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.

Rebuilding Spiral Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-01-01

Major Observing Programme Leads to New Theory of Galaxy Formation Summary Most present-day large galaxies are spirals, presenting a disc surrounding a central bulge. Famous examples are our own Milky Way or the Andromeda Galaxy. When and how did these spiral galaxies form? Why do a great majority of them present a massive central bulge? An international team of astronomers [1] presents new convincing answers to these fundamental questions. For this, they rely on an extensive dataset of observations of galaxies taken with several space- and ground-based telescopes. In particular, they used over a two-year period, several instruments on ESO's Very Large Telescope. Among others, their observations reveal that roughly half of the present-day stars were formed in the period between 8,000 million and 4,000 million years ago, mostly in episodic burst of intense star formation occurring in Luminous Infrared Galaxies. From this and other evidence, the astronomers devised an innovative scenario, dubbed the "spiral rebuilding". They claim that most present-day spiral galaxies are the results of one or several merger events. If confirmed, this new scenario could revolutionise the way astronomers think galaxies formed. PR Photo 02a/05: Luminosity - Oxygen Abundance Relation for Galaxies (VLT) PR Photo 02b/05: The Spiral Rebuilding Scenario A fleet of instruments How and when did galaxies form? How and when did stars form in these island universes? These questions are still posing a considerable challenge to present-day astronomers. Front-line observational results obtained with a fleet of ground- and space-based telescopes by an international team of astronomers [1] provide new insights into these fundamental issues. For this, they embarked on an ambitious long-term study at various wavelengths of 195 galaxies with a redshift [2] greater than 0.4, i.e. located more than 4000 million light-years away. These galaxies were studied using ESO's Very Large Telescope, as well as the 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 occurring in less than 1,000 million years, the existence of such a large fraction of these LIRGs in the past Universe has important consequences on the total stellar formation rate. As François Hammer (Paris Observatory, France), leader of the team, states: "We are thus led to the conclusion that during the time span from roughly 8,000 million to 4,000 million years ago, intermediate mass galaxies converted about half of their total mass into stars. Moreover, this star formation must have taken place in very intense bursts when galaxies were emitting huge amount of infrared radiation and appeared as LIRGs." Another result could be secured using the spectra obtained with the Very Large Telescope: the astronomers measured the chemical abundances in several of the observed galaxies (PR Photo 02a/05). They find that galaxies with large redshifts show oxygen abundances two times lower than present-day spirals. As it is stars which produce oxygen in a galaxy, this again gives support to the fact that these galaxies have been actively forming stars in the period between 8,000 and 4,000 million years ago. And because it is believed that galaxy collisions and mergers play an important role in triggering such phases of enhanced star-forming activity, these observations indicate that galaxy merging still occurred frequently less than 8,000 million years ago. Spiral Rebuilding ESO PR Photo 02b/05 ESO PR Photo 02b/05 The Spiral Rebuilding Scenario [Preview - JPEG: 471 x 400 pix - 80k] [Normal - JPEG: 941 x 800 pix - 207k] Caption: ESO PR Photo 02b/05: Schematic representation of the newly proposed scenario of "spiral galaxy rebuilding": galaxies collide (1), then merge (2), inducing a burst of stellar formation activity. After the merging, the gas and the stars fall towards the centre in a very compact structure (3). Part of the gas which did not fall back initially, gradually rebuilds a disc around the compact structure, making a new spiral galaxy (4 and 5). The images are pictures of distant galaxies at various redshifts taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The central panel displays the star formation rate as a function of time. The numbers coincide with the numbers shown on the images. The story revealed by these observations is in agreement with the so-called "hierarchical merging of galaxies" scenario, present in the literature since about 20 years. According to this model, small galaxies merge to build larger ones. As François Hammer however points out: "In the current scenario, it was usually assumed that galaxy merging almost ceased 8,000 million years ago. Our complete set of observations show that this is far from being the case. In the following 4,000 million years, galaxies still merged to form the large spirals we observe in the local Universe." To account for all these properties, the astronomers thus devised a new galaxy formation scenario, comprising three major phases: a merger event, a compact galaxy phase and a "growth of the disc" phase (see PR Photo 02b/05). Because of the unique aspects of this scenario, where big galaxies get first disrupted by a major collision to be born again later as a present-day spiral galaxy, the astronomers rather logically dubbed their evolutionary sequence, the "spiral galaxy rebuilding". Although being at odds with standard views which assert that galaxy mergers produce elliptical galaxies instead of spiral ones, the astronomers stress that their scenario is consistent with the observed fractions of the different types of galaxies and can account for all the observations. The new scenario can indeed account for the formation of about three quarters of the present-day spiral galaxies, those with massive central bulge. It would apply for example to the Andromeda Galaxy but not to our own Milky way. It seems that our Galaxy somehow escaped major collisions in the last thousands of million years. Further observations, in particular with the FLAMES instrument on the VLT, will show if spiral galaxies are indeed relatively recent born-again systems created from major merger events.

