use a phenomenological model which connects the galaxy and active galactic nucleus (AGN) populations to investigate the process of AGNs triggering through major galaxy mergers at z ˜ 0. The model uses stellar mass functions as input and allows the prediction of AGN luminosity functions based on assumed Eddington ratio distribution functions (ERDFs). We show that the number of AGNs hosted by merger galaxies relative to the total number of AGNs increases as a function of AGN luminosity. This is due to more massive galaxies being more likely to undergo a merger and does not require the assumption that mergers lead to higher Eddington ratios than secular processes. Our qualitative analysis also shows that to match the observations, the probability of a merger galaxy hosting an AGN and accreting at a given Eddington value has to be increased by a factor ˜10 relative to the general AGN population. An additional significant increase of the fraction of high Eddington ratio AGNs among merger host galaxies leads to inconsistency with the observed X-ray luminosity function. Physically our results imply that, compared to the general galaxy population, the AGN fraction among merger galaxies is ˜10 times higher. On average, merger triggering does however not lead to significantly higher Eddington ratios.

The Dragonfly Nearby Galaxies Survey. II. Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies near the Elliptical Galaxy NGC 5485

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merritt, Allison; van Dokkum, Pieter; Danieli, Shany; Abraham, Roberto; Zhang, Jielai; Karachentsev, I. D.; Makarova, L. N.

2016-12-01

We present the unexpected discovery of four ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in a group environment. We recently identified seven extremely low surface brightness galaxies in the vicinity of the spiral galaxy M101, using data from the Dragonfly Telephoto Array. The galaxies have effective radii of 10″-38″ and central surface brightnesses of 25.6-27.7 mag arcsec-2 in the g-band. We subsequently obtained follow-up observations with HST to constrain the distances to these galaxies. Four remain persistently unresolved even with the spatial resolution of HST/ACS, which implies distances of D\\gt 17.5 Mpc. We show that the galaxies are most likely associated with a background group at ˜27 Mpc containing the massive ellipticals NGC 5485 and NGC 5473. At this distance, the galaxies have sizes of 2.6-4.9 kpc, and are classified as UDGs, similar to the populations that have been revealed in clusters such as Coma, Virgo, and Fornax, yet even more diffuse. The discovery of four UDGs in a galaxy group demonstrates that the UDG phenomenon is not exclusive to cluster environments. Furthermore, their morphologies seem less regular than those of the cluster populations, which may suggest a different formation mechanism or be indicative of a threshold in surface density below which UDGs are unable to maintain stability.

H I-SELECTED GALAXIES IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY. II. THE COLORS OF GAS-RICH GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

West, Andrew A.; Garcia-Appadoo, Diego A.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.

2009-09-15

We utilize color information for an H I-selected sample of 195 galaxies to explore the star formation histories and physical conditions that produce the observed colors. We show that the H I selection creates a significant offset toward bluer colors that can be explained by enhanced recent bursts of star formation. There is also no obvious color bimodality, because the H I selection restricts the sample to bluer, actively star-forming systems, diminishing the importance of the red sequence. Rising star formation rates are still required to explain the colors of galaxies bluer than g - r< 0.3. We also demonstratemore » that the colors of the bluest galaxies in our sample are dominated by emission lines and that stellar population synthesis models alone (without emission lines) are not adequate for reproducing many of the galaxy colors. These emission lines produce large changes in the r - i colors but leave the g - r color largely unchanged. In addition, we find an increase in the dispersion of galaxy colors at low masses that may be the result of a change in the star formation process in low-mass galaxies.« less

Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Christopher J. Miller

2012-03-01

of galaxy clusters will be at locations of the peaks in the true underlying (mostly) dark matter density field. Kaiser (1984) [19] called this the high-peak model, which we demonstrate in Figure 16.1. We show a two-dimensional representation of a density field created by summing plane-waves with a predetermined power and with random wave-vector directions. In the left panel, we plot only the largest modes, where we see the density peaks (black) and valleys (white) in the combined field. In the right panel, we allow for smaller modes. You can see that the highest density peaks in the left panel contain smaller-scale, but still high-density peaks. These are the locations of future galaxy clusters. The bottom panel shows just these cluster-scale peaks. As you can see, the peaks themselves are clustered, and instead of just one large high-density peak in the original density field (see the left panel), the smaller modes show that six peaks are "born" within the broader, underlying large-scale density modes. This exemplifies the "bias" or amplified structure that is traced by galaxy clusters [19]. Clusters are rare, easy to find, and their member galaxies provide good distance estimates. In combination with their amplified clustering signal described above, galaxy clusters are considered an efficient and precise tracer of the large-scale matter density field in the Universe. Galaxy clusters can also be used to measure the baryon content of the Universe [43]. They can be used to identify gravitational lenses [38] and map the distribution of matter in clusters. The number and spatial distribution of galaxy clusters can be used to constrain cosmological parameters, like the fraction of the energy density in the Universe due to matter (Omega_matter) or the variation in the density field on fixed physical scales (sigma_8) [26,33]. The individual clusters act as “Island Universes” and as such are laboratories here we can study the evolution of the properties of the cluster

The IRAS galaxy 0421+040P06: An active spiral (?) galaxy with extended radio lobes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beichman, C. A.; Wynn-Williams, C. G.; Lonsdale, C. J.; Persson, S. E.; Heasley, J. N.; Miley, G. K.; Soifer, B. T.; Neugebauer, G.; Becklin, E. E.; Houck, J. R.

1984-01-01

The infrared bright galaxy 0421+040P06 detected by IRAS at 25 and 60 microns was studied at optical, infrared, and radio wavelength. It is a luminous galaxy with apparent spiral structure emitting 4 x 10 to the 37th power from far-infrared to optical wavelengths. Optical spectroscopy reveals a Seyfert 2 emission line spectrum, making 0421+040P06 the first active galaxy selected from an unbiased infrared survey of galaxies. The fact that this galaxy shows a flatter energy distribution with more 25 micron emission than other galaxies in the infrared sample may be related to the presence of an intense active nucleus. The radio observations reveal the presence of a non-thermal source that, at 6 cm, shows a prominent double lobed structure 20 to 30 kpc in size extending beyond the optical confines of the galaxy. The radio source is three to ten times larger than structures previously seen in spiral galaxies.

Resolving Gas-Phase Metallicity In Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carton, David

2017-06-01

Chapter 2: As part of the Bluedisk survey we analyse the radial gas-phase metallicity profiles of 50 late-type galaxies. We compare the metallicity profiles of a sample of HI-rich galaxies against a control sample of HI-'normal' galaxies. We find the metallicity gradient of a galaxy to be strongly correlated with its HI mass fraction {M}{HI}) / {M}_{\\ast}). We note that some galaxies exhibit a steeper metallicity profile in the outer disc than in the inner disc. These galaxies are found in both the HI-rich and control samples. This contradicts a previous indication that these outer drops are exclusive to HI-rich galaxies. These effects are not driven by bars, although we do find some indication that barred galaxies have flatter metallicity profiles. By applying a simple analytical model we are able to account for the variety of metallicity profiles that the two samples present. The success of this model implies that the metallicity in these isolated galaxies may be in a local equilibrium, regulated by star formation. This insight could provide an explanation of the observed local mass-metallicity relation. Chapter 3 We present a method to recover the gas-phase metallicity gradients from integral field spectroscopic (IFS) observations of barely resolved galaxies. We take a forward modelling approach and compare our models to the observed spatial distribution of emission line fluxes, accounting for the degrading effects of seeing and spatial binning. The method is flexible and is not limited to particular emission lines or instruments. We test the model through comparison to synthetic observations and use downgraded observations of nearby galaxies to validate this work. As a proof of concept we also apply the model to real IFS observations of high-redshift galaxies. From our testing we show that the inferred metallicity gradients and central metallicities are fairly insensitive to the assumptions made in the model and that they are reliably recovered for galaxies

Anisotropic Galaxy-Galaxy Lensing in the Illustris-1 Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brainerd, Tereasa G.

2017-06-01

dark matter. The suppression of the anisotropy when using the major axis of the light to define the geometry is indicative of a significant misalignment of mass and light in the Illustris-1 galaxies at large physical radii.

Chemical Evidence for Evolution of galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutil, Yvan

I have compiled the very best data published on abundance gradients. From this sample of 29 galaxies, some information can be gained on the mecanism of morphological evolution in disk galaxies. From this sample, I find that early-type galaxies show an identical trend in the behavior of extrapolated central abundance versus morphological type to that shown by late-type galaxies with strong bars, even in the absence of bar! On a a diagram showing extrapolated central abundance versus morphological type, two sequences appear: late-type barred galaxies and early-type galaxies (barred or not barred) fall on sequence 0.5 dex below that of normal late-type galaxies. This behavior is consistent with a scenario of morphological evolution of disk galaxies by formation and dissolution of a bar over a period of a few 10^^9 yr, where later type galaxies (Sd,Sc,Sbc, evolve into earlier-type disk galaxies trough transitory SBc and SBb phases.

Are We Really Missing Small Galaxies?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2018-02-01

dark matter, however, the team included baryons in their simulations. They then produced mock observations of the resulting galaxy velocities to see what an observed velocity function would look like for their simulated galaxies.No Problem After All?Comparison of theoretical velocity functions to observations. The black dashed line shows the original, dark-matter-only model predictions; the black solid line includes the effects of detectability. Blue lines show the authors new model, including the effects of detectability and inclusion of baryons. The red and teal data points from observations match this corrected model well. [Brooks et al. 2017]Based on their baryon-inclusive simulations, Brooks and collaborators argue that there are two main factors that have contributed to the seeming theory/observation mismatch of the missing dwarf problem:Galaxies with low velocities arent detectable by our current surveys.The authors found that the detectable fraction of their simulated galaxies plunges as soon as galaxy velocity drops below 35 km/s. They conclude that were probably unable to see a large fraction of the smallest galaxies.Were not correctly inferring the circular velocity of the galaxies.Circular velocity is usually measured by looking at the line width of a gas tracer like HI. The authors find that this doesnt trace the full potential wells of the dwarf galaxies, however, resulting in an incorrect interpretation of their velocities.The authors show that the inclusion of these effects in the theoretical model significantly changes the predicted shape of the galaxy velocity function. This new function beautifully matches observations, neatly eliminating the missing dwarf problem. Perhaps this long-standing mystery has been a problem of interpretation all along!CitationAlyson M. Brooks et al 2017 ApJ 850 97. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa9576

Galaxy Clustering Around Nearby Luminous Quasars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, Karl B.; Bahcall, John N.; Kirhakos, Sofia; Schneider, Donald P.

1996-01-01

We examine the clustering of galaxies around a sample of 20 luminous low redshift (z approx. less than 0.30) quasars observed with the Wide Field Camera-2 on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The HST resolution makes possible galaxy identification brighter than V = 24.5 and as close as 1 min or 2 min to the quasar. We find a significant enhancement of galaxies within a projected separation of approx. less than 100 1/h kpc of the quasars. If we model the QSO/galaxy correlation function as a power law with a slope given by the galaxy/galaxy correlation function, we find that the ratio of the QSO/galaxy to galaxy/galaxy correlation functions is 3.8 +/- 0.8. The galaxy counts within r less than 15 1/h kpc of the quasars are too high for the density profile to have an appreciable core radius (approx. greater than 100 1/h kpc). Our results reinforce the idea that low redshift quasars are located preferentially in groups of 10-20 galaxies rather than in rich clusters. We see no significant difference in the clustering amplitudes derived from radio-loud and radio-quiet subsamples.

Dark matter phenomenology of high-speed galaxy cluster collisions

DOE PAGES

Mishchenko, Yuriy; Ji, Chueng-Ryong

2017-07-29

Here, we perform a general computational analysis of possible post-collision mass distributions in high-speed galaxy cluster collisions in the presence of self-interacting dark matter. Using this analysis, we show that astrophysically weakly self-interacting dark matter can impart subtle yet measurable features in the mass distributions of colliding galaxy clusters even without significant disruptions to the dark matter halos of the colliding galaxy clusters themselves. Most profound such evidence is found to reside in the tails of dark matter halos’ distributions, in the space between the colliding galaxy clusters. Such features appear in our simulations as shells of scattered dark mattermore » expanding in alignment with the outgoing original galaxy clusters, contributing significant densities to projected mass distributions at large distances from collision centers and large scattering angles of up to 90°. Our simulations indicate that as much as 20% of the total collision’s mass may be deposited into such structures without noticeable disruptions to the main galaxy clusters. Such structures at large scattering angles are forbidden in purely gravitational high-speed galaxy cluster collisions.Convincing identification of such structures in real colliding galaxy clusters would be a clear indication of the self-interacting nature of dark matter. Our findings may offer an explanation for the ring-like dark matter feature recently identified in the long-range reconstructions of the mass distribution of the colliding galaxy cluster CL0024+017.« less

Dark matter phenomenology of high-speed galaxy cluster collisions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mishchenko, Yuriy; Ji, Chueng-Ryong

Here, we perform a general computational analysis of possible post-collision mass distributions in high-speed galaxy cluster collisions in the presence of self-interacting dark matter. Using this analysis, we show that astrophysically weakly self-interacting dark matter can impart subtle yet measurable features in the mass distributions of colliding galaxy clusters even without significant disruptions to the dark matter halos of the colliding galaxy clusters themselves. Most profound such evidence is found to reside in the tails of dark matter halos’ distributions, in the space between the colliding galaxy clusters. Such features appear in our simulations as shells of scattered dark mattermore » expanding in alignment with the outgoing original galaxy clusters, contributing significant densities to projected mass distributions at large distances from collision centers and large scattering angles of up to 90°. Our simulations indicate that as much as 20% of the total collision’s mass may be deposited into such structures without noticeable disruptions to the main galaxy clusters. Such structures at large scattering angles are forbidden in purely gravitational high-speed galaxy cluster collisions.Convincing identification of such structures in real colliding galaxy clusters would be a clear indication of the self-interacting nature of dark matter. Our findings may offer an explanation for the ring-like dark matter feature recently identified in the long-range reconstructions of the mass distribution of the colliding galaxy cluster CL0024+017.« less

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): variation in galaxy structure across the green valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelvin, Lee S.; Bremer, Malcolm N.; Phillipps, Steven; James, Philip A.; Davies, Luke J. M.; De Propris, Roberto; Moffett, Amanda J.; Percival, Susan M.; Baldry, Ivan K.; Collins, Chris A.; Alpaslan, Mehmet; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Brough, Sarah; Cluver, Michelle; Driver, Simon P.; Hashemizadeh, Abdolhosein; Holwerda, Benne W.; Laine, Jarkko; Lara-Lopez, Maritza A.; Liske, Jochen; Maciejewski, Witold; Napolitano, Nicola R.; Penny, Samantha J.; Popescu, Cristina C.; Sansom, Anne E.; Sutherland, Will; Taylor, Edward N.; van Kampen, Eelco; Wang, Lingyu

2018-07-01

Using a sample of 472 local Universe (z < 0.06) galaxies in the stellar mass range 10.25 {<} log {M}_{\\star }/{M}_{⊙} {<} 10.75, we explore the variation in galaxy structure as a function of morphology and galaxy colour. Our sample of galaxies is subdivided into red, green, and blue colour groups and into elliptical and non-elliptical (disk-type) morphologies. Using Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) and Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) Kilo-Degree Infrared Galaxy Survey (VIKING) derived postage stamp images, a group of eight volunteers visually classified bars, rings, morphological lenses, tidal streams, shells, and signs of merger activity for all systems. We find a significant surplus of rings (2.3σ) and lenses (2.9σ) in disk-type galaxies as they transition across the green valley. Combined, this implies a joint ring/lens green valley surplus significance of 3.3σ relative to equivalent disk-types within either the blue cloud or the red sequence. We recover a bar fraction of {˜ }44 per cent which remains flat with colour, however, we find that the presence of a bar acts to modulate the incidence of rings and (to a lesser extent) lenses, with rings in barred disk-type galaxies more common by ˜20-30 percentage points relative to their unbarred counterparts, regardless of colour. Additionally, green valley disk-type galaxies with a bar exhibit a significant 3.0σ surplus of lenses relative to their blue/red analogues. The existence of such structures rules out violent transformative events as the primary end-of-life evolutionary mechanism, with a more passive scenario the favoured candidate for the majority of galaxies rapidly transitioning across the green valley.

What Fraction of Active Galaxies Actually Show Outflows?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganguly, Rajib; Brotherton, M. S.

2007-12-01

Outflows from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) seem to be common and are thought to be important from a variety of perspectives: as an agent of chemical enhancement of the interstellar and intergalactic media, as an agent of angular momentum removal from the accreting central engine, and as an agent limiting star formation in starbursting systems by blowing out gas and dust from the host galaxy. To understand these processes, we must determine what fraction of AGNs feature outflows and understand what forms they take. We examine recent surveys of outflows detected in ultraviolet absorption over the entire range of velocities and velocity widths (i.e., broad absorption lines, associated absorption lines, and high-velocity narrow absorption lines). While the fraction of specific forms of outflows depends on AGN properties, the overall fraction displaying outflows is fairly constant, approximately 60%, over many orders of magnitude in luminosity. We discuss implications of this result and ways to refine our understanding of outflows. We acknowledge support from the US National Science Foundation through grant AST 05-07781.

Radial Alignment of Ellipitcal Galaxies by the Tidal Force of a Cluster of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shuang-Nan; Rong, Yu; Tu, Hong

2015-08-01

Unlike the random radial orientation distribution of field elliptical galaxies, galaxies in a cluster of galaxies are expected to point preferentially toward the center of the cluster, as a result of the cluster's tidal force on its member galaxies. In this work an analytic model is formulated to simulate this effect. The deformation time scale of a galaxy in a cluster is usually much shorter than the time scale of change of the tidal force; the dynamical process of the tidal interaction within the galaxy can thus be ignored. An equilibrium shape of a galaxy is then assumed to be the surface of equipotential, which is the sum of the self-gravitational potential of the galaxy and the tidal potential of the cluster at this location. We use a Monte-Carlo method to calculate the radial orientation distribution of these galaxies, by assuming the NFW mass profile of the cluster and the initial ellipticity of field galaxies. The radial angles show a single peak distribution centered at zero. The Monte-Carlo simulations also show that a shift of the reference center from the real cluster center weakens the anisotropy of the radial angle distribution. Therefore, the expected radial alignment cannot be revealed if the distribution of spatial position angle is used instead of that of radial angle. The observed radial orientations of elliptical galaxies in cluster Abell~2744 are consistent with the simulated distribution.

Radial Alignment of Elliptical Galaxies by the Tidal Force of a Cluster of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shuang-Nan; Rong, Yu; Tu, Hong

2015-08-01

Unlike the random radial orientation distribution of field elliptical galaxies, galaxies in a cluster of galaxies are expected to point preferentially toward the center of the cluster, as a result of the cluster's tidal force on its member galaxies. In this work an analytic model is formulated to simulate this effect. The deformation time scale of a galaxy in a cluster is usually much shorter than the time scale of change of the tidal force; the dynamical process of the tidal interaction within the galaxy can thus be ignored. An equilibrium shape of a galaxy is then assumed to be the surface of equipotential, which is the sum of the self-gravitational potential of the galaxy and the tidal potential of the cluster at this location. We use a Monte-Carlo method to calculate the radial orientation distribution of these galaxies, by assuming the NFW mass profile of the cluster and the initial ellipticity of field galaxies. The radial angles show a single peak distribution centered at zero. The Monte-Carlo simulations also show that a shift of the reference center from the real cluster center weakens the anisotropy of the radial angle distribution. Therefore, the expected radial alignment cannot be revealed if the distribution of spatial position angle is used instead of that of radial angle. The observed radial orientations of elliptical galaxies in cluster Abell~2744 are consistent with the simulated distribution.

Why are classical bulges more common in S0 galaxies than in spiral galaxies?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Preetish K.; Wadadekar, Yogesh; Barway, Sudhanshu

2018-05-01

In this paper, we try to understand why the classical bulge fraction observed in S0 galaxies is significantly higher than that in spiral galaxies. We carry out a comparative study of the bulge and global properties of a sample of spiral and S0 galaxies in a fixed environment. Our sample is flux limited and contains 262 spiral and 155 S0 galaxies drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We have classified bulges into classical and pseudobulge categories based on their position on the Kormendy diagram. Dividing our sample into bins of galaxy stellar mass, we find that the fraction of S0 galaxies hosting a classical bulge is significantly higher than the classical bulge fraction seen in spirals even at fixed stellar mass. We have compared the bulge and the global properties of spirals and S0 galaxies in our sample and find indications that spiral galaxies which host a classical bulge, preferentially get converted into S0 population as compared to pseudobulge hosting spirals. By studying the star formation properties of our galaxies in the NUV - r color-mass diagram, we find that the pseudobulge hosting spirals are mostly star forming while the majority of classical bulge host spirals are in the green valley or in the passive sequence. We suggest that some internal process, such as AGN feedback or morphological quenching due to the massive bulge, quenches these classical bulge hosting spirals and transforms them into S0 galaxies, thus resulting in the observed predominance of the classical bulge in S0 galaxies.

Why are classical bulges more common in S0 galaxies than in spiral galaxies?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Preetish K.; Wadadekar, Yogesh; Barway, Sudhanshu

2018-07-01

In this paper, we try to understand why the classical bulge fraction observed in S0 galaxies is significantly higher than that in spiral galaxies. We carry out a comparative study of the bulge and global properties of a sample of spiral and S0 galaxies in a fixed environment. Our sample is flux limited and contains 262 spiral and 155 S0 galaxies drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We have classified bulges into classical and pseudo-bulge categories based on their position on the Kormendy diagram. Dividing our sample into bins of galaxy stellar mass, we find that the fraction of S0 galaxies hosting a classical bulge is significantly higher than the classical bulge fraction seen in spirals even at fixed stellar mass. We have compared the bulge and the global properties of spirals and S0 galaxies in our sample and find indications that spiral galaxies which host a classical bulge, preferentially get converted into S0 population as compared to pseudo-bulge hosting spirals. By studying the star formation properties of our galaxies in the NUV-r colour-mass diagram, we find that the pseudo-bulge hosting spirals are mostly star forming while the majority of classical bulge host spirals are in the green valley or in the passive sequence. We suggest that some internal process, such as AGN feedback or morphological quenching due to the massive bulge, quenches these classical bulge hosting spirals and transforms them into S0 galaxies, thus resulting in the observed predominance of the classical bulge in S0 galaxies.

The Evolution of Galaxies Through the Spatial Distribution of Their Globular Clusters: the Brightest Galaxies in Fornax

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zegeye, David W.

2018-01-01

We present a study of the evolution of the 10 brightest galaxies in the Fornax Cluster, as reconstructed through their Globular Cluster (GC) populations. GCs can be characterized by their projected two-dimensional (2D) spatial distribution. Over- or under-densities in the GC distribution, can be linked to events in the host galaxy assembly history, and used to constrain the properties of their progenitors. With HST/ACS imaging, we identified significant structures in the GC distribution of the 10 galaxies investigated, with some of the galaxies possessing structures with >10-sigma significance. GC over-densities have been found within the galaxies, with significant differences between the red and blue GC population. For elongated galaxies, structures are preferentially to be aligned along the major axis. Fornax Cluster galaxies appear to be more dynamically relaxed than the Virgo Cluster galaxies previously investigated with the same methodology by D'Abrusco et al. (2016). However, from these observations, the evident imprints left in the spatial distribution of GCs in these galaxies suggest a similarly intense history of interactions.The SAO REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant AST-1659473, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Variation in Galaxy Structure Across the Green Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelvin, Lee S.; Bremer, Malcolm N.; Phillipps, Steven; James, Philip A.; Davies, Luke J. M.; De Propris, Roberto; Moffett, Amanda J.; Percival, Susan M.; Baldry, Ivan K.; Collins, Chris A.; Alpaslan, Mehmet; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Brough, Sarah; Cluver, Michelle; Driver, Simon P.; Hashemizadeh, Abdolhosein; Holwerda, Benne W.; Laine, Jarkko; Lara-Lopez, Maritza A.; Liske, Jochen; Maciejewski, Witold; Napolitano, Nicola R.; Penny, Samantha J.; Popescu, Cristina C.; Sansom, Anne E.; Sutherland, Will; Taylor, Edward N.; van Kampen, Eelco; Wang, Lingyu

2018-04-01

Using a sample of 472 local Universe (z < 0.06) galaxies in the stellar mass range 10.25< log M_{\\star }/M_{⊙}<10.75, we explore the variation in galaxy structure as a function of morphology and galaxy colour. Our sample of galaxies is sub-divided into red, green and blue colour groups and into elliptical and non-elliptical (disk-type) morphologies. Using KiDS and VIKING derived postage stamp images, a group of eight volunteers visually classified bars, rings, morphological lenses, tidal streams, shells and signs of merger activity for all systems. We find a significant surplus of rings (2.3σ) and lenses (2.9σ) in disk-type galaxies as they transition across the green valley. Combined, this implies a joint ring/lens green valley surplus significance of 3.3σ relative to equivalent disk-types within either the blue cloud or the red sequence. We recover a bar fraction of ˜44% which remains flat with colour, however, we find that the presence of a bar acts to modulate the incidence of rings and (to a lesser extent) lenses, with rings in barred disk-type galaxies more common by ˜20 - 30 percentage points relative to their unbarred counterparts, regardless of colour. Additionally, green valley disk-type galaxies with a bar exhibit a significant 3.0σ surplus of lenses relative to their blue/red analogues. The existence of such structures rules out violent transformative events as the primary end-of-life evolutionary mechanism, with a more passive scenario the favoured candidate for the majority of galaxies rapidly transitioning across the green valley.

Why Are Galaxies So Smooth?

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-30

This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the spiral galaxy NGC 2841, located about 46 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. The galaxy is helping astronomers solve one of the oldest puzzles in astronomy: Why do galaxies look so smooth, with stars sprinkled evenly throughout? An international team of astronomers has discovered that rivers of young stars flow from their hot, dense stellar nurseries, dispersing out to form large, smooth distributions. This image is a composite of three different wavelengths from Spitzer's infrared array camera. The shortest wavelengths are displayed inblue, and mostly show the older stars in NGC 2841, as well as foreground stars in our own Milky Way galaxy. The cooler areas are highlighted in red, and show the dusty, gaseous regions of the galaxy. Blue shows infrared light of 3.6 microns, green represents 4.5-micron light and red, 8.0-micron light. The contribution from starlight measured at 3.6 microns has been subtracted from the 8.0-micron data to enhance the visibility of the dust features.The shortest wavelengths are displayed inblue, and mostly show the older stars in NGC 2841, as well as foreground stars in our own Milky Way galaxy. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA12001

Evolution of Late-type Galaxies in a Cluster Environment: Effects of High-speed Multiple Encounters with Early-type Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Jeong-Sun; Park, Changbom; Banerjee, Arunima; Hwang, Ho Seong

2018-04-01

Late-type galaxies falling into a cluster would evolve being influenced by the interactions with both the cluster and the nearby cluster member galaxies. Most numerical studies, however, tend to focus on the effects of the former with little work done on those of the latter. We thus perform a numerical study on the evolution of a late-type galaxy interacting with neighboring early-type galaxies at high speed using hydrodynamic simulations. Based on the information obtained from the Coma cluster, we set up the simulations for the case where a Milky Way–like late-type galaxy experiences six consecutive collisions with twice as massive early-type galaxies having hot gas in their halos at the closest approach distances of 15–65 h ‑1 kpc at the relative velocities of 1500–1600 km s‑1. Our simulations show that the evolution of the late-type galaxy can be significantly affected by the accumulated effects of the high-speed multiple collisions with the early-type galaxies, such as on cold gas content and star formation activity of the late-type galaxy, particularly through the hydrodynamic interactions between cold disk and hot gas halos. We find that the late-type galaxy can lose most of its cold gas after the six collisions and have more star formation activity during the collisions. By comparing our simulation results with those of galaxy–cluster interactions, we claim that the role of the galaxy–galaxy interactions on the evolution of late-type galaxies in clusters could be comparable with that of the galaxy–cluster interactions, depending on the dynamical history.

Giant Low Surface Brightness Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Alka; Kantharia, Nimisha G.; Das, Mousumi

2018-04-01

In this paper, we present radio observations of the giant low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies made using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). LSB galaxies are generally large, dark matter dominated spirals that have low star formation efficiencies and large HI gas disks. Their properties suggest that they are less evolved compared to high surface brightness galaxies. We present GMRT emission maps of LSB galaxies with an optically-identified active nucleus. Using our radio data and archival near-infrared (2MASS) and near-ultraviolet (GALEX) data, we studied morphology and star formation efficiencies in these galaxies. All the galaxies show radio continuum emission mostly associated with the centre of the galaxy.

Galaxy Zoo: secular evolution of barred galaxies from structural decomposition of multiband images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruk, Sandor J.; Lintott, Chris J.; Bamford, Steven P.; Masters, Karen L.; Simmons, Brooke D.; Häußler, Boris; Cardamone, Carolin N.; Hart, Ross E.; Kelvin, Lee; Schawinski, Kevin; Smethurst, Rebecca J.; Vika, Marina

2018-02-01

We present the results of two-component (disc+bar) and three-component (disc+bar+bulge) multiwavelength 2D photometric decompositions of barred galaxies in five Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) bands (ugriz). This sample of ∼3500 nearby (z < 0.06) galaxies with strong bars selected from the Galaxy Zoo citizen science project is the largest sample of barred galaxies to be studied using photometric decompositions that include a bar component. With detailed structural analysis, we obtain physical quantities such as the bar- and bulge-to-total luminosity ratios, effective radii, Sérsic indices and colours of the individual components. We observe a clear difference in the colours of the components, the discs being bluer than the bars and bulges. An overwhelming fraction of bulge components have Sérsic indices consistent with being pseudo-bulges. By comparing the barred galaxies with a mass-matched and volume-limited sample of unbarred galaxies, we examine the connection between the presence of a large-scale galactic bar and the properties of discs and bulges. We find that the discs of unbarred galaxies are significantly bluer compared to the discs of barred galaxies, while there is no significant difference in the colours of the bulges. We find possible evidence of secular evolution via bars that leads to the build-up of pseudo-bulges and to the quenching of star formation in the discs. We identify a subsample of unbarred galaxies with an inner lens/oval and find that their properties are similar to barred galaxies, consistent with an evolutionary scenario in which bars dissolve into lenses. This scenario deserves further investigation through both theoretical and observational work.

The stellar populations of nearby early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Concannon, Kristi Dendy

The recent completion of comprehensive photometric and spectroscopic galaxy surveys has revealed that early-type galaxies form a more heterogeneous family than previously thought. To better understand the star formation histories of early-type galaxies, we have obtained a set of high resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio spectra for a sample of 180 nearby early-type galaxies with the FAST spectrograph and the 1.5m telescope at F. L. Whipple Observatory. The spectra cover the wavelength range 3500 5500 Å which allows the comparison of various Balmer lines, most importantly the higher order lines in the blue, and have a S/N ratio higher than that of previous samples, which makes it easier to investigate the intrinsic spread in the observed parameters. The data set contains galaxies in both the local field and Virgo cluster environment and spans the velocity dispersion range 50 < log σ < 250km s -1. In conjunction with recent improvements in population synthesis modeling, our data set enables us to investigate the star formation history of E/S0 galaxies as a function of mass (σ), environment, and to some extent morphology. We are able to probe the effects of age and metallicity on fundamental observable relations such as the Mg-σ relation, and show that there is a significant spread in age in such diagrams, at all log σ, such that their “uniformity” can not be interpreted as a homogeneous history for early-type galaxies. Analyzing the age and [Fe/H] distribution as a function of the galaxy mass, we find that an age-σ relation exists among galaxies in both the local field and the Virgo cluster, such that the lower log σ galaxies have younger luminosity-weighted mean ages. The age spread of the low σ galaxies suggests that essentially all of the low-mass galaxies contain young to intermediate age populations, whereas the spread in age of the high log σ galaxies (log σ >˜ 2.0) is much larger, with galaxies spanning the age range of 4 19 Gyr. Thus, rather

Galaxy collisions as a mechanism of ultra diffuse galaxy (UDG) formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baushev, A. N.

2018-04-01

We suggest a possible mechanism of ultra diffuse galaxy formation: the UDGs may occur as a result of a central collision of galaxies. If the galaxies are young and contain a lot of gas, the collision may kick all the gas off the systems and thus strongly suppress any further star formation. As a result, the galaxies now have a very low surface brightness and other properties typical of the ultra diffuse galaxies. We use the Coma cluster (where numerous UDGs were recently discovered) to test the efficiency of the process. The mechanism works very well and can transform a significant fraction of the cluster population into ultra diffuse galaxies. The UDGs formed by the process concentrate towards the center of the cluster, and their globular cluster systems remain undamaged, in accordance with observational results. The projected surface density of UDGs in the cluster may help us to recognize the mechanism of UDG formation, or clarify relative contributions of several possible competitive mechanisms at work.

Galaxy Surface Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milvang-Jensen, Bo; Jørgensen, Inger

We describe galaxy surface photometry based on fitting ellipses to the isophotes of the galaxies. Example galaxies with different isophotal shapes are used to illustrate the process, including how the deviations from elliptical isophotes are quantified using Fourier expansions. We show how the definitions of the Fourier coefficients employed by different authors are linked. As examples of applications of surface photometry we discuss the determination of the relative disk luminosities and the inclinations for E and S0 galaxies. We also describe the color-magnitude and color-color relations. When using both near-infrared and optical photometry, the age--metallicity degeneracy may be broken. Finally we discuss the Fundamental Plane where surface photometry is combined with spectroscopy. It is shown how the FP can be used as a sensitive tool to study galaxy evolution.

Radio Galaxy Zoo: A Search for Hybrid Morphology Radio Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kapińska, A. D.; Terentev, I.; Wong, O. I.; Shabala, S. S.; Andernach, H.; Rudnick, L.; Storer, L.; Banfield, J. K.; Willett, K. W.; de Gasperin, F.; Lintott, C. J.; López-Sánchez, Á. R.; Middelberg, E.; Norris, R. P.; Schawinski, K.; Seymour, N.; Simmons, B.

2017-12-01

Hybrid morphology radio sources (HyMoRS) are a rare type of radio galaxy that display different Fanaroff-Riley classes on opposite sides of their nuclei. To enhance the statistical analysis of HyMoRS, we embarked on a large-scale search of these sources within the international citizen science project, Radio Galaxy Zoo (RGZ). Here, we present 25 new candidate hybrid morphology radio galaxies. Our selected candidates are moderate power radio galaxies ({L}{median}=4.7× {10}24 W Hz-1 sr-1) at redshifts 0.14< z< 1.0. Hosts of nine candidates have spectroscopic observations, of which six are classified as quasars, one as high- and two as low-excitation galaxies. Two candidate HyMoRS are giant (> 1 Mpc) radio galaxies, one resides at the center of a galaxy cluster, and one is hosted by a rare green bean galaxy. Although the origin of the hybrid morphology radio galaxies is still unclear, this type of radio source starts depicting itself as a rather diverse class. We discuss hybrid radio morphology formation in terms of the radio source environment (nurture) and intrinsically occurring phenomena (nature; activity cessation and amplification), showing that these peculiar radio galaxies can be formed by both mechanisms. While high angular resolution follow-up observations are still necessary to confirm our candidates, we demonstrate the efficacy of the RGZ in the pre-selection of these sources from all-sky radio surveys, and report the reliability of citizen scientists in identifying and classifying complex radio sources.

On the Formation of Elliptical Galaxies via Mergers in Galaxy Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taranu, Dan; Dubinski, John; Yee, Howard K. C.

2015-08-01

Giant elliptical galaxies have long been thought to form through gas-rich "major" mergers of two roughly equal-mass spiral galaxies. However, ellipticals are often found at the centers of groups and are likely to have undergone several significant mergers since z=2. We test the hypothesis that ellipticals form through multiple, mainly minor and dry mergers in groups, using hundreds of N-body simulations of mergers in groups of three to twenty-five spirals (Taranu et al. 2013).Realistic mock observations of the central merger remnants show that they have similar surface brightness profiles to local ellipticals. The size-luminosity and velocity dispersion-luminosity relations have modest (~0.1 dex) scatter, with similar slopes; however, most remnants are too large and have too low dispersions for their luminosities. Some remnants show substantial (v/σ > 0.1) rotational support, but most are slow rotators with v/σ << 0.5.Ellipticals also follow a tight "fundamental plane" scaling relation between size R, mean surface brightness μ and velocity dispersion σ: R ∝ σ^a μ^b. This relation has small (<0.06 dex) scatter and significantly different coefficients from the expected scaling (a "tilt"). The remnants lie on a similar fundamental plane, with even smaller scatter (0.02 dex) and a tilt in the correct sense - albeit weaker than observed. This tilt is caused by variable dark matter fractions within the effective radius, such that massive merger remnants have larger central dark matter fractions than their lower-mass counterparts (Taranu et al. 2015).These results suggest that massive ellipticals can originate from multiple, mainly minor and dry mergers of spirals at z<2, producing tight scaling relations in the process. However, significant gas dissipation and/or more compact progenitor spirals may be needed to produce lower-mass, rapidly-rotating ellipticals. I will also show preliminary results from simulations with more realistic progenitor galaxies (including

Radial alignment of elliptical galaxies by the tidal force of a cluster of galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rong, Yu; Yi, Shu-Xu; Zhang, Shuang-Nan; Tu, Hong

2015-08-01

Unlike the random radial orientation distribution of field elliptical galaxies, galaxies in a cluster are expected to point preferentially towards the centre of the cluster, as a result of the cluster's tidal force on its member galaxies. In this work, an analytic model is formulated to simulate this effect. The deformation time-scale of a galaxy in a cluster is usually much shorter than the time-scale of change of the tidal force; the dynamical process of tidal interaction within the galaxy can thus be ignored. The equilibrium shape of a galaxy is then assumed to be the surface of equipotential that is the sum of the self-gravitational potential of the galaxy and the tidal potential of the cluster at this location. We use a Monte Carlo method to calculate the radial orientation distribution of cluster galaxies, by assuming a Navarro-Frenk-White mass profile for the cluster and the initial ellipticity of field galaxies. The radial angles show a single-peak distribution centred at zero. The Monte Carlo simulations also show that a shift of the reference centre from the real cluster centre weakens the anisotropy of the radial angle distribution. Therefore, the expected radial alignment cannot be revealed if the distribution of spatial position angle is used instead of that of radial angle. The observed radial orientations of elliptical galaxies in cluster Abell 2744 are consistent with the simulated distribution.

Les galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Combes, Francoise

2016-08-01

Considerable progress has been made on galaxy formation and evolution in recent years, and new issues. The old Hubble classification according to the tuning fork of spirals, lenticulars and ellipticals, is still useful but has given place to the red sequence, the blue cloud and the green valley, showing a real bimodality of types between star forming galaxies (blue) and quenched ones (red). Large surveys have shown that stellar mass and environment density are the two main factors of the evolution from blue to red sequences. Evolution is followed directly with redshift through a look-back time of more than 12 billion years. The most distant galaxy at z=11. has already a stellar mass of a billion suns. In an apparent anti-hierarchical scenario, the most massive galaxies form stars early on, while essentially dwarf galaxies are actively star-formers now. This downsizing feature also applies to the growth of super-massive black holes at the heart of each bulgy galaxy. The feedback from active nuclei is essential to explain the distribution of mass in galaxies, and in particular to explain why the fraction of baryonic matter is so low, lower by more than a factor 5 than the baryonic fraction of the Universe. New instruments just entering in operation, like MUSE and ALMA, provide a new and rich data flow, which is developed in this series of articles.

PEARS Emission Line Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pirzkal, Nor; Rothberg, Barry; Ly, Chun; Rhoads, James E.; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Grogin, Norman A.; Dahlen, Tomas; Meurer, Gerhardt R.; Walsh, Jeremy; Hathi, Nimish P.;

The metal enrichment of passive galaxies in cosmological simulations of galaxy formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamoto, Takashi; Nagashima, Masahiro; Lacey, Cedric G.; Frenk, Carlos S.

2017-02-01

Massive early-type galaxies have higher metallicities and higher ratios of α elements to iron than their less massive counterparts. Reproducing these correlations has long been a problem for hierarchical galaxy formation theory, both in semi-analytic models and cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. We show that a simulation in which gas cooling in massive dark haloes is quenched by radio-mode active galactic nuclei (AGNs) feedback naturally reproduces the observed trend between α/Fe and the velocity dispersion of galaxies, σ. The quenching occurs earlier for more massive galaxies. Consequently, these galaxies complete their star formation before α/Fe is diluted by the contribution from Type Ia supernovae. For galaxies more massive than ˜1011 M⊙, whose α/Fe correlates positively with stellar mass, we find an inversely correlated mass-metallicity relation. This is a common problem in simulations in which star formation in massive galaxies is quenched either by quasar- or radio-mode AGN feedback. The early suppression of gas cooling in progenitors of massive galaxies prevents them from recapturing enriched gas ejected as winds. Simultaneously reproducing the [α/Fe]-σ relation and the mass-metallicity relation is, thus, difficult in the current framework of galaxy formation.

Galaxies driven only by secular evolution?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verdes-Montenegro, Lourdes

2015-03-01

The AMIGA project (Analysis of the interstellar Medium of Isolated GAlaxies, http://amiga.iaa.es) has identified a significant sample of very isolated (T cc (nearest-neighbor) ~2-3Gyr) galaxies in the local Universe and revealed that they have different properties than galaxies in richer environments. Our analysis of a multiwavelength database includes quantification of degree of isolation, morphologies, as well as FIR and radio line/continuum properties. Properties usually regarded as susceptible to interaction enhancement show lower averages in AMIGA-lower than any galaxy sample yet identified. We find lower MIR/FIR measures (Lisenfeld et al. 2007), low levels of radio continuum emission (Leon et al. 2008), no radioexcess above the radioFIR correlation (0%, Sabater et al.2008), a small number of AGN (22%, Sabater et al. 2012), and lower molecular gas content (Lisenfeld et al. 2011). The late-type spiral majority in our sample show very small bulge/total ratios (largely <0.1) and Sersic indices consistent with an absence of classical bulges (Durbala et al. 2008). They show redder g-r colors and lower color dispersion for AMIGA subtypes (Fernandez-Lorenzo et al. 2012) and show the narrowest (gaussian) distribution of HI profile asymmetries of any sample yet studied. This work has been supported by Grant AYA2011-30491-C02-01 co-financed by MICINN and FEDER funds, and the Junta de Andalucia (Spain) grants P08-FQM-4205 and TIC-114.