A challenge to dSph formation models: are the most isolated Local Group dSph galaxies truly old?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monelli, Matteo

2017-08-01

What is the origin of the different dwarf galaxy types? The classification into dwarf irregular (dIrr), spheroidal (dSph), and transition (dT) types is based on their present-day properties. However, star formation histories (SFHs) reconstructed from deep color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) provide details on the early evolution of galaxies of all these types, and indicate only two basic evolutionary paths. One is characterized by a vigorous but brief initial star-forming event, and little or no star formation thereafter (fast evolution), and the other one by roughly continuous star formation until (nearly) the present time (slow evolution). These two paths do not map directly onto the dIrr, dT and dSph types. Thus, the present galaxy properties do not reflect their lifetime evolution. Since there are some indications that slow dwarfs were assembled in lower-density environments than fast dwarfs, Gallart et al (2015) proposed that the distinction between fast and slow dwarfs reflects the characteristic density of the environment where they formed. This scenario, and more generally scenarios where dSph galaxies formed through the interaction with a massive galaxy, are challenged by a small sample of extremely isolated dSph/dT in the outer fringes of the Local Group. This proposal targets two of these objects (VV124, KKR25) for which we will infer their SFH - through a novel technique that combines the information from their RR Lyrae stars and deep CMDs sampling the intermediate-age population - in order to test these scenarios. This is much less demanding on observing time than classical SFH derivation using full depth CMDs.

Self-regulating galaxy formation. Part 1: HII disk and Lyman alpha pressure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cox, D. P.

1983-01-01

Assuming a simple but physically based prototype for behavior of interstellar material during formation of a disk galaxy, coupled with the lowest order description of infall, a scenario is developed for self-regulated disk galaxy formation. Radiation pressure, particularly that of Lyman depha (from fluorescence conversion Lyman continuum), is an essential component, maintaining an inflated disk and stopping infall when only a small fraction of the overall perturbation has joined the disk. The resulting galaxies consist of a two dimensional family whose typical scales and surface density are expressable in terms of fundamental constants. The model leads naturally to galaxies with a rich circumgalactic environment and flat rotation curves (but is weak in its analysis of the subsequent evolution of halo material).

Large velocity dispersion of molecular gas in bars of strongly barred galaxies NGC 1300 and NGC 5383

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maeda, Fumiya; Ohta, Kouji; Fujimoto, Yusuke; Habe, Asao; Baba, Junichi

2018-06-01

We carried out ^{12}CO(J = 1-0) observations toward bar and arm regions of the strongly barred galaxies NGC 1300 and NGC 5383 with the Nobeyama 45 m radio telescope (beam size of 1-2 kpc in the galaxies). The aim of the observations is to qualitatively examine a new scenario for the suppression of star formation in bars based on recent high-resolution numerical simulations: higher speed collisions between molecular clouds in the bar region compared with the arm region suppress the massive star formation. CO emissions were detected from all the regions, indicating the presence of molecular gases in the strong bars without associating clear H II regions. In both galaxies, the velocity width of the CO line profile tends to be larger in the bar region than in the arm region, which is qualitatively consistent with the new scenario.

Dynamical thresholding of pancake models: a promising variant of the HDM picture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchert, Thomas

Variants of pancake models are considered which allow for the construction of a phenomenological link to the galaxy formation process. A control parameter space is introduced which defines different scenarios of galaxy formation. The sensibility of statistical measures of the small-scale structure with respect to this parameter freedom is demonstrated. This property of the galaxy formation model, together with the consequences of enlarging the box size of the simulation to a `fair sample scale', form the basis of arguments to support the possible revival of the standard `Hot-Dark-Matter' model.

Quenching or Bursting: Star Formation Acceleration—A New Methodology for Tracing Galaxy Evolution

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

Martin, D. Christopher; Darvish, Behnam; Seibert, Mark

We introduce a new methodology for the direct extraction of galaxy physical parameters from multiwavelength photometry and spectroscopy. We use semianalytic models that describe galaxy evolution in the context of large-scale cosmological simulation to provide a catalog of galaxies, star formation histories, and physical parameters. We then apply models of stellar population synthesis and a simple extinction model to calculate the observable broadband fluxes and spectral indices for these galaxies. We use a linear regression analysis to relate physical parameters to observed colors and spectral indices. The result is a set of coefficients that can be used to translate observedmore » colors and indices into stellar mass, star formation rate, and many other parameters, including the instantaneous time derivative of the star formation rate, which we denote the Star Formation Acceleration (SFA), We apply the method to a test sample of galaxies with GALEX photometry and SDSS spectroscopy, deriving relationships between stellar mass, specific star formation rate, and SFA. We find evidence for a mass-dependent SFA in the green valley, with low-mass galaxies showing greater quenching and higher-mass galaxies greater bursting. We also find evidence for an increase in average quenching in galaxies hosting an active galactic nucleus. A simple scenario in which lower-mass galaxies accrete and become satellite galaxies, having their star-forming gas tidally and/or ram-pressure stripped, while higher-mass galaxies receive this gas and react with new star formation, can qualitatively explain our results.« less