Intrinsic alignments of galaxies in the EAGLE and cosmo-OWLS simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velliscig, Marco; Cacciato, Marcello; Schaye, Joop; Hoekstra, Henk; Bower, Richard G.; Crain, Robert A.; van Daalen, Marcel P.; Furlong, Michelle; McCarthy, I. G.; Schaller, Matthieu; Theuns, Tom

2015-12-01

We report results for the alignments of galaxies in the EAGLE and cosmo-OWLS hydrodynamical cosmological simulations as a function of galaxy separation (-1 ≤ log10(r/[ h-1 Mpc]) ≤ 2) and halo mass (10.7 ≤ log10(M200/[h-1 M⊙]) ≤ 15). We focus on two classes of alignments: the orientations of galaxies with respect to either the directions to, or the orientations of, surrounding galaxies. We find that the strength of the alignment is a strongly decreasing function of the distance between galaxies. For galaxies hosted by the most massive haloes in our simulations the alignment can remain significant up to ˜100 Mpc. Galaxies hosted by more massive haloes show stronger alignment. At a fixed halo mass, more aspherical or prolate galaxies exhibit stronger alignments. The spatial distribution of satellites is anisotropic and significantly aligned with the major axis of the main host halo. The major axes of satellite galaxies, when all stars are considered, are preferentially aligned towards the centre of the main host halo. The predicted projected direction-orientation alignment, ɛg+(rp), is in broad agreement with recent observations. We find that the orientation-orientation alignment is weaker than the orientation-direction alignment on all scales. Overall, the strength of galaxy alignments depends strongly on the subset of stars that are used to measure the orientations of galaxies and it is always weaker than the alignment of dark matter haloes. Thus, alignment models that use halo orientation as a direct proxy for galaxy orientation overestimate the impact of intrinsic galaxy alignments.

LOW CO LUMINOSITIES IN DWARF GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schruba, Andreas; Walter, Fabian; Sandstrom, Karin

2012-06-15

We present maps of {sup 12}COJ = 2-1 emission covering the entire star-forming disks of 16 nearby dwarf galaxies observed by the IRAM HERACLES survey. The data have 13'' angular resolution, {approx}250 pc at our average distance of D = 4 Mpc, and sample the galaxies by 10-1000 resolution elements. We apply stacking techniques to perform the first sensitive search for CO emission in dwarf galaxies outside the Local Group ranging from individual lines of sight, stacking over IR-bright regions of embedded star formation, and stacking over the entire galaxy. We detect five galaxies in CO with total CO luminositiesmore » of L{sub CO2-1} = (3-28) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} K km s{sup -1} pc{sup 2}. The other 11 galaxies remain undetected in CO even in the stacked images and have L{sub CO2-1} {approx}< (0.4-8) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} K km s{sup -1} pc{sup 2}. We combine our sample of dwarf galaxies with a large sample of spiral galaxies from the literature to study scaling relations of L{sub CO} with M{sub B} and metallicity. We find that dwarf galaxies with metallicities of Z Almost-Equal-To 1/2-1/10 Z{sub Sun} have L{sub CO} of 2-4 orders of magnitude smaller than massive spiral galaxies and that their L{sub CO} per unit L{sub B} is 1-2 orders of magnitude smaller. A comparison with tracers of star formation (FUV and 24 {mu}m) shows that L{sub CO} per unit star formation rate (SFR) is 1-2 orders of magnitude smaller in dwarf galaxies. One possible interpretation is that dwarf galaxies form stars much more efficiently: we argue that the low L{sub CO}/SFR ratio is due to the fact that the CO-to-H{sub 2} conversion factor, {alpha}{sub CO}, changes significantly in low-metallicity environments. Assuming that a constant H{sub 2} depletion time of {tau}{sub dep} = 1.8 Gyr holds in dwarf galaxies (as found for a large sample of nearby spirals) implies {alpha}{sub CO} values for dwarf galaxies with Z Almost-Equal-To 1/2-1/10 Z{sub Sun} that are more than one order of

The physical properties of Lyα emitting galaxies: not just primeval galaxies?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pentericci, L.; Grazian, A.; Fontana, A.; Castellano, M.; Giallongo, E.; Salimbeni, S.; Santini, P.

2009-02-01

Aims: We have analyzed a sample of Lyman break galaxies from z ~ 3.5 to z ~ 6 selected from the GOODS-S field as B, V, and i-dropouts, and with spectroscopic observations showing that they have the Lyα line in emission. Our main aim is to investigate their physical properties and their dependence on the emission line characteristic and to shed light on the relation between galaxies with Lyα emission and the general LBG population. Methods: The objects were selected from their optical continuum colors and then spectroscopically confirmed by the GOODS collaboration and other campaigns. From the public spectra we derived the main properties of the Lyα emission such as total flux and rest frame EW. We then used complete photometry, from U band to mid-infrared from the GOODS-MUSIC database, and through standard spectro-photometric techniques we derived the physical properties of the galaxies, such as total stellar mass, stellar ages, star formation rates, and dust content. Finally we investigated the relation between emission line and physical properties. Results: Although most galaxies are fit by young stellar populations, a small but non negligible fraction has SEDs that cannot be represented well by young models and require considerably older stellar component, up to ~1 Gyr. There is no apparent relation between age and EW: some of the oldest galaxies have high line EW, and should be also selected in narrow-band surveys. Therefore not all Lyα emitting galaxies are primeval galaxies in the very early stages of formation, as is commonly assumed. We also find a range of stellar populations, with masses from 5 × 108 M_⊙ to 5 × 1010 M_⊙ and SFR from few to 60 M_⊙ yr-1. Although there is no net correlation between mass and EW, we find a significant lack of massive galaxies with high EW, which could be explained if the most massive galaxies were either dustier and/or if they contained more neutral gas than less massive objects. Finally we find that more than

Network analysis of the COSMOS galaxy field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Regt, R.; Apunevych, S.; von Ferber, C.; Holovatch, Yu; Novosyadlyj, B.

2018-07-01

The galaxy data provided by COSMOS survey for 1°×1° field of sky are analysed by methods of complex networks. Three galaxy samples (slices) with redshifts ranging within intervals 0.88÷0.91, 0.91÷0.94, and 0.94÷0.97 are studied as two-dimensional projections for the spatial distributions of galaxies. We construct networks and calculate network measures for each sample, in order to analyse the network similarity of different samples, distinguish various topological environments, and find associations between galaxy properties (colour index and stellar mass) and their topological environments. Results indicate a high level of similarity between geometry and topology for different galaxy samples and no clear evidence of evolutionary trends in network measures. The distribution of local clustering coefficient C manifests three modes which allow for discrimination between stand-alone singlets and dumbbells (0 ≤ C ≤ 0.1), intermediately packed (0.1 < C < 0.9) and clique (0.9 ≤ C ≤ 1) like galaxies. Analysing astrophysical properties of galaxies (colour index and stellar masses), we show that distributions are similar in all slices, however weak evolutionary trends can also be seen across redshift slices. To specify different topological environments, we have extracted selections of galaxies from each sample according to different modes of C distribution. We have found statistically significant associations between evolutionary parameters of galaxies and selections of C: the distribution of stellar mass for galaxies with interim C differs from the corresponding distributions for stand-alone and clique galaxies, and this difference holds for all redshift slices. The colour index realizes somewhat different behaviour.

Network analysis of the COSMOS galaxy field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Regt, R.; Apunevych, S.; Ferber, C. von; Holovatch, Yu; Novosyadlyj, B.

2018-03-01

The galaxy data provided by COSMOS survey for 1° × 1° field of sky are analysed by methods of complex networks. Three galaxy samples (slices) with redshifts ranging within intervals 0.88÷0.91, 0.91÷0.94 and 0.94÷0.97 are studied as two-dimensional projections for the spatial distributions of galaxies. We construct networks and calculate network measures for each sample, in order to analyse the network similarity of different samples, distinguish various topological environments, and find associations between galaxy properties (colour index and stellar mass) and their topological environments. Results indicate a high level of similarity between geometry and topology for different galaxy samples and no clear evidence of evolutionary trends in network measures. The distribution of local clustering coefficient C manifests three modes which allow for discrimination between stand-alone singlets and dumbbells (0 ≤ C ≤ 0.1), intermediately packed (0.1 < C < 0.9) and clique (0.9 ≤ C ≤ 1) like galaxies. Analysing astrophysical properties of galaxies (colour index and stellar masses), we show that distributions are similar in all slices, however weak evolutionary trends can also be seen across redshift slices. To specify different topological environments we have extracted selections of galaxies from each sample according to different modes of C distribution. We have found statistically significant associations between evolutionary parameters of galaxies and selections of C: the distribution of stellar mass for galaxies with interim C differ from the corresponding distributions for stand-alone and clique galaxies, and this difference holds for all redshift slices. The colour index realises somewhat different behaviour.

The role of baryons in creating statistically significant planes of satellites around Milky Way-mass galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Sheehan H.; Brooks, Alyson M.; Christensen, Charlotte R.

2017-04-01

We investigate whether the inclusion of baryonic physics influences the formation of thin, coherently rotating planes of satellites such as those seen around the Milky Way and Andromeda. For four Milky Way-mass simulations, each run both as dark matter-only and with baryons included, we are able to identify a planar configuration that significantly maximizes the number of plane satellite members. The maximum plane member satellites are consistently different between the dark matter-only and baryonic versions of the same run due to the fact that satellites are both more likely to be destroyed and to infall later in the baryonic runs. Hence, studying satellite planes in dark matter-only simulations is misleading, because they will be composed of different satellite members than those that would exist if baryons were included. Additionally, the destruction of satellites in the baryonic runs leads to less radially concentrated satellite distributions, a result that is critical to making planes that are statistically significant compared to a random distribution. Since all planes pass through the centre of the galaxy, it is much harder to create a plane of a given height from a random distribution if the satellites have a low radial concentration. We identify Andromeda's low radial satellite concentration as a key reason why the plane in Andromeda is highly significant. Despite this, when corotation is considered, none of the satellite planes identified for the simulated galaxies are as statistically significant as the observed planes around the Milky Way and Andromeda, even in the baryonic runs.

Active galactic nuclei and galaxy interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alonso, M. Sol; Lambas, Diego G.; Tissera, Patricia; Coldwell, Georgina

2007-03-01

We perform a statistical analysis of active galactic nucleus (AGN) host characteristics and nuclear activity for AGNs in pairs and without companions. Our study concerns a sample of AGNs derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4 data by Kauffmann et al. and pair galaxies obtained from the same data set by Alonso et al. An eye-ball classification of images of 1607 close pairs (rp < 25 kpc h-1,ΔV < 350 km s-1) according to the evidence of interaction through distorted morphologies and tidal features provides us with a more confident assessment of galaxy interactions from this sample. We notice that, at a given luminosity or stellar mass content, the fraction of AGNs is larger for pair galaxies exhibiting evidence for strong interaction and tidal features which also show signs of strong star formation activity. Nevertheless, this process accounts only for a ~10per cent increase of the fraction of AGNs. As in previous works, we find AGN hosts to be redder and with a larger concentration morphological index than non-AGN galaxies. This effect does not depend on whether AGN hosts are in pairs or in isolation. The OIII luminosity of AGNs with strong interaction features is found to be significantly larger than that of other AGNs, either in pairs or in isolation. Estimations of the accretion rate, L[OIII]/MBH, show that AGNs in merging pairs are actively feeding their black holes, regardless of their stellar masses. We also find that the luminosity of the companion galaxy seems to be a key parameter in the determination of the black hole activity. At a given host luminosity, both the OIII luminosity and the L[ OIII]/MBH are significantly larger in AGNs with a bright companion (Mr < -20) than otherwise.

The Effects of Galaxy Interactions on Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beverage, Aliza; Weiner, Aaron; Ramos Padilla, Andres; Ashby, Matthew; Smith, Howard A.

2018-01-01

Galaxy interactions are key events in galaxy evolution, and are widely thought to trigger significant increases in star formation. However, the mechanisms and timescales for these increases are still not well understood. In order to probe the effects of mergers, we undertook an investigation based on the Spitzer Interacting Galaxies Survey (SIGS), a sample of 102 nearby galaxies in 48 systems ranging from weakly interacting to near coalescence. Our study is unique in that we use both broadband photometry and a large sample of objects chosen to be statistically meaningful. Our data come from 32 broad bands ranging from the UV to far-IR, and we model spectral energy distributions (SEDs) using the Code for Investigating Galaxy Emission (CIGALE) to estimate physical characteristics for each galaxy. We find marginal statistical correlations between galaxy interaction strength and dust luminosity and the distribution of dust mass as a function of heating intensity. The specific star formation rates, however, do not show any enhancement across the interaction stages. This result challenges conventional wisdom that mergers induce star formation throughout galaxy interaction.The SAO REU program is funded in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no. 1262851, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Activity of the Seyfert galaxy neighbours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koulouridis, E.; Plionis, M.; Chavushyan, V.; Dultzin, D.; Krongold, Y.; Georgantopoulos, I.; León-Tavares, J.

2013-04-01

We present a follow-up study of a series of papers concerning the role of close interactions as a possible triggering mechanism of AGN activity. We have already studied the close (≤100 h-1 kpc) and the large-scale (≤1 h-1 Mpc) environment of a local sample of Sy1, Sy2, and bright IRAS galaxies (BIRG) and of their respective control samples. The results led us to the conclusion that a close encounter appears capable of activating a sequence where an absorption line galaxy (ALG) galaxy first becomes a starburst, then a Sy2, and finally a Sy1. Here we investigate the activity of neighbouring galaxies of different types of AGN, since both galaxies of an interacting pair should be affected. To this end we present the optical spectroscopy and X-ray imaging of 30 neighbouring galaxies around two local (z ≲ 0.034) samples of 10 Sy1 and 13 Sy2 galaxies. Although this is a pilot study of a small sample, various interesting trends have been discovered that imply physical mechanisms that may lead to different Seyfert types. Based on the optical spectroscopy, we find that more than 70% of all neighbouring galaxies exhibit star forming and/or nuclear activity (namely recent star formation and/or AGN), while an additional X-ray analysis showed that this percentage might be significantly higher. Furthermore, we find a statistically significant correlation, at a 99.9% level, between the value of the neighbour's [OIII]/Hβ ratio and the activity type of the central active galaxy, i.e. the neighbours of Sy2 galaxies are systematically more ionized than the neighbours of Sy1s. This result, in combination with trends found using the Equivalent Width of the Hα emission line and the stellar population synthesis code STARLIGHT, indicate differences in the stellar mass, metallicity, and star formation history between the samples. Our results point towards a link between close galaxy interactions and activity and also provide more clues regarding the possible evolutionary sequence

How Do Galaxies Grow?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-08-01

Astronomers have caught multiple massive galaxies in the act of merging about 4 billion years ago. This discovery, made possible by combining the power of the best ground- and space-based telescopes, uniquely supports the favoured theory of how galaxies form. ESO PR Photo 24/08 ESO PR Photo 24/08 Merging Galaxies in Groups How do galaxies form? The most widely accepted answer to this fundamental question is the model of 'hierarchical formation', a step-wise process in which small galaxies merge to build larger ones. One can think of the galaxies forming in a similar way to how streams merge to form rivers, and how these rivers, in turn, merge to form an even larger river. This theoretical model predicts that massive galaxies grow through many merging events in their lifetime. But when did their cosmological growth spurts finish? When did the most massive galaxies get most of their mass? To answer these questions, astronomers study massive galaxies in clusters, the cosmological equivalent of cities filled with galaxies. "Whether the brightest galaxies in clusters grew substantially in the last few billion years is intensely debated. Our observations show that in this time, these galaxies have increased their mass by 50%," says Kim-Vy Tran from the University of Zürich, Switzerland, who led the research. The astronomers made use of a large ensemble of telescopes and instruments, including ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Hubble Space Telescope, to study in great detail galaxies located 4 billion light-years away. These galaxies lie in an extraordinary system made of four galaxy groups that will assemble into a cluster. In particular, the team took images with VIMOS and spectra with FORS2, both instruments on the VLT. From these and other observations, the astronomers could identify a total of 198 galaxies belonging to these four groups. The brightest galaxies in each group contain between 100 and 1000 billion of stars, a property that makes them comparable

Galaxy And Mass Assembly: resolving the role of environment in galaxy evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brough, S.; Croom, S.; Sharp, R.; Hopkins, A. M.; Taylor, E. N.; Baldry, I. K.; Gunawardhana, M. L. P.; Liske, J.; Norberg, P.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Bauer, A. E.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Colless, M.; Foster, C.; Kelvin, L. S.; Lara-Lopez, M. A.; López-Sánchez, Á. R.; Loveday, J.; Owers, M.; Pimbblet, K. A.; Prescott, M.

2013-11-01

We present observations of 18 galaxies from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey made with the SPIRAL optical integral field unit (IFU) on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. The galaxies are selected to have a narrow range in stellar mass (6 × 109 < M* < 2 × 1010 M⊙) in order to focus on the effects of environment. Local galaxy environments are measured quantitatively using fifth nearest neighbour surface densities. We find that the total star formation rates (SFR) measured from the IFU data are consistent with total SFRs measured from aperture correcting either GAMA or Sloan Digital Sky Survey single-fibre observations. The mean differences are SFRGAMA/SFRIFU = 1.26 ± 0.23, σ = 0.90 and for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey we similarly find SFRBrinchmann/SFRIFU = 1.34 ± 0.17, σ = 0.67. Examining the relationships with environment, we find that off-centre and clumpy Hα emission is not significantly dependent on environment, being present in 2/7 (29^{+20}_{-11} per cent) galaxies in high-density environments (>0.77 Mpc-2), and 5/11 (45^{+15}_{-13} per cent) galaxies in low-density environments (<0.77 Mpc-2). We find a weak but not significant relationship of the total SFRs of star-forming galaxies with environment. Due to the size of our sample and the scatter observed we do not draw a definitive conclusion about a possible SFR dependence on environment. Examining the spatial distribution of the Hα emission, we find no evidence for a change in shape or amplitude of the radial profile of star-forming galaxies with environment. If these observations are borne out in larger samples, this would infer that any environment-driven star formation suppression must either act very rapidly (the `infall-and-quench' model) or that galaxies must evolve in a density-dependent manner (an `in situ evolution' model).

Edge-on Galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has imaged an unusual edge-on galaxy, revealing remarkable details of its warped dusty disc and showing how colliding galaxies trigger the birth of new stars.

The image, taken by Hubble's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), is online at http://heritage.stsci.edu and http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/wfpc. The camera was designed and built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. During observations of the galaxy, the camera passed a milestone, taking its 100,000th image since shuttle astronauts installed it in Hubble in 1993.

The dust and spiral arms of normal spiral galaxies, like our Milky Way, look flat when seen edge- on. The new image of the galaxy ESO 510-G13 shows an unusual twisted disc structure, first seen in ground-based photographs taken at the European Southern Observatory in Chile. ESO 510-G13 lies in the southern constellation Hydra, some 150 million light-years from Earth. Details of the galaxy's structure are visible because interstellar dust clouds that trace its disc are silhouetted from behind by light from the galaxy's bright, smooth central bulge.

The strong warping of the disc indicates that ESO 510-G13 has recently collided with a nearby galaxy and is in the process of swallowing it. Gravitational forces distort galaxies as their stars, gas, and dust merge over millions of years. When the disturbances die out, ESO 510-G13 will be a single galaxy.

The galaxy's outer regions, especially on the right side of the image, show dark dust and bright clouds of blue stars. This indicates that hot, young stars are forming in the twisted disc. Astronomers believe star formation may be triggered when galaxies collide and their interstellar clouds are compressed.

The Hubble Heritage Team used WFPC2 to observe ESO 510-G13 in April 2001. Pictures obtained through blue, green, and red filters were combined to make this color-composite image, which emphasizes the contrast between the dusty

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): the life and times of L★ galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robotham, A. S. G.; Liske, J.; Driver, S. P.; Sansom, A. E.; Baldry, I. K.; Bauer, A. E.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Brough, S.; Brown, M. J. I.; Colless, M.; Christodoulou, L.; Drinkwater, M. J.; Grootes, M. W.; Hopkins, A. M.; Kelvin, L. S.; Norberg, P.; Loveday, J.; Phillipps, S.; Sharp, R.; Taylor, E. N.; Tuffs, R. J.

2013-05-01

In this work, we investigate in detail the effects the local environment (groups and pairs) has on galaxies with stellar mass similar to the Milky Way (L* galaxies). A volume limited sample of 6150 galaxies are visually classified to determine the emission features, morphological type and presence of a disc. This large sample allows for the significant characteristics of galaxies to be isolated (e.g. stellar mass and group halo mass), and their codependencies determined. We observe that galaxy-galaxy interactions play the most important role in shaping the evolution within a group halo; the main role of halo mass is in gathering the galaxies together to encourage such interactions. Dominant pair galaxies find their overall star formation enhanced when the pair's mass ratio is close to 1; otherwise, we observe the same galaxies as we would in an unpaired system. The minor galaxy in a pair is greatly affected by its companion galaxy, and while the star-forming fraction is always suppressed relative to equivalent stellar mass unpaired galaxies, it becomes lower still when the mass ratio of a pair system increases. We find that, in general, the close galaxy-galaxy interaction rate drops as a function of halo mass for a given amount of stellar mass. We find evidence of a local peak of interactions for Milky Way stellar mass galaxies in Milky Way halo mass groups. Low-mass haloes, and in particular Local Group mass haloes, are an important environment for understanding the typical evolutionary path of a unit of stellar mass. We find compelling evidence for galaxy conformity in both groups and pairs, where morphological type conformity is dominant in groups, and emission class conformity is dominant in pairs. This suggests that group scale conformity is the result of many galaxy encounters over an extended period of time, while pair conformity is a fairly instantaneous response to a transitory interaction.

Triple galaxies and a hidden mass problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karachentsev, I. D.; Karachentseva, V. E.; Lebedev, V. S.

1990-01-01

The authors consider a homogeneous sample of 84 triple systems of galaxies with components brighter than m = 15.7, located in the northern sky and satisfying an isolation criterion with respect to neighboring galaxies in projection. The distributions of basic dynamical parameters for triplets have median values as follows: radial velocity dispersion 133 km/s, mean harmonic radius 63 kpc, absolute magnitude of galaxies M sub B equals -20.38, crossing time tau = 0.04 H(sup minus 1). For different ways of estimation the median mass-to-luminosity ratio is (20 - 30). A comparison of the last value with the ones for single and binary galaxies shows the presence of a virial mass excess for triplets by a factor 4. The mass-to-luminosity ratio is practically uncorrelated with linear size of triplets or with morphological types of their components. We note that a significant part of the virial excess may be explained by the presence of nonisolated triple configurations in the sample, which are produced by debris of more populous groups of galaxies.

Rebuilding Spiral Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-01-01

NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, the ESA Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) satellite and the NRAO Very Large Array. With the Very Large Telescope, observations were performed on Antu and Kueyen over a two-year period using the quasi-twin instruments FORS1 and FORS2 in the visible and ISAAC in the infrared. In both cases, it was essential to rely on the unique capabilities of the VLT to obtain high-quality spectra with the required resolution. A fleet of results ESO PR Photo 02a/05 ESO PR Photo 02a/05 Luminosity - Oxygen Abundance Relation for Galaxies [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 455 pix - 81k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 910 pix - 208k] Caption: ESO PR Photo 02a/05 shows the oxygen abundance (expressed in fraction of the solar value) as a function of the luminosity of the galaxies (in logarithm scale). This relation is fundamental in astrophysics. The relation for local galaxies is shown by the solid red line. The blue dots are the values derived from VLT spectra in a subset of the studied galaxies. They reveal for the first time that this relation is changing with time: for a given value of the luminosity, galaxies of different ages present different values of the oxygen abundance. From their extensive set of data, the astronomers could draw a number of important conclusions. First, based on the near-infrared luminosities of the galaxies, they infer that most of the galaxies they studied contain between 30,000 million and 300,000 million times the mass of the Sun in the form of stars. This is roughly a factor 0.2 to 2 the amount of mass locked in stars in our own Milky Way. Second, they discovered that contrary to the local Universe where so-called Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs; [3]) are very rare objects, at a redshift from 0.4 to 1, that is, 4,000 to 8,000 million years ago, roughly one sixth of bright galaxies were LIRGs. Because this peculiar class of galaxies is believed to be going through a very active phase of star formation, with a doubling of the stellar mass

Galaxy interactions in the Hickson Compact Group 88

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brosch, Noah

2015-12-01

I present observations of the Hickson Compact Group 88 (HCG88) obtained during the commissioning of a new 28-inch telescope at the Wise Observatory. This galaxy group was advertized to be non-interacting, or to be in a very early interaction stage, but this is not the case. The observations reported here were done using a `luminance' filter, essentially a very broad R filter, reaching a low surface brightness level of ≈26 mag arcsec-2. Additional observations were obtained in a narrow spectral band approximately centred on the rest-frame H α line from the group. Contrary to previous studies, my observations show that at least two of the major galaxies have had significant interactions in the past, although probably not between themselves. I report the discovery of a faint extended tail emerging from the brightest of the group galaxies, severe isophote twisting and possible outer shells around another galaxy, and map the H II regions in all the galaxies.

On the Nature of the First Galaxies Selected at 350 Micrometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khan, Sophia A.; Chanial, Pierre F.; Willner, S. P.; Pearson, Chris P.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Benford, Dominic J.; Clements, David L.; Dye, Simon; Farrah, Duncan; Fazio, G. G.;

Quasar Host Galaxies/Neptune Rotation/Galaxy Building Blocks/Hubble Deep Field/Saturn Storm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Computerized animations simulate a quasar erupting in the core of a normal spiral galaxy, the collision of two interacting galaxies, and the evolution of the universe. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images show six quasars' host galaxies (including spirals, ellipticals, and colliding galaxies) and six clumps of galaxies approximately 11 billion light years away. A false color time lapse movie of Neptune displays the planet's 16-hour rotation, and the evolution of a storm on Saturn is seen though a video of the planet's rotation. A zoom sequence starts with a ground-based image of the constellation Ursa major and ends with the Hubble Deep Field through progressively narrower and deeper views.

The clustering evolution of distant red galaxies in the GOODS-MUSIC sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grazian, A.; Fontana, A.; Moscardini, L.; Salimbeni, S.; Menci, N.; Giallongo, E.; de Santis, C.; Gallozzi, S.; Nonino, M.; Cristiani, S.; Vanzella, E.

2006-07-01

Aims.We study the clustering properties of Distant Red Galaxies (DRGs) to test whether they are the progenitors of local massive galaxies. Methods.We use the GOODS-MUSIC sample, a catalog of ~3000 Ks-selected galaxies based on VLT and HST observation of the GOODS-South field with extended multi-wavelength coverage (from 0.3 to 8~μm) and accurate estimates of the photometric redshifts to select 179 DRGs with J-Ks≥ 1.3 in an area of 135 sq. arcmin.Results.We first show that the J-Ks≥ 1.3 criterion selects a rather heterogeneous sample of galaxies, going from the targeted high-redshift luminous evolved systems, to a significant fraction of lower redshift (1significantly less clustered than higher-z DRGs. With the aid of extreme and simplified theoretical models of clustering evolution, we show that it is unlikely that the two samples are drawn from the same population observed at two different stages of evolution. Conclusions.High-z DRGs likely represent the progenitors of the more massive and more luminous galaxies in the local Universe and might mark the regions that will later evolve into structures of intermediate mass, like groups or small galaxy clusters. Low-z DRGs, on the other hand, will likely evolve into slightly less massive field galaxies.

Amazing Andromeda Galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

The many 'personalities' of our great galactic neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, are exposed in this new composite image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer and the Spitzer Space Telescope.

The wide, ultraviolet eyes of Galaxy Evolution Explorer reveal Andromeda's 'fiery' nature -- hotter regions brimming with young and old stars. In contrast, Spitzer's super-sensitive infrared eyes show Andromeda's relatively 'cool' side, which includes embryonic stars hidden in their dusty cocoons.

Galaxy Evolution Explorer detected young, hot, high-mass stars, which are represented in blue, while populations of relatively older stars are shown as green dots. The bright yellow spot at the galaxy's center depicts a particularly dense population of old stars.

Swaths of red in the galaxy's disk indicate areas where Spitzer found cool, dusty regions where stars are forming. These stars are still shrouded by the cosmic clouds of dust and gas that collapsed to form them.

Together, Galaxy Evolution Explorer and Spitzer complete the picture of Andromeda's swirling spiral arms. Hints of pinkish purple depict regions where the galaxy's populations of hot, high-mass stars and cooler, dust-enshrouded stars co-exist.

Located 2.5 million light-years away, the Andromeda is our largest nearby galactic neighbor. The galaxy's entire disk spans about 260,000 light-years, which means that a light beam would take 260,000 years to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other. By comparison, our Milky Way galaxy's disk is about 100,000 light-years across.

This image is a false color composite comprised of data from Galaxy Evolution Explorer's far-ultraviolet detector (blue), near-ultraviolet detector (green), and Spitzer's multiband imaging photometer at 24 microns (red).

On the occurrence of galaxy harassment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialas, D.; Lisker, T.; Olczak, C.; Spurzem, R.; Kotulla, R.

2015-04-01

Context. Tidal interactions of galaxies in galaxy clusters have been proposed as one potential explanation of the morphology-density relation at low masses. Earlier studies have shown that galaxy harassment is a suitable mechanism for inducing a morphological transformation from low-mass late-type disk galaxies to the abundant early-type galaxies. Aims: The efficiency of tidal transformation is expected to depend strongly on the orbit of a galaxy within the cluster halo. The orbit determines both the strength of the cluster's global tidal field and the probability of encounters with other cluster members. Here we aim to explore these dependencies. Methods: We use a combination of N-body simulation and Monte-Carlo method to study the efficiency of the transformation of late-type galaxies by tidal interactions on different orbits in a galaxy cluster. Additionally, we investigate the effect of an inclination between the disk of the infalling galaxy and its orbital plane. We compare our results to observational data to assess the possible relevance of such transformations for the existing cluster galaxy population. Results: We find that galaxies that entered a cluster from the outskirts are unlikely to be significantly transformed (stellar mass loss ≤6%). Closer to the cluster centre, tidal interactions are a more efficient mechanism (stellar mass loss up to 50%) for producing harassed galaxies. The inclination of the disk can reduce the mass loss significantly, yet it amplifies the thickening of the galaxy disk. Galaxies with smaller sizes on intermediate orbits are nearly unaffected by tidal interactions. The tidal influence on an infalling galaxy and the likelihood that it leads to galaxy harassment make a very stochastical process that depends on the galaxy's specific history. Conclusions: We conclude that harassment is a suitable mechanism that could explain the transformation of at least a fraction of galaxies inside galaxy clusters. However, the transformation

The SAMI Galaxy Survey: the intrinsic shape of kinematically selected galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, C.; van de Sande, J.; D'Eugenio, F.; Cortese, L.; McDermid, R. M.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Brough, S.; Bryant, J.; Croom, S. M.; Goodwin, M.; Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Lawrence, J.; López-Sánchez, Á. R.; Medling, A. M.; Owers, M. S.; Richards, S. N.; Scott, N.; Taranu, D. S.; Tonini, C.; Zafar, T.

2017-11-01

Using the stellar kinematic maps and ancillary imaging data from the Sydney AAO Multi Integral field (SAMI) Galaxy Survey, the intrinsic shape of kinematically selected samples of galaxies is inferred. We implement an efficient and optimized algorithm to fit the intrinsic shape of galaxies using an established method to simultaneously invert the distributions of apparent ellipticities and kinematic misalignments. The algorithm output compares favourably with previous studies of the intrinsic shape of galaxies based on imaging alone and our re-analysis of the ATLAS3D data. Our results indicate that most galaxies are oblate axisymmetric. We show empirically that the intrinsic shape of galaxies varies as a function of their rotational support as measured by the 'spin' parameter proxy λ _{R_e}. In particular, low-spin systems have a higher occurrence of triaxiality, while high-spin systems are more intrinsically flattened and axisymmetric. The intrinsic shape of galaxies is linked to their formation and merger histories. Galaxies with high-spin values have intrinsic shapes consistent with dissipational minor mergers, while the intrinsic shape of low-spin systems is consistent with dissipationless multimerger assembly histories. This range in assembly histories inferred from intrinsic shapes is broadly consistent with expectations from cosmological simulations.

Photometry of compact galaxies.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shen, B. S. P.; Usher, P. D.; Barrett, J. W.

1972-01-01

Photometric histories of the N galaxies 3C 390.3 and PKS 0521-36. Four other compact galaxies, Markarian 9, I Zw 92, 2 Zw 136, and III Zw 77 showed no evidence of variability. The photometric histories were obtained from an exhaustive study of those plates of the Harvard collection taken with large aperture cameras. The images of all galaxies reported were indistinguishable from stars due to the camera f-ratios and low surface brightness of the outlying nebulosities of the galaxies. Standard techniques for the study of variable stars are therefore applicable.

A CCD Study of the Environment of Seyfert Galaxies. II. Testing the Interaction Hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Robertis, M. M.; Yee, H. K. C.; Hayhoe, K.

1998-03-01

An analysis of the environment of a sample of 33 CfA Seyfert galaxies and a control sample of 45 nonactive galaxies matched in luminosity, redshift, and morphology to the Seyfert galaxies as reported in Paper I is presented. The covariance function amplitudes of the Seyfert and control samples are not statistically significantly different from one another and from the general field. Moreover, the companion frequency of the Seyfert galaxies, the probability of finding a companion galaxy brighter than -17.5 in R within 50 kpc (0.30 +/- 0.11), is not statistically significantly different from that for the nonactive control sample (0.23 +/- 0.09). The mean environment of Seyfert 1 galaxies is found to be different from that of Seyfert 2 galaxies at greater than the 95% confidence level, in the sense that the latter have a larger covariance amplitude. Such evidence is problematic for the Unified Model, which attributes spectroscopic differences between the classes to purely geometric effects on the order of parsec scales. It cannot, however, account for differences on the order of 100 kpc scales. It is argued that triggering of activity in galactic nuclei may involve a variety of mechanisms and may depend on the luminosity of the class. That is, while there is excellent evidence that QSOs, radio galaxies, and BL Lac objects inhabit environments significantly richer than the field, the same does not seem to be true for Seyfert galaxies and perhaps for LINERs. Finally, because a significant fraction of Seyfert host galaxies show little or no evidence for a recent merger, it is suggested that ``minor mergers,'' mergers that involve a gas-rich disk galaxy and a bound companion or satellite galaxy, may play a significant role in triggering activity in Seyfert galaxies.

SPT-CL J2040–4451: An SZ-selected galaxy cluster at x=1.478 with significant ongoing star formation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bayliss, M. B.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Ruel, J.

2014-09-18

SPT-CL J2040-4451-spectroscopically confirmed at z = 1.478-is the highest-redshift galaxy cluster yet discovered via the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. SPT-CL J2040-4451 was a candidate galaxy cluster identified in the first 720 deg(2) of the South Pole Telescope Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SPT-SZ) survey, and has been confirmed in follow-up imaging and spectroscopy. From multi-object spectroscopy with Magellan-I/Baade+ IMACS we measure spectroscopic redshifts for 15 cluster member galaxies, all of which have strong [O Pi]lambda lambda 3727 emission. SPT-CL J2040-4451 has an SZ-measured mass of M-500,(SZ) = 3.2 ± 0.8 x 10 14M(circle dot) h(-1) 70, corresponding to M-200,M- (SZ) = 5.8 ± 1.4 x 10more » 14M(circle dot) h(70-)(1.) The velocity dispersion measured entirely from blue star-forming members is sv = 1500 ± 520 km s -1. The prevalence of star-forming cluster members (galaxies with > 1.5M(circle dot) yr -1 implies that this massive, high-redshift cluster is experiencing a phase of active star formation, and supports recent results showing a marked increase in star formation occurring in galaxy clusters at z greater than or similar to 1.4. We also compute the probability of finding a cluster as rare as this in the SPT-SZ survey to be > 99%, indicating that its discovery is not in tension with the concordance Lambda CDM cosmological model.« less

Statistics of galaxy orientations - Morphology and large-scale structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambas, Diego G.; Groth, Edward J.; Peebles, P. J. E.

1988-01-01

Using the Uppsala General Catalog of bright galaxies and the northern and southern maps of the Lick counts of galaxies, statistical evidence of a morphology-orientation effect is found. Major axes of elliptical galaxies are preferentially oriented along the large-scale features of the Lick maps. However, the orientations of the major axes of spiral and lenticular galaxies show no clear signs of significant nonrandom behavior at a level of less than about one-fifth of the effect seen for ellipticals. The angular scale of the detected alignment effect for Uppsala ellipticals extends to at least theta of about 2 deg, which at a redshift of z of about 0.02 corresponds to a linear scale of about 2/h Mpc.

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): the connection between metals, specific SFR and H I gas in galaxies: the Z-SSFR relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lara-López, M. A.; Hopkins, A. M.; López-Sánchez, A. R.; Brough, S.; Colless, M.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Driver, S.; Foster, C.; Liske, J.; Loveday, J.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Sharp, R. G.; Steele, O.; Taylor, E. N.

2013-06-01

We study the interplay between gas phase metallicity (Z), specific star formation rate (SSFR) and neutral hydrogen gas (H I) for galaxies of different stellar masses. Our study uses spectroscopic data from Galaxy and Mass Assembly and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) star-forming galaxies, as well as H I detection from the Arecibo Legacy Fast Arecibo L-band Feed Array (ALFALFA) and Galex Arecibo SDSS Survey (GASS) public catalogues. We present a model based on the Z-SSFR relation that shows that at a given stellar mass, depending on the amount of gas, galaxies will follow opposite behaviours. Low-mass galaxies with a large amount of gas will show high SSFR and low metallicities, while low-mass galaxies with small amounts of gas will show lower SSFR and high metallicities. In contrast, massive galaxies with a large amount of gas will show moderate SSFR and high metallicities, while massive galaxies with small amounts of gas will show low SSFR and low metallicities. Using ALFALFA and GASS counterparts, we find that the amount of gas is related to those drastic differences in Z and SSFR for galaxies of a similar stellar mass.

BULGELESS GIANT GALAXIES CHALLENGE OUR PICTURE OF GALAXY FORMATION BY HIERARCHICAL CLUSTERING ,

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kormendy, John; Cornell, Mark E.; Drory, Niv

2010-11-01

To better understand the prevalence of bulgeless galaxies in the nearby field, we dissect giant Sc-Scd galaxies with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry and Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) spectroscopy. We use the HET High Resolution Spectrograph (resolution R {identical_to} {lambda}/FWHM {approx_equal} 15, 000) to measure stellar velocity dispersions in the nuclear star clusters and (pseudo)bulges of the pure-disk galaxies M 33, M 101, NGC 3338, NGC 3810, NGC 6503, and NGC 6946. The dispersions range from 20 {+-} 1 km s{sup -1} in the nucleus of M 33 to 78 {+-} 2 km s{sup -1} in the pseudobulge of NGC 3338.more » We use HST archive images to measure the brightness profiles of the nuclei and (pseudo)bulges in M 101, NGC 6503, and NGC 6946 and hence to estimate their masses. The results imply small mass-to-light ratios consistent with young stellar populations. These observations lead to two conclusions. (1) Upper limits on the masses of any supermassive black holes are M{sub .} {approx}< (2.6 {+-} 0.5) x 10{sup 6} M{sub sun} in M 101 and M{sub .} {approx}< (2.0 {+-} 0.6) x 10{sup 6} M{sub sun} in NGC 6503. (2) We show that the above galaxies contain only tiny pseudobulges that make up {approx}<3% of the stellar mass. This provides the strongest constraints to date on the lack of classical bulges in the biggest pure-disk galaxies. We inventory the galaxies in a sphere of radius 8 Mpc centered on our Galaxy to see whether giant, pure-disk galaxies are common or rare. We find that at least 11 of 19 galaxies with V{sub circ} > 150 km s{sup -1}, including M 101, NGC 6946, IC 342, and our Galaxy, show no evidence for a classical bulge. Four may contain small classical bulges that contribute 5%-12% of the light of the galaxy. Only four of the 19 giant galaxies are ellipticals or have classical bulges that contribute {approx}1/3 of the galaxy light. We conclude that pure-disk galaxies are far from rare. It is hard to understand how bulgeless galaxies could form as the

CLUMPY GALAXIES IN CANDELS. I. THE DEFINITION OF UV CLUMPS AND THE FRACTION OF CLUMPY GALAXIES AT 0.5 < z < 3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guo, Yicheng; Koo, David C.; Barro, Guillermo

Although giant clumps of stars are thought to be crucial to galaxy formation and evolution, the most basic demographics of clumps are still uncertain, mainly because the definition of clumps has not been thoroughly discussed. In this paper, we carry out a study of the basic demographics of clumps in star-forming galaxies at 0.5 < z < 3, using our proposed physical definition that UV-bright clumps are discrete star-forming regions that individually contribute more than 8% of the rest-frame UV light of their galaxies. Clumps defined this way are significantly brighter than the H II regions of nearby large spiral galaxies,more » either individually or blended, when physical spatial resolution and cosmological dimming are considered. Under this definition, we measure the fraction of star-forming galaxies that have at least one off-center clump (f {sub clumpy}) and the contributions of clumps to the rest-frame UV light and star formation rate (SFR) of star-forming galaxies in the CANDELS/GOODS-S and UDS fields, where our mass-complete sample consists of 3239 galaxies with axial ratio q > 0.5. The redshift evolution of f {sub clumpy} changes with the stellar mass (M {sub *}) of the galaxies. Low-mass (log (M {sub *}/M {sub ☉}) < 9.8) galaxies keep an almost constant f {sub clumpy} of ∼60% from z ∼ 3 to z ∼ 0.5. Intermediate-mass and massive galaxies drop their f {sub clumpy} from 55% at z ∼ 3 to 40% and 15%, respectively, at z ∼ 0.5. We find that (1) the trend of disk stabilization predicted by violent disk instability matches the f {sub clumpy} trend of massive galaxies; (2) minor mergers are a viable explanation of the f {sub clumpy} trend of intermediate-mass galaxies at z < 1.5, given a realistic observability timescale; and (3) major mergers are unlikely responsible for the f {sub clumpy} trend in all masses at z < 1.5. The clump contribution to the rest-frame UV light of star-forming galaxies shows a broad peak around galaxies with log (M {sub *}/M

Environment of Submillimeter Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, K.-c.; Chen, L.-w.

2013-10-01

To study the environment of high-redshift star-forming galaxies — submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) — and their role during large-scale structure formation, we have estimated the galaxy number density fluctuations around SMGs, and analyzed their cross correlation functions with Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs), and optical-selected galaxies with photometric redshift in the COSMOS and ECDFS fields. Only a marginal cross-correlation between SMGs and optical-selected galaxies at most redshifts intervals is found in our results, except a relatively strong correlation detected in the cases of AzTEC-detected SMGs with galaxies at z ˜2.6 and 3.6. The density fluctuations around SMGs with redshift estimated show most SMGs located in a high-density region. There is no correlation signal between LAEs and SMGs, and the galaxy density fluctuations indicate a slightly anti-correlation on a scale smaller than 2 Mpc. Furthermore, we also investigate the density fluctuations of passive and starforming galaxies selected by optical and near infrared colors at similar redshift around SMGs. Finally the implication from our results to the interconnection between high-redshift galaxy populations is discussed.