Quenching or Bursting: Star Formation Acceleration—A New Methodology for Tracing Galaxy Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, D. Christopher; Gonçalves, Thiago S.; Darvish, Behnam; Seibert, Mark; Schiminovich, David

2017-06-01

We introduce a new methodology for the direct extraction of galaxy physical parameters from multiwavelength photometry and spectroscopy. We use semianalytic models that describe galaxy evolution in the context of large-scale cosmological simulation to provide a catalog of galaxies, star formation histories, and physical parameters. We then apply models of stellar population synthesis and a simple extinction model to calculate the observable broadband fluxes and spectral indices for these galaxies. We use a linear regression analysis to relate physical parameters to observed colors and spectral indices. The result is a set of coefficients that can be used to translate observed colors and indices into stellar mass, star formation rate, and many other parameters, including the instantaneous time derivative of the star formation rate, which we denote the Star Formation Acceleration (SFA), We apply the method to a test sample of galaxies with GALEX photometry and SDSS spectroscopy, deriving relationships between stellar mass, specific star formation rate, and SFA. We find evidence for a mass-dependent SFA in the green valley, with low-mass galaxies showing greater quenching and higher-mass galaxies greater bursting. We also find evidence for an increase in average quenching in galaxies hosting an active galactic nucleus. A simple scenario in which lower-mass galaxies accrete and become satellite galaxies, having their star-forming gas tidally and/or ram-pressure stripped, while higher-mass galaxies receive this gas and react with new star formation, can qualitatively explain our results.

Chemical abundances of the PRGs UGC 7576 and UGC 9796. I. Testing the formation scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spavone, M.; Iodice, E.; Arnaboldi, M.; Longo, G.; Gerhard, O.

2011-07-01

Context. The study of both the chemical abundances of HII regions in polar ring galaxies and their implications for the evolutionary scenario of these systems has been a step forward both in tracing the formation history of the galaxy and giving hints toward the mechanisms at work during the building of a disk by cold accretion process. It is now important to establish whether such results are typical of the class of polar disk galaxies as a whole. Aims: The present work aims at checking the cold accretion of gas through a "cosmic filament" as a possible scenario for the formation of the polar structures in UGC 7576 and UGC 9796. If these form by cold accretion, we expect the HII regions abundances and metallicities to be lower than those of same-luminosity spiral disks, with values of Z ~ 1/10 Z⊙, as predicted by cosmological simulations. Methods: We used deep long-slit spectra, obtained with DOLORES@TNG in the optical wavelengths, of the brightest HII regions associated with the polar structures to derive their chemical abundances and star formation rate. We used the empirical methods, based on the intensities of easily observable lines, to derive the oxygen abundance 12 + log (O/H) of both galaxies. Such values are compared with those typical of different morphological galaxy types of comparable luminosity. Results: The average metallicity values for UGC 7576 and UGC 9796 are Z = 0.4 Z⊙ and Z = 0.1 Z⊙, respectively. Both values are lower than those measured for ordinary spirals of similar luminosity, and UGC 7576 presents no metallicity gradient along the polar structure. These data, together with other observed features available for the two PRGs in previous works, are compared with the predictions of simulations of tidal accretion, cold accretion, and merging to disentangle these scenarios.

Star and Dust Formation Activities in AzTEC-3, a Starburst Galaxy at z = 5.3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dwek, Eli; Staguhn, Johannes G.; Arendt, Richard G.; Capak, Peter L.; Kovacs, Attila; Benford, Dominic J.; Fixsen, Dale; Karim, Alexander; Leclercq, Samuel; Maher, Stephen F.; Moseley, Samuel H.; Schinnerer, Eva; Sharp, Elmer H.

2011-09-01

Analyses of high-redshift ultraluminous infrared (IR) galaxies traditionally use the observed optical to submillimeter spectral energy distribution (SED) and estimates of the dynamical mass as observational constraints to derive the star formation rate (SFR), the stellar mass, and age of these objects. An important observational constraint neglected in the analysis is the mass of dust giving rise to the IR emission. In this paper we add this constraint to the analysis of AzTEC-3. Adopting an upper limit to the mass of stars and a bolometric luminosity for this object, we construct different stellar and chemical evolutionary scenarios, constrained to produce the inferred dust mass and observed luminosity before the associated stellar mass exceeds the observational limit. We use the PÉGASE population synthesis code and a chemical evolution model to follow the evolution of the galaxy's SED and its stellar and dust masses as a function of galactic age for seven different stellar initial mass functions (IMFs). We find that the model with a Top Heavy IMF provided the most plausible scenario consistent with the observational constraints. In this scenario the dust formed over a period of ~200 Myr, with an SFR of ~500 M sun yr-1. These values for the age and SFR in AzTEC-3 are significantly higher and lower, respectively, from those derived without the dust mass constraint. However, this scenario is not unique, and others cannot be completely ruled out because of the prevailing uncertainties in the age of the galaxy, its bolometric luminosity, and its stellar and dust masses. A robust result of our models is that all scenarios require most of the radiating dust mass to have been accreted in molecular clouds. Our new procedure highlights the importance of a multiwavelength approach, and of the use of dust evolution models in constraining the age and the star formation activity and history in galaxies.

STAR AND DUST FORMATION ACTIVITIES IN AzTEC-3, A STARBURST GALAXY AT z = 5.3

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

Dwek, Eli; Staguhn, Johannes G.; Arendt, Richard G.

2011-09-01

Analyses of high-redshift ultraluminous infrared (IR) galaxies traditionally use the observed optical to submillimeter spectral energy distribution (SED) and estimates of the dynamical mass as observational constraints to derive the star formation rate (SFR), the stellar mass, and age of these objects. An important observational constraint neglected in the analysis is the mass of dust giving rise to the IR emission. In this paper we add this constraint to the analysis of AzTEC-3. Adopting an upper limit to the mass of stars and a bolometric luminosity for this object, we construct different stellar and chemical evolutionary scenarios, constrained to producemore » the inferred dust mass and observed luminosity before the associated stellar mass exceeds the observational limit. We use the PEGASE population synthesis code and a chemical evolution model to follow the evolution of the galaxy's SED and its stellar and dust masses as a function of galactic age for seven different stellar initial mass functions (IMFs). We find that the model with a Top Heavy IMF provided the most plausible scenario consistent with the observational constraints. In this scenario the dust formed over a period of {approx}200 Myr, with an SFR of {approx}500 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}. These values for the age and SFR in AzTEC-3 are significantly higher and lower, respectively, from those derived without the dust mass constraint. However, this scenario is not unique, and others cannot be completely ruled out because of the prevailing uncertainties in the age of the galaxy, its bolometric luminosity, and its stellar and dust masses. A robust result of our models is that all scenarios require most of the radiating dust mass to have been accreted in molecular clouds. Our new procedure highlights the importance of a multiwavelength approach, and of the use of dust evolution models in constraining the age and the star formation activity and history in galaxies.« less

A SINFONI view of circum-nuclear star-forming rings in spiral galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falcón-Barroso, Jesús; Böker, Torsten; Schinnerer, Eva; Knapen, Johan H.; Ryder, Stuart

2008-07-01

We present near-infrared (H- and K-band) SINFONI integral-field observations of the circumnuclear star formation rings in five nearby spiral galaxies. We made use of the relative intensities of different emission lines (i.e. [FeII], HeI, Brγ) to age date the stellar clusters present along the rings. This qualitative, yet robust, method allows us to discriminate between two distinct scenarios that describe how star formation progresses along the rings. Our findings favour a model where star formation is triggered predominantly at the intersection between the bar major axis and the inner Lindblad resonance and then passively evolves as the clusters rotate around the ring (‘Pearls on a string’ scenario), although models of stochastically distributed star formation (‘Popcorn’ model) cannot be completely ruled out.

Luminosity segregation in galaxy clusters as an indication of dynamical evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baier, F. W.; Schmidt, K.-H.

1993-01-01

Theoretical models describing the dynamical evolution of self-gravitating systems predict a spatial mass segregation for more evolved systems, with the more massive objects concentrated toward the center of the configuration. From the observational point of view, however, the existence of mass segregation in galaxy clusters seems to be a matter of controversy. A special problem in this connection is the formation of cD galaxies in the centers of galaxy clusters. The most promising scenarios of their formation are galaxy cannibalism (merger scenario) and growing by cooling flows. It seems to be plausible to consider the swallowing of smaller systems by a dominant galaxy as an important process in the evolution of a cD galaxy. The stage of the evolution of the dominant galaxy should be reflected by the surrounding galaxy population, especially by possible mass segregation effects. Assuming that mass segregation is tantamount to luminosity segregation we analyzed luminosity segregation in roughly 40 cD galaxy clusters. Obviously there are three different groups of clusters: (1) clusters with luminosity segregation, (2) clusters without luminosity segregation, and (3) such objects exhibiting a phenomenon which we call antisegregation in luminosity, i.e. a deficiency of bright galaxies in the central regions of clusters. This result is interpreted in the sense of different degrees of mass segregation and as an indication for different evolution stages of these clusters. The clusters are arranged in the three segregation classes 2, 1, and 0 (S2 = strong mass segregation, S1 = moderate mass segregation, S0 = weak or absent mass segregation). We assume that a galaxy cluster starts its dynamical evolution after virialization without any radial mass segregation. Energy exchange during encounters of cluster members as well as merger processes between cluster galaxies lead to an increasing radial mass segregation in the cluster (S1). If a certain degree of segregation (S2) has been established, an essential number of slow-moving and relative massive cluster members in the center will be cannibalized by the initial brightest cluster galaxy. This process should lead to the growing of the predominate galaxy, which is accompanied by a diminution of the mass segregation (transition to S1 and S0, respectively) in the neighborhood of the central very massive galaxy. An increase of the areal density of brighter galaxies towards the outer cluster regions (antisegregation of luminosity), i.e. an extreme low degree of mass segregation was estimated for a substantial percentage of cD clusters. This result favors the cannibalism scenario for the formation of cD galaxies.