Structural analysis of star-forming blue early-type galaxies. Merger-driven star formation in elliptical galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, Koshy

2017-02-01

Context. Star-forming blue early-type galaxies at low redshift can give insight to the stellar mass growth of L⋆ elliptical galaxies in the local Universe. Aims: We wish to understand the reason for star formation in these otherwise passively evolving red and dead stellar systems. The fuel for star formation can be acquired through recent accretion events such as mergers or flyby. The signatures of such events should be evident from a structural analysis of the galaxy image. Methods: We carried out structural analysis on SDSS r-band imaging data of 55 star-forming blue elliptical galaxies, derived the structural parameters, analysed the residuals from best-fit to surface brightness distribution, and constructed the galaxy scaling relations. Results: We found that star-forming blue early-type galaxies are bulge-dominated systems with axial ratio >0.5 and surface brightness profiles fitted by Sérsic profiles with index (n) mostly >2. Twenty-three galaxies are found to have n< 2; these could be hosting a disc component. The residual images of the 32 galaxy surface brightness profile fits show structural features indicative of recent interactions. The star-forming blue elliptical galaxies follow the Kormendy relation and show the characteristics of normal elliptical galaxies as far as structural analysis is concerned. There is a general trend for high-luminosity galaxies to display interaction signatures and high star formation rates. Conclusions: The star-forming population of blue early-type galaxies at low redshifts could be normal ellipticals that might have undergone a recent gas-rich minor merger event. The star formation in these galaxies will shut down once the recently acquired fuel is consumed, following which the galaxy will evolve to a normal early-type galaxy.

Star formation quenching in quasar host galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carniani, Stefano

2017-10-01

Galaxy evolution is likely to be shaped by negative feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN). In the whole range of redshifts and luminosities studied so far, galaxies hosting an AGN frequently show fast and extended outflows consisting in both ionised and molecular gas. Such outflows could potentially quench the start formation within the host galaxy, but a clear evidence of negative feedback in action is still missing. Hereby I will analyse integral-field spectroscopic data for six quasars at z ˜2.4 obtained with SINFONI in the H- and K-band. All the quasars show [OIII]λ5007 line detection of fast, extended outflows. Also, the high signal-to-noise SINFONI observations allow the identification of faint narrow Hα emission (FWHM < 500 km/s), which is spatially extended and associated with star formation in the host galaxy. On paper fast outflows are spatially anti-correlated with star-formation powered emission, i.e. star formation is suppressed in the area affected by the outflow. Nonetheless as narrow, spatially-extended Hα emission, indicating star formation rates of at least 50 - 100 M⊙/yr, has been detected, either AGN feedback is not affecting the whole host galaxy, or star formation is completely quenched only by several feedback episodes. On the other hand, a positive feedback scenario, supported by narrow emission in Hα extending along the edges of the outflow cone, suggests that galaxy-wide outflows could also have a twofold role in the evolution of the host galaxy. Finally, I will present CO(3-2) ALMA data for three out of the six QSOs observed with SINFONI. Flux maps obtained for the CO(3-2) transition suggest that molecular gas within the host galaxy is swept away by fast winds. A negative-feedback scenario is supported by the inferred molecular gas mass in all three objects, which is significantly below what observed in non-active main-sequence galaxies at high-z.

Distributions of Gas and Galaxies from Galaxy Clusters to Larger Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patej, Anna

2017-01-01

We address the distributions of gas and galaxies on three scales: the outskirts of galaxy clusters, the clustering of galaxies on large scales, and the extremes of the galaxy distribution. In the outskirts of galaxy clusters, long-standing analytical models of structure formation and recent simulations predict the existence of density jumps in the gas and dark matter profiles. We use these features to derive models for the gas density profile, obtaining a simple fiducial model that is in agreement with both observations of cluster interiors and simulations of the outskirts. We next consider the galaxy density profiles of clusters; under the assumption that the galaxies in cluster outskirts follow similar collisionless dynamics as the dark matter, their distribution should show a steep jump as well. We examine the profiles of a low-redshift sample of clusters and groups, finding evidence for the jump in some of these clusters. Moving to larger scales where massive galaxies of different types are expected to trace the same large-scale structure, we present a test of this prediction by measuring the clustering of red and blue galaxies at z 0.6, finding low stochasticity between the two populations. These results address a key source of systematic uncertainty - understanding how target populations of galaxies trace large-scale structure - in galaxy redshift surveys. Such surveys use baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) as a cosmological probe, but are limited by the expense of obtaining sufficiently dense spectroscopy. With the intention of leveraging upcoming deep imaging data, we develop a new method of detecting the BAO in sparse spectroscopic samples via cross-correlation with a dense photometric catalog. This method will permit the extension of BAO measurements to higher redshifts than possible with the existing spectroscopy alone. Lastly, we connect galaxies near and far: the Local Group dwarfs and the high redshift galaxies observed by Hubble and Spitzer. We

Accretion by the Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Binney, J.; Fraternali, F.

2012-02-01

Cosmology requires at least half of the baryons in the Universe to be in the intergalactic medium, much of which is believed to form hot coronae around galaxies. Star-forming galaxies must be accreting from their coronae. Hi observations of external galaxies show that they have Hi halos associated with star formation. These halos are naturally modelled as ensembles of clouds driven up by supernova bubbles. These models can fit the data successfully only if clouds exchange mass and momentum with the corona. As a cloud orbits, it is ablated and forms a turbulent wake where cold high-metallicity gas mixes with hot coronal gas causing the prompt cooling of the latter. As a consequence the total mass of Hi increases. This model has recently been used to model the Leiden-Argentina-Bonn survey of Galactic Hi. The values of the model's parameters that are required to model NGC 891, NGC 2403 and our Galaxy show a remarkable degree of consistency, despite the very different natures of the two external galaxies and the dramatic difference in the nature of the data for our Galaxy and the external galaxies. The parameter values are also consistent with hydrodynamical simulations of the ablation of individual clouds. The model predicts that a galaxy that loses its cool-gas disc for instance through a major merger cannot reform it from its corona; it can return to steady star formation only if it can capture a large body of cool gas, for example by accreting a gas-rich dwarf. Thus the model explains how major mergers can make galaxies "red and dead."

ROSAT observations of Coma Cluster galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dow, K. L.; White, S. D. M.

1995-01-01

The approximately 86 ks ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) image of the Coma Cluster is deeper than any previous X-ray observation of a galaxy cluster. We search for X-ray emission from 35 individual galaxies in a magnitude-limited sample, all of which lie within 20 arcmins of the optical axis in at least one of the four Coma pointings. We detect seven galaxies in the 0.4-2.4 keV band at a significance level exceeding 3 sigma, and a further four at above 2 sigma. Although we can set only upper limits on the individual flux from each of the other galaxies, we are able to measure their mean flux by stacking the observations. The X-ray luminosities of the seven detections range from 6.2 x 10(exp 40) to 1.5 x 10(exp 42) ergs/s (0.4-2.4 keV for H(sub 0) = 50 km/s/Mpc). For galaxies with a blue absolute magnitude of about -21 we find a mean X-ray luminosity of 1.3 x 10(exp 40) ergs/s. The ratio of X-ray to optical luminosity is substantially smaller for such subjects than for the brightest galaxies in the cluster. The X-ray luminosities of the four brightest galaxies are ill-defined, however, because of ambiguity in distinguishing galaxy emission from cluster emission. Each object appears to be related to significant structure in the diffuse intracluster medium. We also investigate emission in the softer 0.2-0.4 keV band where detections are less significant because of the higher background, and we discuss the properties of a number of interesting individual sources. The X-ray luminosities of the Coma galaxies are similar to those of galaxies in the Virgo Cluster and in other regions with relatively low galaxy density. We conclude that large-scale environmental effects do not significantly enhance or suppress the average X-ray emission from galaxies, but that individual objects vary in luminosity substantially in a way which may depend on the detailed history of their environment.

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Impact of the Group Environment on Galaxy Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barsanti, S.; Owers, M. S.; Brough, S.; Davies, L. J. M.; Driver, S. P.; Gunawardhana, M. L. P.; Holwerda, B. W.; Liske, J.; Loveday, J.; Pimbblet, K. A.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Taylor, E. N.

2018-04-01

We explore how the group environment may affect the evolution of star-forming galaxies. We select 1197 Galaxy And Mass Assembly groups at 0.05 ≤ z ≤ 0.2 and analyze the projected phase space (PPS) diagram, i.e., the galaxy velocity as a function of projected group-centric radius, as a local environmental metric in the low-mass halo regime 1012 ≤ (M 200/M ⊙) < 1014. We study the properties of star-forming group galaxies, exploring the correlation of star formation rate (SFR) with radial distance and stellar mass. We find that the fraction of star-forming group members is higher in the PPS regions dominated by recently accreted galaxies, whereas passive galaxies dominate the virialized regions. We observe a small decline in specific SFR of star-forming galaxies toward the group center by a factor ∼1.2 with respect to field galaxies. Similar to cluster studies, we conclude for low-mass halos that star-forming group galaxies represent an infalling population from the field to the halo and show suppressed star formation.

Cosmic Collisions: Galaxy Mergers and Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trouille, Laura; Willett, Kyle; Masters, Karen; Lintott, Christopher; Whyte, Laura; Lynn, Stuart; Tremonti, Christina A.

2014-08-01

Over the years evidence has mounted for a significant mode of galaxy evolution via mergers. This process links gas-rich, spiral galaxies; starbursting galaxies; active galactic nuclei (AGN); post-starburst galaxies; and gas-poor, elliptical galaxies, as objects representing different phases of major galaxy mergers. The post-starburst phase is particularly interesting because nearly every galaxy that evolves from star-forming to quiescent must pass through it. In essence, this phase is a sort of galaxy evolution “bottleneck” that indicates that a galaxy is actively evolving through important physical transitions. In this talk I will present the results from the ‘Galaxy Zoo Quench’ project - using post-starburst galaxies to place observational constraints on the role of mergers and AGN activity in quenching star formation. `Quench’ is the first fully collaborative research project with Zooniverse citizen scientists online; engaging the public in all phases of research, from classification to data analysis and discussion to writing the article and submission to a refereed journal.

Galaxies in the Illustris simulation as seen by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey - II. Size-luminosity relations and the deficit of bulge-dominated galaxies in Illustris at low mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bottrell, Connor; Torrey, Paul; Simard, Luc; Ellison, Sara L.

2017-05-01

The interpretive power of the newest generation of large-volume hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation rests upon their ability to reproduce the observed properties of galaxies. In this second paper in a series, we employ bulge+disc decompositions of realistic dust-free galaxy images from the Illustris simulation in a consistent comparison with galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Examining the size-luminosity relations of each sample, we find that galaxies in Illustris are roughly twice as large and 0.7 mag brighter on average than galaxies in the SDSS. The trend of increasing slope and decreasing normalization of size-luminosity as a function of bulge fraction is qualitatively similar to observations. However, the size-luminosity relations of Illustris galaxies are quantitatively distinguished by higher normalizations and smaller slopes than for real galaxies. We show that this result is linked to a significant deficit of bulge-dominated galaxies in Illustris relative to the SDSS at stellar masses log M_{\\star }/M_{⊙}≲ 11. We investigate this deficit by comparing bulge fraction estimates derived from photometry and internal kinematics. We show that photometric bulge fractions are systematically lower than the kinematic fractions at low masses, but with increasingly good agreement as the stellar mass increases.

Tidal alignment of galaxies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blazek, Jonathan; Vlah, Zvonimir; Seljak, Uroš

We develop an analytic model for galaxy intrinsic alignments (IA) based on the theory of tidal alignment. We calculate all relevant nonlinear corrections at one-loop order, including effects from nonlinear density evolution, galaxy biasing, and source density weighting. Contributions from density weighting are found to be particularly important and lead to bias dependence of the IA amplitude, even on large scales. This effect may be responsible for much of the luminosity dependence in IA observations. The increase in IA amplitude for more highly biased galaxies reflects their locations in regions with large tidal fields. We also consider the impact ofmore » smoothing the tidal field on halo scales. We compare the performance of this consistent nonlinear model in describing the observed alignment of luminous red galaxies with the linear model as well as the frequently used "nonlinear alignment model," finding a significant improvement on small and intermediate scales. We also show that the cross-correlation between density and IA (the "GI" term) can be effectively separated into source alignment and source clustering, and we accurately model the observed alignment down to the one-halo regime using the tidal field from the fully nonlinear halo-matter cross correlation. Inside the one-halo regime, the average alignment of galaxies with density tracers no longer follows the tidal alignment prediction, likely reflecting nonlinear processes that must be considered when modeling IA on these scales. Finally, we discuss tidal alignment in the context of cosmic shear measurements.« less

Tidal alignment of galaxies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blazek, Jonathan; Vlah, Zvonimir; Seljak, Uroš, E-mail: blazek@berkeley.edu, E-mail: zvlah@stanford.edu, E-mail: useljak@berkeley.edu

We develop an analytic model for galaxy intrinsic alignments (IA) based on the theory of tidal alignment. We calculate all relevant nonlinear corrections at one-loop order, including effects from nonlinear density evolution, galaxy biasing, and source density weighting. Contributions from density weighting are found to be particularly important and lead to bias dependence of the IA amplitude, even on large scales. This effect may be responsible for much of the luminosity dependence in IA observations. The increase in IA amplitude for more highly biased galaxies reflects their locations in regions with large tidal fields. We also consider the impact ofmore » smoothing the tidal field on halo scales. We compare the performance of this consistent nonlinear model in describing the observed alignment of luminous red galaxies with the linear model as well as the frequently used 'nonlinear alignment model,' finding a significant improvement on small and intermediate scales. We also show that the cross-correlation between density and IA (the 'GI' term) can be effectively separated into source alignment and source clustering, and we accurately model the observed alignment down to the one-halo regime using the tidal field from the fully nonlinear halo-matter cross correlation. Inside the one-halo regime, the average alignment of galaxies with density tracers no longer follows the tidal alignment prediction, likely reflecting nonlinear processes that must be considered when modeling IA on these scales. Finally, we discuss tidal alignment in the context of cosmic shear measurements.« less

Predicting Galaxy Star Formation Rates via the Co-evolution of Galaxies and Halos

DOE PAGES

Watson, Douglas F.; Hearin, Andrew P.; Berlind, Andreas A.; ...

2014-03-06

In this paper, we test the age matching hypothesis that the star formation rate (SFR) of a galaxy is determined by its dark matter halo formation history, and as such, that more quiescent galaxies reside in older halos. This simple model has been remarkably successful at predicting color-based galaxy statistics at low redshift as measured in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). To further test this method with observations, we present new SDSS measurements of the galaxy two-point correlation function and galaxy-galaxy lensing as a function of stellar mass and SFR, separated into quenched and star forming galaxy samples. Wemore » find that our age matching model is in excellent agreement with these new measurements. We also employ a galaxy group finder and show that our model is able to predict: (1) the relative SFRs of central and satellite galaxies, (2) the SFR-dependence of the radial distribution of satellite galaxy populations within galaxy groups, rich groups, and clusters and their surrounding larger scale environments, and (3) the interesting feature that the satellite quenched fraction as a function of projected radial distance from the central galaxy exhibits an approx r -.15 slope, independent of environment. The accurate prediction for the spatial distribution of satellites is intriguing given the fact that we do not explicitly model satellite-specific processes after infall, and that in our model the virial radius does not mark a special transition region in the evolution of a satellite, contrary to most galaxy evolution models. The success of the model suggests that present-day galaxy SFR is strongly correlated with halo mass assembly history.« less

Quenching of satellite galaxies at the outskirts of galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zinger, Elad; Dekel, Avishai; Kravtsov, Andrey V.; Nagai, Daisuke

2018-04-01

We find, using cosmological simulations of galaxy clusters, that the hot X-ray emitting intracluster medium (ICM) enclosed within the outer accretion shock extends out to Rshock ˜ (2-3)Rvir, where Rvir is the standard virial radius of the halo. Using a simple analytic model for satellite galaxies in the cluster, we evaluate the effect of ram-pressure stripping on the gas in the inner discs and in the haloes at different distances from the cluster centre. We find that significant removal of star-forming disc gas occurs only at r ≲ 0.5Rvir, while gas removal from the satellite halo is more effective and can occur when the satellite is found between Rvir and Rshock. Removal of halo gas sets the stage for quenching of the star formation by starvation over 2-3 Gyr, prior to the satellite entry to the inner cluster halo. This scenario explains the presence of quenched galaxies, preferentially discs, at the outskirts of galaxy clusters, and the delayed quenching of satellites compared to central galaxies.

Frankenstein Galaxy

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-07-11

The galaxy UGC 1382 has been revealed to be far larger and stranger than previously thought. Astronomers relied on a combination of ground-based and space telescopes to uncover the true nature of this "Frankenstein galaxy." The composite image shows the same galaxy as viewed with different instruments. The component images are also available. In the image at left, UGC 1382 appears to be a simple elliptical galaxy, based on optical data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). But spiral arms emerged when astronomers incorporated ultraviolet data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) and deep optical data from SDSS, as seen in the middle image. Combining that with a view of low-density hydrogen gas (shown in green), detected at radio wavelengths by the Very Large Array, scientists discovered that UGC 1382 is a giant, and one of the largest isolated galaxies known. GALEX in particular was able detect very faint features because it operated from space, which is necessary for UV observations because ultraviolet light is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere. Astronomers also used Stripe 82 of SDSS, a small region of sky where SDSS imaged the sky 80 times longer than the original standard SDSS survey. This enabled optical detection of much fainter features as well. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20695

Galaxy-galaxy and galaxy-cluster lensing with the SDSS and FIRST surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demetroullas, C.; Brown, M. L.

2018-01-01

We perform a galaxy-galaxy lensing study by correlating the shapes of ∼2.7 × 105 galaxies selected from the VLA FIRST (Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty centimetres) radio survey with the positions of ∼38.5 million Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) galaxies, ∼132 000 Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) and ∼78 000 SDSS galaxies that are also detected in the VLA FIRST survey. The measurements are conducted on angular scales θ ≲ 1200 arcsec. On scales θ ≲ 200 arcsec, we find that the measurements are corrupted by residual systematic effects associated with the instrumental beam of the VLA data. Using simulations, we show that we can successfully apply a correction for these effects. Using the three lens samples (the SDSS DR10 sample, the BCG sample and the SDSS-FIRST matched object sample), we measure a tangential shear signal that is inconsistent with 0 at the 10.2σ, 3.8σ and 9σ levels, respectively. Fitting an NFW model to the detected signals, we find that the ensemble mass profile of the BCG sample agrees with the values in the literature. However, the mass profiles of the SDSS DR10 and the SDSS-FIRST matched object samples are found to be shallower and steeper than results in the literature, respectively. The best-fitting Virial masses for the SDSS DR10, BCG and SDSS-FIRST matched samples, derived using an NFW model and allowing for a varying concentration factor, are M_{200}^SDSS-DR10 = (1.2 ± 0.4) × 10^{12} M_{⊙}, M_{200}^BCG = (1.4 ± 1.3) × 10^{13} M_{⊙} and M_{200}^SDSS-FIRST =8.0 ± 4.2 × 10^{13} M_{⊙}, respectively. These results are in good agreement (within ∼2σ) with values in the literature. Our findings suggest that for galaxies to be bright both in the radio and in the optical, they must be embedded in very dense environment on scales R ≲ 1 Mpc.

Galaxy-galaxy lensing estimators and their covariance properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Sukhdeep; Mandelbaum, Rachel; Seljak, Uroš; Slosar, Anže; Vazquez Gonzalez, Jose

2017-11-01

We study the covariance properties of real space correlation function estimators - primarily galaxy-shear correlations, or galaxy-galaxy lensing - using SDSS data for both shear catalogues and lenses (specifically the BOSS LOWZ sample). Using mock catalogues of lenses and sources, we disentangle the various contributions to the covariance matrix and compare them with a simple analytical model. We show that not subtracting the lensing measurement around random points from the measurement around the lens sample is equivalent to performing the measurement using the lens density field instead of the lens overdensity field. While the measurement using the lens density field is unbiased (in the absence of systematics), its error is significantly larger due to an additional term in the covariance. Therefore, this subtraction should be performed regardless of its beneficial effects on systematics. Comparing the error estimates from data and mocks for estimators that involve the overdensity, we find that the errors are dominated by the shape noise and lens clustering, which empirically estimated covariances (jackknife and standard deviation across mocks) that are consistent with theoretical estimates, and that both the connected parts of the four-point function and the supersample covariance can be neglected for the current levels of noise. While the trade-off between different terms in the covariance depends on the survey configuration (area, source number density), the diagnostics that we use in this work should be useful for future works to test their empirically determined covariances.

The role of host galaxy for the environmental dependence of active nuclei in local galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Richard I.; Hicks, E. K. S.; Erwin, P.; Burtscher, L.; Contursi, A.; Genzel, R.; Janssen, A.; Koss, M.; Lin, M.-Y.; Lutz, D.; Maciejewski, W.; Müller-Sánchez, F.; Orban de Xivry, G.; Ricci, C.; Riffel, R.; Riffel, R. A.; Rosario, D.; Schartmann, M.; Schnorr-Müller, A.; Shimizu, T.; Sternberg, A.; Sturm, E.; Storchi-Bergmann, T.; Tacconi, L.; Veilleux, S.

2017-04-01

We discuss the environment of local hard X-ray selected active galaxies, with reference to two independent group catalogues. We find that the fraction of these AGN in S0 host galaxies decreases strongly as a function of galaxy group size (halo mass) - which contrasts with the increasing fraction of galaxies of S0 type in denser environments. However, there is no evidence for an environmental dependence of AGN in spiral galaxies. Because most AGN are found in spiral galaxies, this dilutes the signature of environmental dependence for the population as a whole. We argue that the differing results for AGN in disc-dominated and bulge-dominated galaxies are related to the source of the gas fuelling the AGN, and so may also impact the luminosity function, duty cycle and obscuration. We find that there is a significant difference in the luminosity function for AGN in spiral and S0 galaxies, and tentative evidence for some difference in the fraction of obscured AGN.

SPT-CL J2040–4451: An SZ-selected galaxy cluster at z = 1.478 with significant ongoing star formation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bayliss, M. B.; Ruel, J.; Ashby, M. L. N.

2014-10-10

SPT-CL J2040–4451—spectroscopically confirmed at z = 1.478—is the highest-redshift galaxy cluster yet discovered via the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. SPT-CL J2040–4451 was a candidate galaxy cluster identified in the first 720 deg{sup 2} of the South Pole Telescope Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SPT-SZ) survey, and has been confirmed in follow-up imaging and spectroscopy. From multi-object spectroscopy with Magellan-I/Baade+IMACS we measure spectroscopic redshifts for 15 cluster member galaxies, all of which have strong [O II] λλ3727 emission. SPT-CL J2040–4451 has an SZ-measured mass of M {sub 500,} {sub SZ} = 3.2 ± 0.8 × 10{sup 14} M {sub ☉} h {sub 70}{sup −1}, corresponding to Mmore » {sub 200,} {sub SZ} = 5.8 ± 1.4 × 10{sup 14} M {sub ☉} h {sub 70}{sup −1}. The velocity dispersion measured entirely from blue star-forming members is σ {sub v} = 1500 ± 520 km s{sup –1}. The prevalence of star-forming cluster members (galaxies with >1.5 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}) implies that this massive, high-redshift cluster is experiencing a phase of active star formation, and supports recent results showing a marked increase in star formation occurring in galaxy clusters at z ≳ 1.4. We also compute the probability of finding a cluster as rare as this in the SPT-SZ survey to be >99%, indicating that its discovery is not in tension with the concordance ΛCDM cosmological model.« less

The Stellar Kinematics of E+A Galaxies in SDSS IV-MaNGA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Amalya; Dudley, Raymond; Edwards, Kay; Gonzalez, Andrea; Kerrison, Nicole; Marinelli, Mariarosa; Melchert, Nancy; Ojanen, Winonah; Liu, Charles; SDSS-IV MaNGA

2018-01-01

E+A galaxies, hypothesized to be “transition” galaxies between the blue cloud and the red sequence, are valuable sources for studying the evolution of galaxies. Using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, a large scale integral field spectroscopic survey of nearby galaxies from 3600 to 10300 Å, we identifed galaxies that exhibitted E+A characteristics within their optical spectra. We analyzed the 2,812 galaxies thus far observed by MaNGA to identify those that showed evidence of a starburst about 1 billion years ago, followed by cessation of star formation and quenching of the galaxy. Through this process we identifed 39 E+A galaxies by directly looking at the optical spectra and ensuring they exhibited the necessary properties of an E+A spectra, including a strong break at the 4000 Å mark, little to no Hα emission and absorption through the Balmer series, and a blue slope of the continuum past ~5000 Å as the flux decreases. We analyzed the stellar kinematics of these galaxies to determine whether or not they were fast or slow rotators, a proposed indicator of a major merger in their recent past. Using Voronoi binned graphs from the MaNGA Marvin database, we measured their stellar rotation curves in order to more clearly show the range of velocities within the galaxies. Among our 39 E+A candidates, all but two exhibited significant, orderly rotation across the galaxy, and 29 out of 39 of our galaxies show rotation faster than 30 km/s. With the caveat that our selection process was biased toward galaxies with orderly rotation, this prevalence of rotation challenges the belief that all E+A galaxies are created from major mergers. This work was supported by grants AST-1460860 from the National Science Foundation and SDSS FAST/SSP-483 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to the CUNY College of Staten Island.

X-ray Point Source Populations in Spiral and Elliptical Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, E.; Heckman, T.; Weaver, K.; Strickland, D.

2002-01-01

The hard-X-ray luminosity of non-active galaxies has been known to be fairly well correlated with the total blue luminosity since the days of the Einstein satellite. However, the origin of this hard component was not well understood. Some possibilities that were considered included X-ray binaries, extended upscattered far-infrared light via the inverse-Compton process, extended hot 107 K gas (especially in ellipitical galaxies), or even an active nucleus. Chandra images of normal, elliptical and starburst galaxies now show that a significant amount of the total hard X-ray emission comes from individual point sources. We present here spatial and spectral analyses of the point sources in a small sample of Chandra obervations of starburst galaxies, and compare with Chandra point source analyses from comparison galaxies (elliptical, Seyfert and normal galaxies). We discuss possible relationships between the number and total hard luminosity of the X-ray point sources and various measures of the galaxy star formation rate, and discuss possible options for the numerous compact sources that are observed.

The Merger-Free Growth of Galaxies and Supermassive Black Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, Brooke; Smethurst, Rebecca; Lintott, Chris; Martin, Garreth; Kaviraj, Sugata; Devriendt, Julien; Galaxy Zoo Team

2018-01-01

There is now clear evidence that the merger-driven pathway to black hole and galaxy growth is only half the story. Merger-free evolution contributes roughly equally to the overall growth of black holes in the Universe and is also responsible for a significant amount of galaxy growth over cosmic time. A recent study examining the growth of black holes in unambiguously disk-dominated galaxies shows these black holes reach quasar-like luminosities and black hole masses typical of those hosted in bulge-dominated and elliptical galaxies with major mergers in their evolutionary histories. However, while there appears to be no correlation between the size of the black hole and upper limits on the host galaxy bulges, the fitted correlation between black hole mass and total galaxy stellar mass in these merger-free systems is fully consistent with the canonical relationship based on merger-driven systems. There is further evidence via comparison between observed populations and cosmological simulations confirming that bulgeless systems are generally consistent with having merger-free histories. If bulgeless and disk-dominated galaxies are indeed signatures of systems with no violent mergers in their formation histories, the same correlation between black hole and galaxy in these systems versus that seen in elliptical galaxy samples indicates the black hole-galaxy connection must originate with a process more fundamental than the dynamical configuration of a galaxy's stars.

Morphology and Structures of Nearby Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Mira; Ann, H. B.

2016-08-01

We applied GALFIT and STARLIGHT to the r-band images and spectra, respectively, of ~1,100 dwarf galaxies to analyze the structural properties and stellar populations. In most cases, single component with n = 1 ~ 1.5 well describes the luminosity distribution of dwarf galaxies. However, a large fraction of dS0, dE bc , and dE blue galaxies show sub-structures such as spiral arms and rings. There is a bimodal distributions of stellar ages in dS0 galaxies. But other sub-types of dwarf galaxies show a single peak in the stellar distributions.

A cooling flow in a high-redshift, X-ray-selected cluster of galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesci, Roberto; Gioia, Isabella M.; Maccacaro, Tommaso; Morris, Simon L.; Perola, Giuseppe C.; Schild, Rudolph E.; Wolter, Anna

1989-09-01

The X-ray cluster of galaxies IE 0839.9 + 2938 was serendipitously discovered with the Einstein Observatory. CCD imaging at R and V wavelengths show that the color of the dominant elliptical galaxy of this cluster is significantly bluer than the colors of the next brightest cluster galaxies. Strong emission lines, typical of cD galaxies with cooling flows, are present in the spectrum of the dominant galaxy, from which a redshift of 0.193 is derived. The emitting line region is spatially resolved with an extension of about 13 kpc. All the collected data suggest that this cluster is one of the most distant cooling flow clusters known to date.

A cooling flow in a high-redshift, X-ray-selected cluster of galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nesci, Roberto; Perola, Giuseppe C.; Gioia, Isabella M.; Maccacaro, Tommaso; Morris, Simon L.

1989-01-01

The X-ray cluster of galaxies IE 0839.9 + 2938 was serendipitously discovered with the Einstein Observatory. CCD imaging at R and V wavelengths show that the color of the dominant elliptical galaxy of this cluster is significantly bluer than the colors of the next brightest cluster galaxies. Strong emission lines, typical of cD galaxies with cooling flows, are present in the spectrum of the dominant galaxy, from which a redshift of 0.193 is derived. The emitting line region is spatially resolved with an extension of about 13 kpc. All the collected data suggest that this cluster is one of the most distant cooling flow clusters known to date.

Optical-to-virial velocity ratios of local disc galaxies from combined kinematics and galaxy-galaxy lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes, R.; Mandelbaum, R.; Gunn, J. E.; Nakajima, R.; Seljak, U.; Hirata, C. M.

2012-10-01

In this paper, we measure the optical-to-virial velocity ratios Vopt/V200c of disc galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) at a mean redshift of = 0.07 and with stellar masses 109 < M* < 1011 M⊙. Vopt/V200c, the ratio of the circular velocity measured at the optical radius of the disc (˜10 kpc) to that at the virial radius of the dark matter halo (˜150 kpc), is a powerful observational constraint on disc galaxy formation. It links galaxies to their dark matter haloes dynamically and constrains the total mass profile of disc galaxies over an order of magnitude in length scale. For this measurement, we combine Vopt derived from the Tully-Fisher relation (TFR) from Reyes et al. with V200c derived from halo masses measured with galaxy-galaxy lensing. In anticipation of this combination, we use similarly selected galaxy samples for both the TFR and lensing analysis. For three M* bins with lensing-weighted mean stellar masses of 0.6, 2.7 and 6.5 × 1010 M⊙, we find halo-to-stellar mass ratios M200c/M* = 41, 23 and 26, with 1σ statistical uncertainties of around 0.1 dex, and Vopt/V200c = 1.27 ± 0.08, 1.39 ± 0.06 and 1.27 ± 0.08 (1σ), respectively. Our results suggest that the dark matter and baryonic contributions to the mass within the optical radius are comparable, if the dark matter halo profile has not been significantly modified by baryons. The results obtained in this work will serve as inputs to and constraints on disc galaxy formation models, which will be explored in future work. Finally, we note that this paper presents a new and improved galaxy shape catalogue for weak lensing that covers the full SDSS Data Release 7 footprint.

Dwarf Galaxy Gives Giant Surprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-01-01

An astronomer studying small irregular galaxies discovered a remarkable feature in one galaxy that may provide key clues to understanding how galaxies form and the relationship between the gas and the stars within galaxies. Liese van Zee of Indiana University, using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope, found that a small galaxy 16 million light-years from Earth is surrounded by a huge disk of hydrogen gas that has not been involved in the galaxy's star-formation processes and may be primordial material left over from the galaxy's formation. UGC 5288 Radio/Optical Image of UGC 5288 Bright white center object is visible-light image; Purple is giant hydrogen-gas disk seen with VLA CREDIT: Van Zee, NOAO, NRAO/AUI/NSF (Click on Image for Larger Version) "The lack of interaction between the large gas disk and the inner, star-forming region of this galaxy is a perplexing situation. When we figure out how this has happened, we'll undoubtedly learn more about how galaxies form," van Zee said. She presented her findings to the American Astronomical Society's meeting in San Diego, CA. The galaxy van Zee studied, called UGC 5288, had been regarded as just one ordinary example of a very numerous type of galaxy called dwarf irregular galaxies. As part of a study of such galaxies, she had earlier made a visible-light image of it at Kitt Peak National Observatory. When she observed it later using the VLA, she found that the small galaxy is embedded in a huge disk of atomic hydrogen gas. In visible light, the elongated galaxy is about 6000 by 4000 light-years, but the hydrogen-gas disk, seen with the VLA, is about 41,000 by 28,000 light-years. The hydrogen disk can be seen by radio telescopes because hydrogen atoms emit and absorb radio waves at a frequency of 1420 MHz, a wavelength of about 21 centimeters. A few other dwarf galaxies have large gas disks, but unlike these, UGC 5288's disk shows no signs that the gas was either blown out of the

Does the galaxy-halo connection vary with environment?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dragomir, Radu; Rodríguez-Puebla, Aldo; Primack, Joel R.; Lee, Christoph T.

2018-05-01

(Sub)halo abundance matching (SHAM) assumes that one (sub) halo property, such as mass Mvir or peak circular velocity Vpeak, determines properties of the galaxy hosted in each (sub) halo such as its luminosity or stellar mass. This assumption implies that the dependence of galaxy luminosity functions (GLFs) and the galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) on environmental density is determined by the corresponding halo density dependence. In this paper, we test this by determining from a Sloan Digital Sky Survey sample the observed dependence with environmental density of the ugriz GLFs and GSMF for all galaxies, and for central and satellite galaxies separately. We then show that the SHAM predictions are in remarkable agreement with these observations, even when the galaxy population is divided between central and satellite galaxies. However, we show that SHAM fails to reproduce the correct dependence between environmental density and g - r colour for all galaxies and central galaxies, although it better reproduces the colour dependence on environmental density of satellite galaxies.

Extended Source/Galaxy All Sky 1

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-03-27

This panoramic view of the entire sky reveals the distribution of galaxies beyond our Milky Way galaxy, which astronomers call extended sources, as observed by Two Micron All-Sky Survey. The image is constructed from a database of over 1.6 million galaxies listed in the survey's Extended Source Catalog; more than half of the galaxies have never before been catalogued. The image is a representation of the relative brightnesses of these million-plus galaxies, all observed at a wavelength of 2.2 microns. The brightest and nearest galaxies are represented in blue, and the faintest, most distant ones are in red. This color scheme gives insights into the three dimensional large-scale structure of the nearby universe with the brightest, closest clusters and superclusters showing up as the blue and bluish-white features. The dark band in this image shows the area of the sky where our Milky Way galaxy blocks our view of distant objects, which, in this projection, lies predominantly along the edges of the image. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04252

Featured Image: Identifying Weird Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-08-01

Hoags Object, an example of a ring galaxy. [NASA/Hubble Heritage Team/Ray A. Lucas (STScI/AURA)]The above image (click for the full view) shows PanSTARRSobservationsof some of the 185 galaxies identified in a recent study as ring galaxies bizarre and rare irregular galaxies that exhibit stars and gas in a ring around a central nucleus. Ring galaxies could be formed in a number of ways; one theory is that some might form in a galaxy collision when a smaller galaxy punches through the center of a larger one, triggering star formation around the center. In a recent study, Ian Timmis and Lior Shamir of Lawrence Technological University in Michigan explore ways that we may be able to identify ring galaxies in the overwhelming number of images expected from large upcoming surveys. They develop a computer analysis method that automatically finds ring galaxy candidates based on their visual appearance, and they test their approach on the 3 million galaxy images from the first PanSTARRS data release. To see more of the remarkable galaxies the authors found and to learn more about their identification method, check out the paper below.CitationIan Timmis and Lior Shamir 2017 ApJS 231 2. doi:10.3847/1538-4365/aa78a3

CO in Hickson compact group galaxies with enhanced warm H2 emission: Evidence for galaxy evolution?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lisenfeld, U.; Appleton, P. N.; Cluver, M. E.; Guillard, P.; Alatalo, K.; Ogle, P.

2014-10-01

Context. Galaxies in Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs) are believed to experience morphological transformations from blue, star-forming galaxies to red, early-type galaxies. Galaxies with a high ratio between the luminosities of the warm H2 to the 7.7 μm PAH emission (so-called Molecular Hydrogen Emission Galaxies, MOHEGs) are predominantly in an intermediate phase, the green valley. Their enhanced H2 emission suggests that the molecular gas is affected in the transition. Aims: We study the properties of the molecular gas traced by CO in galaxies in HCGs with measured warm H2 emission in order to look for evidence of the perturbations affecting the warm H2 in the kinematics, morphology and mass of the molecular gas. Methods: We observed the CO(1-0) emission of 20 galaxies in HCGs and complemented our sample with 11 CO(1-0) spectra from the literature. Most of the galaxies have measured warm H2 emission, and 14 of them are classified as MOHEGs. We mapped some of these galaxies in order to search for extra-galactic CO emission. We analyzed the molecular gas mass derived from CO(1-0), MH2, and its kinematics, and then compared it to the mass of the warm molecular gas, the stellar mass and star formation rate (SFR). Results: Our results are the following. (i) The mass ratio between the CO-derived and the warm H2 molecular gas is in the same range as found for field galaxies. (ii) Some of the galaxies, mostly MOHEGs, have very broad CO linewidths of up to 1000 km s-1 in the central pointing. The line shapes are irregular and show various components. (iii) In the mapped objects we found asymmetric distributions of the cold molecular gas. (iv) The star formation efficiency (=SFR/MH2) of galaxies in HCGs is very similar to isolated galaxies. No significant difference between MOHEGs and non-MOHEGs or between early-type and spiral galaxies has been found. In a few objects the SFE is significantly lower, indicating the presence of molecular gas that is not actively forming stars

Observing Galaxy Mergers in Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snyder, Gregory

2018-01-01

I will describe results on mergers and morphology of distant galaxies. By mock-observing 3D cosmological simulations, we aim to contrast theory with data, design better diagnostics of physical processes, and examine unexpected signatures of galaxy formation. Recently, we conducted mock surveys of the Illustris Simulations to learn how mergers would appear in deep HST and JWST surveys. With this approach, we reconciled merger rates estimated using observed close galaxy pairs with intrinsic merger rates predicted by theory. This implies that the merger-pair observability time is probably shorter in the early universe, and therefore that major mergers are more common than implied by the simplest arguments. Further, we show that disturbance-based diagnostics of late-stage mergers can be improved significantly by combining multi-dimensional image information with simulated merger identifications to train automated classifiers. We then apply these classifiers to real measurements from the CANDELS fields, recovering a merger fraction increasing with redshift in broad agreement with pair fractions and simulations, and with statistical errors smaller by a factor of two than classical morphology estimators. This emphasizes the importance of using robust training sets, including cosmological simulations and multidimensional data, for interpreting observed processes in galaxy evolution.

Spatial and kinematic distributions of transition populations in intermediate redshift galaxy clusters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crawford, Steven M.; Wirth, Gregory D.; Bershady, Matthew A., E-mail: crawford@saao.ac.za, E-mail: wirth@keck.hawaii.edu, E-mail: mab@astro.wisc.edu

2014-05-01

We analyze the spatial and velocity distributions of confirmed members in five massive clusters of galaxies at intermediate redshift (0.5 < z < 0.9) to investigate the physical processes driving galaxy evolution. Based on spectral classifications derived from broad- and narrow-band photometry, we define four distinct galaxy populations representing different evolutionary stages: red sequence (RS) galaxies, blue cloud (BC) galaxies, green valley (GV) galaxies, and luminous compact blue galaxies (LCBGs). For each galaxy class, we derive the projected spatial and velocity distribution and characterize the degree of subclustering. We find that RS, BC, and GV galaxies in these clusters havemore » similar velocity distributions, but that BC and GV galaxies tend to avoid the core of the two z ≈ 0.55 clusters. GV galaxies exhibit subclustering properties similar to RS galaxies, but their radial velocity distribution is significantly platykurtic compared to the RS galaxies. The absence of GV galaxies in the cluster cores may explain their somewhat prolonged star-formation history. The LCBGs appear to have recently fallen into the cluster based on their larger velocity dispersion, absence from the cores of the clusters, and different radial velocity distribution than the RS galaxies. Both LCBG and BC galaxies show a high degree of subclustering on the smallest scales, leading us to conclude that star formation is likely triggered by galaxy-galaxy interactions during infall into the cluster.« less

NGC 3934: a shell galaxy in a compact galaxy environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bettoni, D.; Galletta, G.; Rampazzo, R.; Marino, A.; Mazzei, P.; Buson, L. M.

2011-10-01

Context. Mergers/accretions are considered the main drivers of the evolution of galaxies in groups. We investigate the NGC 3933 poor galaxy association that contains NGC 3934, which is classified as a polar-ring galaxy. Aims: The multi-band photometric analysis of NGC 3934 allows us to investigate the nature of this galaxy and to re-define the NGC 3933 group members with the aim to characterize the group's dynamical properties and its evolutionary phase. Methods: We imaged the group in the far (FUV, λeff = 1539 Å) and near (NUV, λeff = 2316 Å) ultraviolet (UV) bands of the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX). From the deep optical imaging we determined the fine structure of NGC 3934. We measured the recession velocity of PGC 213894 which shows that it belongs to the NGC 3933 group. We derived the spectral energy distribution (SED) from FUV to far-IR emission of the two brightest members of the group. We compared a grid of smooth particle hydrodynamical (SPH) chemo-photometric simulations with the SED and the integrated properties of NGC 3934 and NGC 3933 to devise their possible formation/evolutionary scenarios. Results: The NGC 3933 group has six bright members: a core composed of five galaxies, which have Hickson's compact group characteristics, and a more distant member, PGC 37112. The group velocity dispersion is relatively low (157 ± 44 km s-1). The projected mass, from the NUV photometry, is ~7 × 1012 M⊙ with a crossing time of 0.04 Hubble times, suggesting that at least in the center the group is virialized. We do not find evidence that NGC 3934 is a polar-ring galaxy, as suggested by the literature, but find that it is a disk galaxy with a prominent dust-lane structure and a wide type-II shell structure. Conclusions: NGC 3934 is a quite rare example of a shell galaxy in a likely dense galaxy region. The comparison between physically motivated SPH simulations with multi-band integrated photometry suggests that NGC 3934 is the product of a major merger.

Kinematic Evolution of Simulated Star-Forming Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kassin, Susan A.; Brooks, Alyson; Governato, Fabio; Weiner, Benjamin J.; Gardner, Jonathan P.