The TESIS Project: Revealing Massive Early-Type Galaxies at z > 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saracco, P.; Longhetti, M.; Severgnini, P.; Della Ceca, R.; Braito, V.; Bender, R.; Drory, N.; Feulner, G.; Hopp, U.; Mannucci, F.; Maraston, C.

How and when present-day massive early-type galaxies built up and what type of evolution has characterized their growth (star formation and/or merging) still remain open issues. The different competing scenarios of galaxy formation predict much different properties of early-type galaxies at z > 1. The "monolithic" collapse predicts that massive spheroids formed at high redshift (z > 2.5-3) and that their comoving density is constant at z < 2.5-3 since they evolve only in luminosity. On the contrary, in the hierarchical scenario massive spheroids are built up through subsequent mergers reaching their final masses at z < 1.5 [3,5]. As a consequence, massive systems are very rare at z > 1, their comoving density decreases from z = 0 to z ~ 1.5 and they should experience their last burst of star formation at z < 1.5, concurrent with the merging event(s) of their formation. These opposed predicted properties of early-types at z > 1 can be probed observationally once a well defined sample of massive early-types at z > 1 is available. We are constructing such a sample through a dedicated near-IR very low resolution (λ/Δλ≃50) spectroscopic survey (TNG EROs Spectroscopic Identification Survey, TESIS, [6]) of a complete sample of 30 bright (K < 18.5) Extremely Red Objects (EROs).

Star Formation in the Central Regions of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Mengchun

2015-08-01

The galactic central region connects the galactic nucleus to the host galaxy. If the central black hole co-evolved with the host galaxies, there should be some evidence left in the central region. We use the environmental properties in the central regions such as star-forming activity, stellar population and molecular abundance to figure out a possible scenario of the evolution of galaxies. In this thesis at first we investigated the properties of the central regions in the host galaxies of active and normal galaxies. We used radio emission around the nuclei of the host galaxies to represent activity of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and used infrared ray (IR) emission to represent the star-forming activity and stellar population of the host galaxies. We determined that active galaxies have higher stellar masses (SMs) within the central kiloparsec radius than normal galaxies do independent of the Hubble types of the host galaxies; but both active and normal galaxies exhibit similar specific star formation rates (SSFRs). We also discovered that certain AGNs exhibit substantial inner stellar structures in the IR images; most of the AGNs with inner structures are Seyferts, whereas only a few LINERs exhibit inner structures. We note that the AGNs with inner structures show a positive correlation between the radio activity of the AGNs and the SFRs of the host galaxies, but the sources without inner structures show a negative correlation between the radio power and the SFRs. These results might be explained with a scenario of starburst-AGN evolution. In this scenario, AGN activities are triggered following a nuclear starburst; during the evolution, AGN activities are accompanied by SF activity in the inner regions of the host galaxies; at the final stage of the evolution, the AGNs might transform into LINERs, exhibiting weak SF activity in the central regions of the host galaxies. For further investigation about the inner structure, we choose the most nearby and luminous Seyfert galaxy with inner structure as an example. In this thesis, we present CO(3-2) interferometric observations of the central region of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC1068 using the Submillimeter Array, together with CO(1-0) data taken with the Owens Valley Radio Observatory Millimeter Array. Both the CO(3-2) and CO(1-0) emission lines are mainly distributed within ~5 arcsec of the nucleus and along the spiral arms, but the intensity distributions show differences; the CO(3-2) map peaks in the nucleus, while the CO(1-0) emission is mainly located along the spiral arms. The CO(3-2)/CO(1-0) ratio is about 3.1 in the nucleus, which is four times as large as the average line ratio in the spiral arms, suggesting that the molecular gas there must be affected by the radiation arising from the AGN. On the other hand, the line ratios in the spiral arms vary over a wide range from 0.24 to 2.34 with a average value around 0.75, which is similar to the line ratios of star-formation regions, indicating that the molecular gas is affected by star formation. Besides, we see a tight correlation between CO(3-2)/(1-0) ratios in the spiral arms and star formation rate surface densities derived from Spitzer 8 micron dust flux densities. We also compare the CO(3-2)/(1-0) ratio and the star formation rate at different positions within the spiral arms; both are found to decrease as the radius from the nucleus increases.