2014-01-01

Recent observations have shown that star-forming galaxies like our own Milky Way evolve kinematically into ordered thin disks over the last approximately 8 billion years since z = 1.2, undergoing a process of "disk settling." For the first time, we study the kinematic evolution of a suite of four state of the art "zoom in" hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy formation and evolution in a fully cosmological context and compare with these observations. Until now, robust measurements of the internal kinematics of simulated galaxies were lacking as the simulations suffered from low resolution, overproduction of stars, and overly massive bulges. The current generation of simulations has made great progress in overcoming these difficulties and is ready for a kinematic analysis. We show that simulated galaxies follow the same kinematic trends as real galaxies: they progressively decrease in disordered motions (sigma(sub g)) and increase in ordered rotation (V(sub rot)) with time. The slopes of the relations between both sigma(sub g) and V(sub rot) with redshift are consistent between the simulations and the observations. In addition, the morphologies of the simulated galaxies become less disturbed with time, also consistent with observations. This match between the simulated and observed trends is a significant success for the current generation of simulations, and a first step in determining the physical processes behind disk settling.

Star Formation History In Merging Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chien, Li-Hsin

2009-01-01

Interacting and merging galaxies are believed to play an important role in many aspects of galactic evolution. Their violent interactions can trigger starbursts, which lead to formation of young globular clusters. Therefore the ages of these young globular clusters can be interpreted to yield the timing of interaction-triggered events, and thus provide a key to reconstruct the star formation history in merging galaxies. The link between galaxy interaction and star formation is well established, but the triggers of star formation in interacting galaxies are still not understood. To date there are two competing formulas that describe the star formation mechanism--density-dependent and shock-induced rules. Numerical models implementing the two rules predict significantly different star formation histories in merging galaxies. My dissertation combines these two distinct areas of astrophysics, stellar evolution and galactic dynamics, to investigate the star formation history in galaxies at various merging stages. Begin with NGC 4676 as an example, I will briefly describe its model and illustrate the idea of using the ages of clusters to constrain the modeling. The ages of the clusters are derived from spectra that were taken with multi-object spectroscopy on Keck. Using NGC 7252 as a second example, I will present a state of the art dynamical model which predicts NGC7252's star formation history and other properties. I will then show a detailed comparison and analysis between the clusters and the modeling. In the end, I will address this important link as the key to answer the fundamental question of my thesis: what is the trigger of star formation in merging galaxies?

Detection of Enhanced Central Mass-to-light Ratios in Low-mass Early-type Galaxies: Evidence for Black Holes?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pechetti, Renuka; Seth, Anil; Cappellari, Michele; McDermid, Richard; den Brok, Mark; Mieske, Steffen; Strader, Jay

2017-11-01

We present dynamical measurements of the central mass-to-light ratio (M/L) of a sample of 27 low-mass early-type {{ATLAS}}3{{D}} galaxies. We consider all {{ATLAS}}3{{D}} galaxies with 9.7 < log({M}\\star /{M}⊙ ) < 10.5 in our analysis, selecting out galaxies with available high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope (HST) data, and eliminating galaxies with significant central color gradients or obvious dust features. We use the HST images to derive mass models for these galaxies and combine these with the central velocity dispersion values from {{ATLAS}}3{{D}} data to obtain a central dynamical M/L estimate. These central dynamical {\\text{}}M/L{{s}} are higher than dynamical {\\text{}}M/L{{s}} derived at larger radii and stellar population estimates of the galaxy centers in ˜80% of galaxies, with a median enhancement of ˜14% and a statistical significance of 3.3σ. We show that the enhancement in the central M/L is best described either by the presence of black holes in these galaxies or by radial initial mass function variations. Assuming a black hole model, we derive black hole masses for the sample of galaxies. In two galaxies, NGC 4458 and NGC 4660, the data suggest significantly overmassive black holes, while in most others only upper limits are obtained. We also show that the level of M/L enhancements we see in these early-type galaxy nuclei are consistent with the larger enhancements seen in ultracompact dwarf galaxies (UCDs), supporting the scenario where massive UCDs are created by stripping galaxies of these masses.

Observations of Superwinds in Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marlowe, A. T.; Heckman, T. M.; Wyse, R.; Schommer, R.

1993-12-01

Dwarf galaxies are important in developing our understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies, and of the structure in the universe. The concept of supernova-driven mass outflows is a vital ingredient in theories of the structure and evolution of dwarfs galaxies. We have begun a detailed multi-waveband search for outflows in starbursting dwarf galaxies, and have obtained Fabry-Perot images and Echelle spectra of 20 nearby actively-star-forming dwarf galaxies. In about half the sample, the Fabry-Perot Hα images show loops and filaments with sizes of one to a few kpc. The Echelle spectra taken through the loops and filaments show kinematics consistent with expanding bubble-like structures. We describe these data, and present seven dwarfs in our sample that have the strongest evidence of outflows.

Galaxy Zoo: Infrared and Optical Morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carla Shanahan, Jesse; Lintott, Chris; Zoo, Galaxy

2018-01-01

We present the detailed, visual morphologies of approximately 60,000 galaxies observed by the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey and then classified by participants in the Galaxy Zoo project. Our sample is composed entirely of nearby objects with redshifts of z ≤ 0.3, which enables us to robustly analyze their morphological characteristics including smoothness, bulge properties, spiral structure, and evidence of bars or rings. The determination of these features is made via a consensus-based analysis of the Galaxy Zoo project data in which inconsistent and outlying classifications are statistically down-weighted. We then compare these classifications of infrared morphology to the objects’ optical classifications in the Galaxy Zoo 2 release (Willett et al. 2013). It is already known that morphology is an effective tool for uncovering a galaxy’s dynamical past, and previous studies have shown significant correlations with physical characteristics such as stellar mass distribution and star formation history. We show that majority of the sample has agreement or expected differences between the optical and infrared classifications, but also present a preliminary analysis of a subsample of objects with striking discrepancies.

Investigating early-type galaxy evolution with a multiwavelength approach. II. The UV structure of 11 galaxies with Swift-UVOT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rampazzo, R.; Mazzei, P.; Marino, A.; Uslenghi, M.; Trinchieri, G.; Wolter, A.

2017-06-01

Context. GALEX detected a significant fraction of early-type galaxies, in particular S0s, showing far-UV bright structures, sometimes involving an entire galaxy out to its outskirts. These features suggest the presence of either recent ongoing and/or prolonged star formation episodes, shedding new light on the evolution of these systems. Aims: We aim at understanding the evolutionary path[s] of these early-type galaxies and the mechanisms at the origin of their UV-bright structures. We investigate with a multiwavelength approach the link between the inner and outer galaxy regions of a set of 11 early-type galaxies that were selected because of their nearly passive stage of evolution in the nuclear region. Methods: This paper, second of a series, focuses on the information coming from the comparison between UV features detected by Swift-UVOT, which trace recent star formation, and the galaxy optical structure, which maps older stellar populations. We performed a surface photometric study of these early-type galaxies, observed with the Swift-UVOT UV filters W2 2030 Å λ0, M2 2231 Å λ0, W1 2634 Å λ0 and the UBV bands. BVRI photometry from other sources in the literature was also used. Our integrated magnitude measurements were analyzed and compared with corresponding values in the literature. We characterize the overall galaxy structure that best fits the UV and optical luminosity profiles using a single Sérsic law. Results: The galaxies NGC 1366, NGC 1426, NGC 3818, NGC 3962, and NGC 7192 show featureless luminosity profiles. Excluding NGC 1366, which has a clear edge-on disk (n ≈ 1-2), and NGC 3818, the remaining three galaxies have Sérsic's indices n ≈ 3-4 in the optical and a lower index in the UV. Bright ring- or arm-like structures are revealed by UV images and luminosity profiles of NGC 1415, NGC 1533, NGC 1543, NGC 2685, NGC 2974, and IC 2006. The ring- or arm-like structures differ from galaxy to galaxy. Sérsic indices of UV profiles for these

Old Galaxies in the Young Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2004-07-01

Very Large Telescope Unravels New Population of Very Old Massive Galaxies [1] Summary Current theories of the formation of galaxies are based on the hierarchical merging of smaller entities into larger and larger structures, starting from about the size of a stellar globular cluster and ending with clusters of galaxies. According to this scenario, it is assumed that no massive galaxies existed in the young universe. However, this view may now have to be revised. Using the multi-mode FORS2 instrument on the Very Large Telescope at Paranal, a team of Italian astronomers [2] have identified four remote galaxies, several times more massive than the Milky Way galaxy, or as massive as the heaviest galaxies in the present-day universe. Those galaxies must have formed when the Universe was only about 2,000 million years old, that is some 12,000 million years ago. The newly discovered objects may be members of a population of old massive galaxies undetected until now. The existence of such systems shows that the build-up of massive elliptical galaxies was much faster in the early Universe than expected from current theory. PR Photo 21a/04: Small Part of the K20 Field Showing the z=1.9 Elliptical Galaxy (ACS/HST). PR Photo 21b/04: Averaged Spectrum of Old Galaxies (FORS2/VLT). Hierarchical merging Galaxies are like islands in the Universe, made of stars as well as dust and gas clouds. They come in different sizes and shapes. Astronomers generally distinguish between spiral galaxies - like our own Milky Way, NGC 1232 or the famous Andromeda galaxy - and elliptical galaxies, the latter mostly containing old stars and having very little dust or gas. Some galaxies are intermediate between spirals and ellipticals and are referred to as lenticular or spheroidal galaxies. Galaxies are not only distinct in shape, they also vary in size: some may be as "light" as a stellar globular cluster in our Milky Way (i.e. they contain about the equivalent of a few million Suns) while others

Unravelling Galaxy Components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennedy, Rebecca

2017-06-01

This thesis aims to understand more about the developmental histories of galaxies and their internal components by studying the wavelength dependence of their spatial structure. I use a large sample of low-redshift galaxies with optical–near-IR imaging from the GAMA survey, which have been fitted with Sérsic and Sérsic + exponential functions in nine wavebands simultaneously, using software developed by the MegaMorph project. The first section of this thesis examines how the sizes and radial profiles of galaxies vary with wavelength. To quantify the wavelength dependence of effective radius I use the ratio, R, of measurements in two restframe bands. The dependence of Sérsic index on wavelength, N, is computed correspondingly. I show that accounting for different redshift and luminosity selections partly reconciles variations between several recent studies. Dividing galaxies by visual morphology confirms the behaviour inferred using morphological proxies, although our quantitative measurements allow me to study larger and fainter samples. I then demonstrate that varying dust opacity and disc inclination can account for features of the joint distribution of R and N for late-type galaxies. However, dust does not appear to explain the highest values of R and N. The bulge-disc nature of galaxies must also contribute to the wavelength-dependence of their structure. The second section of this thesis studies radial colour gradients across the galaxy population. I use the multi-wavelength information provided by MegaMorph analysis of galaxy light profiles to calculate intrinsic colour gradients, and divide into six subsamples split by overall Sérsic index (n) and galaxy colour. I find a bimodality in the colour gradients of high- and low-n galaxies in all wavebands which varies with overall galaxy luminosity. Global trends in colour gradients therefore result from combining the contrasting behaviour of a number of different galaxy populations. The ubiquity of strong

Morphology Dependence of Stellar Age in Quenched Galaxies at Redshift ˜1.2: Massive Compact Galaxies Are Older than More Extended Ones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Christina C.; Giavalisco, Mauro; Bezanson, Rachel; Cappelluti, Nico; Cassata, Paolo; Liu, Teng; Lee, Bomee; Tundo, Elena; Vanzella, Eros

2017-04-01

We report the detection of morphology-dependent stellar age in massive quenched galaxies (QGs) at z ˜ 1.2. The sense of the dependence is that compact QGs are 0.5-2 Gyr older than normal-sized ones. The evidence comes from three different age indicators—{D}n4000, {{{H}}}δ , and fits to spectral synthesis models—applied to their stacked optical spectra. All age indicators consistently show that the stellar populations of compact QGs are older than those of their normal-sized counterparts. We detect weak [O II] emission in a fraction of QGs, and the strength of the line, when present, is similar between the two samples; however, compact galaxies exhibit a significantly lower frequency of [O II] emission than normal ones. Fractions of both samples are individually detected in 7 Ms Chandra X-ray images (luminosities ˜1040-1041 erg s-1). The 7 Ms stacks of nondetected galaxies show similarly low luminosities in the soft band only, consistent with a hot gas origin for the X-ray emission. While both [O II] emitters and nonemitters are also X-ray sources among normal galaxies, no compact galaxy with [O II] emission is an X-ray source, arguing against an active galactic nucleus (AGN) powering the line in compact galaxies. We interpret the [O II] properties as further evidence that compact galaxies are older and further along in the process of quenching star formation and suppressing gas accretion. Finally, we argue that the older age of compact QGs is evidence of progenitor bias: compact QGs simply reflect the smaller sizes of galaxies at their earlier quenching epoch, with stellar density most likely having nothing directly to do with cessation of star formation.

HI-Selected Galaxies in Hierarchical Models of Galaxy Formation and Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zoldan, Anna

2017-07-01

This poster presents the main results of a statistical study of HI-selected galaxies based on six different semi-analytic models, all run on the same cosmological N-body simulation. One of these models includes an explicit treatment for the partition of cold gas into atomic and molecular hydrogen. All models considered agree nicely with the measured HI mass function in the local Universe and with the measured scaling relations between HI and galaxy stellar mass. Most models also reproduce the observed 2-point correlation function for HI rich galaxies, with the exception of one model that predicts very little HI associated with galaxies in haloes above 10^12 Msun. We investigated the influence of satellite treatment on the final HI content and found that it introduces large uncertainties at low HI masses. We found that the assumption of instantaneous stripping of hot gas in satellites does not translate necessarily in lower HI masses. We demonstrate that the assumed stellar feedback, combined with star formation, also affect significantly the gas content of satellite galaxies. Finally, we also analyse the origin of the correlation between HI content of model galaxies and the spin of the parent haloes. Zoldan et al., 2016, MNRAS, 465, 2236

A cooling flow in a high-redshift, X-ray-selected cluster of galaxies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nesci, R.; Perola, G.C.; Gioia, I.M.

The X-ray cluster of galaxies IE 0839.9 + 2938 was serendipitously discovered with the Einstein Observatory. CCD imaging at R and V wavelengths show that the color of the dominant elliptical galaxy of this cluster is significantly bluer than the colors of the next brightest cluster galaxies. Strong emission lines, typical of cD galaxies with cooling flows, are present in the spectrum of the dominant galaxy, from which a redshift of 0.193 is derived. The emitting line region is spatially resolved with an extension of about 13 kpc. All the collected data suggest that this cluster is one of themore » most distant cooling flow clusters known to date. 28 refs.« less

QUIESCENCE CORRELATES STRONGLY WITH DIRECTLY MEASURED BLACK HOLE MASS IN CENTRAL GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Terrazas, Bryan A.; Bell, Eric F.; Henriques, Bruno M. B.

Roughly half of all stars reside in galaxies without significant ongoing star formation. However, galaxy formation models indicate that it is energetically challenging to suppress the cooling of gas and the formation of stars in galaxies that lie at the centers of their dark matter halos. In this Letter, we show that the dependence of quiescence on black hole and stellar mass is a powerful discriminant between differing models for the mechanisms that suppress star formation. Using observations of 91 star-forming and quiescent central galaxies with directly measured black hole masses, we find that quiescent galaxies host more massive blackmore » holes than star-forming galaxies with similar stellar masses. This observational result is in qualitative agreement with models that assume that effective, more-or-less continuous active galactic nucleus feedback suppresses star formation, strongly suggesting the importance of the black hole in producing quiescence in central galaxies.« less

Accurate Modeling of Galaxy Clustering on Small Scales: Testing the Standard ΛCDM + Halo Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, Manodeep; Berlind, Andreas A.; McBride, Cameron; Scoccimarro, Roman

2015-01-01

The large-scale distribution of galaxies can be explained fairly simply by assuming (i) a cosmological model, which determines the dark matter halo distribution, and (ii) a simple connection between galaxies and the halos they inhabit. This conceptually simple framework, called the halo model, has been remarkably successful at reproducing the clustering of galaxies on all scales, as observed in various galaxy redshift surveys. However, none of these previous studies have carefully modeled the systematics and thus truly tested the halo model in a statistically rigorous sense. We present a new accurate and fully numerical halo model framework and test it against clustering measurements from two luminosity samples of galaxies drawn from the SDSS DR7. We show that the simple ΛCDM cosmology + halo model is not able to simultaneously reproduce the galaxy projected correlation function and the group multiplicity function. In particular, the more luminous sample shows significant tension with theory. We discuss the implications of our findings and how this work paves the way for constraining galaxy formation by accurate simultaneous modeling of multiple galaxy clustering statistics.

Radio Galaxies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Downes, Ann

1986-01-01

Provides background information on radio galaxies. Topic areas addressed include: what produces the radio emission; radio telescopes; locating radio galaxies; how distances to radio galaxies are found; physics of radio galaxies; computer simulations of radio galaxies; and the evolution of radio galaxies with cosmic time. (JN)

The missing mass in clusters of galaxies and elliptical galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mushotzky, Richard F.

1991-01-01

We review the available data for the existence of dark matter in clusters of galaxies and elliptical galaxies. While the amount of dark matter in clusters is not well determined, both the X-ray and optical data show that more than 50 percent of the total mass must be dark. There is in general fair agreement in the binding mass estimates between the X-ray and optical techniques, but there is not detailed agreement on the form of the potential or the distribution of dark matter. The X-ray spectral and spatial observations of elliptical galaxies demonstrate that dark matter is also required in these objects and that it must be considerably more extended than the stellar distribution.

Hubble Captures Massive Dead Disk Galaxy that Challenges Theories of Galaxy Evolution

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

By combining the power of a "natural lens" in space with the capability of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers made a surprising discovery—the first example of a compact yet massive, fast-spinning, disk-shaped galaxy that stopped making stars only a few billion years after the big bang. Finding such a galaxy early in the history of the universe challenges the current understanding of how massive galaxies form and evolve, say researchers. Read more: go.nasa.gov/2sWwKkc caption: Acting as a “natural telescope” in space, the gravity of the extremely massive foreground galaxy cluster MACS J2129-0741 magnifies, brightens, and distorts the far-distant background galaxy MACS2129-1, shown in the top box. The middle box is a blown-up view of the gravitationally lensed galaxy. In the bottom box is a reconstructed image, based on modeling that shows what the galaxy would look like if the galaxy cluster were not present. The galaxy appears red because it is so distant that its light is shifted into the red part of the spectrum. Credits: NASA, ESA, M. Postman (STScI), and the CLASH team NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

The Metallicity of Void Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreckel, K.; Croxall, K.; Groves, B.; van de Weygaert, R.; Pogge, R. W.

2015-01-01

The current ΛCDM cosmological model predicts that galaxy evolution proceeds more slowly in lower density environments, suggesting that voids are a prime location to search for relatively pristine galaxies that are representative of the building blocks of early massive galaxies. To test the assumption that void galaxies are more pristine, we compare the evolutionary properties of a sample of dwarf galaxies selected specifically to lie in voids with a sample of similar isolated dwarf galaxies in average density environments. We measure gas-phase oxygen abundances and gas fractions for eight dwarf galaxies (Mr > -16.2), carefully selected to reside within the lowest density environments of seven voids, and apply the same calibrations to existing samples of isolated dwarf galaxies. We find no significant difference between these void dwarf galaxies and the isolated dwarf galaxies, suggesting that dwarf galaxy chemical evolution proceeds independent of the large-scale environment. While this sample is too small to draw strong conclusions, it suggests that external gas accretion is playing a limited role in the chemical evolution of these systems, and that this evolution is instead dominated mainly by the internal secular processes that are linking the simultaneous growth and enrichment of these galaxies.

Large scale structures around radio galaxies at z ~ 1.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galametz, A.; De Breuck, C.; Vernet, J.; Stern, D.; Rettura, A.; Marmo, C.; Omont, A.; Allen, M.; Seymour, N.

2009-11-01

We explore the environments of two radio galaxies at z ~ 1.5, 7C 1751+6809 and 7C 1756+6520, using deep optical and near-infrared imaging. Our data cover 15×15 arcmin2 fields around the radio galaxies. We develop and apply BzK color criteria to select cluster member candidates around the radio galaxies and find no evidence of an overdensity of red galaxies within 2 Mpc of 7C 1751+6809. In contrast, 7C 1756+6520 shows a significant overdensity of red galaxies within 2 Mpc of the radio galaxy, by a factor of 3.1±0.8 relative to the four MUSYC fields. At small separation (r < 6 arcsec), this radio galaxy also has one z > 1.4 evolved galaxy candidate, one z > 1.4 star-forming galaxy candidate, and an AGN candidate (at indeterminate redshift). This is suggestive of several close-by companions. Several concentrations of red galaxies are also noticed in the full 7C 1756+6520 field, forming a possible large-scale structure of evolved galaxies with a NW-SE orientation. We construct the color-magnitude diagram of red galaxies found near 7C 1756+6520 (r < 2 Mpc), and find a clear red sequence that is truncated at Ks ~ 21.5 (AB). We also find an overdensity of mid-infrared selected AGN in the surroundings of 7C 1756+6520. These results are suggestive of a proto-cluster at high redshift. Tables 2-6 are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Local Group ultra-faint dwarf galaxies in the reionization era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weisz, Daniel R.; Boylan-Kolchin, Michael

2017-07-01

Motivated by the stellar fossil record of Local Group (LG) dwarf galaxies, we show that the star-forming ancestors of the faintest ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs; MV ˜ -2 or M⋆ ˜ 102 at z = 0) had ultraviolet (UV) luminosities of MUV ˜ -3 to -6 during reionization (z ˜ 6-10). The existence of such faint galaxies has substantial implications for early epochs of galaxy formation and reionization. If the faint-end slopes of the UV luminosity functions (UVLFs) during reionization are steep (α ≲ -2) to MUV ˜ -3, then (I) the ancestors of UFDs produced >50 per cent of UV flux from galaxies; (II) galaxies can maintain reionization with escape fractions that are more than two times lower than currently adopted values; (III) direct Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope observations may detect only ˜10-50 per cent of the UV light from galaxies; and (IV) the cosmic star formation history increases by ≳ 4-6 at z ≳ 6. Significant flux from UFDs, and resultant tensions with LG dwarf galaxy counts, is reduced if the high-redshift UVLF turns over. Independent of the UVLF shape, the existence of a large population of UFDs requires a non-zero luminosity function to MUV ˜ -3 during reionization.

Image decomposition of barred galaxies and AGN hosts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gadotti, Dimitri Alexei

2008-02-01

effects of ignoring bars are still present, but AGN light is smeared out. I briefly discuss the consequences of these results to studies of the structural properties of galaxies, in particular on the stellar mass budget in the local Universe. With reasonable assumptions, it is possible to show that the stellar content in bars can be similar to that in classical bulges and elliptical galaxies. Finally, I revisit the cases of NGC4608 and 5701 and show that the lack of stars in the disc region inside the bar radius is significant. Accordingly, the best-fitting model for the former uses a Freeman type II disc.

The Mass Distribution in Disk Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courteau, Stéphane; Dutton, Aaron A.

We present the relative fraction of baryons and dark matter at various radii in galaxies. For spiral galaxies, this fraction measured in a galaxy's inner parts is typically baryon-dominated (maximal) and dark-matter dominated (sub-maximal) in the outskirts. The transition from maximal to sub-maximal baryons occurs within the inner parts of low-mass disk galaxies (with V tot <= 200 km s-1) and in the outer disk for more massive systems. The mean mass fractions for late- and early-type galaxies vary significantly at the same fiducial radius and circular velocity, suggesting a range of galaxy formation mechanisms. A more detailed discussion, and resolution of the so-called ``maximal disk problem'', is presented in Courteau & Dutton, ApJL, 801, 20.

Properties and spatial distribution of galaxy superclusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liivamägi, Lauri Juhan

2017-01-01

Astronomy is a science that can offer plenty of unforgettable imagery, and the large-scale distribution of galaxies is no exception. Among the first features the viewer's eye is likely to be drawn to, are large concentrations of galaxies - galaxy superclusters, contrasting to the seemingly empty regions beside them. Superclusters can extend from tens to over hundred megaparsecs, they contain from hundreds to thousands of galaxies, and many galaxy groups and clusters. Unlike galaxy clusters, superclusters are clearly unrelaxed systems, not gravitationally bound as crossing times exceed the age of the universe, and show little to no radial symmetry. Superclusters, as part of the large-scale structure, are sensitive to the initial power spectrum and the following evolution. They are massive enough to leave an imprint on the cosmic microwave background radiation. Superclusters can also provide an unique environment for their constituent galaxies and galaxy clusters. In this study we used two different observational and one simulated galaxy samples to create several catalogues of structures that, we think, correspond to what are generally considered galaxy superclusters. Superclusters were delineated as continuous over-dense regions in galaxy luminosity density fields. When calculating density fields several corrections were applied to remove small-scale redshift distortions and distance-dependent selection effects. Resulting catalogues of objects display robust statistical properties, showing that flux-limited galaxy samples can be used to create nearly volume-limited catalogues of superstructures. Generally, large superclusters can be regarded as massive, often branching filamentary structures, that are mainly characterised by their length. Smaller superclusters, on the other hand, can display a variety of shapes. Spatial distribution of superclusters shows large-scale variations, with high-density concentrations often found in semi-regularly spaced groups. Future

Understanding the physical processes driving galaxy evolution in clusters : a case study of two z~0.5 galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, Sean M.

for Cl 0024 early types. Near the Virial radius of Cl 0024, we observe a number of compact, intermediate-mass ellipticals undergoing a burst of star formation or weak AGN activity, indicated by strong [O II] emission; their locations may mark the minimum radius at which merging is effective in each cluster.While E+S0 galaxies do prove to be sensitive indicators of environmental interaction, it is the spiral galaxies that, of course, host the bulk of star formation within and around these clusters. We therefore probe for kinematic disturbances in spiral disks by measuring resolved rotation curves from optical emission lines, and constructing the Tully-Fisher relation for spirals across Cl 0024 and MS 0451. We find that the cluster Tully-Fisher relation exhibits significantly higher scatter than the field relation. In probing for the origin of this difference, we find that the central mass densities of star-forming spirals exhibit a sharp break near the cluster Virial radius, with spirals in the cluster outskirts exhibiting significantly lower densities. We argue that these results considered together demonstrate that cluster spirals are kinematically disturbed by their environment, likely due to galaxy-galaxy interactions (harassment).We then discuss our most powerful method of tracking galaxy evolution across Cl 0024 and MS 0451: identifying and studying "transition galaxies"-galaxies whose stellar populations or dynamical states indicate a recent or ongoing change in morphology or star formation rate. Such galaxies are often revealed by star formation histories that seem to be at odds with the galaxy morphologies: for example, spiral galaxies with no signs of star formation, or elliptical galaxies that do show signs of star formation.We identify and study one such class of objects, the "passive spirals" in Cl 0024. These objects exhibit no emission lines in their spectra, suggesting a lack of star formation, yet are surprisingly detected in the UV, revealing the

The spatially resolved star formation history of CALIFA galaxies. Cosmic time scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Benito, R.; González Delgado, R. M.; Pérez, E.; Cid Fernandes, R.; Cortijo-Ferrero, C.; López Fernández, R.; de Amorim, A. L.; Lacerda, E. A. D.; Vale Asari, N.; Sánchez, S. F.

2017-12-01

This paper presents the mass assembly time scales of nearby galaxies observed by CALIFA at the 3.5 m telescope in Calar Alto. We apply the fossil record method of the stellar populations to the complete sample of the 3rd CALIFA data release, with a total of 661 galaxies, covering stellar masses from 108.4 to 1012M⊙ and a wide range of Hubble types. We apply spectral synthesis techniques to the datacubes and process the results to produce the mass growth time scales and mass weighted ages, from which we obtain temporal and spatially resolved information in seven bins of galaxy morphology (E, S0, Sa, Sb, Sc, and Sd) and six bins of stellar mass and stellar mass surface density. We use three different tracers of the spatially resolved star formation history (mass assembly curves, ratio of half mass to half light radii, and mass-weighted age gradients) to test if galaxies grow inside-out, and its dependence with galaxy stellar mass, stellar mass surface density, and morphology. Our main results are as follows: (a) the innermost regions of galaxies assemble their mass at an earlier time than regions located in the outer parts; this happens at any given stellar mass (M⋆), stellar mass surface density (Σ⋆), or Hubble type, including the lowest mass systems in our sample. (b) Galaxies present a significant diversity in their characteristic formation epochs for lower-mass systems. This diversity shows a strong dependence of the mass assembly time scales on Σ⋆ and Hubble type in the lower-mass range (108.4 to 1010.4), but a very mild dependence in higher-mass bins. (c) The lowest half mass radius (HMR) to half light radius (HLR) ratio is found for galaxies between 1010.4 and 1011.1M⊙, where galaxies are 25% smaller in mass than in light. Low-mass galaxies show the largest ratio with HMR/HLR 0.89. Sb and Sbc galaxies present the lowest HMR/HLR ratio (0.74). The ratio HMR/HLR is always, on average, below 1, indicating that galaxies grow faster in mass than in light

The ISO View of Star Forming Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helou, George

1999-01-01

ISO studies of normal galaxies in the local Universe have revealed basic new properties whose significant implications for the star formation process and cosmology are only starting to be understood. This review will touch on the general results of a statistical nature, and provide a quick summary of the profusion of exciting results on individual objects. In the mid-infrared, PHT-S has established that the spectra of star forming galaxies between 6 and-13microns are dominated by the Aromatic Features in Emission (AFE), and show little variation as a function of the heating intensity. The Carriers of the AFE (CAFE) are thus a universal component of dust with standard properties, and contribute between 10 and 25% of the total dust luminosity. In addition to AFE, the spectra show a low-level continuum detectable at wavelengths longer than 3.5microns whose origin is still under investigation. The mid-infrared colors formed as the ratio of flux densities in the 6.75micron and the 15micron bands of ISO-CAM remain essentially constant and near unity for quiescent and mildly active galaxies. As dust heating increases further, the 15micron flux increases steeply compared to 6.75microns, indicating that dust heated to 100Ksignificant component. Such hot dust is presumably located within or just outside HII regions. At the other end of the spectrum, photometry at 120-200microns using ISO-PHOT is starting to constrain the distribution of dust temperatures at the low end of the temperature scale. From LWS data, the far-infrared fine-structure lines of [CII] and [OI], which provide most of the cooling for warm atomic gas, show variations that have remained controversial in their interpretation. In particular, as the galaxy become more active in star formation, its [CII] flux weakens relative to total dust emission while the [OI] does not. This behavior has attracted much interest because it extrapolates to the most active galaxies, making them weaker in [CII

On the formation of ring galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yu-Ting; Jiang, Ing-Guey

2011-08-01

The formation scenario of ring galaxies is addressed in this paper. We focus on the P-type ring galaxies presented in Madore, Nelson & Petrillo (2009), particularly on the axis-symmetric ones. Our simulations show that a ring can form through the collision of disc and dwarf galaxies, and the locations, widths, and density contrasts of the ring are well determined. We find that a ring galaxy such as AM 2302-322 can be produced by this collision scenario.

A Study of the Dependence of the Properties of Galaxy Clusters on Cluster Morphology.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lugger, Phyllis Minnie

1982-03-01

A quantitative study of the properties of clusters of galaxies as a function of cluster morphology has been carried out using photographic plates obtained with the Palomar 48 inch Schmidt telescope. Surface brightness profiles of 35 first ranked cluster galaxies and luminosity functions of nine clusters are presented and analyzed. The dispersion in the metric magnitudes of first ranked galaxies is quite small ((TURN) 0.4 mag) which is consistent with the results of Kristian, Sandage and Westphal as well as Hoessel, Gunn and Thuan. For the cD (supergiant elliptical) galaxy sample, the mean metric magnitude is (TURN) 0.5 mag brighter than for the non-cD galaxies. The dispersion in the metric magnitudes for the 10 cD galaxies studied is found to be much smaller ((sigma) (TURN) 0.1 mag) than the dispersion in the metric magnitudes of the non-cD first ranked galaxies ((sigma) (TURN) 0.4 mag). The de Vaucouleurs effective radius - magnitude relation determined in the present study for first ranked galaxies (log r(,e) = -0.2 M + const.) is consistent with the extrapolations to brighter magnitudes of the range of relations found by Strom and Strom. The average residuals from the mean radius-magnitude relation for the cD and non-cD galaxy samples were not found to differ at a significant level. Luminosity functions for the region within 0.5 Mpc of the cluster center for three of the clusters studied (A1656, A2147, and A2199) show a deficit of bright galaxies when compared to a concentric annular region with bounds of 0.5 and 1.0 Mpc. Characteristic magnitudes for the nine clusters (determined from square regions 4.6 Mpc on a side) show no significant correlation with cluster morphology, central density, or total magnitude of the first ranked galaxy. The mean values of the Schechter function parameters M('*) and (alpha) are in very good agreement with the previous determinations by Schechter and by Dressler. The differential luminosity functions for A569 and A1656 do not

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): probing the merger histories of massive galaxies via stellar populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreras, I.; Hopkins, A. M.; Gunawardhana, M. L. P.; Sansom, A. E.; Owers, M. S.; Driver, S.; Davies, L.; Robotham, A.; Taylor, E. N.; Konstantopoulos, I.; Brough, S.; Norberg, P.; Croom, S.; Loveday, J.; Wang, L.; Bremer, M.

2017-06-01

The merging history of galaxies can be traced with studies of dynamically close pairs. These consist of a massive primary galaxy and a less massive secondary (or satellite) galaxy. The study of the stellar populations of secondary (lower mass) galaxies in close pairs provides a way to understand galaxy growth by mergers. Here we focus on systems involving at least one massive galaxy - with stellar mass above 1011M⊙ in the highly complete Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. Our working sample comprises 2692 satellite galaxy spectra (0.1 ≤ z ≤ 0.3). These spectra are combined into high S/N stacks, and binned according to both an 'internal' parameter, the stellar mass of the satellite galaxy (I.e. the secondary), and an 'external' parameter, selecting either the mass of the primary in the pair, or the mass of the corresponding dark matter halo. We find significant variations in the age of the populations with respect to environment. At fixed mass, satellites around the most massive galaxies are older and possibly more metal-rich, with age differences ˜1-2 Gyr within the subset of lower mass satellites (˜1010 M⊙). These variations are similar when stacking with respect to the halo mass of the group where the pair is embedded. The population trends in the lower mass satellites are consistent with the old stellar ages found in the outer regions of massive galaxies.

Dark-ages reionization and galaxy formation simulation - IX. Economics of reionizing galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duffy, Alan R.; Mutch, Simon J.; Poole, Gregory B.; Geil, Paul M.; Kim, Han-Seek; Mesinger, Andrei; Wyithe, J. Stuart B.

2017-09-01

Using a series of high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations we show that during the rapid growth of high-redshift (z > 5) galaxies, reserves of molecular gas are consumed over a time-scale of 300 Myr, almost independent of feedback scheme. We find that there exists no such simple relation for the total gas fractions of these galaxies, with little correlation between gas fractions and specific star formation rates. The bottleneck or limiting factor in the growth of early galaxies is in converting infalling gas to cold star-forming gas. Thus, we find that the majority of high-redshift dwarf galaxies are effectively in recession, with demand (of star formation) never rising to meet supply (of gas), irrespective of the baryonic feedback physics modelled. We conclude that the basic assumption of self-regulation in galaxies - that they can adjust total gas consumption within a Hubble time - does not apply for the dwarf galaxies thought to be responsible for providing most UV photons to reionize the high-redshift Universe. We demonstrate how this rapid molecular time-scale improves agreement between semi-analytic model predictions of the early Universe and observed stellar mass functions.

Star Formation Histories of z ∼ 1 Galaxies in LEGA-C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauke, Priscilla; van der Wel, Arjen; Pacifici, Camilla; Bezanson, Rachel; Wu, Po-Feng; Gallazzi, Anna; Noeske, Kai; Straatman, Caroline; Muños-Mateos, Juan-Carlos; Franx, Marijn; Barišić, Ivana; Bell, Eric F.; Brammer, Gabriel B.; Calhau, Joao; van Houdt, Josha; Labbé, Ivo; Maseda, Michael V.; Muzzin, Adam; Rix, Hans-Walter; Sobral, David

2018-07-01

Using high-resolution spectra from the VLT Large Early Galaxy Astrophysics Census (LEGA-C) program, we reconstruct the star formation histories (SFHs) of 607 galaxies at redshifts z = 0.6–1.0 and stellar masses ≳1010 M ⊙ using a custom full spectrum fitting algorithm that incorporates the emcee and FSPS packages. We show that the mass-weighted age of a galaxy correlates strongly with stellar velocity dispersion (σ *) and ongoing star formation (SF) activity, with the stellar content in higher-σ * galaxies having formed earlier and faster. The SFHs of quiescent galaxies are generally consistent with passive evolution since their main SF epoch, but a minority show clear evidence of a rejuvenation event in their recent past. The mean age of stars in galaxies that are star-forming is generally significantly younger, with SF peaking after z < 1.5 for almost all star-forming galaxies in the sample: many of these still have either constant or rising SFRs on timescales >100 Myr. This indicates that z > 2 progenitors of z ∼ 1 star-forming galaxies are generally far less massive. Finally, despite considerable variance in the individual SFHs, we show that the current SF activity of massive galaxies (>L *) at z ∼ 1 correlates with SF levels at least 3 Gyr prior: SFHs retain “memory” on a large fraction of the Hubble time. Our results illustrate a novel approach to resolve the formation phase of galaxies, and, by identifying their individual evolutionary paths, one can connect progenitors and descendants across cosmic time. This is uniquely enabled by the high-quality continuum spectroscopy provided by the LEGA-C survey.

The Influence Of Environment On The Star Formation Properties Of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez Del Pino, Bruno

2015-10-01

star formation properties and nuclear activity in galaxies in a multi-cluster system at z 0.165. We employ Tuneable Filter observations to map the Halpha and N[II] emission lines. We show the feasibility and advantages of using these type of observations to map emission lines in a large number of objects at a single redshift, and developed a procedure for the reduction and analysis of the data. We find a large number of optical AGN that were not previously detected as X-ray point sources. The probability that a galaxy hosts an AGN is not found to correlate with environment. From the analysis of the integrated star formation properties of the galaxies in the multi-cluster system we observe a significant number of galaxies with suppressed star formation with respect to the field. Although stellar mass is the main driver of the suppression of star formation, once its effect is removed, we find that galaxies in the core regions have reduced specific star formation rates (SSFRs) with respect to the infall regions. Moreover, the environment influences galaxies differently depending on their stellar mass. Galaxies with low masses experience a change in morphology (from irregulars and spirals to early-types) and colour (blue to red) as they fall into regions of higher density. However, many massive spiral galaxies retain their disk morphologies and the visibility of their spiral arms all the way to the core regions. Before becoming passive, these galaxies experience a phase exhibiting red colours and relatively high SSFRs. A significant fraction of the spiral galaxies with relatively high masses go through this phase, which could represent the transition towards becoming S0s. We finish by presenting some interesting results on the spatial distribution of the emission-line regions in the cluster galaxies. We develop a method to create emission-line images, which successfully preserves the flux within the emission lines. Our analysis on the concentrations and sizes of the star

THE GALAXY LUMINOSITY FUNCTIONS DOWN TO M{sub R} = -10 IN THE COMA CLUSTER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yamanoi, Hitomi; Komiyama, Yutaka; Yagi, Masafumi

2012-08-15

We derived the luminosity function (LF) of dwarf galaxies in the Coma Cluster down to M{sub R} = -10 at three fields located at the center, intermediate, and outskirt of the cluster. The LF (-19 < M{sub R} < -10) shows no significant differences among the three fields. It shows a clear dip at M{sub R} {approx} -13 and is composed of two distinct components of different slopes; the bright component with -19 < M{sub R} < -13 has a flatter slope than the faint component with -13 < M{sub R} < -10 which has a steep slope. The brightmore » component (-19 < M{sub R} < -13) consists mostly of red extended galaxies including few blue galaxies whose colors are typical of late-type galaxies. On the other hand, the faint component (-13 < M{sub R} < -10) consists largely of point-spread-function-like compact galaxies. We found that both these compact galaxies and some extended galaxies are present in the center while only compact galaxies are seen in the outskirt. In the faint component, the fraction of blue galaxies is larger in the outskirt than in the center. We suggest that the dwarf galaxies in the Coma Cluster, which make up the two components in the LF, are heterogeneous with some different origins.« less

Fire within the Antennae Galaxies

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-09-07

This false-color image composite from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reveals hidden populations of newborn stars at the heart of the colliding "Antennae" galaxies. These two galaxies, known individually as NGC 4038 and 4039, are located around 68 million light-years away and have been merging together for about the last 800 million years. The latest Spitzer observations provide a snapshot of the tremendous burst of star formation triggered in the process of this collision, particularly at the site where the two galaxies overlap. The image is a composite of infrared data from Spitzer and visible-light data from Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tucson, Ariz. Visible light from stars in the galaxies (blue and green) is shown together with infrared light from warm dust clouds heated by newborn stars (red). The two nuclei, or centers, of the merging galaxies show up as yellow-white areas, one above the other. The brightest clouds of forming stars lie in the overlap region between and left of the nuclei. Throughout the sky, astronomers have identified many of these so-called "interacting" galaxies, whose spiral discs have been stretched and distorted by their mutual gravity as they pass close to one another. The distances involved are so large that the interactions evolve on timescales comparable to geologic changes on Earth. Observations of such galaxies, combined with computer models of these collisions, show that the galaxies often become forever bound to one another, eventually merging into a single, spheroidal-shaped galaxy. Wavelengths of 0.44 microns are represented in blue, .70 microns in green and 8.0 microns in red. This image was taken on Dec. 24, 2003. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06854

Analyzing the Pieces of a Warped Galaxy

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-11-04

This image composite shows a warped and magnified view of a galaxy discovered by the Herschel Space Observatory, one of five such galaxies uncovered by the infrared telescope. The galaxy, referred to as SDP 81 is the yellow dot in the left image.