Field spheroid-dominated galaxies in a Λ-CDM Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosito, M. S.; Pedrosa, S. E.; Tissera, P. B.; Avila-Reese, V.; Lacerna, I.; Bignone, L. A.; Ibarra-Medel, H. J.; Varela, S.

2018-06-01

Context. Understanding the formation and evolution of early-type, spheroid-dominated galaxies is an open question within the context of the hierarchical clustering scenario, particularly in low-density environments. Aims: Our goal is to study the main structural, dynamical, and stellar population properties and assembly histories of field spheroid-dominated galaxies formed in a Λ-cold dark matter (Λ-CDM) scenario to assess to what extent they are consistent with observations. Methods: We selected spheroid-dominated systems from a Λ-CDM simulation that includes star formation (SF), chemical evolution, and supernova feedback. The sample is made up of 18 field systems with MStar ≲ 6 × 1010M⊙ that are dominated by the spheroid component. For this sample we estimated the fundamental relations of ellipticals and compared them with current observations. Results: The simulated spheroid galaxies have sizes that are in good agreement with observations. The bulges follow a Sersic law with Sersic indexes that correlate with the bulge-to-total mass ratios. The structural-dynamical properties of the simulated galaxies are consistent with observed Faber-Jackson, fundamental plane, and Tully-Fisher relations. However, the simulated galaxies are bluer and with higher star formation rates (SFRs) than the observed isolated early-type galaxies. The archaeological mass growth histories show a slightly delayed formation and more prominent inside-out growth mode than observational inferences based on the fossil record method. Conclusions: The main structural and dynamical properties of the simulated spheroid-dominated galaxies are consistent with observations. This is remarkable since our simulation has not been calibrated to match them. However, the simulated galaxies are blue and star-forming, and with later stellar mass growth histories compared to observational inferences. This is mainly due to the persistence of extended discs in the simulations. The need for more efficient quenching mechanisms able to avoid further disc growth and SF is required in order to reproduce current observational trends.

Star formation in globular clusters and dwarf galaxies and implications for the early evolution of galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Douglas N. C.; Murray, Stephen D.

1991-01-01

Based upon the observed properties of globular clusters and dwarf galaxies in the Local Group, we present important theoretical constraints on star formation in these systems. These constraints indicate that protoglobular cluster clouds had long dormant periods and a brief epoch of violent star formation. Collisions between protocluster clouds triggered fragmentation into individual stars. Most protocluster clouds dispersed into the Galactic halo during the star formation epoch. In contrast, the large spread in stellar metallicity in dwarf galaxies suggests that star formation in their pregenitors was self-regulated: we propose the protocluster clouds formed from thermal instability in the protogalactic clouds and show that a population of massive stars is needed to provide sufficient UV flux to prevent the collapsing protogalactic clouds from fragmenting into individual stars. Based upon these constraints, we propose a unified scenario to describe the early epochs of star formation in the Galactic halo as well as the thick and thin components of the Galactic disk.

Towards Understanding The Origin And Evolution Of Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Burg, Remco F. J.; Sifón, Cristóbal; Muzzin, Adam; Hoekstra, Henk; KiDS Collaboration; GAMA Collaboration

2017-06-01

Recent observations have shown that Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies (UDGs, which have the luminosities of dwarfs but sizes of giant galaxies) are surprisingly abundant in clusters of galaxies. The origin of these galaxies remains unclear, since one would naively expect them to be easily disrupted by tidal interactions in the cluster environment. Several formation scenarios have been proposed for UDGs, but these make a wide range of different testable observational predictions. I'll summarise recent results on two key observables that have the potential to differentiate between the proposed models, namely 1) a measurement of their (sub)halo masses using weak gravitational lensing, and 2) their abundance in lower-mass haloes using data from the GAMA and KiDS surveys. I'll discuss implications and future prospects to learn more about the properties and formation histories of these elusive galaxies.

The formation of planetary systems during the evolution of close binary stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tutukov, A. V.

1991-08-01

Modern scenarios of the formation of planetary systems around single stars and products of merging close binaries are described. The frequencies of the realization of different scenarios in the Galaxy are estimated. It is concluded that the modern theory of the early stages of the evolution of single stars and the theory of the evolution of close binaries offer several possible versions for the origin of planetary systems, while the scenario dating back to Kant and Laplace remains the likeliest.

Growing up in a megalopolis: environmental effects on galaxy evolution in a supercluster at z ˜ 0.65 in UKIDSS UDS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galametz, Audrey; Pentericci, Laura; Castellano, Marco; Mendel, Trevor; Hartley, Will G.; Fossati, Matteo; Finoguenov, Alexis; Almaini, Omar; Beifiori, Alessandra; Fontana, Adriano; Grazian, Andrea; Scodeggio, Marco; Kocevski, Dale D.