Mysterious Blob Galaxies Revealed

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-01-11

This image composite shows a giant galactic blob (red) and the three merging galaxies NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope discovered within it (yellow). Blobs are intensely glowing clouds of hot hydrogen gas that envelop faraway galaxies. They are about 10 times as large as the galaxies they surround. Visible-light images reveal the vast extent of blobs, but don't provide much information about their host galaxies. Using its heat-seeking infrared eyes, Spitzer was able to see the dusty galaxies tucked inside one well-known blob located 11 billion light-years away. The findings reveal three monstrously bright galaxies, trillions of times brighter than the Sun, in the process of merging together. Spitzer also observed three other blobs located in the same cosmic neighborhood, all of which were found to be glaringly bright. One of these blobs is also known to be a galactic merger, only between two galaxies instead of three. It remains to be seen whether the final two blobs studied also contain mergers. The Spitzer data were acquired by its multiband imaging photometer. The visible-light image was taken by the Blanco Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07220

The Effects of Physically Unrelated Near Neighbors on the Weak Galaxy-Galaxy Lensing Signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brainerd, Tereasa

2018-01-01

The effects of physically unrelated near neighbors on the weak galaxy-galaxy lensing signal are explored. Physically unrelated near neighbors are galaxies that are close to a given lens galaxy in projection on the sky, but are located at substantially different redshifts. Typically, the effects of such physically unrelated near neighbors are assumed to cancel. If that were truly the case, these objects would not contribute to the mean tangential shear around the lenses and they can be ignored when using an observed weak lensing signal to infer the excess surface mass density surrounding a set of lens galaxies. Here, observed galaxies with known redshifts and luminosities are used as the basis of a suite of Monte Carlo simluations of weak galaxy-galaxy lensing. The simulations incorporate the intrinsic clustering of the lens galaxies, as well as the intrinsic distribution of the lens galaxy masses. Dark matter halos of appropriate sizes and masses are assigned to each of the lens galaxies, and the net effect of all lenses on a set of background source galaxies is determined. The net weak lensing signal (i.e., the mean tangential shear due to all lenses along the line of sight) is computed and then compared to the excess surface mass density surrounding the lenses. Due to the broad redshift and mass distributions of the lenses, the effects of physically unrelated near neighbors in the simulations do not cancel. On scales equal to or greater than the scale for which the two-halo term contributes substantially to the shear, this non-cancellation of the effects of physically unrelated near neighbors significantly affects the accuracy with which the excess surface mass density may be inferred from the mean tangential shear via the standard formula: < ΔΣ > = < Σc γt > . The effects of physically unrelated near neighbors are greatest for the least massive lens galaxies but can also be important for the most massive lens galaxies.

X-ray Emission from Early Universe Analog Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brorby, Matthew; Kaaret, Philip; Prestwich, Andrea H.; Mirabel, I. Felix; Feng, Hua

2016-01-01

Around 300,000 years after the Big Bang, the Universe had cooled enough to combine and form neutral atoms. This signified the beginning of a time known as the Dark Ages. Neutral matter began to fall into the dark matter gravitational wells that were seeded after the initial moments of the Big Bang. As the first stars and galaxies formed within these gravitational wells, the surrounding baryonic matter was heated and started to ionize. The source of energetic photons that heated and reionized the early Universe remains uncertain. Early galaxies had low metallicity and recent population synthesis calculations suggest that the number and luminosity of high-mass X-ray binaries are enhanced in star-forming galaxies with low metallicity, offering a potentially important and previously overlooked source of heating and reionization. Here we examine two types of local galaxies that have been shown to be good analogs to the early galaxies in the Universe: Blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs) and Lyman Break Analogs (LBAs).A BCD is defined by its blue optical colors, low metallicities, and physically small size. This makes BCDs the best available local analogs for early star formation. We analyzed data from a sample of 25 metal-poor BCDs and compared our results with those of near-solar metallicity galaxies. Using a Bayesian approach, we showed that the X-ray luminosity function for the low-metallicity BCDs is significantly elevated relative to the XLF for near-solar metallicity galaxies.Larger, gas-rich galaxies may have formed shortly after these first galaxies. These larger galaxies would be similar in their properties to the high-redshift Lyman break galaxies (LBGs). LBAs provide the best local comparison to the LBGs. We studied a sample of 10 LBAs in order to measure the relation between star formation rate and X-ray luminosity for these galaxies. We found that for LBAs with intermediate sub-solar metallicities, there is enhanced X-ray emission relative to the expected

Internal and environmental secular evolution of disk galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kormendy, John

2015-03-01

This Special Session is devoted to the secular evolution of disk galaxies. Here `secular' means `slow' i.e., evolution on time scales that are generally much longer than the galaxy crossing or rotation time. Internal and environmentally driven evolution both are covered. I am indebted to Albert Bosma for reminding me at the 2011 Canary Islands Winter School on Secular Evolution that our subject first appeared in print in a comment made by Ivan King (1977) in his introductory talk at the Yale University meeting on The Evolution of Galaxies and Stellar Populations: `John Kormendy would like us to consider the possibility that a galaxy can interact with itself.. . . I'm not at all convinced, but John can show you some interesting pictures.' Two of the earliest papers that followed were Kormendy (1979a, b); the first discusses the interaction of galaxy components with each other, and the second studies these phenomena in the context of a morphological survey of barred galaxies. The earliest modeling paper that we still use regularly is Combes & Sanders (1981), which introduces the now well known idea that box-shaped bulges in edge-on galaxies are side-on, vertically thickened bars. It is gratifying to see how this subject has grown since that time. Hundreds of papers have been written, and the topic features prominently at many meetings (e.g., Block et al. 2004; Falcoń-Barroso & Knapen 2012, and this Special Session). My talk here introduces both internal and environmental secular evolution; a brief abstract follows. My Canary Islands Winter School review covers both subjects in more detail (Kormendy 2012). Kormendy & Kennicutt (2004) is a comprehensive review of internal secular evolution, and Kormendy & Bender (2012) covers environmental evolution. Both of these subject make significant progress at this meeting. Secular evolution happens because self-gravitating systems evolve toward the most tightly bound configuration that is reachable by the evolution processes

What made discy galaxies giant?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saburova, A. S.

2018-01-01

I studied giant discy galaxies with optical radii more than 30 kpc. The comparison of these systems with discy galaxies of moderate sizes revealed that they tend to have higher rotation velocities, B-band luminosities, H I masses and dark-to-luminous mass ratios. The giant discs follow the trend log (M_{H I})(R_{25}) found for normal sized galaxies. It indicates the absence of the peculiarities of evolution of star formation in these galaxies. The H I mass-to-luminosity ratio of giant galaxies appears not to differ from that of normal-sized galaxies, giving evidence in favour of similar star formation efficiency. I also found that the bars and rings occur more frequently among giant discs. I performed mass modelling of the subsample of 18 giant galaxies with available rotation curves and surface photometry data and constructed χ2 maps for the parameters of their dark matter haloes. These estimates indicate that giant discs tend to be formed in larger more massive and rarified dark haloes in comparison to moderate-sized galaxies. However, giant galaxies do not deviate significantly from the relations between the optical sizes and dark halo parameters for moderate-sized galaxies. These findings can rule out the catastrophic scenario of the formation of at least most of giant discs, since they follow the same relations as normal discy galaxies. The giant sizes of the discs can be due to the high radial scale of the dark matter haloes in which they were formed.

Galaxy-Galaxy Lensing in the Hubble Deep Field: The Halo Tully-Fisher Relation at Intermediate Redshift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson, Michael J.; Gwyn, Stephen D. J.; Dahle, Håkon; Kaiser, Nick

1998-08-01

A tangential distortion of background source galaxies around foreground lens galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field is detected at the 99.3% confidence level. An important element of our analysis is the use of photometric redshifts to determine distances of lens and source galaxies and rest-frame B-band luminosities of the lens galaxies. The lens galaxy halos obey a Tully-Fisher relation between halo circular velocity and luminosity. The typical lens galaxy, at a redshift z = 0.6, has a circular velocity of 210 +/- 40 km s-1 at MB = -18.5, if q0 = 0.5. Control tests, in which lens and source positions and source ellipticities are randomized, confirm the significance level of the detection quoted above. Furthermore, a marginal signal is also detected from an independent, fainter sample of source galaxies without photometric redshifts. Potential systematic effects, such as contamination by aligned satellite galaxies, the distortion of source shapes by the light of the foreground galaxies, PSF anisotropies, and contributions from mass distributed on the scale of galaxy groups are shown to be negligible. A comparison of our result with the local Tully-Fisher relation indicates that intermediate-redshift galaxies are fainter than local spirals by 1.0 +/- 0.6 B mag at a fixed circular velocity. This is consistent with some spectroscopic studies of the rotation curves of intermediate-redshift galaxies. This result suggests that the strong increase in the global luminosity density with redshift is dominated by evolution in the galaxy number density.

Wing galaxies: A formation mechanism of the clumpy irregular galaxy Markarian 297

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taniguchi, Yoshiaki; Noguchi, Masafumi

1990-01-01

In order to contribute to an understanding of collision-induced starburst activities, the authors present a detailed case study on the starburst galaxy Markarian 297 (= NGC 6052 = Arp 209; hereafter Mrk 297). This galaxy is classified as a clumpy irregular galaxy (CIG) according to its morphological properties (cf. Heidmann, 1987). Two major clumps and many small clumps are observed in the entire region of Mrk 297 (Hecquet, Coupinot, and Maucherat 1987). The overall morphology of Mrk 297 is highly chaotic and thus it seems difficult to determine possible orbits of galaxy-galaxy collision. However, the authors have serendipitously found a possible orbit during a course of numerical simulations for a radial-penetration collision between galaxies. The radial-penetration collision means that an intruder penetrates a target galaxy radially passing by its nucleus. This kind of collision is known to explain a formation mechanism of ripples around disk galaxies (Wallin and Struck-Marcell 1988). Here, the authors show that the radial-penetration collision between galaxies successfully explains both overall morphological and kinematical properties of Mrk 297. The authors made two kinds of numerical simulations for Mrk 297. One is N-body (1x10(exp 4) particles) simulations in which effects of self gravity of the stellar disk are taken into account. These simulations are used to study detailed morphological feature of Mrk 297. The response of gas clouds are also investigated in order to estimate star formation rates in such collisions. The other is test-particle simulations, which are utilized to obtain a rough picture of Mrk 297 and to analyze the velocity field of Mrk 297. The techniques of the numerical simulations are the same as those in Noguchi (1988) and Noguchi and Ishibashi (1986). In the present model, an intruding galaxy with the same mass of a target galaxy moves on a rectilinear orbit which passes the center of the target.

Stellar feedback in galaxies and the origin of galaxy-scale winds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopkins, Philip F.; Quataert, Eliot; Murray, Norman

2012-04-01

Feedback from massive stars is believed to play a critical role in driving galactic super-winds that enrich the intergalactic medium and shape the galaxy mass function, mass-metallicity relation and other global galaxy properties. In previous papers, we have introduced new numerical methods for implementing stellar feedback on sub-giant molecular cloud (sub-GMC) through galactic scales in numerical simulations of galaxies; the key physical processes include radiation pressure in the ultraviolet through infrared, supernovae (Type I and Type II), stellar winds ('fast' O star through 'slow' asymptotic giant branch winds), and H II photoionization. Here, we show that these feedback mechanisms drive galactic winds with outflow rates as high as ˜10-20 times the galaxy star formation rate. The mass-loading efficiency (wind mass-loss rate divided by the star formation rate) scales roughly as ? (where Vc is the galaxy circular velocity), consistent with simple momentum-conservation expectations. We use our suite of simulations to study the relative contribution of each feedback mechanism to the generation of galactic winds in a range of galaxy models, from Small Magellanic Cloud like dwarfs and Milky Way (MW) analogues to z˜ 2 clumpy discs. In massive, gas-rich systems (local starbursts and high-z galaxies), radiation pressure dominates the wind generation. By contrast, for MW-like spirals and dwarf galaxies the gas densities are much lower and sources of shock-heated gas such as supernovae and stellar winds dominate the production of large-scale outflows. In all of our models, however, the winds have a complex multiphase structure that depends on the interaction between multiple feedback mechanisms operating on different spatial scales and time-scales: any single feedback mechanism fails to reproduce the winds observed. We use our simulations to provide fitting functions to the wind mass loading and velocities as a function of galaxy properties, for use in cosmological

The SAMI Galaxy Survey: spatially resolving the environmental quenching of star formation in GAMA galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaefer, A. L.; Croom, S. M.; Allen, J. T.; Brough, S.; Medling, A. M.; Ho, I.-T.; Scott, N.; Richards, S. N.; Pracy, M. B.; Gunawardhana, M. L. P.; Norberg, P.; Alpaslan, M.; Bauer, A. E.; Bekki, K.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Bloom, J. V.; Bryant, J. J.; Couch, W. J.; Driver, S. P.; Fogarty, L. M. R.; Foster, C.; Goldstein, G.; Green, A. W.; Hopkins, A. M.; Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Lawrence, J. S.; López-Sánchez, A. R.; Lorente, N. P. F.; Owers, M. S.; Sharp, R.; Sweet, S. M.; Taylor, E. N.; van de Sande, J.; Walcher, C. J.; Wong, O. I.

2017-01-01

We use data from the Sydney-AAO Multi-Object Integral Field Spectrograph Galaxy Survey and the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey to investigate the spatially resolved signatures of the environmental quenching of star formation in galaxies. Using dust-corrected measurements of the distribution of Hα emission, we measure the radial profiles of star formation in a sample of 201 star-forming galaxies covering three orders of magnitude in stellar mass (M*; 108.1-1010.95 M⊙) and in fifth nearest neighbour local environment density (Σ5; 10-1.3-102.1 Mpc-2). We show that star formation rate gradients in galaxies are steeper in dense (log10(Σ5/Mpc2) > 0.5) environments by 0.58 ± 0.29 dex re^{-1} in galaxies with stellar masses in the range 10^{10} < M_{*}/M_{⊙} < 10^{11} and that this steepening is accompanied by a reduction in the integrated star formation rate. However, for any given stellar mass or environment density, the star formation morphology of galaxies shows large scatter. We also measure the degree to which the star formation is centrally concentrated using the unitless scale-radius ratio (r50,Hα/r50,cont), which compares the extent of ongoing star formation to previous star formation. With this metric, we find that the fraction of galaxies with centrally concentrated star formation increases with environment density, from ˜5 ± 4 per cent in low-density environments (log10(Σ5/Mpc2) < 0.0) to 30 ± 15 per cent in the highest density environments (log10(Σ5/Mpc2) > 1.0). These lines of evidence strongly suggest that with increasing local environment density, the star formation in galaxies is suppressed, and that this starts in their outskirts such that quenching occurs in an outside-in fashion in dense environments and is not instantaneous.

LOCAL TADPOLE GALAXIES: DYNAMICS AND METALLICITY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanchez Almeida, J.; Munoz-Tunon, C.; Mendez-Abreu, J.

2013-04-10

Tadpole galaxies, with a bright peripheral clump on a faint tail, are morphological types unusual in the nearby universe but very common early on. Low mass local tadpoles were identified and studied photometrically in a previous work, which we complete here analyzing their chemical and dynamical properties. We measure H{alpha} velocity curves of seven local tadpoles, representing 50% of the initial sample. Five of them show evidence for rotation ({approx}70%), and a sixth target hints at it. Often the center of rotation is spatially offset with respect to the tadpole head (three out of five cases). The size and velocitymore » dispersion of the heads are typical of giant H II regions, and three of them yield dynamical masses in fair agreement with their stellar masses as inferred from photometry. In four cases the velocity dispersion at the head is reduced with respect to its immediate surroundings. The oxygen metallicity estimated from [N II] {lambda}6583/H{alpha} often shows significant spatial variations across the galaxies ({approx}0.5 dex), being smallest at the head and larger elsewhere. The resulting chemical abundance gradients are opposite to the ones observed in local spirals, but agrees with disk galaxies at high redshift. We interpret the metallicity variation as a sign of external gas accretion (cold-flows) onto the head of the tadpole. The galaxies are low-metallicity outliers of the mass-metallicity relationship. In particular, two of the tadpole heads are extremely metal poor, with a metallicity smaller than a tenth of the solar value. These two targets are also very young (ages smaller than 5 Myr). All these results combined are consistent with the local tadpole galaxies being disks in early stages of assembling, with their star formation sustained by accretion of external metal-poor gas.« less

Host galaxy properties of calcium II and sodium I quasar absorption-line systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherinka, Brian

Many questions remain within the areas of galaxy formation and evolution. Understanding the origin of gas in galaxy environments, whether as tidal debris, infalling High Velocity Clouds, galaxy outflows, or as gaseous material residing in galaxy disks, is an important step in answering those questions. Quasar absorption-lines can often be used to probe the environments of intervening galaxies. Traditionally, quasar absorption-lines are studied independently of the host galaxy but this method denies us the exploration of the connection between galaxy and environment. Instead, one can select pairs of known galaxies and quasars. This gives much more information regarding the host galaxy and allows us to better connect galaxy properties with associated absorbers. We use the seventh data release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to generate a sample of spectroscopic galaxy-quasar pairs. We cross-correlated a sample of 105,000 quasars and ˜800,000 galaxies to produce ˜98,000 galaxy-quasar pairs, with the quasar projected within 100 kpc of the galaxy. Adopting an automated line-finding algorithm and using the galaxy redshift as a prior, we search through all quasar spectra and identify Ca II and Na I absorption due to the intervening galaxy. This procedure produced 1745 Ca II absorbers and 4500 Na I absorbers detected at or above 2σ. Stacking analysis of a subset of absorbers at z > 0.01, with significances at or above 3σ, showed strong Ca II and Na I features around external galaxies. Using the same subset of absorbers at z > 0.01, we looked for correlations between absorber and galaxy properties and examined differences in galaxy properties between the absorbers and non-absorbers. We found no correlations with absorber strength or differences between many galaxy properties at the 3σ level. The lack of correlations and differences between absorbers and non-absorbers suggest a ubiquitous nature for Ca II and Na I around all types of galaxies, with the absorbers showing

NIHAO - XIV. Reproducing the observed diversity of dwarf galaxy rotation curve shapes in ΛCDM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos-Santos, Isabel M.; Di Cintio, Arianna; Brook, Chris B.; Macciò, Andrea; Dutton, Aaron; Domínguez-Tenreiro, Rosa

2018-02-01

The significant diversity of rotation curve (RC) shapes in dwarf galaxies has recently emerged as a challenge to Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM): in dark matter (DM) only simulations, DM haloes have a universal cuspy density profile that results in self-similar RC shapes. We compare RC shapes of simulated galaxies from the NIHAO (Numerical Investigation of a Hundred Astrophysical Objects) project with observed galaxies from the homogeneous SPARC data set. The DM haloes of the NIHAO galaxies can expand to form cores, with the degree of expansion depending on their stellar-to-halo mass ratio. By means of the V2kpc-VRlast relation (where VRlast is the outermost measured rotation velocity), we show that both the average trend and the scatter in RC shapes of NIHAO galaxies are in reasonable agreement with SPARC: this represents a significant improvement compared to simulations that do not result in DM core formation, suggesting that halo expansion is a key process in matching the diversity of dwarf galaxy RCs. Note that NIHAO galaxies can reproduce even the extremely slowly rising RCs of IC 2574 and UGC 5750. Revealingly, the range where observed galaxies show the highest diversity corresponds to the range where core formation is most efficient in NIHAO simulations, 50 < VRlast/km s-1 < 100. A few observed galaxies in this range cannot be matched by any NIHAO RC nor by simulations that predict a universal halo profile. Interestingly, the majority of these are starbursts or emission-line galaxies, with steep RCs and small effective radii. Such galaxies represent an interesting observational target providing new clues to the process/viability of cusp-core transformation, the relationship between starburst and inner potential well, and the nature of DM.

The Comparative Observational Study of Timescale of Feedback by Bar Structure in Late-type Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woong-bae Woong-bae Zee, Galaxy; Yoon, Suk-jin

2018-01-01

We investigate star formation activities of ~400 barred and ~1400 unbarred faced-on late-type galaxies from the SDSS DR13. We find that gas-poor and barred galaxies are considerably show enhanced high central star formation activities, while there is no difference among gas-rich barred and unbarred galaxies regardless of their HI gas content. This seems counter-intuitive given that gas contents simply represent the total star formation rate of galaxies and suggests that there is a time delation between the central gas migration/consumption through bar structures and the enhancement of star formation activity at the centre. We analysed the distribution of the stellar population of specific galaxies with MaNGA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO) IFU survey among the total samples. The gas-poor and barred galaxies show the flatter gradient in metallicity and age with respect to the stellar mass than other types of galaxies, in that their centre is more metal-rich and younger. There is an age difference, about 5-6 Gyrs, between centrally star-forming gas-poor barred galaxies and gas-rich galaxies and this value is a plausible candidate of the longevity of bar feedback. The results indicate that the gas migration/mixing driven by bar structure plays a significant role in the evolution of galaxies in a specific of timescale.

Galaxy Zoo: Morphological Classification of Galaxy Images from the Illustris  Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickinson, Hugh; Fortson, Lucy; Lintott, Chris; Scarlata, Claudia; Willett, Kyle; Bamford, Steven; Beck, Melanie; Cardamone, Carolin; Galloway, Melanie; Simmons, Brooke; Keel, William; Kruk, Sandor; Masters, Karen; Vogelsberger, Mark; Torrey, Paul; Snyder, Gregory F.

2018-02-01

Modern large-scale cosmological simulations model the universe with increasing sophistication and at higher spatial and temporal resolutions. These ongoing enhancements permit increasingly detailed comparisons between the simulation outputs and real observational data. Recent projects such as Illustris are capable of producing simulated images that are designed to be comparable to those obtained from local surveys. This paper tests the degree to which Illustris achieves this goal across a diverse population of galaxies using visual morphologies derived from Galaxy Zoo citizen scientists. Morphological classifications provided by these volunteers for simulated galaxies are compared with similar data for a compatible sample of images drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Legacy Survey. This paper investigates how simple morphological characterization by human volunteers asked to distinguish smooth from featured systems differs between simulated and real galaxy images. Significant differences are identified, which are most likely due to the limited resolution of the simulation, but which could be revealing real differences in the dynamical evolution of populations of galaxies in the real and model universes. Specifically, for stellar masses {M}\\star ≲ {10}11 {M}ȯ , a substantially larger proportion of Illustris galaxies that exhibit disk-like morphology or visible substructure, relative to their SDSS counterparts. Toward higher masses, the visual morphologies for simulated and observed galaxies converge and exhibit similar distributions. The stellar mass threshold indicated by this divergent behavior confirms recent works using parametric measures of morphology from Illustris simulated images. When {M}\\star ≳ {10}11 {M}ȯ , the Illustris data set contains substantially fewer galaxies that classifiers regard as unambiguously featured. In combination, these results suggest that comparison between the detailed properties of observed and simulated galaxies

Distant Galaxy Bursts with Stars

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-21

This image from NASA Hubble telescope shows one of the most distant galaxies known, called GN-108036, dating back to 750 million years after the Big Bang that created our universe. The galaxy light took 12.9 billion years to reach us.

Ultraluminous infrared galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, D. B.; Soifer, B. T.; Neugebauer, G.; Scoville, N. Z.; Madore, B. F.; Danielson, G. E.; Elias, J. H.; Matthews, K.; Persson, C. J.; Persson, S. E.

1987-01-01

The IRAS survey of the local universe has revealed the existence of a class of ultraluminous infrared galaxies with L(8 to 1000 micrometer) greater than 10 to the 12th L sub 0 that are slightly more numerous, and as luminous as optically selected quasars at similar redshift. Optical CCD images of these infrared galaxies show that nearly all are advanced mergers. Millimeter wave CO observations indicate that these interacting systems are extremely rich in molecular gas with total H2 masses 1 to 3 x 10 to the 10th power M sub 0. Nearly all of the ultraluminous infrared galaxies show some evidence in their optical spectra for nonthermal nuclear activity. It is proposed that their infrared luminosity is powered by an embedded active nucleus and a nuclear starburst both of which are fueled by the tremendous reservoir of molecular gas. Once these merger nuclei shed their obscuring dust, allowing the AGN to visually dominate the decaying starburst, they become the optically selected quasars.

Hidden interaction in SBO galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Galletta, G.; Bettoni, D.; Oosterloo, T.; Fasano, G.

1990-01-01

Galaxies, like plants, show a large variety of grafts: an individual of some type connects physically with a neighborhood of same or different type. The effects of these interactions between galaxies have a broad range of morphologies depending, among other quantities, on the distance of the closest approach between systems and the relative size of the two galaxies. A sketch of the possible situations is shown in tabular form. This botanical classification is just indicative, because the effects of interactions can be notable also at relatively large separations, when additional conditions are met, as for example low density of the interacting systems or the presence of intra-cluster gas. In spite of the large variety of encounters and effects, in the literature the same terms are often used to refer to different types of interactions. Analysis indicates that only few of the situations show evident signs of interaction. They appear to be most relevant when the size of the two galaxies is comparable. Bridges and tails, like the well known case of NGC 4038/39, the Antennae, are only observed for a very low percentage of all galaxies (approx. 0.38 percent, Arp and Madore 1977). In most cases of gravitational bond between two galaxies, the effects of interactions are not relevant or evident. For instance, the detection of stellar shells (Malin and Carter 1983), which have been attributed to the accretion of gas stripped from another galaxy or to the capture and disruption of a small stellar system (Quinn 1984), requires particular observing and reduction techniques. Besides these difficulties of detection, time plays an important role in erasing, within a massive galaxy, the effects of interactions with smaller objects. This can happen on a timescale shorter than the Hubble time, so the number of systems now showing signs of interaction suggests lower limits to the true frequency of interactions in the life-time of a stellar system.

Census of the Local Universe (CLU) Hα Galaxy Survey: Characterization of Galaxy Catalogs from Preliminary Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, David O.; Kasliwal, Mansi; Van Sistine, Anglea; Kaplan, David; iPTF

2018-01-01

In this talk I introduce the Census of the Local Universe (CLU) galaxy survey. The survey uses 4 wavelength-adjacent, narrowband filters to search for emission-line (Hα) sources across ~3π (26,470 deg2) of the sky and out to distance of 200 Mpc. I will present an analysis of galaxy candidates in 14 preliminary fields (out of 3626) to assess the limits of the survey and the potential for finding new galaxies in the local Universe. We anticipate finding tens-of-thousands of new galaxies in the full ~3π survey. In addition, I present some interesting galaxies found in these fields, which include: newly discovered blue compact dwarfs (e.g., blueberries), 1 new green pea, 1 new QSO, and a known planetary nebula. The majority of the CLU galaxies show properties similar to normal star-forming galaxies; however, the newly discovered blueberries tend to have high star formation rates for their given stellar mass.

Dwarf Galaxies Swimming in Tidal Tails

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

This false-color infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows little 'dwarf galaxies' forming in the 'tails' of two larger galaxies that are colliding together. The big galaxies are at the center of the picture, while the dwarfs can be seen as red dots in the red streamers, or tidal tails. The two blue dots above the big galaxies are stars in the foreground.

Galaxy mergers are common occurrences in the universe; for example, our own Milky Way galaxy will eventually smash into the nearby Andromeda galaxy. When two galaxies meet, they tend to rip each other apart, leaving a trail, called a tidal tail, of gas and dust in their wake. It is out of this galactic debris that new dwarf galaxies are born.

The new Spitzer picture demonstrates that these particular dwarfs are actively forming stars. The red color indicates the presence of dust produced in star-forming regions, including organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These carbon-containing molecules are also found on Earth, in car exhaust and on burnt toast, among other places. Here, the molecules are being heated up by the young stars, and, as a result, shine in infrared light.

This image was taken by the infrared array camera on Spitzer. It is a 4-color composite of infrared light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange), and 8.0 microns (red). Starlight has been subtracted from the orange and red channels in order to enhance the dust features.

Simulating galaxies in the reionization era with FIRE-2: morphologies and sizes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xiangcheng; Hopkins, Philip F.; Boylan-Kolchin, Michael; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Quataert, Eliot; Feldmann, Robert; Garrison-Kimmel, Shea; Hayward, Christopher C.; Kereš, Dušan; Wetzel, Andrew

2018-06-01

We study the morphologies and sizes of galaxies at z ≥ 5 using high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations from the Feedback In Realistic Environments project. The galaxies show a variety of morphologies, from compact to clumpy to irregular. The simulated galaxies have more extended morphologies and larger sizes when measured using rest-frame optical B-band light than rest-frame UV light; sizes measured from stellar mass surface density are even larger. The UV morphologies are usually dominated by several small, bright young stellar clumps that are not always associated with significant stellar mass. The B-band light traces stellar mass better than the UV, but it can also be biased by the bright clumps. At all redshifts, galaxy size correlates with stellar mass/luminosity with large scatter. The half-light radii range from 0.01 to 0.2 arcsec (0.05-1 kpc physical) at fixed magnitude. At z ≥ 5, the size of galaxies at fixed stellar mass/luminosity evolves as (1 + z)-m, with m ˜ 1-2. For galaxies less massive than M* ˜ 108 M⊙, the ratio of the half-mass radius to the halo virial radius is ˜ 10 per cent and does not evolve significantly at z = 5-10; this ratio is typically 1-5 per cent for more massive galaxies. A galaxy's `observed' size decreases dramatically at shallower surface brightness limits. This effect may account for the extremely small sizes of z ≥ 5 galaxies measured in the Hubble Frontier Fields. We provide predictions for the cumulative light distribution as a function of surface brightness for typical galaxies at z = 6.

The Co-Evolution of Galaxies, their ISM, and the ICM: The Hydrodynamics of Galaxy Transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijayaraghavan, Rukmani; Sarazin, Craig L.; Ricker, Paul M.

2017-01-01

Cluster of galaxies are hostile environments. Infalling cluster galaxies are stripped of their dark matter, stars, and hot and cold interstellar medium gas. The ISM, in addition to tidal and ram pressure stripping, can evaporate due to thermal conduction. Gas loss and the subsequent suppression of star formation is not straightforward: magnetic fields in the ISM and ICM shield galaxies and their stripped tails from shear instabilities and conduction, radiative cooling can inhibit gas loss, and feedback from stars and AGN can replenish the ISM. While there is observational evidence that these processes operate, a theoretical understanding of the physics controlling the energy cycle in cluster galaxies remains elusive. Additionally, galaxies have a significant impact on ICM evolution: orbiting galaxies stir up and stretch ICM magnetic field lines, inject turbulence into the ICM via their wakes and g-waves, and infuse metals into the ICM. Quantifying the balance between processes that remove, retain, and replenish the ISM, and the impact of galaxies on the ICM require specialized hydrodynamic simulations of the cluster environment and its galaxies. I will present results from some of these simulations that include ram pressure stripping of galaxies' hot ISM, the effect of magnetic fields on this process, and the effectiveness of isotropic and anisotropic thermal conduction in removing and retaining the ISM.

Protoclusters with evolved populations around radio galaxies at z ~ 2.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kajisawa, Masaru; Kodama, Tadayuki; Tanaka, Ichi; Yamada, Toru; Bower, Richard

2006-09-01

We report the discovery of protocluster candidates around high-redshift radio galaxies at z ~ 2.5 on the basis of clear statistical excess of colour-selected galaxies around them seen in the deep near-infrared imaging data obtained with CISCO on the Subaru Telescope. We have observed six targets, all at similar redshifts at z ~ 2.5, and our data reach J = 23.5, H = 22.6 and K = 21.8 (5σ) and cover a 1.6 × 1.6 arcmin2 field centred on each radio galaxy. We apply colour cuts in JHK bands in order to exclusively search for galaxies located at high redshifts, z > 2. Over the magnitude range of 19.5 < K < 21.5, we see a significant excess of red galaxies with J - K > 2.3 by a factor of 2 around the combined radio galaxies fields compared to those found in the general field of the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey-South (GOODS-S). The excess of galaxies around the radio galaxies fields becomes more than a factor of 3 around 19.5 < K < 20.5 when the two-colour cuts are applied with JHK bands. Such overdensity of the colour-selected galaxies suggests that those fields tend to host high-density regions at high redshifts, although there seems to be the variety of the density of the colour-selected galaxies in each field. In particular, two radio galaxies fields out of the six observed fields show very strong density excess and these are likely to be protoclusters associated with the radio galaxies which would evolve into rich clusters of galaxies dominated by old passively evolving galaxies.

Host galaxies of type ia supernovae from the nearby supernova factory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Childress, Michael Joseph

SNe Ia. Finally we revisit recent studies which found that the corrected brightnesses of SNe Ia (after application of the standard light curve width and color corrections) correlate with the masses of their host galaxies. We confirm this trend with host mass using SNfactory data, and for the first time confirm that an analogous trend exists with host metallicity. We then apply a spectroscopic standardization technique developed by SNfactory and show that this method significantly reduces the observed bias. In this Thesis we show that SN Ia host galaxies continue to provide key insight into SN Ia progenitors, and also illuminate possible biases in SN Ia brightness standardization techniques.

The SAMI Galaxy Survey: spatially resolving the main sequence of star formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medling, Anne M.; Cortese, Luca; Croom, Scott M.; Green, Andrew W.; Groves, Brent; Hampton, Elise; Ho, I.-Ting; Davies, Luke J. M.; Kewley, Lisa J.; Moffett, Amanda J.; Schaefer, Adam L.; Taylor, Edward; Zafar, Tayyaba; Bekki, Kenji; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Bloom, Jessica V.; Brough, Sarah; Bryant, Julia J.; Catinella, Barbara; Cecil, Gerald; Colless, Matthew; Couch, Warrick J.; Drinkwater, Michael J.; Driver, Simon P.; Federrath, Christoph; Foster, Caroline; Goldstein, Gregory; Goodwin, Michael; Hopkins, Andrew; Lawrence, J. S.; Leslie, Sarah K.; Lewis, Geraint F.; Lorente, Nuria P. F.; Owers, Matt S.; McDermid, Richard; Richards, Samuel N.; Sharp, Robert; Scott, Nicholas; Sweet, Sarah M.; Taranu, Dan S.; Tescari, Edoardo; Tonini, Chiara; van de Sande, Jesse; Walcher, C. Jakob; Wright, Angus

2018-04-01

We present the ˜800 star formation rate maps for the Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral field spectrograph (SAMI) Galaxy Survey based on H α emission maps, corrected for dust attenuation via the Balmer decrement, that are included in the SAMI Public Data Release 1. We mask out spaxels contaminated by non-stellar emission using the [O III]/H β, [N II]/H α, [S II]/H α, and [O I]/H α line ratios. Using these maps, we examine the global and resolved star-forming main sequences of SAMI galaxies as a function of morphology, environmental density, and stellar mass. Galaxies further below the star-forming main sequence are more likely to have flatter star formation profiles. Early-type galaxies split into two populations with similar stellar masses and central stellar mass surface densities. The main-sequence population has centrally concentrated star formation similar to late-type galaxies, while galaxies >3σ below the main sequence show significantly reduced star formation most strikingly in the nuclear regions. The split populations support a two-step quenching mechanism, wherein halo mass first cuts off the gas supply and remaining gas continues to form stars until the local stellar mass surface density can stabilize the reduced remaining fuel against further star formation. Across all morphologies, galaxies in denser environments show a decreased specific star formation rate from the outside in, supporting an environmental cause for quenching, such as ram-pressure stripping or galaxy interactions.

First gas-phase metallicity gradients of 0.1 ≲ z ≲ 0.8 galaxies with MUSE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carton, David; Brinchmann, Jarle; Contini, Thierry; Epinat, Benoît; Finley, Hayley; Richard, Johan; Patrício, Vera; Schaye, Joop; Nanayakkara, Themiya; Weilbacher, Peter M.; Wisotzki, Lutz

2018-05-01

Galaxies at low-redshift typically possess negative gas-phase metallicity gradients (centres more metal-rich than their outskirts). Whereas, it is not uncommon to observe positive metallicity gradients in higher-redshift galaxies (z ≳ 0.6). Bridging these epochs, we present gas-phase metallicity gradients of 84 star-forming galaxies between 0.08 < z < 0.84. Using the galaxies with reliably determined metallicity gradients, we measure the median metallicity gradient to be negative (-0.039^{+0.007}_{-0.009} dex/kpc). Underlying this, however, is significant scatter: (8 ± 3)% [7] of galaxies have significantly positive metallicity gradients, (38 ± 5)% [32] have significantly negative gradients, (31 ± 5)% [26] have gradients consistent with being flat. (The remaining (23 ± 5)% [19] have unreliable gradient estimates.) We notice a slight trend for a more negative metallicity gradient with both increasing stellar mass and increasing star formation rate (SFR). However, given the potential redshift and size selection effects, we do not consider these trends to be significant. Indeed, once we normalize the SFR relative to that of the main sequence, we do not observe any trend between the metallicity gradient and the normalized SFR. This is contrary to recent studies of galaxies at similar and higher redshifts. We do, however, identify a novel trend between the metallicity gradient of a galaxy and its size. Small galaxies (rd < 3 kpc) present a large spread in observed metallicity gradients (both negative and positive gradients). In contrast, we find no large galaxies (rd > 3 kpc) with positive metallicity gradients, and overall there is less scatter in the metallicity gradient amongst the large galaxies. These large (well-evolved) galaxies may be analogues of present-day galaxies, which also show a common negative metallicity gradient.

Hubble Spots a Secluded Starburst Galaxy

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

This image was taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and shows a starburst galaxy named MCG+07-33-027. This galaxy lies some 300 million light-years away from us, and is currently experiencing an extraordinarily high rate of star formation — a starburst. Normal galaxies produce only a couple of new stars per year, but starburst galaxies can produce a hundred times more than that. As MCG+07-33-027 is seen face-on, the galaxy’s spiral arms and the bright star-forming regions within them are clearly visible and easy for astronomers to study. In order to form newborn stars, the parent galaxy has to hold a large reservoir of gas, which is slowly depleted to spawn stars over time. For galaxies in a state of starburst, this intense period of star formation has to be triggered somehow — often this happens due to a collision with another galaxy. MCG+07-33-027, however, is special; while many galaxies are located within a large cluster of galaxies, MCG+07-33-027 is a field galaxy, which means it is rather isolated. Thus, the triggering of the starburst was most likely not due to a collision with a neighboring or passing galaxy and astronomers are still speculating about the cause. The bright object to the right of the galaxy is a foreground star in our own galaxy. Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA and N. Grogin (STScI)

THE CENTRAL SLOPE OF DARK MATTER CORES IN DWARF GALAXIES: SIMULATIONS VERSUS THINGS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oh, Se-Heon; De Blok, W. J. G.; Brook, Chris

2011-07-15

We make a direct comparison of the derived dark matter (DM) distributions between hydrodynamical simulations of dwarf galaxies assuming a {Lambda}CDM cosmology and the observed dwarf galaxies sample from the THINGS survey in terms of (1) the rotation curve shape and (2) the logarithmic inner density slope {alpha} of mass density profiles. The simulations, which include the effect of baryonic feedback processes, such as gas cooling, star formation, cosmic UV background heating, and most importantly, physically motivated gas outflows driven by supernovae, form bulgeless galaxies with DM cores. We show that the stellar and baryonic mass is similar to thatmore » inferred from photometric and kinematic methods for galaxies of similar circular velocity. Analyzing the simulations in exactly the same way as the observational sample allows us to address directly the so-called cusp/core problem in the {Lambda}CDM model. We show that the rotation curves of the simulated dwarf galaxies rise less steeply than cold dark matter rotation curves and are consistent with those of the THINGS dwarf galaxies. The mean value of the logarithmic inner density slopes {alpha} of the simulated galaxies' DM density profiles is {approx}-0.4 {+-} 0.1, which shows good agreement with {alpha} = -0.29 {+-} 0.07 of the THINGS dwarf galaxies. The effect of non-circular motions is not significant enough to affect the results. This confirms that the baryonic feedback processes included in the simulations are efficiently able to make the initial cusps with {alpha} {approx}-1.0 to -1.5 predicted by DM-only simulations shallower and induce DM halos with a central mass distribution similar to that observed in nearby dwarf galaxies.« less

The SAMI Galaxy Survey: can we trust aperture corrections to predict star formation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, S. N.; Bryant, J. J.; Croom, S. M.; Hopkins, A. M.; Schaefer, A. L.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Allen, J. T.; Brough, S.; Cecil, G.; Cortese, L.; Fogarty, L. M. R.; Gunawardhana, M. L. P.; Goodwin, M.; Green, A. W.; Ho, I.-T.; Kewley, L. J.; Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Lawrence, J. S.; Lorente, N. P. F.; Medling, A. M.; Owers, M. S.; Sharp, R.; Sweet, S. M.; Taylor, E. N.

2016-01-01

In the low-redshift Universe (z < 0.3), our view of galaxy evolution is primarily based on fibre optic spectroscopy surveys. Elaborate methods have been developed to address aperture effects when fixed aperture sizes only probe the inner regions for galaxies of ever decreasing redshift or increasing physical size. These aperture corrections rely on assumptions about the physical properties of galaxies. The adequacy of these aperture corrections can be tested with integral-field spectroscopic data. We use integral-field spectra drawn from 1212 galaxies observed as part of the SAMI Galaxy Survey to investigate the validity of two aperture correction methods that attempt to estimate a galaxy's total instantaneous star formation rate. We show that biases arise when assuming that instantaneous star formation is traced by broad-band imaging, and when the aperture correction is built only from spectra of the nuclear region of galaxies. These biases may be significant depending on the selection criteria of a survey sample. Understanding the sensitivities of these aperture corrections is essential for correct handling of systematic errors in galaxy evolution studies.

Dynamic evolution of nearby galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biernacka, M.; Flin, P.

2011-06-01

A study of the evolution of 377 rich ACO clusters with redshift z<0.2 is presented. The data concerning galaxies in the investigated clusters were obtained using FOCAS packages applied to Digital Sky Survey I. The 377 galaxy clusters constitute a statistically uniform sample to which visual galaxy/star reclassifications were applied. Cluster shape within 2.0 h-1 Mpc from the adopted cluster centre (the mean and the median of all galaxy coordinates, the position of the brightest and of the third brightest galaxy in the cluster) was determined through its ellipticity calculated using two methods: the covariance ellipse method (hereafter CEM) and the method based on Minkowski functionals (hereafter MFM). We investigated ellipticity dependence on the radius of circular annuli, in which ellipticity was calculated. This was realized by varying the radius from 0.5 to 2 Mpc in steps of 0.25 Mpc. By performing Monte Carlo simulations, we generated clusters to which the two ellipticity methods were applied. We found that the covariance ellipse method works better than the method based on Minkowski functionals. We also found that ellipticity distributions are different for different methods used. Using the ellipticity-redshift relation, we investigated the possibility of cluster evolution in the low-redshift Universe. The correlation of cluster ellipticities with redshifts is undoubtly an indicator of structural evolution. Using the t-Student statistics, we found a statistically significant correlation between ellipticity and redshift at the significance level of α = 0.95. In one of the two shape determination methods we found that ellipticity grew with redshift, while the other method gave opposite results. Monte Carlo simulations showed that only ellipticities calculated at the distance of 1.5 Mpc from cluster centre in the Minkowski functional method are robust enough to be taken into account, but for that radius we did not find any relation between e and z. Since CEM

A vast, thin plane of corotating dwarf galaxies orbiting the Andromeda galaxy.

PubMed

Ibata, Rodrigo A; Lewis, Geraint F; Conn, Anthony R; Irwin, Michael J; McConnachie, Alan W; Chapman, Scott C; Collins, Michelle L; Fardal, Mark; Ferguson, Annette M N; Ibata, Neil G; Mackey, A Dougal; Martin, Nicolas F; Navarro, Julio; Rich, R Michael; Valls-Gabaud, David; Widrow, Lawrence M

2013-01-03

Dwarf satellite galaxies are thought to be the remnants of the population of primordial structures that coalesced to form giant galaxies like the Milky Way. It has previously been suspected that dwarf galaxies may not be isotropically distributed around our Galaxy, because several are correlated with streams of H I emission, and may form coplanar groups. These suspicions are supported by recent analyses. It has been claimed that the apparently planar distribution of satellites is not predicted within standard cosmology, and cannot simply represent a memory of past coherent accretion. However, other studies dispute this conclusion. Here we report the existence of a planar subgroup of satellites in the Andromeda galaxy (M 31), comprising about half of the population. The structure is at least 400 kiloparsecs in diameter, but also extremely thin, with a perpendicular scatter of less than 14.1 kiloparsecs. Radial velocity measurements reveal that the satellites in this structure have the same sense of rotation about their host. This shows conclusively that substantial numbers of dwarf satellite galaxies share the same dynamical orbital properties and direction of angular momentum. Intriguingly, the plane we identify is approximately aligned with the pole of the Milky Way's disk and with the vector between the Milky Way and Andromeda.

Environmental Dependence of Warps in Spiral Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ann, Hong Bae; Bae, Hyun Jeong

2016-12-01

We determined the warp parameters of 192 warped galaxies which are selected from 340 edge-on galaxies using color images as well as r-band isophotal maps. We derive the local background density (Σ_{n}) to examine the dependence of the warp amplitudes on the galaxy environment. We find a clear trend that strongly warped galaxies are likely to be found in high density regions where tidal interactions are supposed to be frequent. However, the correlation between α_{w} and Σ_{n} is too weak for weakly warped galaxies (α_{w} < 4°) and the cumulative distributions of weakly warped galaxies are not significantly different from those of galaxies with no detectable warps. This suggests that tidal interactions do not play a decisive role in the formation of weak warps.}

What Feeds the Beast in a Galaxy Cluster?

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-09-10

A massive cluster of galaxies, called SpARCS1049+56, can be seen in this multi-wavelength view from NASA Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. At the middle of the picture is the largest, central member of the family of galaxies (upper right red dot of central pair). Unlike other central galaxies in clusters, this one is bursting with the birth of new stars. Scientists say this star birth was triggered by a collision between a smaller galaxy and the giant, central galaxy. The smaller galaxy's wispy, shredded parts, called a tidal tail, can be seen coming out below the larger galaxy. Throughout this region are features called "beads on a string," which are areas where gas has clumped to form new stars. This type of "feeding" mechanism for galaxy clusters -- where gas from the merging of galaxies is converted to new stars -- is rare. The Hubble data in this image show infrared light with a wavelength of 1 micron in blue, and 1.6 microns in green. The Spitzer data show infrared light of 3.6 microns in red. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19837

NASA's Hubble Spots Embryonic Galaxy SPT0615-JD

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-11

This Hubble Space Telescope image shows the farthest galaxy yet seen in an image that has been stretched and amplified by a phenomenon called gravitational lensing. The embryonic galaxy, named SPT0615-JD, existed when the universe was just 500 million years old. Though a few other primitive galaxies have been seen at this early epoch, they have essentially all looked like red dots, given their small size and tremendous distances. However, in this case, the gravitational field of a massive foreground galaxy cluster, called SPT-CL J0615-5746, not only amplified the light from the background galaxy but also smeared the image of it into an arc (about 2 arcseconds long). Image analysis shows that the galaxy weighs in at no more than 3 billion solar masses (roughly 1/100th the mass of our fully grown Milky Way galaxy). It is less than 2,500 light-years across, half the size of the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way. The object is considered prototypical of young galaxies that emerged during the epoch shortly after the big bang. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22079

Galaxy populations in massive galaxy clusters to $z$ = 1.1: Color distribution, concentration, halo occupation number and red sequence fraction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hennig, C.; Mohr, Joseph J.; Zenteno, A.

We study the galaxy populations in 74 Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect selected clusters from the South Pole Telescope survey, which have been imaged in the science verification phase of the Dark Energy Survey. The sample extends up to z ~ 1.1 with 4 × 10 14 M⊙ ≤ M200 ≤ 3 × 10 15M⊙. Using the band containing the 4000 Å break and its redward neighbour, we study the colour–magnitude distributions of cluster galaxies to ~m* + 2, finding that: (1)The intrinsic rest frame g – r colour width of the red sequence (RS) population is ~0.03 out to z ~ 0.85 with a preference for an increase to ~0.07 at z = 1, and (2) the prominence of the RS declines beyond z ~ 0.6. The spatial distribution of cluster galaxies is well described by the NFW profile out to 4R200 with a concentration of c g = 3.59more » $$+0.20\\atop{–0.18}$$, 5.37$$+0.27\\atop{-0.24}$$ and 1.38$$+0.21\\atop{-0.19}$$ for the full, the RS and the blue non-RS populations, respectively, but with ~40 per cent to 55 per cent cluster to cluster variation and no statistically significant redshift or mass trends. The number of galaxies within the virial region N200 exhibits a mass trend indicating that the number of galaxies per unit total mass is lower in the most massive clusters, and shows no significant redshift trend. The RS fraction within R200 is (68 ± 3) per cent at z = 0.46, varies from ~55 per cent at z = 1 to ~80 per cent at z = 0.1 and exhibits intrinsic variation among clusters of ~14 per cent. Finally, we discuss a model that suggests that the observed redshift trend in RS fraction favours a transformation time-scale for infalling field galaxies to become RS galaxies of 2–3 Gyr.« less

Galaxy populations in massive galaxy clusters to $z$ = 1.1: Color distribution, concentration, halo occupation number and red sequence fraction

DOE PAGES

Hennig, C.; Mohr, Joseph J.; Zenteno, A.; ...

2017-01-23

We study the galaxy populations in 74 Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect selected clusters from the South Pole Telescope survey, which have been imaged in the science verification phase of the Dark Energy Survey. The sample extends up to z ~ 1.1 with 4 × 10 14 M⊙ ≤ M200 ≤ 3 × 10 15M⊙. Using the band containing the 4000 Å break and its redward neighbour, we study the colour–magnitude distributions of cluster galaxies to ~m* + 2, finding that: (1)The intrinsic rest frame g – r colour width of the red sequence (RS) population is ~0.03 out to z ~ 0.85 with a preference for an increase to ~0.07 at z = 1, and (2) the prominence of the RS declines beyond z ~ 0.6. The spatial distribution of cluster galaxies is well described by the NFW profile out to 4R200 with a concentration of c g = 3.59more » $$+0.20\\atop{–0.18}$$, 5.37$$+0.27\\atop{-0.24}$$ and 1.38$$+0.21\\atop{-0.19}$$ for the full, the RS and the blue non-RS populations, respectively, but with ~40 per cent to 55 per cent cluster to cluster variation and no statistically significant redshift or mass trends. The number of galaxies within the virial region N200 exhibits a mass trend indicating that the number of galaxies per unit total mass is lower in the most massive clusters, and shows no significant redshift trend. The RS fraction within R200 is (68 ± 3) per cent at z = 0.46, varies from ~55 per cent at z = 1 to ~80 per cent at z = 0.1 and exhibits intrinsic variation among clusters of ~14 per cent. Finally, we discuss a model that suggests that the observed redshift trend in RS fraction favours a transformation time-scale for infalling field galaxies to become RS galaxies of 2–3 Gyr.« less

Nature of multiple-nucleus cluster galaxies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Merritt, D.

1984-05-01

In models for the evolution of galaxy clusters which include dynamical friction with the dark binding matter, the distribution of galaxies becomes more concentrated to the cluster center with time. In a cluster like Coma, this evolution could increase by a factor of approximately 3 the probability of finding a galaxy very close to the cluster center, without decreasing the typical velocity of such a galaxy significantly below the cluster mean. Such an enhancement is roughly what is needed to explain the large number of first-ranked cluster galaxies which are observed to have extra ''nuclei''; it is also consistent withmore » the high velocities typically measured for these ''nuclei.'' Unlike the cannibalism model, this model predicts that the majority of multiple-nucleus systems are transient phenomena, and not galaxies in the process of merging.« less

Gas Dynamics in Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCourt, Michael Kingsley, Jr.

develop significant anisotropies with respect to the local magnetic field. This interesting regime is one of the frontiers in theoretical studies of fluid dynamics. Unlike other astrophysical environments of similar collisionality (e. g. accretion disk coronae), galaxy clusters are optically thin and subtend large angles on the sky. Thus, they are easily observed in the x-ray (to constrain thermal processes) and in the radio (to constrain non-thermal processes) and provide a wonderful environment to develop our understanding of dilute plasmas. This thesis studies the dynamics of the hot gas in galaxy clusters, which touches on all three of the above topics. Chapter 2 shows that galaxy clusters are likely to be unstable to a new, vigorous form of convection. As a dynamical process which involves thermodynamic and magnetic properties of the gas, this convection bears directly on our understanding of the physics of dilute plas- mas. Furthermore, by moving metals and thermal energy through the cluster, convection may change the cooling rate of the gas and thus significantly impact the process of galaxy formation. Cluster convection also impacts the use of clusters as cosmological probes. Convection may drive turbulence in clusters with mean Mach numbers of order-unity. This changes the force balance in clusters, decreasing the thermal energy of a cluster of a given mass. Current methods for using clusters to constrain dark energy rely on observational probes of the thermal energy as a proxy for total mass. The accuracy of these methods depends on how vigorous cluster convection is. Chapter 3 studies thermal instability in galaxy clusters. I argue that clusters are all likely to be thermally unstable, but that this instability only grows to large amplitude in a subset of systems. Later studies have applied this result to galaxy formation in clusters and shown that one can reproduce some features of the well-known non-self-similarity at the high mass end of the galaxy

SEMI-ANALYTIC GALAXY EVOLUTION (SAGE): MODEL CALIBRATION AND BASIC RESULTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Croton, Darren J.; Stevens, Adam R. H.; Tonini, Chiara

2016-02-15

This paper describes a new publicly available codebase for modeling galaxy formation in a cosmological context, the “Semi-Analytic Galaxy Evolution” model, or sage for short.{sup 5} sage is a significant update to the 2006 model of Croton et al. and has been rebuilt to be modular and customizable. The model will run on any N-body simulation whose trees are organized in a supported format and contain a minimum set of basic halo properties. In this work, we present the baryonic prescriptions implemented in sage to describe the formation and evolution of galaxies, and their calibration for three N-body simulations: Millennium,more » Bolshoi, and GiggleZ. Updated physics include the following: gas accretion, ejection due to feedback, and reincorporation via the galactic fountain; a new gas cooling–radio mode active galactic nucleus (AGN) heating cycle; AGN feedback in the quasar mode; a new treatment of gas in satellite galaxies; and galaxy mergers, disruption, and the build-up of intra-cluster stars. Throughout, we show the results of a common default parameterization on each simulation, with a focus on the local galaxy population.« less

Painting galaxies into dark matter halos using machine learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agarwal, Shankar; Davé, Romeel; Bassett, Bruce A.

2018-05-01

We develop a machine learning (ML) framework to populate large dark matter-only simulations with baryonic galaxies. Our ML framework takes input halo properties including halo mass, environment, spin, and recent growth history, and outputs central galaxy and halo baryonic properties including stellar mass (M*), star formation rate (SFR), metallicity (Z), neutral (H I) and molecular (H_2) hydrogen mass. We apply this to the MUFASA cosmological hydrodynamic simulation, and show that it recovers the mean trends of output quantities with halo mass highly accurately, including following the sharp drop in SFR and gas in quenched massive galaxies. However, the scatter around the mean relations is under-predicted. Examining galaxies individually, at z = 0 the stellar mass and metallicity are accurately recovered (σ ≲ 0.2 dex), but SFR and H I show larger scatter (σ ≳ 0.3 dex); these values improve somewhat at z = 1, 2. Remarkably, ML quantitatively recovers second parameter trends in galaxy properties, e.g. that galaxies with higher gas content and lower metallicity have higher SFR at a given M*. Testing various ML algorithms, we find that none perform significantly better than the others, nor does ensembling improve performance, likely because none of the algorithms reproduce the large observed scatter around the mean properties. For the random forest algorithm, we find that halo mass and nearby (˜200 kpc) environment are the most important predictive variables followed by growth history, while halo spin and ˜Mpc scale environment are not important. Finally we study the impact of additionally inputting key baryonic properties M*, SFR, and Z, as would be available e.g. from an equilibrium model, and show that particularly providing the SFR enables H I to be recovered substantially more accurately.

Anisotropy in the all-sky distribution of galaxy morphological types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Javanmardi, Behnam; Kroupa, Pavel

2017-01-01

We present the first study of the isotropy of the all-sky distribution of morphological types of galaxies in the Local Universe out to around 200 Mpc using more than 60 000 galaxies from the HyperLeda database. We use a hemispherical comparison method where the sky is divided into two opposite hemispheres and the abundance distribution of the morphological types, T, are compared using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test. By pointing the axis of symmetry of the hemisphere pairs to different directions in the sky, the KS statistic as a function of sky coordinates is obtained. For three samples of galaxies within around 100, 150, and 200 Mpc, we find a significant hemispherical asymmetry with a vanishingly small chance of occurring in an isotropic distribution. Astonishingly, regardless of this extreme significance, the observed hemispherical asymmetry for the three distance ranges is aligned with the celestial equator at the 97.1-99.8% confidence level and with the ecliptic at 94.6-97.6%, estimated using a Monte Carlo analysis. Shifting T values randomly within their uncertainties has a negligible effect on this result. When a magnitude limit of B ≤ 15 mag is applied to these samples, the galaxies within 100 Mpc show no significant anisotropy after randomization of T. However, the direction of the asymmetry in the samples within 150 and 200 Mpc and the same magnitude limit is found to be within an angular separation of 32 degrees from (l,b) = (123.7,24.6) with a 97.2% and 99.9% confidence level, respectively. This direction is only 2.6 degrees away from the celestial north pole. Unless the Local Universe has a significant anisotropic distribution of galaxy morphologies aligned with the orientation or the orbit of the Earth (which would be a challenge for the Cosmological Principle), our results show that there seems to be a systematic bias in the classification of galaxy morphological types between the data from the northern and the southern equatorial sky. Further

The Peculiarities in O-Type Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panko, E. A.; Emelyanov, S. I.

We present the results of analysis of 2D distribution of galaxies in galaxy cluster fields. The Catalogue of Galaxy Clusters and Groups PF (Panko & Flin) was used as input observational data set. We selected open rich PF galaxy clusters, containing 100 and more galaxies for our study. According to Panko classification scheme open galaxy clusters (O-type) have no concentration to the cluster center. The data set contains both pure O-type clusters and O-type clusters with overdence belts, namely OL and OF types. According to Rood & Sastry and Struble & Rood ideas, the open galaxy clusters are the beginning stage of cluster evolution. We found in the O-type clusters some types of statistically significant regular peculiarities, such as two crossed belts or curved strip. We suppose founded features connected with galaxy clusters evolution and the distribution of DM inside the clusters.

Star-formation complexes in the `galaxy-sized' supergiant shell of the galaxy Holmberg I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egorov, Oleg V.; Lozinskaya, Tatiana A.; Moiseev, Alexei V.; Smirnov-Pinchukov, Grigory V.

2018-05-01

We present the results of observations of the galaxy Holmberg I carried out at the Russian 6-m telescope in the narrow-band imaging, long-slit spectroscopy, and scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer modes. A detailed analysis of gas kinematics, ionization conditions, and metallicity of star-forming regions in the galaxy is presented. The aim of the paper is to analyse the propagation of star formation in the galaxy and to understand the role of the ongoing star formation in the evolution of the central `galaxy-sized' supergiant H I shell (SGS), where all regions of star formation are observed. We show that star formation in the galaxy occurs in large unified complexes rather than in individual giant H II regions. Evidence of the triggered star formation is observed both on scales of individual complexes and of the whole galaxy. We identified two supernova-remnant candidates and one late-type WN star and analysed their spectrum and surrounding-gas kinematics. We provide arguments indicating that the SGS in Holmberg I is destructing by the influence of star formation occurring on its rims.

H2-based star formation laws in hierarchical models of galaxy formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Lizhi; De Lucia, Gabriella; Hirschmann, Michaela; Fontanot, Fabio; Zoldan, Anna

2017-07-01

We update our recently published model for GAlaxy Evolution and Assembly (GAEA), to include a self-consistent treatment of the partition of cold gas in atomic and molecular hydrogen. Our model provides significant improvements with respect to previous ones used for similar studies. In particular, GAEA (I) includes a sophisticated chemical enrichment scheme accounting for non-instantaneous recycling of gas, metals and energy; (II) reproduces the measured evolution of the galaxy stellar mass function; (III) reasonably reproduces the observed correlation between galaxy stellar mass and gas metallicity at different redshifts. These are important prerequisites for models considering a metallicity-dependent efficiency of molecular gas formation. We also update our model for disc sizes and show that model predictions are in nice agreement with observational estimates for the gas, stellar and star-forming discs at different cosmic epochs. We analyse the influence of different star formation laws including empirical relations based on the hydrostatic pressure of the disc, analytic models and prescriptions derived from detailed hydrodynamical simulations. We find that modifying the star formation law does not affect significantly the global properties of model galaxies, neither their distributions. The only quantity showing significant deviations in different models is the cosmic molecular-to-atomic hydrogen ratio, particularly at high redshift. Unfortunately, however, this quantity also depends strongly on the modelling adopted for additional physical processes. Useful constraints on the physical processes regulating star formation can be obtained focusing on low-mass galaxies and/or at higher redshift. In this case, self-regulation has not yet washed out differences imprinted at early time.

Morphology of Our Galaxy Twin

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-06-28

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured these infrared images of a nearby spiral galaxy that resembles our own Milky Way. The targeted galaxy, known as NGC 7331 and sometimes referred to as our galaxy's twin, is found in the constellation Pegasus at a distance of 50 million light-years. This inclined galaxy was discovered in 1784 by William Herschel, who also discovered infrared light. The evolution of this galaxy is a story that depends significantly on the amount and distribution of gas and dust, the locations and rates of star formation, and on how the energy from star formation is recycled by the local environment. The new Spitzer images are allowing astronomers to "read" this story by dissecting the galaxy into its separate components. The image, measuring 12.6 by 8.2 arcminutes, was obtained by Spitzer's infrared array camera. It is a four-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (yellow) and 8.0 microns (red). These wavelengths are roughly 10 times longer than those seen by the human eye. The infrared light seen in this image originates from two very different sources. At shorter wavelengths (3.6 to 4.5 microns), the light comes mainly from stars, particularly ones that are older and cooler than our Sun. This starlight fades at longer wavelengths (5.8 to 8.0 microns), where instead we see the glow from clouds of interstellar dust. This dust consists mainly of a variety of carbon-based organic molecules known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Wherever these compounds are found, there will also be dust granules and gas, which provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. One feature that stands out in the Spitzer image is the ring of actively forming stars that surrounds the galaxy center (yellow). This ring, with a radius of nearly 20,000 light-years, is invisible at shorter wavelengths, yet has been detected at sub-millimeter and radio

Morphology of Our Galaxy's 'Twin'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured these infrared images of a nearby spiral galaxy that resembles our own Milky Way. The targeted galaxy, known as NGC 7331 and sometimes referred to as our galaxy's twin, is found in the constellation Pegasus at a distance of 50 million light-years. This inclined galaxy was discovered in 1784 by William Herschel, who also discovered infrared light.

The evolution of this galaxy is a story that depends significantly on the amount and distribution of gas and dust, the locations and rates of star formation, and on how the energy from star formation is recycled by the local environment. The new Spitzer images are allowing astronomers to 'read' this story by dissecting the galaxy into its separate components.

The image, measuring 12.6 by 8.2 arcminutes, was obtained by Spitzer's infrared array camera. It is a four-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (yellow) and 8.0 microns (red). These wavelengths are roughly 10 times longer than those seen by the human eye.

The infrared light seen in this image originates from two very different sources. At shorter wavelengths (3.6 to 4.5 microns), the light comes mainly from stars, particularly ones that are older and cooler than our Sun. This starlight fades at longer wavelengths (5.8 to 8.0 microns), where instead we see the glow from clouds of interstellar dust. This dust consists mainly of a variety of carbon-based organic molecules known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Wherever these compounds are found, there will also be dust granules and gas, which provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation.

One feature that stands out in the Spitzer image is the ring of actively forming stars that surrounds the galaxy center (yellow). This ring, with a radius of nearly 20,000 light-years, is invisible at shorter wavelengths, yet has been detected at

“Direct” Gas-phase Metallicity in Local Analogs of High-redshift Galaxies: Empirical Metallicity Calibrations for High-redshift Star-forming Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bian, Fuyan; Kewley, Lisa J.; Dopita, Michael A.

2018-06-01

We study the direct gas-phase oxygen abundance using the well-detected auroral line [O III]λ4363 in the stacked spectra of a sample of local analogs of high-redshift galaxies. These local analogs share the same location as z ∼ 2 star-forming galaxies on the [O III]λ5007/Hβ versus [N II]λ6584/Hα Baldwin–Phillips–Terlevich diagram. This type of analog has the same ionized interstellar medium (ISM) properties as high-redshift galaxies. We establish empirical metallicity calibrations between the direct gas-phase oxygen abundances (7.8< 12+{log}({{O}}/{{H}})< 8.4) and the N2 (log([N II]λ6584/Hα))/O3N2 (log(([O III]λ5007/Hβ)/([N II]λ6584/Hα))) indices in our local analogs. We find significant systematic offsets between the metallicity calibrations for our local analogs of high-redshift galaxies and those derived from the local H II regions and a sample of local reference galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The N2 and O3N2 metallicities will be underestimated by 0.05–0.1 dex relative to our calibration, if one simply applies the local metallicity calibration in previous studies to high-redshift galaxies. Local metallicity calibrations also cause discrepancies of metallicity measurements in high-redshift galaxies using the N2 and O3N2 indicators. In contrast, our new calibrations produce consistent metallicities between these two indicators. We also derive metallicity calibrations for R23 (log(([O III]λλ4959,5007+[O II]λλ3726,3729)/Hβ)), O32(log([O III]λλ4959,5007/[O II]λλ3726,3729)), {log}([O III]λ5007/Hβ), and log([Ne III]λ3869/[O II]λ3727) indices in our local analogs, which show significant offset compared to those in the SDSS reference galaxies. By comparing with MAPPINGS photoionization models, the different empirical metallicity calibration relations in the local analogs and the SDSS reference galaxies can be shown to be primarily due to the change of ionized ISM conditions. Assuming that temperature structure

The dark side of galaxy colour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hearin, Andrew P.; Watson, Douglas F.

2013-10-01

We present age distribution matching, a theoretical formalism for predicting how galaxies of luminosity L and colour C occupy dark matter haloes. Our model supposes that there are just two fundamental properties of a halo that determine the colour and brightness of the galaxy it hosts: the maximum circular velocity Vmax and the redshift zstarve that correlates with the epoch at which the star formation in the galaxy ceases. The halo property zstarve is intended to encompass physical characteristics of halo mass assembly that may deprive the galaxy of its cold gas supply and, ultimately, quench its star formation. The new, defining feature of the model is that, at fixed luminosity, galaxy colour is in monotonic correspondence with zstarve, with the larger values of zstarve being assigned redder colours. We populate an N-body simulation with a mock galaxy catalogue based on age distribution matching and show that the resulting mock galaxy distribution accurately describes a variety of galaxy statistics. Our model suggests that halo and galaxy assembly are indeed correlated. We make publicly available our low-redshift, Sloan Digital Sky Survey Mr < -19 mock galaxy catalogue, and main progenitor histories of all z = 0 haloes, at http://logrus.uchicago.edu/~aphearin

The Star Formation Reference Survey - II. Activity demographics and host-galaxy properties for infrared-selected galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maragkoudakis, A.; Zezas, A.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Willner, S. P.

2018-04-01

We present activity demographics and host-galaxy properties of infrared-selected galaxies in the local Universe, using the representative Star Formation Reference Survey (SFRS). Our classification scheme is based on a combination of optical emission-line diagrams (BPT) and infrared (IR)-colour diagnostics. Using the weights assigned to the SFRS galaxies based on its parent sample, a far-IR-selected sample comprises 71 per cent H II galaxies, 13 per cent Seyferts, 3 per cent transition objects (TOs), and 13 per cent low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions (LINERs). For the SFRS H II galaxies, we derive nuclear star formation rates and gas-phase metallicities. We measure host-galaxy metallicities for all galaxies with available long-slit spectroscopy and abundance gradients for a subset of 12 face-on galaxies. The majority of H II galaxies show a narrow range of metallicities, close to solar, and flat metallicity profiles. Based on their host-galaxy and nuclear properties, the dominant ionizing source in the far-infrared selected TOs is star-forming activity. LINERs are found mostly in massive hosts (median of 1010.5 M⊙), median L(60 μm) = 109 L⊙, median dust temperatures of F60/F100 = 0.36, and median LH α surface density of 1040.2 erg s-1kpc-2, indicating older stellar populations as their main ionizing source rather than active galactic nucleus activity.

Gamma-Ray Burst Host Galaxies Have "Normal" Luminosities.

PubMed

Schaefer

2000-04-10

The galactic environment of gamma-ray bursts can provide good evidence about the nature of the progenitor system, with two old arguments implying that the burst host galaxies are significantly subluminous. New data and new analysis have now reversed this picture: (1) Even though the first two known host galaxies are indeed greatly subluminous, the next eight hosts have absolute magnitudes typical for a population of field galaxies. A detailed analysis of the 16 known hosts (10 with redshifts) shows them to be consistent with a Schechter luminosity function with R*=-21.8+/-1.0, as expected for normal galaxies. (2) Bright bursts from the Interplanetary Network are typically 18 times brighter than the faint bursts with redshifts; however, the bright bursts do not have galaxies inside their error boxes to limits deeper than expected based on the luminosities for the two samples being identical. A new solution to this dilemma is that a broad burst luminosity function along with a burst number density varying as the star formation rate will require the average luminosity of the bright sample (>6x1058 photons s-1 or>1.7x1052 ergs s-1) to be much greater than the average luminosity of the faint sample ( approximately 1058 photons s-1 or approximately 3x1051 ergs s-1). This places the bright bursts at distances for which host galaxies with a normal luminosity will not violate the observed limits. In conclusion, all current evidence points to gamma-ray burst host galaxies being normal in luminosity.

Linear clusters of galaxies - A194

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapman, G. N. F.; Geller, M. J.; Huchra, J. P.

1988-01-01

New measurements for 160 redshifts and previous measurements for 108 other redshifts are presented for galaxies within 5 deg of A194. The galaxy distribution in A194 is shown to be inconsistent with a spherically symmetric King model. A mass-to-light ratio is derived using the virial theorem which is lower than the mean for the groups in the CfA redshift survey (Huchra and Geller, 1982; Geller, 1984). A nonparametric test for galaxy-cluster alignment and a Chi-squared test are used to search for alignment of galaxy major axes with the axis of A194. Evidence for neither luminosity segregation nor significant differences in the velocity or surface distributions of galaxies as a function of morphological type is found.

Probing galaxy assembly bias with LRG weak lensing observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niemiec, A.; Jullo, E.; Montero-Dorta, A. D.; Prada, F.; Rodriguez-Torres, S.; Perez, E.; Klypin, A.; Erben, T.; Makler, M.; Moraes, B.; Pereira, M. E. S.; Shan, H.

2018-06-01

In Montero-Dorta et al., we show that luminous red galaxies (LRGs) from the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) at z ˜ 0.55 can be divided into two groups based on their star formation histories. So-called fast-growing LRGs assemble 80 per cent of their stellar mass at z ˜ 5, whereas slow-growing LRGs reach the same evolutionary state at z ˜ 1.5. We further demonstrate that these two subpopulations present significantly different clustering properties on scales of ˜1-30 Mpc. Here, we measure the mean halo mass of each subsample using the galaxy-galaxy lensing technique, in the ˜ 190°^2 overlap of the LRG catalogue and the CS82 and CFHTLenS shear catalogues. We show that fast- and slow-growing LRGs have similar lensing profiles, which implies that they live in haloes of similar mass: log (M_halo^fast/h^{-1}M_{⊙}) = 12.85^{+0.16}_{-0.26} and log (M_halo^slow/h^{-1}M_{⊙}) =12.92^{+0.16}_{-0.22}. This result, combined with the clustering difference, suggests the existence of galaxy assembly bias, although the effect is too subtle to be definitively proven, given the errors on our current weak-lensing measurement. We show that this can soon be achieved with upcoming surveys like DES.

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): the red fraction and radial distribution of satellite galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prescott, Matthew; Baldry, I. K.; James, P. A.; Bamford, S. P.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Brough, S.; Brown, M. J. I.; Cameron, E.; Conselice, C. J.; Croom, S. M.; Driver, S. P.; Frenk, C. S.; Gunawardhana, M.; Hill, D. T.; Hopkins, A. M.; Jones, D. H.; Kelvin, L. S.; Kuijken, K.; Liske, J.; Loveday, J.; Nichol, R. C.; Norberg, P.; Parkinson, H. R.; Peacock, J. A.; Phillipps, S.; Pimbblet, K. A.; Popescu, C. C.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Sharp, R. G.; Sutherland, W. J.; Taylor, E. N.; Tuffs, R. J.; van Kampen, E.; Wijesinghe, D.

2011-10-01

We investigate the properties of satellite galaxies that surround isolated hosts within the redshift range 0.01 < z < 0.15, using data taken as part of the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey. Making use of isolation and satellite criteria that take into account stellar mass estimates, we find 3514 isolated galaxies of which 1426 host a total of 2998 satellites. Separating the red and blue populations of satellites and hosts, using colour-mass diagrams, we investigate the radial distribution of satellite galaxies and determine how the red fraction of satellites varies as a function of satellite mass, host mass and the projected distance from their host. Comparing the red fraction of satellites to a control sample of small neighbours at greater projected radii, we show that the increase in red fraction is primarily a function of host mass. The satellite red fraction is about 0.2 higher than the control sample for hosts with ?, while the red fractions show no difference for hosts with ?. For the satellites of more massive hosts, the red fraction also increases as a function of decreasing projected distance. Our results suggest that the likely main mechanism for the quenching of star formation in satellites hosted by isolated galaxies is strangulation.

Andromeda Galaxy

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-12-10

This image is from NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer is an observation of the large galaxy in Andromeda, Messier 31. The Andromeda galaxy is the most massive in the local group of galaxies that includes our Milky Way.

The ROSAT Brightest Cluster Sample - III. Optical spectra of the central cluster galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crawford, C. S.; Allen, S. W.; Ebeling, H.; Edge, A. C.; Fabian, A. C.

1999-07-01

We present new spectra of dominant galaxies in X-ray-selected clusters of galaxies, which combine with our previously published spectra to form a sample of 256 dominant galaxies in 215 clusters. 177 of the clusters are members of the ROSAT Brightest Cluster Sample (BCS; Ebeling et al.), and 17 have no previous measured redshift. This is the first paper in a series correlating the properties of brightest cluster galaxies and their host clusters in the radio, optical and X-ray wavebands. 27 per cent of the central dominant galaxies have emission-line spectra, all but five with line intensity ratios typical of cooling flow nebulae. A further 6 per cent show only [N ii]lambdalambda6548,6584 with Hα in absorption. We find no evidence for an increase in the frequency of line emission with X-ray luminosity. Purely X-ray-selected clusters at low redshift have a higher probability of containing line emission. The projected separation between the optical position of the dominant galaxy and its host cluster X-ray centroid is less for the line-emitting galaxies than for those without line emission, consistent with a closer association of the central galaxy and the gravitational centre in cooling flow clusters. The more Hα-luminous galaxies have larger emission-line regions and show a higher ratio of Balmer to forbidden line emission, although there is a continuous trend of ionization behaviour across four decades in Hα luminosity. Galaxies with the more luminous line emission [L(Hα)> 10^41ergs^-1] show a significantly bluer continuum, whereas lower luminosity and [N ii]-only line emitters have continua that differ little from those of non-line-emitting dominant galaxies. Values of the Balmer decrement in the more luminous systems commonly imply intrinsic reddening of E(B-V)~0.3 and, when this is corrected for, the excess blue light can be characterized by a population of massive young stars. Several of the galaxies require a large population of O stars, which also provide

The ZEUS 1 & 2 INvestigated Galaxy Reference Sample (ZINGRS): A window into galaxies in the early Universe.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferkinhoff, Carl; Hershey, Deborah; Scrabeck, Alex; Higdon, Sarah; Higdon, James L.; Tidwell, Hannah; Lamarche, Cody; Vishwas, Amit; Nikola, Thomas; Stacey, Gordon J.; Brisbin, Drew

2018-06-01

Galaxies have evolved significantly from the early Universe until today. Star formation rates, stellar and molecular gas masses, sizes and metal enrichment of galaxies have all changed significantly from early epochs until the present. Probing the physical conditions of galaxy at high redshift is vital to understanding this evolution. ZINGRS, the ZEUS 1 and 2 INvestigated Galaxy Reference Sample, provides a unique and powerful window for this work. The sample consists of more than ~30 galaxies from z ~ 1 - 4.5 for which the far-IR fine-structure lines (e.g. [CII] 158 micron, [NII] 122micron, [OIII] 88 micron) have been observed with the ZEUS-1 and 2 instruments. These lines are ideal for studying high-z systems since they require low energies for excitation, are typically optically thin, and are not susceptible to extinction from dust. ZINGRS is the largest collection of far-IR fine-structure line detections at high-z. Here we describe the sample, including extensive multifrequency supporting observations like CO & radio continuum, and summarize what we have learned so far.

Weak homology of elliptical galaxies.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertin, G.; Ciotti, L.; Del Principe, M.

2002-04-01

Studies of the Fundamental Plane of early-type galaxies, from small to intermediate redshifts, are generally carried out under the guiding principle that the Fundamental Plane reflects the existence of an underlying mass-luminosity relation for such galaxies, in a scenario where galaxies are homologous systems in dynamical equilibrium. In this paper we re-examine the question of whether a systematic non-homology could be partly responsible for the correlations that define the Fundamental Plane. We start by studying a small set of objects characterized by photometric profiles that have been pointed out to deviate significantly from the standard R1/4 law. For these objects we confirm that a generic R1/n law, with n a free parameter, can provide superior fits (the best-fit value of n can be lower than 2.5 or higher than 10), better than those that can be obtained by a pure R1/4 law, by an R1/4 + exponential model, and by other dynamically justified self-consistent models. Therefore, strictly speaking, elliptical galaxies should not be considered homologous dynamical systems. Still, a case for weak homology, useful for the interpretation of the Fundamental Plane, could be made if the best-fit parameter n, as often reported, correlates with galaxy luminosity L, provided the underlying dynamical structure also follows a systematic trend with luminosity. We demonstrate that this statement may be true even in the presence of significant scatter in the correlation n(L). Preliminary indications provided by a set of ``data points" associated with a sample of 14 galaxies suggest that neither the strict homology nor the constant stellar mass-to-light solution are a satisfactory explanation of the observed Fundamental Plane. These conclusions await further extensions and clarifications, because the class of low-luminosity early-type galaxies, which contribute significantly to the Fundamental Plane, falls outside the simple dynamical framework considered here and because

Kinematic evidence of satellite galaxy populations in the potential wells of first-ranked cluster galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cowie, L. L.; Hu, E. M.

1986-01-01

The velocities of 38 centrally positioned galaxies (r much less than 100 kpc) were measured relative to the velocity of the first-ranked galaxy in 14 rich clusters. Analysis of the velocity distribution function of this sample and of previous data shows that the population cannot be fit by a single Gaussian. An adequate fit is obtained if 60 percent of the objects lie in a Gaussian with sigma = 250 km/s and the remainder in a population with sigma = 1400 km/s. All previous data sets are individually consistent with this conclusion. This suggests that there is a bound population of galaxies in the potential well of the central galaxy in addition to the normal population of the cluster core. This is taken as supporting evidence for the galactic cannibalism model of cD galaxy formation.

COMPACT E+A GALAXIES AS A PROGENITOR OF MASSIVE COMPACT QUIESCENT GALAXIES AT 0.2 < z < 0.8

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zahid, H. Jabran; Hochmuth, Nicholas Baeza; Geller, Margaret J.

We search the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Baryon Oscillation Sky Survey to identify ∼5500 massive compact quiescent galaxy candidates at 0.2 < z < 0.8. We robustly classify a subsample of 438 E+A galaxies based on their spectral properties and make this catalog publicly available. We examine sizes, stellar population ages, and kinematics of galaxies in the sample and show that the physical properties of compact E+A galaxies suggest that they are a progenitor of massive compact quiescent galaxies. Thus, two classes of objects—compact E+A and compact quiescent galaxies—may be linked by a common formation scenario. The typicalmore » stellar population age of compact E+A galaxies is <1 Gyr. The existence of compact E+A galaxies with young stellar populations at 0.2 < z < 0.8 means that some compact quiescent galaxies first appear at intermediate redshifts. We derive a lower limit for the number density of compact E+A galaxies. Assuming passive evolution, we convert this number density into an appearance rate of new compact quiescent galaxies at 0.2 < z < 0.8. The lower limit number density of compact quiescent galaxies that may appear at z < 0.8 is comparable to the lower limit of the total number density of compact quiescent galaxies at these intermediate redshifts. Thus, a substantial fraction of the z < 0.8 massive compact quiescent galaxy population may descend from compact E+A galaxies at intermediate redshifts.« less

The galaxy luminosity function around groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, R. E.; Padilla, N. D.; Galaz, G.; Infante, L.

2005-11-01

We present a study on the variations of the luminosity function of galaxies around clusters in a numerical simulation with semi-analytic galaxies, attempting to detect these variations in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey. We subdivide the simulation box into equal-density regions around clusters, which we assume can be achieved by selecting objects at a given normalized distance (r/rrms, where rrms is an estimate of the halo radius) from the group centre. The semi-analytic model predicts important variations in the luminosity function out to r/rrms~= 5. In brief, variations in the mass function of haloes around clusters (large dark matter haloes with M > 1012h-1Msolar) lead to cluster central regions that present a high abundance of bright galaxies (high M* values) as well as low-luminosity galaxies (high α) at r/rrms~= 3 there is a lack of bright galaxies, which shows the depletion of galaxies in the regions surrounding clusters (minimum in M* and α), and a tendency to constant luminosity function parameters at larger cluster-centric distances. We take into account the observational biases present in the real data by reproducing the peculiar velocity effect on the redshifts of galaxies in the simulation box, and also by producing mock catalogues. We find that excluding from the analysis galaxies which in projection are close to the centres of the groups provides results that are qualitatively consistent with the full simulation box results. When we apply this method to mock catalogues of the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) and the 2PIGG catalogue of groups, we find that the variations in the luminosity function are almost completely erased by the Finger of God effect; only a lack of bright galaxies at r/rrms~= 3 can be marginally detected in the mock catalogues. The results from the real 2dFGRS data show a clearer detection of a dip in M* and α for r/rrms= 3, consistent with the semi-analytic predictions.

Dust in High-Redshift Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pettini, Max; King, David L.; Smith, Linda J.; Hunstead, Richard W.

1997-03-01

Measurements of Zn and Cr abundances in 18 damped Lyα systems (DLAs) at absorption redshifts zabs = 0.692-3.390 (but mostly between zabs ~= 2 and 3) show that metals and dust are much less abundant in high-redshift galaxies than in the Milky Way today. Typically, [Zn/H] ~= -1.2 as Zn tracks Fe closely in Galactic stars of all metallicities and is only lightly depleted onto interstellar grains, we conclude that the overall degree of metal enrichment of damped Lyα galaxies ~13.5 Gyr ago (H0 = 50 km s-1 Mpc-1, q0 = 0.05) was ~1/15 solar. Values of [Cr/Zn] span the range from ~=0 to <~ - 0.65 which we interpret as evidence for selective depletion of Cr onto dust in some DLAs. On average Cr and other refractory elements are depleted by only a factor of ~2, significantly less than in local interstellar clouds. We propose that this reflects an overall lower abundance of dust--which may be related to the lower metallicities, likely higher temperature of the ISM and higher supernova rates in these young galaxies--rather than an ``exotic'' composition of dust grains. Combining a metallicity ZDLA ~= 1/15 Z⊙ with a dust-to-metals ratio ~1/2 of that in local interstellar clouds, we deduce that the ``typical'' dust-to-gas ratio in damped Lyα galaxies is ~1/30 of the Milky Way value. This amount of dust will introduce an extinction at 1500 Å of only A1500 ~ 0.1 in the spectra of background QSOs. Similarly, we expect little reddening of the broad spectral energy distribution of the high-z field galaxies now being found routinely by deep imaging surveys. Even such trace amounts of dust, however, can explain the weakness of Lyα emission from star-forming regions. We stress the approximate nature of such general statements; in reality, the range of metallicities and dust depletions encountered indicates that some sight lines through high-redshift galaxies may be essentially dust-free, while others could suffer detectable extinction. Finally, we show that, despite claims to the

Fantastic Four Galaxies with Planet (Artist Concept)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

This artist's concept shows what the night sky might look like from a hypothetical planet around a star tossed out of an ongoing four-way collision between big galaxies (yellow blobs). NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope spotted this 'quadruple merger' of galaxies within a larger cluster of galaxies located nearly 5 billion light-years away.

Though the galaxies appear intact, gravitational disturbances have caused them to stretch and twist, flinging billions of stars into space -- nearly three times as many stars as are in our Milky Way galaxy. The tossed stars are visible in the large plume emanating from the central, largest galaxy. If any of these stars have planets, their night skies would be filled with the monstrous merger, along with other galaxies in the cluster (smaller, bluish blobs).

This cosmic smash-up is the largest known merger between galaxies of a similar size. While three of the galaxies are about the size of our Milky Way galaxy, the fourth (center of image) is three times as big. All four of the galaxies, as well as most other galaxies in the huge cluster, are blob-shaped ellipticals instead of spirals like the Milky Way.

Ultimately, in about one hundred million years or so, the four galaxies E will unite into one. About half of the stars kicked out during the merger will fall back and join the new galaxy, making it one of the biggest galaxies in the universe.

Hubble Views Two Galaxies Merging

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

This image, taken with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on board the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows the galaxy NGC 6052, located around 230 million light-years away in the constellation of Hercules. It would be reasonable to think of this as a single abnormal galaxy, and it was originally classified as such. However, it is in fact a “new” galaxy in the process of forming. Two separate galaxies have been gradually drawn together, attracted by gravity, and have collided. We now see them merging into a single structure. As the merging process continues, individual stars are thrown out of their original orbits and placed onto entirely new paths, some very distant from the region of the collision itself. Since the stars produce the light we see, the “galaxy” now appears to have a highly chaotic shape. Eventually, this new galaxy will settle down into a stable shape, which may not resemble either of the two original galaxies. Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt

Near-infrared imaging of CfA Seyfert galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLeod, K. K.; Rieke, G. H.