2018-04-01

We present a large-scale galaxy structure Cl J021734-0513 at z ˜ 0.65 discovered in the UKIDSS UDS field, made of ˜20 galaxy groups and clusters, spreading over 10 Mpc. We report on a VLT/VIMOS spectroscopic follow-up program that, combined with past spectroscopy, allowed us to confirm four galaxy clusters (M200 ˜ 1014 M⊙) and a dozen associated groups and star-forming galaxy overdensities. Two additional filamentary structures at z ˜ 0.62 and 0.69 and foreground and background clusters at 0.6 < z < 0.7 were also confirmed along the line of sight. The structure subcomponents are at different formation stages. The clusters have a core dominated by passive galaxies and an established red sequence. The remaining structures are a mix of star-forming galaxy overdensities and forming groups. The presence of quiescent galaxies in the core of the latter shows that `pre-processing' has already happened before the groups fall into their more massive neighbours. Our spectroscopy allows us to derive spectral index measurements e.g. emission/absorption line equivalent widths, strength of the 4000 Å break, valuable to investigate the star formation history of structure members. Based on these line measurements, we select a population of `post-starburst' galaxies. These galaxies are preferentially found within the virial radius of clusters, supporting a scenario in which their recent quenching could be prompted by gas stripping by the dense intracluster medium. We derive stellar age estimates using Markov Chain Monte Carlo-based spectral fitting for quiescent galaxies and find a correlation between ages and colours/stellar masses which favours a top-down formation scenario of the red sequence. A catalogue of ˜650 redshifts in UDS is released alongside the paper (via MNRAS online data).

Constraining the Active Galactic Nucleus Contribution in a Multiwavelength Study of Seyfert Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melendez, M.; Kraemer, S.B.; Schmitt, H.R.; Crenshaw, D.M.; Deo, R.P.; Mushotzky, R.F.; Bruhweiler, F.C.

2008-01-01

We have studied the relationship between the high- and low-ionization [O IV] (lambda)25.89 microns, [Ne III] (lambda)15.56 microns, and [Ne II] (lambda)12.81 microns emission lines with the aim of constraining the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and star formation contributions for a sample of 103 Seyfert galaxies.We use the [O IV] and [Ne II] emission as tracers for the AGN power and star formation to investigate the ionization state of the emission-line gas.We find that Seyfert 2 galaxies have, on average, lower [O IV]/[Ne II] ratios than Seyfert 1 galaxies. This result suggests two possible scenarios: (1) Seyfert 2 galaxies have intrinsically weaker AGNs, or (2) Seyfert 2 galaxies have relatively higher star formation rates than Seyfert 1 galaxies. We estimate the fraction of [Ne II] directly associated with the AGNs and find that Seyfert 2 galaxies have a larger contribution from star formation, by a factor of approx.1.5 on average, than what is found in Seyfert 1 galaxies. Using the stellar component of [Ne II] as a tracer of the current star formation, we found similar star formation rates in Seyfert 1 and Seyfert 2 galaxies.We examined the mid- and far-infrared continua and found that [Ne II] is well correlated with the continuum luminosity at 60 microns and that both [Ne III] and [O IV] are better correlated with the 25 micron luminosities than with the continuum at longer wavelengths, suggesting that the mid-infrared continuum luminosity is dominated by the AGN, while the far-infrared luminosity is dominated by star formation. Overall, these results test the unified model of AGNs and suggest that the differences between Seyfert galaxies cannot be solely due to viewing angle dependence.

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE STAR FORMATION HISTORIES OF BLUE GALAXIES AT REDSHIFTS 0.2 < z < 1.4

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

Pacifici, Camilla; Kassin, Susan A.; Gardner, Jonathan P.

2013-01-01

Popular cosmological scenarios predict that galaxies form hierarchically from the merger of many progenitors, each with their own unique star formation history (SFH). We use a sophisticated approach to constrain the SFHs of 4517 blue (presumably star-forming) galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts in the range 0.2 < z < 1.4 from the All-Wavelength Extended Groth Strip International Survey. This consists in the Bayesian analysis of the observed galaxy spectral energy distributions with a comprehensive library of synthetic spectra assembled using realistic, hierarchical star formation, and chemical enrichment histories from cosmological simulations. We constrain the SFH of each galaxy in our samplemore » by comparing the observed fluxes in the B, R, I, and K{sub s} bands and rest-frame optical emission-line luminosities with those of one million model spectral energy distributions. We explore the dependence of the resulting SFHs on galaxy stellar mass and redshift. We find that the average SFHs of high-mass galaxies rise and fall in a roughly symmetric bell-shaped manner, while those of low-mass galaxies rise progressively in time, consistent with the typically stronger activity of star formation in low-mass compared to high-mass galaxies. For galaxies of all masses, the star formation activity rises more rapidly at high than at low redshift. These findings imply that the standard approximation of exponentially declining SFHs widely used to interpret observed galaxy spectral energy distributions may not be appropriate to constrain the physical parameters of star-forming galaxies at intermediate redshifts.« less

Megamasers: Molecular Diagnostics of the Nuclear ISM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baan, Willem A.; Klöckner, Hans-R.