1995-03-01

We present near-IR images of 43 Seyfert galaxies from the CfA Seyfert sample. The near-IR luminosity is a good tracer of luminous mass in these galaxies. Most of the Seyfert nuclei are found in hosts of mass similar to that of L* galaxies and ranging in type from S0 to Sc. In addition, there is a population of low-mass host galaxies with very low luminosity Seyfert nuclei. We have examined our images for signs of perturbations that could drive fuel toward the galaxy nucleus, but there are none we can identify at a significant level. The critical element for fueling is evidently not reflected clearly in the large-scale distribution of luminous mass in the galaxy. The Seyfert hosts are compared with a sample of 50 low-redshift quasar host galaxies we have also imaged. The radio-quiet quasars and the Seyfert nuclei lie in similar kinds of galaxies spanning the same range of mass centered around L*. However, for the most luminous quasars, there is a correlation between the minimum host-galaxy mass and the luminosity of the active nucleus. Radio-loud quasars are generally found in hosts more massive than an L* galaxy. The low-luminosity quasars and the Seyfert nuclei both tend to lie in host galaxies seen preferentially face-on, which suggests that there is a substantial amount of obscuration coplanar with the galaxian disk. The obscuration must be geometrically thick (thickness-to-radius ratio approximately 1) and must cover a significant fraction of the narrow-line region (r greater than 100 pc).

Galaxy Zoo: Comparing the visual morphology of synthetic galaxies from the Illustris simulation with those in the real Universe.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickinson, Hugh; Lintott, Chris; Scarlata, Claudia; Fortson, Lucy; Bamford, Steven; Cardamone, Carolin; Keel, William C.; Kruk, Sandor; Masters, Karen; Simmons, Brooke D.; Vogelsberger, Mark; Torrey, Paul; Snyder, Gregory; Galaxy Zoo Science Team

2018-01-01

We present a comparision between the Illustris simulations and classifications from Galaxy Zoo, aiming to test the ability of modern large-scale cosmological simulations to accurately reproduce the local galaxy population. This comparison is enabled by the increasingly high spatial and temporal resolution obtained by such surveys.Using classifications that were accumulated via the Galaxy Zoo citizen science interface, we compare the visual morphologies for simulated images of Illustris galaxies with a compatible sample of images drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Legacy Survey.For simulated galaxies with stellar masses less than 1011 M⊙, significant differences are identified, which are most likely due to the limited resolution of the simulation, but could be revealing real differences in the dynamical evolution of populations of galaxies in the real and model universes. Above 1011 M⊙, Illustris galaxy morphologies correspond better with those of their SDSS counterparts, although even in this mass range the simulation appears to underproduce obviously disk-like galaxies. Morphologies of Illustris galaxies less massive than 1011 M⊙ should be treated with care.

Galaxies Near and Far Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-30

This artist concept shows how a normal spiral galaxy around our local universe left might have looked back in the distant universe, when astronomers think galaxies would have been filled with larger populations of hot, bright stars right.

Morphology of Dwarf Galaxies in Isolated Satellite Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ann, Hong Bae

2017-08-01

The environmental dependence of the morphology of dwarf galaxies in isolated satellite systems is analyzed to understand the origin of the dwarf galaxy morphology using the visually classified morphological types of 5836 local galaxies with z ≲ 0.01. We consider six sub-types of dwarf galaxies, dS0, dE, dE_{bc}, dSph, dE_{blue}, and dI, of which the first four sub-types are considered as early-type and the last two as late-type. The environmental parameters we consider are the projected distance from the host galaxy (r_{p}), local and global background densities, and the host morphology. The spatial distributions of dwarf satellites of early-type galaxies are much different from those of dwarf satellites of late-type galaxies, suggesting the host morphology combined with r_{p} plays a decisive role on the morphology of the dwarf satellite galaxies. The local and global background densities play no significant role on the morphology of dwarfs in the satellite systems hosted by early-type galaxies. However, in the satellite system hosted by late-type galaxies, the global background densities of dE and dSph satellites are significantly different from those of dE_{bc}, dE_{blue}, and dI satellites. The blue-cored dwarf satellites (dE_{bc}) of early-type galaxies are likely to be located at r_{p} > 0.3 Mpc to keep their cold gas from the ram pressure stripping by the hot corona of early-type galaxies. The spatial distribution of dE_{bc} satellites of early-type galaxies and their global background densities suggest that their cold gas is intergalactic material accreted before they fall into the satellite systems.

AM 2217-490: A polar ring galaxy under construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freitas-Lemes, P.; Rodrigues, I.; Faúndez-Abans, M.; Dors, O.

2014-10-01

This work is part of a series of case studies of Polar Ring Galaxies (PRGs) (see also Posters GAL-1: 163, GAL-2: 178). A PRG is formed by an early type host galaxy (e.g. lenticular or elliptical), surrounded by a ring of gas and stars orbiting approximately at the polar plane of the host galaxy. AM2217-490 is an interesting case of PRG in formation, with a still asymmetrical ring that surrounds the host galaxy. Apparently, this bluish structure (characteristic of the rings of PRGs), is not yet in equilibrium with the host galaxy. This study is based on spectra on the range 6250-7250 Å obtained with the CTIO 1.5 m telescope - Chile. From them, we measure a heliocentric radial velocity of 9152± 18 km/s. The value of the ionization parameter (log U = -3.5) is similar to that in interacting galaxies (Freitas-Lemes et al. 2013, submitted to MNRAS; and Krabbe et al. 2013, MNRAS Accepted), and lower than that of isolated ones. The electron density shows little variation along the major axis of the host galaxy, and a mean value typical of interacting galaxies. Diagnostic diagrams show that the nuclear region harbors an AGN, following a trend among polar ring galaxies. The low-resolution images of the SDSS show no tails or bridges connecting the galaxy to other objects, however, in a radius of 5 arcmin there are three other galaxies with similar speeds, featuring a group. A plausible hypothesis is that one of these galaxies may have interacted with AM2217-490, donating material to form the ring.

Lensing convergence in galaxy clustering in ΛCDM and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villa, Eleonora; Di Dio, Enea; Lepori, Francesca

2018-04-01

We study the impact of neglecting lensing magnification in galaxy clustering analyses for future galaxy surveys, considering the ΛCDM model and two extensions: massive neutrinos and modifications of General Relativity. Our study focuses on the biases on the constraints and on the estimation of the cosmological parameters. We perform a comprehensive investigation of these two effects for the upcoming photometric and spectroscopic galaxy surveys Euclid and SKA for different redshift binning configurations. We also provide a fitting formula for the magnification bias of SKA. Our results show that the information present in the lensing contribution does improve the constraints on the modified gravity parameters whereas the lensing constraining power is negligible for the ΛCDM parameters. For photometric surveys the estimation is biased for all the parameters if lensing is not taken into account. This effect is particularly significant for the modified gravity parameters. Conversely for spectroscopic surveys the bias is below one sigma for all the parameters. Our findings show the importance of including lensing in galaxy clustering analyses for testing General Relativity and to constrain the parameters which describe its modifications.

Creating lenticular galaxies with mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Querejeta, Miguel; Eliche-Moral, M. Carmen; Tapia, Trinidad; Borlaff, Alejandro; van de Ven, Glenn; Lyubenova, Mariya; Martig, Marie; Falcón-Barroso, Jesús; Méndez-Abreu, Jairo; Zamorano, Jaime; Gallego, Jesús

2017-03-01

Lenticular galaxies (S0s) represent the majority of early-type galaxies in the local Universe, but their formation channels are still poorly understood. While galaxy mergers are obvious pathways to suppress star formation and increase bulge sizes, the marked parallelism between spiral and lenticular galaxies (e.g. photometric bulge-disc coupling) seemed to rule out a potential merger origin. Here, we summarise our recent work in which we have shown, through N-body numerical simulations, that disc-dominated lenticulars can emerge from major mergers of spiral galaxies, in good agreement with observational photometric scaling relations. Moreover, we show that mergers simultaneously increase the light concentration and reduce the angular momentum relative to their spiral progenitors. This explains the mismatch in angular momentum and concentration between spirals and lenticulars recently revealed by CALIFA observations, which is hard to reconcile with simple fading mechanisms (e.g. ram-pressure stripping).

Early type galaxies: Mapping out the two-dimensional space of galaxy star formation histories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graves, Genevieve J.

Early type galaxies form a multi-parameter family, as evidenced by the two- dimensional (2-D) Fundamental Plane relationship. However, their star formation histories are often treated as a one-dimensional mass sequence. This dissertation presents a systematic study of the relationship between the multi- parameter structural properties of early type galaxies and their star formation histoires. We demonstrate that the stellar populations of early type galaxies span a 2-D space, which means that their star formation histories form a two- parameter family. This 2-D family is then mapped onto several familiar early type galaxy scaling relations, including the color-magnitude relation, the Fundamental Plane, and a cross-section through the Fundamental Plane. We find that the stellar population properties, and therefore the star formation histories of early type galaxies depend most strongly on galaxy velocity dispersion (s), rather than on luminosity ( L ), stellar mass ( M [low *] ), or dynamical mass ( M dyn ). Interestingly, stellar populations are independent of the radius ( R e ) of the galaxies. At fixed s, they show correlated residuals through the thickness of the Fundamental Plane (FP) in the surface-brightness ( I e ) dimension, such that low-surface-brightness galaxies are older, less metal-enriched, and more enhanced in Mg relative to Fe than their counterparts at the same s and R e on the FP midplane. Similarly, high- surface-brightness galaxies are younger, more metal-rich, and less Mg-enhanced than their counterparts on the FP midplane. These differences suggest that the duration of star formation varies through the thickness of the FP. If the dynamical mass-to-light ratios of early type galaxies ( M dyn /L ) were constant for all such galaxies, the FP would be equivalent to the plane predicted by the virial relation. However, the observed FP does not exactly match the virial plane. The FP is tilted from the virial plane, indicating that M dyn /L varies

Hubble Observes Galaxies' Evolution in Slow Motion

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

It is known today that merging galaxies play a large role in the evolution of galaxies and the formation of elliptical galaxies in particular. However there are only a few merging systems close enough to be observed in depth. The pair of interacting galaxies seen here — known as NGC 3921 — is one of these systems. NGC 3921 — found in the constellation of Ursa Major (The Great Bear) — is an interacting pair of disk galaxies in the late stages of its merger. Observations show that both of the galaxies involved were about the same mass and collided about 700 million years ago. You can see clearly in this image the disturbed morphology, tails and loops characteristic of a post-merger. The clash of galaxies caused a rush of star formation and previous Hubble observations showed over 1,000 bright, young star clusters bursting to life at the heart of the galaxy pair. Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

LINER galaxy properties and the local environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coldwell, Georgina V.; Alonso, Sol; Duplancic, Fernanda; Mesa, Valeria

2018-05-01

We analyse the properties of a sample of 5560 low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LINER) galaxies selected from SDSS-DR12 at low red shift, for a complete range of local density environments. The host LINER galaxies were studied and compared with a well-defined control sample of 5553 non-LINER galaxies matched in red shift, luminosity, morphology and local density. By studying the distributions of galaxy colours and the stellar age population, we find that LINERs are redder and older than the control sample over a wide range of densities. In addition, LINERs are older than the control sample, at a given galaxy colour, indicating that some external process could have accelerated the evolution of the stellar population. The analysis of the host properties shows that the control sample exhibits a strong relation between colours, ages and the local density, while more than 90 per cent of the LINERs are redder and older than the mean values, independently of the neighbourhood density. Furthermore, a detailed study in three local density ranges shows that, while control sample galaxies are redder and older as a function of stellar mass and density, LINER galaxies mismatch the known morphology-density relation of galaxies without low-ionization features. The results support the contribution of hot and old stars to the low-ionization emission although the contribution of nuclear activity is not discarded.

The MASSIVE Survey. IX. Photometric Analysis of 35 High-mass Early-type Galaxies with HST WFC3/IR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goullaud, Charles F.; Jensen, Joseph B.; Blakeslee, John P.; Ma, Chung-Pei; Greene, Jenny E.; Thomas, Jens

2018-03-01

We present near-infrared observations of 35 of the most massive early-type galaxies in the local universe. The observations were made using the infrared channel of the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) in the F110W (1.1 μm) filter. We measured surface brightness profiles and elliptical isophotal fit parameters from the nuclear regions out to a radius of ∼10 kpc in most cases. We find that 37% (13) of the galaxies in our sample have isophotal position-angle rotations greater than 20° over the radial range imaged by WFC3/IR, which is often due to the presence of neighbors or multiple nuclei. Most galaxies in our sample are significantly rounder near the center than in the outer regions. This sample contains 6 fast rotators and 28 slow rotators. We find that all fast rotators are either disky or show no measurable deviation from purely elliptical isophotes. Among slow rotators, significantly disky and boxy galaxies occur with nearly equal frequency. The galaxies in our sample often exhibit changing isophotal shapes, sometimes showing both significantly disky and boxy isophotes at different radii. The fact that parameters vary widely between galaxies and within individual galaxies is evidence that these massive galaxies have complicated formation histories, and some of them have experienced recent mergers and have not fully relaxed. These data demonstrate the value of IR imaging of galaxies at high spatial resolution and provide measurements necessary for determining stellar masses, dynamics, and black hole masses in high-mass galaxies. Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with Program GO-14219.

An automatic taxonomy of galaxy morphology using unsupervised machine learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hocking, Alex; Geach, James E.; Sun, Yi; Davey, Neil

2018-01-01

We present an unsupervised machine learning technique that automatically segments and labels galaxies in astronomical imaging surveys using only pixel data. Distinct from previous unsupervised machine learning approaches used in astronomy we use no pre-selection or pre-filtering of target galaxy type to identify galaxies that are similar. We demonstrate the technique on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Frontier Fields. By training the algorithm using galaxies from one field (Abell 2744) and applying the result to another (MACS 0416.1-2403), we show how the algorithm can cleanly separate early and late type galaxies without any form of pre-directed training for what an 'early' or 'late' type galaxy is. We then apply the technique to the HST Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) fields, creating a catalogue of approximately 60 000 classifications. We show how the automatic classification groups galaxies of similar morphological (and photometric) type and make the classifications public via a catalogue, a visual catalogue and galaxy similarity search. We compare the CANDELS machine-based classifications to human-classifications from the Galaxy Zoo: CANDELS project. Although there is not a direct mapping between Galaxy Zoo and our hierarchical labelling, we demonstrate a good level of concordance between human and machine classifications. Finally, we show how the technique can be used to identify rarer objects and present lensed galaxy candidates from the CANDELS imaging.

X-ray Point Source Populations in Spiral and Elliptical Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, E.; Heckman, T.; Weaver, K.; Ptak, A.; Strickland, D.

2001-12-01

In the years of the Einstein and ASCA satellites, it was known that the total hard X-ray luminosity from non-AGN galaxies was fairly well correlated with the total blue luminosity. However, the origin of this hard component was not well understood. Some possibilities that were considered included X-ray binaries, extended upscattered far-infrared light via the inverse-Compton process, extended hot 107 K gas (especially in ellipitical galaxies), or even an active nucleus. Now, for the first time, we know from Chandra images that a significant amount of the total hard X-ray emission comes from individual X-ray point sources. We present here spatial and spectral analyses of Chandra data for X-ray point sources in a sample of ~40 galaxies, including both spiral galaxies (starbursts and non-starbursts) and elliptical galaxies. We shall discuss the relationship between the X-ray point source population and the properties of the host galaxies. We show that the slopes of the point-source X-ray luminosity functions are different for different host galaxy types and discuss possible reasons why. We also present detailed X-ray spectral analyses of several of the most luminous X-ray point sources (i.e., IXOs, a.k.a. ULXs), and discuss various scenarios for the origin of the X-ray point sources.

Galaxy Groups in HST/COS-SDSS Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conway, Matthew; Hamill, Colin; Apala, Elizabeth; Scott, Jennifer

2018-01-01

We extend the results of a study of the sightlines of 45 low redshift quasars (0.06 < z < 0.85) observed by HST/COS that lie within the footprint of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We have used photometric data from the SDSS DR12, along with the known absorption characteristics of the intergalactic medium and circumgalactic medium, to identify the most probable galaxy matches to absorbers in the spectroscopic dataset. Here, we use an existing catalog of galaxy group candidates in the SDSS DR8 to identify galaxy groups within our HST/COS-SDSS fields that may show line of sight absorption due to an intergroup medium. To identify galaxy group candidates that lie within the impact parameter of our quasar fields (< 3 degrees), we calculate the angular separation between the quasar coordinates and the galaxy group centroid coordinates. We investigate differences in galaxy and absorber properties among the galaxy-absorber pairs likely arising in groups and those likely associated with individual field galaxies.

Feeding, Feedback and the Growth of Galaxies - Molecules as Tools for Probing Galaxy Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aalto, Susanne

2017-06-01

Cold gas plays a central role in feeding and regulating star formation and growth of supermassive black holes (SMBH) in galaxy nuclei. Particularly powerful activity occurs when interactions of gas-rich galaxies funnel large amounts of gas and dust into nuclei of luminous and ultra luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs/ULIRGs). These dusty objects are of key importance to galaxy mass assembly over cosmic time. Some (U)LIRGS have deeply embedded galaxy nuclei that harbour a very active evolutionary stage of AGNs and/or starbursts. The nuclear activity will often drive mechanical feedback in the form of molecular winds, jets and outflows. This feedback can for example remove baryons from low-mass galaxies, prevent overgrowth of galaxies, be linked to the M_{BH}-σ relation, and explain "red-and dead" properties of local ellipticals. With the ALMA and NOEMA telescopes we can use molecules as diagnostic tools to probe the properties of dust-enshrouded galaxy nuclei and their associated cold winds and outflows. Their morphology, velocity structure, physical conditions and even chemistry can be studied at unprecedented sensitivity and resolution, opening new avenues to further our understanding of the growth of galaxies. I will give a brief review of the ALMA/NOEMA view of AGN and starburst radiative and mechanical feedback, and how it is linked to the properties of the nuclear power source. I will discuss the use of molecules (e.g. H_2O, H_3O^{+}, HCN, HCO^+, H_2S) for studying dusty nuclei and the nature of the embedded activity. We can, for example, investigate ionization rates and the impact of cosmic ray-, X-ray- and PDR-chemistry and the onset of outflows and winds. Interestingly, in some deeply obscured nuclei the chemistry shows strong similarities to that of Galactic hot cores. Finally I will show peculiar molecular jets and very recent ALMA observations at resolutions of tens of milli-arcseconds (few pc) of vibrationally excited HCN in opaque nuclei. These regions

Star Formation in Merging Galaxies Using FIRE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, Adrianna; Hung, Chao-Ling; Naiman, Jill; Moreno, Jorge; Hopkins, Philip

2018-01-01

Galaxy interactions and mergers are efficient mechanisms to birth stars at rates that are significantly higher than found in our Milky Way galaxy. The Kennicut-Schmidt (KS) relation is an empirical relationship between the star-forming rate and gas surface densities of galaxies (Schmidt 1959; Kennicutt 1998). Although most galaxies follow the KS relation, the high levels of star formation in galaxy mergers places them outside of this otherwise tight relationship. The goal of this research is to analyze the gas content and star formation of simulated merging galaxies. Our work utilizes the Feedback In Realistic Environments (FIRE) model (Hopkins et al., 2014). The FIRE project is a high-resolution cosmological simulation that resolves star-forming regions and incorporates stellar feedback in a physically realistic way. In this work, we have noticed a significant increase in the star formation rate at first and second passage, when the two black holes of each galaxy approach one other. Next, we will analyze spatially resolved star-forming regions over the course of the interacting system. Then, we can study when and how the rates that gas converts into stars deviate from the standard KS. These analyses will provide important insights into the physical mechanisms that regulate star formation of normal and merging galaxies and valuable theoretical predictions that can be used to compare with current and future observations from ALMA or the James Webb Space Telescope.

Kinematic evidence of satellite galaxy populations in the potential wells of first-ranked cluster galaxies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cowie, L.L.; Hu, E.M.

1986-06-01

The velocities of 38 centrally positioned galaxies (r much less than 100 kpc) were measured relative to the velocity of the first-ranked galaxy in 14 rich clusters. Analysis of the velocity distribution function of this sample and of previous data shows that the population cannot be fit by a single Gaussian. An adequate fit is obtained if 60 percent of the objects lie in a Gaussian with sigma = 250 km/s and the remainder in a population with sigma = 1400 km/s. All previous data sets are individually consistent with this conclusion. This suggests that there is a bound populationmore » of galaxies in the potential well of the central galaxy in addition to the normal population of the cluster core. This is taken as supporting evidence for the galactic cannibalism model of cD galaxy formation. 14 references.« less

Galaxy Infall by Interacting with Its Environment: A Comprehensive Study of 340 Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Liyi; Wen, Zhonglue; Gandhi, Poshak; Inada, Naohisa; Kawaharada, Madoka; Kodama, Tadayuki; Konami, Saori; Nakazawa, Kazuhiro; Xu, Haiguang; Makishima, Kazuo

2016-07-01

To study systematically the evolution of the angular extents of the galaxy, intracluster medium (ICM), and dark matter components in galaxy clusters, we compiled the optical and X-ray properties of a sample of 340 clusters with redshifts <0.5, based on all the available data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Chandra/XMM-Newton. For each cluster, the member galaxies were determined primarily with photometric redshift measurements. The radial ICM mass distribution, as well as the total gravitational mass distribution, was derived from a spatially resolved spectral analysis of the X-ray data. When normalizing the radial profile of galaxy number to that of the ICM mass, the relative curve was found to depend significantly on the cluster redshift; it drops more steeply toward the outside in lower-redshift subsamples. The same evolution is found in the galaxy-to-total mass profile, while the ICM-to-total mass profile varies in an opposite way. The behavior of the galaxy-to-ICM distribution does not depend on the cluster mass, suggesting that the detected redshift dependence is not due to mass-related effects, such as sample selection bias. Also, it cannot be ascribed to various redshift-dependent systematic errors. We interpret that the galaxies, the ICM, and the dark matter components had similar angular distributions when a cluster was formed, while the galaxies traveling in the interior of the cluster have continuously fallen toward the center relative to the other components, and the ICM has slightly expanded relative to the dark matter although it suffers strong radiative loss. This cosmological galaxy infall, accompanied by an ICM expansion, can be explained by considering that the galaxies interact strongly with the ICM while they are moving through it. The interaction is considered to create a large energy flow of 1044-45 erg s-1 per cluster from the member galaxies to their environment, which is expected to continue over cosmological timescales.

Constructing a WISE High Resolution Galaxy Atlas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jarrett, T. H.; Masci, F.; Tsai, C. W.; Petty, S.; Cluver, M.; Assef, Roberto J.; Benford, D.; Blain, A.; Bridge, C.; Donoso, E.;

A statistical analysis of the Einstein normal galaxy sample. III - Radio and X-ray properties of elliptical and S0 galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fabbiano, G.; Klein, U.; Trinchieri, G.; Wielebinski, R.

1987-01-01

Radioastronomy, optical and X-ray data were used to probe the cause of high X-ray luminosities of 28 radio-quiet elliptical galaxies (RQE) and S0 galaxies previously scanned by the Einstein Observatory. Comparisons were made with similar data on double-lobed 3CR galaxies. Radio luminosities were highly correlated with the X-ray luminosities, agreeing with models of radio nuclear sources in early-type galaxies as accreting compact objects. Additionally, 3CR galaxies seemed to be large-scale versions of normal RQE. The significance of interstellar medium/intracluster medium interactions for high correlations between the core and total radio power from X-ray emitting galaxies is discussed.

Color Separation of Galaxy Types in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Imaging Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strateva, Iskra; Ivezić, Željko; Knapp, Gillian R.; Narayanan, Vijay K.; Strauss, Michael A.; Gunn, James E.; Lupton, Robert H.; Schlegel, David; Bahcall, Neta A.; Brinkmann, Jon; Brunner, Robert J.; Budavári, Tamás; Csabai, István; Castander, Francisco Javier; Doi, Mamoru; Fukugita, Masataka; Győry, Zsuzsanna; Hamabe, Masaru; Hennessy, Greg; Ichikawa, Takashi; Kunszt, Peter Z.; Lamb, Don Q.; McKay, Timothy A.; Okamura, Sadanori; Racusin, Judith; Sekiguchi, Maki; Schneider, Donald P.; Shimasaku, Kazuhiro; York, Donald

2001-10-01

We study the optical colors of 147,920 galaxies brighter than g*=21, observed in five bands by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) over ~100 deg2 of high Galactic latitude sky along the celestial equator. The distribution of galaxies in the g*-r* versus u*-g* color-color diagram is strongly bimodal, with an optimal color separator of u*-r*=2.22. We use visual morphology and spectral classification of subsamples of 287 and 500 galaxies, respectively, to show that the two peaks correspond roughly to early- (E, S0, and Sa) and late-type (Sb, Sc, and Irr) galaxies, as expected from their different stellar populations. We also find that the colors of galaxies are correlated with their radial profiles, as measured by the concentration index and by the likelihoods of exponential and de Vaucouleurs' profile fits. While it is well known that late-type galaxies are bluer than early-type galaxies, this is the first detection of a local minimum in their color distribution. In all SDSS bands, the counts versus apparent magnitude relations for the two color types are significantly different and demonstrate that the fraction of blue galaxies increases toward the faint end.

Galaxy NGC 55

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

This image of the nearby edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 55 was taken by Galaxy Evolution Explorer on September 14, 2003, during 2 orbits. This galaxy lies 5.4 million light years from our Milky Way galaxy and is a member of the 'local group' of galaxies that also includes the Andromeda galaxy (M31), the Magellanic clouds, and 40 other galaxies. The spiral disk of NGC 55 is inclined to our line of sight by approximately 80 degrees and so this galaxy looks cigar-shaped. This picture is a combination of Galaxy Evolution Explorer images taken with the far ultraviolet (colored blue) and near ultraviolet detectors, (colored red). The bright blue regions in this image are areas of active star formation detected in the ultraviolet by Galaxy Evolution Explorer. The red stars in this image are foreground stars in our own Milky Way galaxy.

From Galaxies to the Intergalactic Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peeples, Molly S.

2010-07-01

Deep in dark matter halos, galaxies are large factories that convert gas into stars. Gas is accreted from the expansive intergalactic medium (IGM); stars process this gas by fusing lighter elements into heavier ones. In this Dissertation, I combine both observations and theories from a variety of subfields of astrophysics with analytic and numerical models in an aim for a comprehensive understanding of the underlying physics of star formation feedback, galaxy chemical evolution, and the IGM. The mass-metallicity relation is an observed tight correlation between the stellar masses and gas-phase oxygen abundances of star-forming galaxies. I show that while the intrinsic scatter in this relation is small, extreme outliers do exist; I argue that these outliers have unusual metallicities for their masses because they have unusual gas fractions for their masses. The low-mass high-metallicity galaxies appear to be nearing the end of their star formation, and thus should have abnormally small gas reservoirs with which to dilute their metals. On the other hand, the high-mass low-metallicity galaxies appear to be undergoing gas-rich galaxy mergers, implying that they have larger-than-normal amounts of gas diluting their metals. I then show through analytic arguments that while gas fractions can have a large impact on observed metallicities, the low-redshift mass-metallicity relation is dominated by outflow properties because typical galaxies have relatively small gas fractions. Specifically, the mass-metallicity relation implies that the efficiency with which galaxies expel metals should scale steeply with galaxy mass. Combining this model with reasonable models for star formation feedback, I show that the outflow metallicity should likewise vary with galaxy mass; future measurements of wind metallicity can therefore inform models of the physics underlying galaxy winds. The high-redshift IGM is primarily observed through the Lyman-alpha absorption of neutral hydrogen along

The Frequency of Active and Normal Galaxies with Companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, H. R.

2001-05-01

One of the major concerns in the study of AGN's is the mechanisms for fueling the nucleus, for moving gas from galactic scales down to the inner ~1 pc region of the galaxy. It was proposed that one possible mechanism could be the interaction between galaxies, which can funnel gas into the nucleus. Several papers have searched for an excess of Seyfert galaxies with companions; however, there is no consensus in this subject, with results depending on the way the sample and control sample are selected. Here we present the result of a search for companion galaxies around the Palomar sample galaxies (Ho et al. 1997). This sample is ideal for such a study, because it includes all galaxies with B<12.5 mag in the northern hemisphere, with homogeneous activity classification of all the galaxies. Our technique is to consider that two galaxies are companions if their distances are smaller than 5 times the diameter of the galaxy, their radial velocities differ by less than 1000 km s-1 and their brightnesses by less than 3 magnitudes. We find that there is a significantly larger percentage of LINER's, Transition galaxies and absorption line galaxies with companions than Seyferts and HII galaxies. This result changes depending on how the sample is divided. For example, if we consider only galaxies with morphological types later than Sa, we find that there is no significant difference in the percentage of companions of all galaxy types. We will discuss the results of these and other tests, as well as their implications. NRAO is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities Inc.

The dependence of halo mass on galaxy size at fixed stellar mass using weak lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charlton, Paul J. L.; Hudson, Michael J.; Balogh, Michael L.; Khatri, Sumeet

2017-12-01

Stellar mass has been shown to correlate with halo mass, with non-negligible scatter. The stellar mass-size and luminosity-size relationships of galaxies also show significant scatter in galaxy size at fixed stellar mass. It is possible that, at fixed stellar mass and galaxy colour, the halo mass is correlated with galaxy size. Galaxy-galaxy lensing allows us to measure the mean masses of dark matter haloes for stacked samples of galaxies. We extend the analysis of the galaxies in the CFHTLenS catalogue by fitting single Sérsic surface brightness profiles to the lens galaxies in order to recover half-light radius values, allowing us to determine halo masses for lenses according to their size. Comparing our halo masses and sizes to baselines for that stellar mass yields a differential measurement of the halo mass-galaxy size relationship at fixed stellar mass, defined as Mh(M_{*}) ∝ r_{eff}^{η }(M_{*}). We find that, on average, our lens galaxies have an η = 0.42 ± 0.12, i.e. larger galaxies live in more massive dark matter haloes. The η is strongest for high-mass luminous red galaxies. Investigation of this relationship in hydrodynamical simulations suggests that, at a fixed M*, satellite galaxies have a larger η and greater scatter in the Mh and reff relationship compared to central galaxies.

On the Kennicutt-Schmidt Relation of Low-Metallicity High-Redshift Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gnedin, Nickolay Y.; Kravtsov, Andrey V.

2010-05-01

We present results of self-consistent, high-resolution cosmological simulations of galaxy formation at z ~ 3. The simulations employ a recently developed recipe for star formation based on the local abundance of molecular hydrogen, which is tracked self-consistently during the course of simulation. The phenomenological H2 formation model accounts for the effects of dissociating UV radiation of stars in each galaxy, as well as self-shielding and shielding of H2 by dust, and therefore allows us to explore effects of lower metallicities and higher UV fluxes prevalent in high-redshift galaxies on their star formation. We compare stellar masses, metallicities, and star formation rates of the simulated galaxies to available observations of the Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) and find a reasonable agreement. We find that the Kennicutt-Schmidt (KS) relation exhibited by our simulated galaxies at z ≈ 3 is substantially steeper and has a lower amplitude than the z = 0 relation at ΣH <~ 100 M odot pc-2. The predicted relation, however, is consistent with existing observational constraints for the z ≈ 3 damped Lyα and LBGs. Our tests show that the main reason for the difference from the local KS relation is lower metallicity of the interstellar medium in high-redshift galaxies. We discuss several implications of the metallicity-dependence of the KS relation for galaxy evolution and interpretation of observations. In particular, we show that the observed size of high-redshift exponential disks depends sensitively on their KS relation. Our results also suggest that significantly reduced star formation efficiency at low gas surface densities can lead to strong suppression of star formation in low-mass high-redshift galaxies and long gas consumption time scales over most of the disks in large galaxies. The longer gas consumption time scales could make disks more resilient to major and minor mergers and could help explain the prevalence of the thin stellar disks in the local

A redshift survey of IRAS galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Beverly J.; Kleinmann, S. G.; Huchra, J. P.; Low, F. J.

1987-05-01

Results are presented from a redshift survey of all 72 galaxies detected by IRAS in Band 3 at flux levels equal to or greater then 2 Jy. The luminosity function at the high luminosity end is proportional to L-2, however, a flattening was observed at the low luminosity end indicating that a single power law is not a good description of the entire luminosity function. Only three galaxies in the sample have emission line spectra indicative of AGN's, suggesting that, at least in nearby galaxies, unobscured nuclear activity is not a strong contributor to the far infrared flux. Comparisons between the selected IRAS galaxies and an optically complete sample taken from the CfA redshift survey show that they are more narrowly distributed than those optically selected, in the sence that the IRAS sample includes few galaxies of low absolute blue luminosity. It was also found that the space distributions of the two samples differ: the density enhancement or IRAS galaxies is only approx. 1/3 that of the optically selected galaxies in the core of the Coma cluster.

Stellar Populations and Radial Migrations in Virgo Disk Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roediger, Joel C.; Courteau, Stéphane; Sánchez-Blázquez, Patricia; McDonald, Michael

2012-10-01

We present new stellar age profiles, derived from well-resolved optical and near-infrared images of 64 Virgo cluster disk galaxies, whose analysis poses a challenge for current disk galaxy formation models. Our ability to break the age-metallicity degeneracy and the significant size of our sample represent key improvements over complementary studies of field disk galaxies. Our results can be summarized as follows: first, and contrary to observations of disk galaxies in the field, these cluster galaxies are distributed almost equally amongst the three main types of disk galaxy luminosity profiles (I/II/III), indicating that the formation and/or survival of Type II breaks is suppressed within the cluster environment. Second, we find examples of statistically significant inversions ("U-shapes") in the age profiles of all three disk galaxy types, reminiscent of predictions from high-resolution simulations of classically truncated Type II disks in the field. These features characterize the age profiles for only about a third (<=36%) of each disk galaxy type in our sample. An even smaller fraction of cluster disks (~11% of the total sample) exhibit age profiles that decrease outward (i.e., negative age gradients). Instead, flat and/or positive age gradients prevail (>=50%) within our Type I, II, and III subsamples. These observations thus suggest that while stellar migrations and inside-out growth can play a significant role in the evolution of all disk galaxy types, other factors contributing to the evolution of galaxies can overwhelm the predicted signatures of these processes. We interpret our observations through a scenario whereby Virgo cluster disk galaxies formed initially like their brethren in the field but which, upon falling into the cluster, were transformed into their present state through external processes linked to the environment (e.g., ram-pressure stripping and harassment). Current disk galaxy formation models, which have largely focused on field

Gradient pattern analysis applied to galaxy morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosa, R. R.; de Carvalho, R. R.; Sautter, R. A.; Barchi, P. H.; Stalder, D. H.; Moura, T. C.; Rembold, S. B.; Morell, D. R. F.; Ferreira, N. C.

2018-06-01

Gradient pattern analysis (GPA) is a well-established technique for measuring gradient bilateral asymmetries of a square numerical lattice. This paper introduces an improved version of GPA designed for galaxy morphometry. We show the performance of the new method on a selected sample of 54 896 objects from the SDSS-DR7 in common with Galaxy Zoo 1 catalogue. The results suggest that the second gradient moment, G2, has the potential to dramatically improve over more conventional morphometric parameters. It separates early- from late-type galaxies better (˜ 90 per cent) than the CAS system (C˜ 79 per cent, A˜ 50 per cent, S˜ 43 per cent) and a benchmark test shows that it is applicable to hundreds of thousands of galaxies using typical processing systems.

Gradient Pattern Analysis Applied to Galaxy Morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosa, R. R.; de Carvalho, R. R.; Sautter, R. A.; Barchi, P. H.; Stalder, D. H.; Moura, T. C.; Rembold, S. B.; Morell, D. R. F.; Ferreira, N. C.

2018-04-01

Gradient pattern analysis (GPA) is a well-established technique for measuring gradient bilateral asymmetries of a square numerical lattice. This paper introduces an improved version of GPA designed for galaxy morphometry. We show the performance of the new method on a selected sample of 54,896 objects from the SDSS-DR7 in common with Galaxy Zoo 1 catalog. The results suggest that the second gradient moment, G2, has the potential to dramatically improve over more conventional morphometric parameters. It separates early from late type galaxies better (˜90%) than the CAS system (C ˜ 79%, A ˜ 50%, S ˜ 43%) and a benchmark test shows that it is applicable to hundreds of thousands of galaxies using typical processing systems.

Multi-wavelength observations of barred, flocculent galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratay, Douglas Lee

Although it is generally accepted that large galaxies form through the assemblage of smaller objects, an explanation for the morphology of galaxies is not available. Any complete theory of galaxy morphology must include production and dissolution mechanisms for galactic bars, rings, nuclear bars, spiral arms, and companions. This theory does not exist because of the lack of detailed data from many types of galaxies in different environments. We have defined a new sample of galaxies which are simultaneously flocculent, barred, and isolated. We have performed optical, near-infrared, and radio (HI) observations of the galaxies in this sample. We measured properties of our galaxies including bar length, bar axis ratio, HI diameter, HI mass, and dynamical mass. We found that our sample group is heterogeneous, and compares well to a standard samples of galaxies. We found two of our galaxies to possess companions, and two others to show evidence of current interactions. This is consistent with other observations indicating that local isolated galaxies do not possess a large number of small companions. We cannot rule out the possibility of very small companions. We find that as a group our sample is slightly less luminous than normal galaxies and may be more likely to be involved in interactions. We conclude that the bar and spiral arm features in our sample are due to processes internal to the galaxies, likely involving the interaction between the galactic disk and halo. We defined a control sample of barred, grand design galaxies to further determine the acceptability of barred, flocculent galaxies as a physically meaningful subset of galaxies.

Robust covariance estimation of galaxy-galaxy weak lensing: validation and limitation of jackknife covariance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirasaki, Masato; Takada, Masahiro; Miyatake, Hironao; Takahashi, Ryuichi; Hamana, Takashi; Nishimichi, Takahiro; Murata, Ryoma

2017-09-01

We develop a method to simulate galaxy-galaxy weak lensing by utilizing all-sky, light-cone simulations and their inherent halo catalogues. Using the mock catalogue to study the error covariance matrix of galaxy-galaxy weak lensing, we compare the full covariance with the 'jackknife' (JK) covariance, the method often used in the literature that estimates the covariance from the resamples of the data itself. We show that there exists the variation of JK covariance over realizations of mock lensing measurements, while the average JK covariance over mocks can give a reasonably accurate estimation of the true covariance up to separations comparable with the size of JK subregion. The scatter in JK covariances is found to be ∼10 per cent after we subtract the lensing measurement around random points. However, the JK method tends to underestimate the covariance at the larger separations, more increasingly for a survey with a higher number density of source galaxies. We apply our method to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data, and show that the 48 mock SDSS catalogues nicely reproduce the signals and the JK covariance measured from the real data. We then argue that the use of the accurate covariance, compared to the JK covariance, allows us to use the lensing signals at large scales beyond a size of the JK subregion, which contains cleaner cosmological information in the linear regime.

Luminous Blue Compact Galaxies: Probes of galaxy assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newton, Cassidy Louann

The life cycles of galaxies over cosmic time is yet to be fully understood. How did galaxies evolve from their formative stages to the structures we observe today? This dissertation details the identification and analysis of a sample of Luminous Blue Compact Galaxies (LBCGs), a class of galaxy in the local (z < 0.05) universe exhibiting blue colors, high surface brightness, and high star formation rates. These systems appear to be very similar in their global properties to the early evolutionary phases of most galaxies, however their locality permits detailed investigation over a broad range of the electromagnetic spectrum in contrast to the smaller angular sizes and extreme faintness of distant galaxies. We use a combination of optical, ultraviolet, and infrared data to investigate a sample of LBCGs utilizing space and ground-based data.

C III] Emission in Star-forming Galaxies Near and Far

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigby, J. R.; Bayliss, M. B.; Gladders, M. D.; Sharon, K.; Wuyts, E.; Dahle, H.; Johnson, T.; Peña-Guerrero, M.

2015-11-01

We measure [C iii] 1907, C iii] 1909 Å emission lines in 11 gravitationally lensed star-forming galaxies at z ˜ 1.6-3, finding much lower equivalent widths than previously reported for fainter lensed galaxies. While it is not yet clear what causes some galaxies to be strong C iii] emitters, C iii] emission is not a universal property of distant star-forming galaxies. We also examine C iii] emission in 46 star-forming galaxies in the local universe, using archival spectra from GHRS, FOS, and STIS on HST and IUE. Twenty percent of these local galaxies show strong C iii] emission, with equivalent widths < -5 Å. Three nearby galaxies show C iii] emission equivalent widths as large as the most extreme emitters yet observed in the distant universe; all three are Wolf-Rayet galaxies. At all redshifts, strong C iii] emission may pick out low-metallicity galaxies experiencing intense bursts of star formation. Such local C iii] emitters may shed light on the conditions of star formation in certain extreme high-redshift galaxies.

C III] Emission in Star-Forming Galaxies Near and Far

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rigby, J, R.; Bayliss, M. B.; Gladders, M. D.; Sharon, K.; Wuyts, E.; Dahle, H.; Johnson, T.; Pena-Guerrero, M.

2015-01-01

We measure C III Lambda Lambda 1907, 1909 Angstrom emission lines in eleven gravitationally-lensed star-forming galaxies at zeta at approximately 1.6-3, finding much lower equivalent widths than previously reported for fainter lensed galaxies (Stark et al. 2014). While it is not yet clear what causes some galaxies to be strong C III] emitters, C III] emission is not a universal property of distant star-forming galaxies. We also examine C III] emission in 46 star-forming galaxies in the local universe, using archival spectra from GHRS, FOS, and STIS on HST, and IUE. Twenty percent of these local galaxies show strong C III] emission, with equivalent widths less than -5 Angstrom. Three nearby galaxies show C III] emission equivalent widths as large as the most extreme emitters yet observed in the distant universe; all three are Wolf-Rayet galaxies. At all redshifts, strong C III] emission may pick out low-metallicity galaxies experiencing intense bursts of star formation. Such local C III] emitters may shed light on the conditions of star formation in certain extreme high-redshift galaxies.

Galaxy NGC 55

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-12-10

This image of the nearby edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 55 was taken by Galaxy Evolution Explorer on September 14, 2003, during 2 orbits. This galaxy lies 5.4 million light years from our Milky Way galaxy and is a member of the "local group" of galaxies that also includes the Andromeda galaxy (M31), the Magellanic clouds, and 40 other galaxies. The spiral disk of NGC 55 is inclined to our line of sight by approximately 80 degrees and so this galaxy looks cigar-shaped. This picture is a combination of Galaxy Evolution Explorer images taken with the far ultraviolet (colored blue) and near ultraviolet detectors, (colored red). The bright blue regions in this image are areas of active star formation detected in the ultraviolet by Galaxy Evolution Explorer. The red stars in this image are foreground stars in our own Milky Way galaxy. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04923

Isolated galaxies, pairs, and groups of galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuneva, I.; Kalinkov, M.

1990-01-01

The authors searched for isolated galaxies, pairs and groups of galaxies in the CfA survey (Huchra et al. 1983). It was assumed that the distances to galaxies are given by R = V/H sub o, where H sub o = 100 km s(exp -1) Mpc(exp -1) and R greater than 6 Mpc. The searching procedure is close to those, applied to find superclusters of galaxies (Kalinkov and Kuneva 1985, 1986). A sphere with fixed radius r (asterisk) is described around each galaxy. The mean spatial density in the sphere is m. Let G (sup 1) be any galaxy and G (sup 2) be its nearest neighbor at a distance R sub 2. If R sub 2 exceeds the 95 percent quintile in the distribution of the distances of the second neighbors, then G (sup 1) is an isolated galaxy. Let the midpoint of G (sup 1) and G (sup 2) be O sub 2 and r sub 2=R sub 2/2. For the volume V sub 2, defined with the radius r sub 2, the density D sub 2 less than k mu, the galaxy G (sup 2) is a single one and the procedure for searching for pairs and groups, beginning with this object is over and we have to pass to another object. Here the authors present the groups - isolated and nonisolated - with n greater than 3, found in the CfA survey in the Northern galactic hemisphere. The parameters used are k = 10 and r (asterisk) = 5 Mpc. Table 1 contains: (1) the group number, (2) the galaxy, nearest to the multiplet center, (3) multiplicity n, (4) the brightest galaxy if it is not listed in (2); (5) and (6) are R.A. and Dec. (1950), (7) - mean distance D in Mpc. Further there are the mean density rho (8) of the multiplet (galaxies Mpc (exp -3), (9) the density rho (asterisk) for r (asterisk) = 5 Mpc and (10) the density rho sub g for the group with its nearest neighbor. The parenthesized digits for densities in the last three columns are powers of ten.

Galaxy bachelors, couples, spouses: Star formation in interacting galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jing; Barger, Kathleen; Richstein, Hannah; SDSS-IV/MaNGA

2017-01-01

We investigate the star formation activity in three galaxy systems in different stages of interaction to determine how the environment of galaxies affects their star forming ability and potential. These systems include an isolated galaxy, a pair of interacting galaxies, and a pair of merging galaxies. All of the target galaxies in these systems have similar stellar masses and similar radii and are at similar redshifts. We trace the star formation activity over the past 1-2 Gyr using spatially and kinematically resolved H-alpha emission, H-alpha equivalent width, and 4000-Angstrom break maps. This work is based on data from the fourth-generation Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV)/Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA), and is part of the Project No.0285 in SDSS-IV.

PSPC soft x-ray observations of Seyfert 2 galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, T. J.; Urry, C. M.; Mushotzky, R. F.

1993-01-01

We present the results from ROSAT PSPC soft x-ray (0.1-2.0 keV) observations of six Seyfert 2 galaxies, chosen from the brightest Seyfert 2s detected with the Einstein Imaging Proportional Counter. All of the targets were detected with the ROSAT PSPC. Spatial analysis shows that the source density within a few arcmin of each Seyfert 2 galaxy is a factor of approximately eight higher than in the rest of the inner field of view of the PSPC images. In NGC1365 it appears that the serendipitous sources may be x-ray binary systems in the host galaxy. The proximity of the serendipitous sources, typically within a few arcmin of the target Seyfert 2, means that previous x-ray observations of the Seyfert 2 galaxies have been significantly contaminated, and that source confusion is important on a spatial scale of approximately 1 arcmin. Some spectra, most notably Mrk3 and NGC1365, indicate the presence of a high equivalent width soft x-ray line blend consistent with unresolved iron L and oxygen K emission.

Spiral Galaxies Stripped Bare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-10-01

Six spectacular spiral galaxies are seen in a clear new light in images from ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. The pictures were taken in infrared light, using the impressive power of the HAWK-I camera, and will help astronomers understand how the remarkable spiral patterns in galaxies form and evolve. HAWK-I [1] is one of the newest and most powerful cameras on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT). It is sensitive to infrared light, which means that much of the obscuring dust in the galaxies' spiral arms becomes transparent to its detectors. Compared to the earlier, and still much-used, VLT infrared camera ISAAC, HAWK-I has sixteen times as many pixels to cover a much larger area of sky in one shot and, by using newer technology than ISAAC, it has a greater sensitivity to faint infrared radiation [2]. Because HAWK-I can study galaxies stripped bare of the confusing effects of dust and glowing gas it is ideal for studying the vast numbers of stars that make up spiral arms. The six galaxies are part of a study of spiral structure led by Preben Grosbøl at ESO. These data were acquired to help understand the complex and subtle ways in which the stars in these systems form into such perfect spiral patterns. The first image shows NGC 5247, a spiral galaxy dominated by two huge arms, located 60-70 million light-years away. The galaxy lies face-on towards Earth, thus providing an excellent view of its pinwheel structure. It lies in the zodiacal constellation of Virgo (the Maiden). The galaxy in the second image is Messier 100, also known as NGC 4321, which was discovered in the 18th century. It is a fine example of a "grand design" spiral galaxy - a class of galaxies with very prominent and well-defined spiral arms. About 55 million light-years from Earth, Messier 100 is part of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies and lies in the constellation of Coma Berenices (Berenice's Hair, named after the ancient Egyptian queen Berenice II). The third

THE EXTREMELY RED HOST GALAXY OF GRB 080207

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hunt, Leslie; Cresci, Giovanni; Palazzi, Eliana

2011-08-01

We present optical, near-infrared, and Spitzer IRAC and MIPS observations of the host galaxy of the dark Swift gamma-ray burst GRB 080207. The host is faint, with extremely red optical-infrared colors (R - K = 6.3, 24 {mu}m/R-band flux {approx}1000) making it an extremely red object (ERO) and a dust-obscured galaxy (DOG). The spectral energy distribution (SED) shows the clear signature of the 1.6 {mu}m photometric 'bump', typical of evolved stellar populations. We use this bump to establish the photometric redshift z{sub phot} as 2.2{sup +0.2}{sub -0.3}, using a vast library of SED templates, including M 82. The star formationmore » rate (SFR) inferred from the SED fitting is {approx}119 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}, the stellar mass 3 x 10{sup 11} M{sub sun}, and A{sub V} extinction from 1 to 2 mag. The ERO and DOG nature of the host galaxy of the dark GRB 080207 may be emblematic of a distinct class of dark GRB hosts, with high SFRs, evolved and metal-rich stellar populations, and significant dust extinction within the host galaxy.« less

What Turns Galaxies Off? the Different Morphologies of Star-Forming and Quiescent Galaxies Since z Approximates 2 from CANDELS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, Eric F.; VanDerWel, Arjen; Papovich, Casey; Kocevski, Dale; Lotz, Jennifer; McIntosh, Daniel H.; Kartaltepe, Jeyhan; Faber, S. M.; Ferguson, Harry; Koekemoer, Anton;

An Optical and X-Ray Study of Abell 576, a Galaxy Cluster with a Cold Core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohr, Joseph J.; Geller, Margaret J.; Fabricant, Daniel G.; Wegner, Gary; Thorstensen, John; Richstone, Douglas O.

1996-10-01

We analyze the galaxy population and dynamics of the galaxy cluster A576; the observational constraints include 281 redshifts (230 new), R- band CCD galaxy photometry over a 2 h^-1^ Mpc x 2 h^-1^ Mpc region centered on the cluster, an Einstein IPC X-ray image, and an Einstein MPC X-ray spectrum. We focus on an 86% complete magnitude-limited sample (R_23.5_ < 17) of 169 cluster galaxies. The cluster galaxies with emission lines in their spectra have a larger velocity dispersion and are significantly less clustered on this 2 h^-1^ Mpc scale than galaxies without emission lines. We show that excluding the emission-line galaxies from the cluster sample decreases the velocity dispersion by 18% and the virial mass estimate by a factor of 2. The central cluster region contains a nonemission galaxy population and an intracluster medium which is significantly cooler (σ_core_ = 387_-105_^+250^ km s^-1^ and T_x_ = 1.6_-0.3_^+0.4^ keV at 90% confidence) than the global populations (σ = 977_-96_^+124^ km s^- 1^ for the nonemission population and T_X_ > 4 keV at 90% confidence). Because (1) the low-dispersion galaxy population is no more luminous than the global population and (2) the evidence for a cooling flow is weak, we suggest that the core of A576 may contain the remnants of a lower mass subcluster. We examine the cluster mass, baryon fraction, and luminosity function. The cluster virial mass varies significantly depending on the galaxy sample used. Consistency between the hydrostatic and virial estimators can be achieved if (1) the gas temperature at r~1 h^-1^ Mpc is T_X_ ~ 8 keV (the best-fit value) and (2) several velocity outliers are excluded from the virial calculation. Although the best-fit Schechter function parameters and the ratio of galaxy to gas mass in A576 are typical of other clusters, the baryon fraction is relatively low. Using the consistent cluster binding mass, we show that the gas mass fraction is ~3 h^-3/2^% and the baryon fraction is ~4%.

The dark side of galaxy colour: evidence from new SDSS measurements of galaxy clustering and lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hearin, Andrew P.; Watson, Douglas F.; Becker, Matthew R.; Reyes, Reinabelle; Berlind, Andreas A.; Zentner, Andrew R.

2014-10-01

The age-matching model has recently been shown to predict correctly the luminosity L and g - r colour of galaxies residing within dark matter haloes. The central tenet of the model is intuitive: older haloes tend to host galaxies with older stellar populations. In this paper, we demonstrate that age matching also correctly predicts the g - r colour trends exhibited in a wide variety of statistics of the galaxy distribution for stellar mass M* threshold samples. In particular, we present new Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) measurements of galaxy clustering and the galaxy-galaxy lensing signal ΔΣ as a function of M* and g - r colour, and show that age matching exhibits remarkable agreement with these and other statistics of low-redshift galaxies. In so doing, we also demonstrate good agreement between the galaxy-galaxy lensing observed by SDSS and the ΔΣ signal predicted by abundance matching, a new success of this model. We describe how age matching is a specific example of a larger class of conditional abundance matching models (CAM), a theoretical framework we introduce here for the first time. CAM provides a general formalism to study correlations at fixed mass between any galaxy property and any halo property. The striking success of our simple implementation of CAM suggests that this technique has the potential to describe the same set of data as alternative models, but with a dramatic reduction in the required number of parameters. CAM achieves this reduction by exploiting the capability of contemporary N-body simulations to determine dark matter halo properties other than mass alone, which distinguishes our model from conventional approaches to the galaxy-halo connection.

The AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies. XII. Revision of the isolation degree for AMIGA galaxies using the SDSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argudo-Fernández, M.; Verley, S.; Bergond, G.; Sulentic, J.; Sabater, J.; Fernández Lorenzo, M.; Leon, S.; Espada, D.; Verdes-Montenegro, L.; Santander-Vela, J. D.; Ruiz, J. E.; Sánchez-Expósito, S.

2013-12-01

Context. To understand the evolution of galaxies, it is necessary to have a reference sample where the effect of the environment is minimized and quantified. In the framework of the AMIGA project (Analysis of the interstellar Medium of Isolated GAlaxies), we present a revision of the environment for galaxies in the Catalogue of Isolated Galaxies (CIG, Karachentseva 1973, Astrof. Issledovaniia Byu. Spec. Ast. Obs., 8, 3) using the ninth data release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-DR9). Aims: The aims of this study are to refine the photometric-based AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies and to provide an improvement of the quantification of the isolation degree with respect to previous works, using both photometry and spectroscopy. Methods: We developed an automatic method to search for neighbours within a projected area of 1 Mpc radius centred on each primary galaxy to revise the CIG isolation criteria introduced by Karachentseva (1973). The local number density at the fifth nearest neighbour and the tidal strength affecting the CIG galaxy were estimated to quantify the isolation degree. Results: Of the 636 CIG galaxies considered in the photometric study, 426 galaxies fulfil the CIG isolation criteria within 1 Mpc, taking into account projected neighbours. Of the 411 CIG galaxies considered in the spectroscopic study, 347 galaxies fulfil the CIG isolation criteria when a criterion about redshift difference is added. The available redshifts allow us to reject background neighbours and thus improve the photometric assessment. On average, galaxies in the AMIGA sample show lower values in the local number density and the tidal strength parameters than galaxies in denser environments such as pairs, triplets, compact groups, and clusters. Conclusions: For the first time, the environment and the isolation degree of AMIGA galaxies are quantified using digital data. The use of the SDSS database permits one to identify fainter and smaller-size satellites than in previous

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): The mechanisms for quiescent galaxy formation at z < 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowlands, K.; Wild, V.; Bourne, N.; Bremer, M.; Brough, S.; Driver, S. P.; Hopkins, A. M.; Owers, M. S.; Phillipps, S.; Pimbblet, K.; Sansom, A. E.; Wang, L.; Alpaslan, M.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Colless, M.; Holwerda, B. W.; Taylor, E. N.

2018-01-01

One key problem in astrophysics is understanding how and why galaxies switch off their star formation, building the quiescent population that we observe in the local Universe. From the Galaxy And Mass Assembly and VIsible MultiObject Spectrograph Public Extragalactic Redshift surveys, we use spectroscopic indices to select quiescent and candidate transition galaxies. We identify potentially rapidly transitioning post-starburst (PSB) galaxies and slower transitioning green-valley galaxies. Over the last 8 Gyr, the quiescent population has grown more slowly in number density at high masses ({M}_\\ast >10^{11}{M_{⊙}) than at intermediate masses ({M}_\\ast >10^{10.6}{M_{⊙}). There is evolution in both the PSB and green-valley stellar mass functions, consistent with higher mass galaxies quenching at earlier cosmic times. At intermediate masses ({M}_\\ast >10^{10.6}{M_{⊙}), we find a green-valley transition time-scale of 2.6 Gyr. Alternatively, at z ∼ 0.7, the entire growth rate could be explained by fast-quenching PSB galaxies, with a visibility time-scale of 0.5 Gyr. At lower redshift, the number density of PSBs is so low that an unphysically short visibility window would be required for them to contribute significantly to the quiescent population growth. The importance of the fast-quenching route may rapidly diminish at z < 1. However, at high masses ({M}_\\ast >10^{11}{M_{⊙}), there is tension between the large number of candidate transition galaxies compared to the slow growth of the quiescent population. This could be resolved if not all high-mass PSB and green-valley galaxies are transitioning from star forming to quiescent, for example if they rejuvenate out of the quiescent population following the accretion of gas and triggering of star formation, or if they fail to completely quench their star formation.

ECO and RESOLVE: Galaxy Disk Growth in Environmental Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moffett, Amanda J.; Kannappan, Sheila J.; Berlind, Andreas A.; Eckert, Kathleen D.; Stark, David V.; Hendel, David; Norris, Mark A.; Grogin, Norman A.

2015-10-01

We study the relationships between galaxy environments and galaxy properties related to disk (re)growth, considering two highly complete samples that are approximately baryonic mass limited into the high-mass dwarf galaxy regime, the Environmental COntext catalog (data release herein) and the B-semester region of the REsolved Spectroscopy Of a Local VolumE survey. We quantify galaxy environments using both group identification and smoothed galaxy density field methods. We use by-eye and quantitative morphological classifications plus atomic gas content measurements and estimates. We find that blue early-type (E/S0) galaxies, gas-dominated galaxies, and UV-bright disk host galaxies all become distinctly more common below group halo mass ˜ {10}11.5 {M}⊙ , implying that this low group halo mass regime may be a preferred regime for significant disk growth activity. We also find that blue early-type and blue late-type galaxies inhabit environments of similar group halo mass at fixed baryonic mass, consistent with a scenario in which blue early-types can regrow late-type disks. In fact, we find that the only significant difference in the typical group halo mass inhabited by different galaxy classes is for satellite galaxies with different colors, where at fixed baryonic mass red early- and late-types have higher typical group halo masses than blue early- and late-types. More generally, we argue that the traditional morphology-environment relation (i.e., that denser environments tend to have more early-types) can be largely attributed to the morphology-galaxy mass relation for centrals and the color-environment relation for satellites.

The dwarf galaxy population of nearby galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lisker, Thorsten; Wittmann, Carolin; Pak, Mina; Janz, Joachim; Bialas, Daniel; Peletier, Reynier; Grebel, Eva; Falcon Barroso, Jesus; Toloba, Elisa; Smakced Collaboration, Focus Collaboration

2015-01-01

The Fornax, Virgo, Ursa Major and Perseus galaxy clusters all have very different characteristics, in terms of their density, mass, and large-scale environment. We can regard these clusters as laboratories for studying environmental influence on galaxy evolution, using the sensitive low-mass galaxies as probes for external mechanisms. Here we report on recent and ongoing observational studies of the said clusters with imaging and spectroscopy, as well as on the interpretation of present-day cluster galaxy populations with the aid of cosmological simulations.Multicolor imaging data allow us to identify residual star formation in otherwise red early-type dwarf galaxies, which hold clues to the strength of gas stripping processes. Major-axis spectra and 2D kinematical maps provide insight regarding the amount of rotational support and how much dynamical heating a dwarf galaxy may have experienced. To this end, dedicated N-body simulations that follow the evolution of galaxies since early epochs reveal their path through parameter space, and can be compared to observations in order to understand the time-integrated effect of environmental influence.

Galaxy collisions and shocks in compact groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Sullivan, Ewan

2017-09-01

Evidence from IR, X-ray and HI studies suggests that low mass compact groups represent a key evolutionary stage in which shocks caused by galaxy interactions drive both the transformation of gas-rich spirals into early-type galaxies, and the build-up of the hot IGM. We have selected five groups where extensive multi-wavelength data shows violent ongoing galaxy interactions. We now propose to observe them with Chandra and XMM, searching for or confirming the presence of shocks in the X-ray IGM, measuring their strength and ability to heat cold gas, and examining the impact of galaxy/IGM interactions on galaxy transformation. Combined with our IR, CO, HI and optical IFU data, these observations will provide an exceptionally detailed view of this critical stage of galaxy and group evolution.

A Galaxy for Science and Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2007-11-01

During his visit to ESO's Very Large Telescope at Paranal, the European Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potočnik, participated in an observing sequence and took images of a beautiful spiral galaxy. ESO PR Photo 43/07 ESO PR Photo 49/07 Twisted Spiral Galaxy NGC 134 The visit took place on 27 October and the Commissioner observed with one of the FORS instruments on Antu, the first 8.2-m Unit Telescope of the VLT. "Two hours bus ride from the nearest town, Antofagasta, in the middle of nowhere and at 2 600 m altitude, rises a state of the art astronomical observatory at which scientists from across Europe venture to exploit some of the most advanced technologies and sophisticated techniques available within astronomy. One of the facilities is the VLT, the Very Large Telescope, with which, together with the other telescopes, scientists can study objects at the far edge of the Universe," wrote Potočnik on his blog. Known until now as a simple number in a catalogue, NGC 134, the 'Island in the Universe' that was observed by the Commissioner is replete with remarkable attributes, and the VLT has clapped its eyes on them. Just like our own Galaxy, NGC 134 is a barred spiral with its spiral arms loosely wrapped around a bright, bar-shaped central region. One feature that stands out is its warped disc. While a galaxy's disc is often pictured as a flat structure of gas and stars surrounding the galaxy's centre, a warped disc is a structure that, when viewed sideways, resembles a bent record album left out too long in the burning Sun. Warps are actually not atypical. More than half of the spiral galaxies do show warps one way or another, and our own Milky Way also has a small warp. Many theories exist to explain warps. One possibility is that warps are the aftermath of interactions or collisions between galaxies. These can also produce tails of material being pulled out from the galaxy. The VLT image reveals that NGC 134 also appears to have a tail of gas

On dynamic gas ablation from spherical galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nepveu, M.

1981-05-01

Two-dimensional, time dependent gas dynamic calculations are presented on the transonic motion of galaxies through a cluster medium. Lea and De Young's (1976) calculations are extended to include violent behavior in the center. On time scales of 10 to the 8th yr, galaxies in clusters can already lose a significant fraction of their gaseous content (up to 50% has been found in the calculations). This dynamic ablation occurs through rarefaction rather than shock heating. Explosions in spherical galaxies become effective as mechanisms for gas removal only if the galaxy moves with respect to its surroundings. Speculations are made on stripping of spiral galaxies (moving head-on in a cluster); the Gunn and Gott (1972) stripping formula is put to doubt. A method is suggested to obtain information on the state of motion of field galaxies.

Infrared images of merging galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, G. S.; James, P. A.; Joseph, R. D.; Mclean, I. S.; Doyon, R.

1990-01-01

Infrared imaging of interacting galaxies is especially interesting because their optical appearance is often so chaotic due to extinction by dust and emission from star formation regions, that it is impossible to locate the nuclei or determine the true stellar distribution. However, at near-infrared wavelengths extinction is considerably reduced, and most of the flux from galaxies originates from red giant stars that comprise the dominant stellar component by mass. Thus near infrared images offer the opportunity to study directly components of galactic structure which are otherwise inaccessible. Such images may ultimately provide the framework in which to understand the activity taking place in many of the mergers with high Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) luminosities. Infrared images have been useful in identifying double structures in the nuclei of interacting galaxies which have not even been hinted at by optical observations. A striking example of this is given by the K images of Arp 220. Graham et al. (1990) have used high resolution imaging to show that it has a double nucleus coincident with the radio sources in the middle of the dust lane. The results suggest that caution should be applied in the identification of optical bright spots as multiple nuclei in the absence of other evidence. They also illustrate the advantages of using infrared imaging to study the underlying structure in merging galaxies. The authors have begun a program to take near infrared images of galaxies which are believed to be mergers of disk galaxies because they have tidal tails and filaments. In many of these the merger is thought to have induced exceptionally luminous infrared emission (cf. Joseph and Wright 1985, Sanders et al. 1988). Although the optical images of the galaxies show spectacular dust lanes and filaments, the K images all have a very smooth distribution of light with an apparently single nucleus.

2D modelling of the light distribution of early-type galaxies in a volume-limited sample - II. Results for real galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Onofrio, M.

2001-10-01

In this paper we analyse the results of the two-dimensional (2D) fit of the light distribution of 73 early-type galaxies belonging to the Virgo and Fornax clusters, a sample volume- and magnitude-limited down to MB=-17.3, and highly homogeneous. In our previous paper (Paper I) we have presented the adopted 2D models of the surface-brightness distribution - namely the r1/n and (r1/n+exp) models - we have discussed the main sources of error affecting the structural parameters, and we have tested the ability of the chosen minimization algorithm (MINUIT) in determining the fitting parameters using a sample of artificial galaxies. We show that, with the exception of 11 low-luminosity E galaxies, the best fit of the real galaxy sample is always achieved with the two-component (r1/n+exp) model. The improvement in the χ2 due to the addition of the exponential component is found to be statistically significant. The best fit is obtained with the exponent n of the generalized r1/n Sersic law different from the classical de Vaucouleurs value of 4. Nearly 42 per cent of the sample have n<2, suggesting the presence of exponential `bulges' also in early-type galaxies. 20 luminous E galaxies are fitted by the two-component model, with a small central exponential structure (`disc') and an outer big spheroid with n>4. We believe that this is probably due to their resolved core. The resulting scalelengths Rh and Re of each component peak approximately at ~1 and ~2kpc, respectively, although with different variances in their distributions. The ratio Re/Rh peaks at ~0.5, a value typical for normal lenticular galaxies. The first component, represented by the r1/n law, is probably made of two distinct families, `ordinary' and `bright', on the basis of their distribution in the μe-log(Re) plane, a result already suggested by Capaccioli, Caon and D'Onofrio. The bulges of spirals and S0 galaxies belong to the `ordinary' family, while the large spheroids of luminous E galaxies form the

The ISO View of Star Forming Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helou, George

1999-01-01

ISO studies of normal galaxies in the local Universe have revealed basic new properties whose significant implications for the star formation process and cosmology are only starting to be understood. This review will touch on the general results of a statistical nature, and provide a quick summary of the profusion of exciting results on individual objects. In the mid-infrared, PHT-S has established that the spectra of star forming galaxies between 6 and-13microns are dominated by the Aromatic Features in Emission (AFE), and show little variation as a function of the heating intensity. The Carriers of the AFE (CAFE) are thus a universal component of dust with standard properties, and contribute between 10 and 25% of the total dust luminosity. In addition to AFE, the spectra show a low-level continuum detectable at wavelengths longer than 3.5microns whose origin is still under investigation. The mid-infrared colors formed as the ratio of flux densities in the 6.75micron and the 15micron bands of ISO-CAM remain essentially constant and near unity for quiescent and mildly active galaxies. As dust heating increases further, the 15micron flux increases steeply compared to 6.75microns, indicating that dust heated to 100K

SDSS-IV MaNGA: a distinct mass distribution explored in slow-rotating early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rong, Yu; Li, Hongyu; Wang, Jie; Gao, Liang; Li, Ran; Ge, Junqiang; Jing, Yingjie; Pan, Jun; Fernández-Trincado, J. G.; Valenzuela, Octavio; Ortíz, Erik Aquino

2018-06-01

We study the radial acceleration relation (RAR) for early-type galaxies (ETGs) in the SDSS MaNGA MPL5 data set. The complete ETG sample show a slightly offset RAR from the relation reported by McGaugh et al. (2016) at the low-acceleration end; we find that the deviation is due to the fact that the slow rotators show a systematically higher acceleration relation than the McGaugh's RAR, while the fast rotators show a consistent acceleration relation to McGaugh's RAR. There is a 1σ significant difference between the acceleration relations of the fast and slow rotators, suggesting that the acceleration relation correlates with the galactic spins, and that the slow rotators may have a different mass distribution compared with fast rotators and late-type galaxies. We suspect that the acceleration relation deviation of slow rotators may be attributed to more galaxy merger events, which would disrupt the original spins and correlated distributions of baryons and dark matter orbits in galaxies.

The Statistical Properties of Galaxies Containing Ultraluminous X-Ray Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ptak, A.; Colbert, E.

2004-05-01

We present a statistical analysis of the properties of galaxies containing ultraluminous X-ray objects (ULXs). Our primary goal is to establish the fraction of galaxies containing a ULX as a function of ULX luminosity. Our sample is based on ROSAT HRI observations of galaxies. We find that ~12% of galaxies contain at least one ULX with LX>1039 ergs s-1, and ~1% of galaxies contain at least one ULX with LX>1040 ergs s-1. These ULX frequencies are lower limits, since ROSAT HRI observations would miss absorbed ULXs (i.e., with NH>~1021cm-2) and those within ~10" of the nucleus (due to the positional error circle of the ROSAT HRI). The Hubble type distribution of galaxies with a ULX differs significantly from the distribution of types for nearby Third Reference Catalog galaxies but does not differ significantly from the galaxy type distribution of galaxies observed by the HRI in general. We find no increase in the mean far-infrared (FIR) luminosity or FIR/K-band luminosity ratio for galaxies with a ULX relative to galaxies observed by the HRI in general; however, this result is also most likely biased by the soft bandpass of the HRI and the relatively low number of high star formation rate galaxies observed by the HRI with enough sensitivity to detect a ULX.

HUBBLE'S INFRARED GALAXY GALLERY

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Astronomers have used the NASA Hubble Space Telescope to produce an infrared 'photo essay' of spiral galaxies. By penetrating the dust clouds swirling around the centers of these galaxies, the telescope's infrared vision is offering fresh views of star birth. These six images, taken with the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer, showcase different views of spiral galaxies, from a face-on image of an entire galaxy to a close-up of a core. The top row shows spirals at diverse angles, from face-on, (left); to slightly tilted, (center); to edge-on, (right). The bottom row shows close-ups of the hubs of three galaxies. In these images, red corresponds to glowing hydrogen, the raw material for star birth. The red knots outlining the curving spiral arms in NGC 5653 and NGC 3593, for example, pinpoint rich star-forming regions where the surrounding hydrogen gas is heated by intense ultraviolet radiation from young, massive stars. In visible light, many of these regions can be hidden from view by the clouds of gas and dust in which they were born. The glowing hydrogen found inside the cores of these galaxies, as in NGC 6946, may be due to star birth; radiation from active galactic nuclei (AGN), which are powered by massive black holes; or a combination of both. White is light from middle-age stars. Clusters of stars appear as white dots, as in NGC 2903. The galaxy cores are mostly white because of their dense concentration of stars. The dark material seen in these images is dust. These galaxies are part of a Hubble census of about 100 spiral galaxies. Astronomers at Space Telescope Science Institute took these images to fill gaps in the scheduling of a campaign using the NICMOS-3 camera. The data were non-proprietary, and were made available to the entire astronomical community. Filters: Three filters were used: red, blue, and green. Red represents emission at the Paschen Alpha line (light from glowing hydrogen) at a wavelength of 1.87 microns. Blue shows the

Far-infrared properties of cluster galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bicay, M. D.; Giovanelli, R.

1987-01-01

Far-infrared properties are derived for a sample of over 200 galaxies in seven clusters: A262, Cancer, A1367, A1656 (Coma), A2147, A2151 (Hercules), and Pegasus. The IR-selected sample consists almost entirely of IR normal galaxies, with Log of L(FIR) = 9.79 solar luminosities, Log of L(FIR)/L(B) = 0,79, and Log of S(100 microns)/S(60 microns) = 0.42. None of the sample galaxies has Log of L(FIR) greater than 11.0 solar luminosities, and only one has a FIR-to-blue luminosity ratio greater than 10. No significant differences are found in the FIR properties of HI-deficient and HI-normal cluster galaxies.

Beyond the Borders of a Galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Side-by-Side Comparison Click on image for larger view

The outlying regions around the Southern Pinwheel galaxy, or M83, are highlighted in this composite image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer and the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array in New Mexico. The blue and pink pinwheel in the center is the galaxy's main stellar disk, while the flapping, ribbon-like structures are its extended arms.

The Galaxy Evolution Explorer is an ultraviolet survey telescope. Its observations, shown here in blue and green, highlight the galaxy's farthest-flung clusters of young stars up to 140,000 light-years from its center. The Very Large Array observations show the radio emission in red. They highlight gaseous hydrogen atoms, or raw ingredients for stars, which make up the lengthy, extended arms.

Astronomers are excited that the clusters of baby stars match up with the extended arms, because this helps them better understand how stars can be created out in the 'backwoods' of a galaxy.

In this image, far-ultraviolet light is blue, near-ultraviolet light is green and radio emission at a wavelength of 21 centimeters is red.

What Lies Beyond the Edge of a Galaxy The side-by-side comparison shows the Southern Pinwheel galaxy, or M83, as seen in ultraviolet light (right) and at both ultraviolet and radio wavelengths (left). While the radio data highlight the galaxy's long, octopus-like arms stretching far beyond its main spiral disk (red), the ultraviolet data reveal clusters of baby stars (blue) within the extended arms.

The ultraviolet image was taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer between March 15 and May 20, 2007, at scheduled intervals. Back in 2005, the telescope first photographed M83 over a shorter period of time. That picture was the first to reveal far-flung baby stars forming up to 63,000 light-years from the edge of the main spiral disk. This came as a surprise to

Cosmological parameter constraints from galaxy-galaxy lensing and galaxy clustering with the SDSS DR7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandelbaum, Rachel; Slosar, Anže; Baldauf, Tobias; Seljak, Uroš; Hirata, Christopher M.; Nakajima, Reiko; Reyes, Reinabelle; Smith, Robert E.

2013-06-01

Recent studies have shown that the cross-correlation coefficient between galaxies and dark matter is very close to unity on scales outside a few virial radii of galaxy haloes, independent of the details of how galaxies populate dark matter haloes. This finding makes it possible to determine the dark matter clustering from measurements of galaxy-galaxy weak lensing and galaxy clustering. We present new cosmological parameter constraints based on large-scale measurements of spectroscopic galaxy samples from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data release 7. We generalize the approach of Baldauf et al. to remove small-scale information (below 2 and 4 h-1 Mpc for lensing and clustering measurements, respectively), where the cross-correlation coefficient differs from unity. We derive constraints for three galaxy samples covering 7131 deg2, containing 69 150, 62 150 and 35 088 galaxies with mean redshifts of 0.11, 0.28 and 0.40. We clearly detect scale-dependent galaxy bias for the more luminous galaxy samples, at a level consistent with theoretical expectations. When we vary both σ8 and Ωm (and marginalize over non-linear galaxy bias) in a flat Λ cold dark matter model, the best-constrained quantity is σ8(Ωm/0.25)0.57 = 0.80 ± 0.05 (1σ, stat. + sys.), where statistical and systematic errors (photometric redshift and shear calibration) have comparable contributions, and we have fixed ns = 0.96 and h = 0.7. These strong constraints on the matter clustering suggest that this method is competitive with cosmic shear in current data, while having very complementary and in some ways less serious systematics. We therefore expect that this method will play a prominent role in future weak lensing surveys. When we combine these data with Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 7-year (WMAP7) cosmic microwave background (CMB) data, constraints on σ8, Ωm, H0, wde and ∑mν become 30-80 per cent tighter than with CMB data alone, since our data break several parameter

A survey of the properties of early-type galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bregman, Joel N.; Roberts, M. S.; Hogg, D. E.

1990-01-01

A compilation of the properties of elliptical and early disk galaxies was completed. In addition to material from the literature, such as Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) fluxes, the compilation includes recent measurements of HI and CO, as well as a review of the x ray properties by Forman and Jones. The data are used to evaluate the gas content of early systems and to search for correlations with x ray emission. The interstellar medium in early-type galaxies is generally dominated by hot interstellar gas (T approx. 10 to the 7th power K; c.f. the review by Fabbiano 1989 and references therein). In addition, a significant fraction of these galaxies show infrared emission (Knapp, et al., 1989), optical emission lines, and visible dust. Sensitive studies in HI and CO of a number of these galaxies have been completed recently, resulting in several detections, particularly of the later types. Researchers wish to understand the connection among these different forms of the interstellar medium, and to examine the theoretical picture of the fate of the hot gas. To do so, they compiled observations of several forms of interstellar matter for a well-defined sample of early-type galaxies. Here they present a statistical analysis of this data base and discuss the implications of the results.

WHERE DO WET, DRY, AND MIXED GALAXY MERGERS OCCUR? A STUDY OF THE ENVIRONMENTS OF CLOSE GALAXY PAIRS IN THE DEEP2 GALAXY REDSHIFT SURVEY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Lihwai; Cooper, Michael C.; Willmer, Christopher N. A.

2010-08-01

We study the environments of wet, dry, and mixed galaxy mergers at 0.75 < z < 1.2 using close pairs in the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey. We find that the typical environment of dry and mixed merger candidates is denser than that of wet mergers, mostly due to the color-density relation. While the galaxy companion rate (N{sub c}) is observed to increase with overdensity, using N-body simulations, we find that the fraction of pairs that will eventually merge decreases with the local density, predominantly because interlopers are more common in dense environments. After taking into account the merger probability ofmore » pairs as a function of local density, we find only marginal environment dependence of the galaxy merger rate for wet mergers. On the other hand, the dry and mixed merger rates increase rapidly with local density due to the increased population of red galaxies in dense environments, implying that the dry and mixed mergers are most effective in overdense regions. We also find that the environment distribution of K+A galaxies is similar to that of wet mergers alone and of wet+mixed mergers, suggesting a possible connection between K+A galaxies and wet and/or wet+mixed mergers. Based on our results, we therefore expect that the properties, including structures and masses, of red-sequence galaxies should be different between those in underdense regions and those in overdense regions since the dry mergers are significantly more important in dense environments. We conclude that, as early as z {approx} 1, high-density regions are the preferred environment in which dry mergers occur, and that present-day red-sequence galaxies in overdense environments have, on average, undergone 1.2 {+-} 0.3 dry mergers since this time, accounting for (38 {+-} 10)% of their mass accretion in the last 8 billion years. The main uncertainty in this finding is the conversion from the pair fraction to the galaxy merger rate, which is possibly as large as a factor of 2. Our

Secular Evolution in Disk Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kormendy, John

2013-10-01

bulges because the latter retain a `memory' of their disky origin. That is, they have one or more characteristics of disks: (1) flatter shapes than those of classical bulges, (2) correspondingly large ratios of ordered to random velocities, (3) small velocity dispersions with respect to the Faber-Jackson correlation between velocity dispersion and bulge luminosity, (4) spiral structure or nuclear bars in the `bulge' part of the light profile, (5) nearly exponential brightness profiles and (6) starbursts. So the cleanest examples of pseudobulges are recognisable. However, pseudo and classical bulges can coexist in the same galaxy. I review two important implications of secular evolution: (1) The existence of pseudobulges highlights a problem with our theory of galaxy formation by hierarchical clustering. We cannot explain galaxies that are completely bulgeless. Galaxy mergers are expected to happen often enough so that every giant galaxy should have a classical bulge. But we observe that bulgeless giant galaxies are common in field environments. We now realise that many dense centres of galaxies that we used to think are bulges were not made by mergers; they were grown out of disks. So the challenge gets more difficult. This is the biggest problem faced by our theory of galaxy formation. (2) Pseudobulges are observed to contain supermassive black holes (BHs), but they do not show the well-known, tight correlations between BH mass and the mass and velocity dispersion of the host bulge. This leads to the suggestion that there are two fundamentally different BH feeding processes. Rapid global inward gas transport in galaxy mergers leads to giant BHs that correlate with host ellipticals and classical bulges, whereas local and more stochastic feeding of small BHs in largely bulgeless galaxies evidently involves too little energy feedback to result in BH-host coevolution. It is an important success of the secular evolution picture that morphological differences can be used to

A class of compact dwarf galaxies from disruptive processes in galaxy clusters.

PubMed

Drinkwater, M J; Gregg, M D; Hilker, M; Bekki, K; Couch, W J; Ferguson, H C; Jones, J B; Phillipps, S

2003-05-29

Dwarf galaxies have attracted increased attention in recent years, because of their susceptibility to galaxy transformation processes within rich galaxy clusters. Direct evidence for these processes, however, has been difficult to obtain, with a small number of diffuse light trails and intra-cluster stars being the only signs of galaxy disruption. Furthermore, our current knowledge of dwarf galaxy populations may be very incomplete, because traditional galaxy surveys are insensitive to extremely diffuse or compact galaxies. Aware of these concerns, we recently undertook an all-object survey of the Fornax galaxy cluster. This revealed a new population of compact members, overlooked in previous conventional surveys. Here we demonstrate that these 'ultra-compact' dwarf galaxies are structurally and dynamically distinct from both globular star clusters and known types of dwarf galaxy, and thus represent a new class of dwarf galaxy. Our data are consistent with the interpretation that these are the remnant nuclei of disrupted dwarf galaxies, making them an easily observed tracer of galaxy disruption.

GALAXY INFALL BY INTERACTING WITH ITS ENVIRONMENT: A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF 340 GALAXY CLUSTERS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gu, Liyi; Wen, Zhonglue; Gandhi, Poshak

To study systematically the evolution of the angular extents of the galaxy, intracluster medium (ICM), and dark matter components in galaxy clusters, we compiled the optical and X-ray properties of a sample of 340 clusters with redshifts <0.5, based on all the available data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Chandra / XMM-Newton . For each cluster, the member galaxies were determined primarily with photometric redshift measurements. The radial ICM mass distribution, as well as the total gravitational mass distribution, was derived from a spatially resolved spectral analysis of the X-ray data. When normalizing the radial profile of galaxymore » number to that of the ICM mass, the relative curve was found to depend significantly on the cluster redshift; it drops more steeply toward the outside in lower-redshift subsamples. The same evolution is found in the galaxy-to-total mass profile, while the ICM-to-total mass profile varies in an opposite way. The behavior of the galaxy-to-ICM distribution does not depend on the cluster mass, suggesting that the detected redshift dependence is not due to mass-related effects, such as sample selection bias. Also, it cannot be ascribed to various redshift-dependent systematic errors. We interpret that the galaxies, the ICM, and the dark matter components had similar angular distributions when a cluster was formed, while the galaxies traveling in the interior of the cluster have continuously fallen toward the center relative to the other components, and the ICM has slightly expanded relative to the dark matter although it suffers strong radiative loss. This cosmological galaxy infall, accompanied by an ICM expansion, can be explained by considering that the galaxies interact strongly with the ICM while they are moving through it. The interaction is considered to create a large energy flow of 10{sup 4445} erg s{sup 1} per cluster from the member galaxies to their environment, which is expected to continue over cosmological

Multi-level structure in the large scale distribution of optically luminous galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Xin-fa; Deng, Zu-gan; Liu, Yong-zhen

1992-04-01

Fractal dimensions in the large scale distribution of galaxies have been calculated with the method given by Wen et al. [1] Samples are taken from CfA redshift survey in northern and southern galactic [2] hemisphere in our analysis respectively. Results from these two regions are compared with each other. There are significant differences between the distributions in these two regions. However, our analyses do show some common features of the distributions in these two regions. All subsamples show multi-level fractal character distinctly. Combining it with the results from analyses of samples given by IRAS galaxies and results from samples given by redshift survey in pencil-beam fields, [3,4] we suggest that multi-level fractal structure is most likely to be a general and important character in the large scale distribution of galaxies. The possible implications of this character are discussed.

The Thousand-Ruby Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-09-01

ESO's Wide Field Imager has captured the intricate swirls of the spiral galaxy Messier 83, a smaller look-alike of our own Milky Way. Shining with the light of billions of stars and the ruby red glow of hydrogen gas, it is a beautiful example of a barred spiral galaxy, whose shape has led to it being nicknamed the Southern Pinwheel. Messier 83, M83 ESO PR Photo 25/08 Spiral Galaxy Messier 83 This dramatic image of the galaxy Messier 83 was captured by the Wide Field Imager at ESO's La Silla Observatory, located high in the dry desert mountains of the Chilean Atacama Desert. Messier 83 lies roughly 15 million light-years away towards the huge southern constellation of Hydra (the sea serpent). It stretches over 40 000 light-years, making it roughly 2.5 times smaller than our own Milky Way. However, in some respects, Messier 83 is quite similar to our own galaxy. Both the Milky Way and Messier 83 possess a bar across their galactic nucleus, the dense spherical conglomeration of stars seen at the centre of the galaxies. This very detailed image shows the spiral arms of Messier 83 adorned by countless bright flourishes of ruby red light. These are in fact huge clouds of glowing hydrogen gas. Ultraviolet radiation from newly born, massive stars is ionising the gas in these clouds, causing the great regions of hydrogen to glow red. These star forming regions are contrasted dramatically in this image against the ethereal glow of older yellow stars near the galaxy's central hub. The image also shows the delicate tracery of dark and winding dust streams weaving throughout the arms of the galaxy. Messier 83 was discovered by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the mid 18th century. Decades later it was listed in the famous catalogue of deep sky objects compiled by another French astronomer and famous comet hunter, Charles Messier. Recent observations of this enigmatic galaxy in ultraviolet light and radio waves have shown that even its outer desolate regions

Clusters of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huchtmeier, W. K.; Richter, O. G.; Materne, J.

1981-09-01

The large-scale structure of the universe is dominated by clustering. Most galaxies seem to be members of pairs, groups, clusters, and superclusters. To that degree we are able to recognize a hierarchical structure of the universe. Our local group of galaxies (LG) is centred on two large spiral galaxies: the Andromeda nebula and our own galaxy. Three sr:naller galaxies - like M 33 - and at least 23 dwarf galaxies (KraanKorteweg and Tammann, 1979, Astronomische Nachrichten, 300, 181) can be found in the evironment of these two large galaxies. Neighbouring groups have comparable sizes (about 1 Mpc in extent) and comparable numbers of bright members. Small dwarf galaxies cannot at present be observed at great distances.