Molecular emissions are powerful tracers of intense heating and star-formation processes in galactic nuclei. In this paper we consider the characteristics of molecular Megamaser emission among the population of (Ultra-) Luminous Infrared Galaxies that are powered by intense star-formation or accretion onto a massive compact object. In addition, we consider the systematic behavior of the line emission of high-density tracer molecules. An evolutionary scenario is presented for ULIRGs that may explain the molecular line ratios observed in the population of FIR galaxies.

Megamasers: Molecular Diagnostics of the Nuclear Ism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baan, Willem A.; Klöckner, Hans-R.

2005-01-01

Molecular emissions are powerful tracers of intense heating and star-formation processes in galactic nuclei. In this paper we consider the characteristics of molecular Megamaser emission among the population of (Ultra-) Luminous Infrared Galaxies that are powered by intense star-formation or accretion onto a massive compact object. In addition, we consider the systematic behavior of the line emission of high-density tracer molecules. An evolutionary scenario is presented for ULIRGs that may explain the molecular line ratios observed in the population of FIR galaxies.

SDSS-IV MaNGA: Spatially Resolved Star Formation Main Sequence and LI(N)ER Sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsieh, B. C.; Lin, Lihwai; Lin, J. H.; Pan, H. A.; Hsu, C. H.; Sánchez, S. F.; Cano-Díaz, M.; Zhang, K.; Yan, R.; Barrera-Ballesteros, J. K.; Boquien, M.; Riffel, R.; Brownstein, J.; Cruz-González, I.; Hagen, A.; Ibarra, H.; Pan, K.; Bizyaev, D.; Oravetz, D.; Simmons, A.

2017-12-01

We present our study on the spatially resolved Hα and M * relation for 536 star-forming and 424 quiescent galaxies taken from the MaNGA survey. We show that the star formation rate surface density ({{{Σ }}}{SFR}), derived based on the Hα emissions, is strongly correlated with the M * surface density ({{{Σ }}}* ) on kiloparsec scales for star-forming galaxies and can be directly connected to the global star-forming sequence. This suggests that the global main sequence may be a consequence of a more fundamental relation on small scales. On the other hand, our result suggests that ∼20% of quiescent galaxies in our sample still have star formation activities in the outer region with lower specific star formation rate (SSFR) than typical star-forming galaxies. Meanwhile, we also find a tight correlation between {{{Σ }}}{{H}α } and {{{Σ }}}* for LI(N)ER regions, named the resolved “LI(N)ER” sequence, in quiescent galaxies, which is consistent with the scenario that LI(N)ER emissions are primarily powered by the hot, evolved stars as suggested in the literature.

The Growth of the Disk Galaxy UGC8802

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, R. X.; Shen, S. Y.; Hou, J. L.

2012-07-01

The disk galaxy UGC8802 has high neutral gas content and a flat profile of star formation rate compared to other disk galaxies with similar stellar mass. It also shows a steep metallicity gradient. We construct a chemical evolution model to explore its growth history by assuming its disk grows gradually from continuous gas infall, which is shaped by a free parameter—the infall-peak time. By adopting the recently observed molecular surface density related star formation law, we show that a late infall-peak time can naturally explain the observed high neutral gas content, while an inside-out disk formation scenario can fairly reproduce the steep oxygen abundance gradient. Our results show that most of the observed features of UGC8802 can be well reproduced by simply "turning the knob" on gas inflow with one single parameter, which implies that the observed properties of gas-rich galaxies could also be modeled in a similar way.

The Rise and Fall of Star Formation Histories of Blue Galaxies at Redshifts 0.2 < z < 1.4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pacifici, Camilla; Kassin, Susan A.; Weiner, Benjamin; Charlot, Stephane; Gardner, Jonathan P.

2012-01-01

Popular cosmological scenarios predict that galaxies form hierarchically from the merger of many progenitor, each with their own unique star formation history (SFH). We use the approach recently developed by Pacifici et al. to constrain the SFHs of 4517 blue (presumably star-forming) galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts in the range O.2 < z < 1:4 from the All-Wavelength Extended Groth Strip International Survey (AEGIS). This consists in the Bayesian analysis of the observed galaxy spectral ' energy distributions with a comprehensive library of synthetic spectra assembled using state-of-the-art models of star formation and chemical enrichment histories, stellar population synthesis, nebular emission and attenuation by dust. We constrain the SFH of each galaxy in our sample by comparing the observed fluxes in the B, R,l and K(sub s) bands and rest-frame optical emission-line luminosities with those of one million model spectral energy distributions. We explore the dependence of the resulting SFH on galaxy stellar mass and redshift. We find that the average SFHs of high-mass galaxies rise and fall in a roughly symmetric bell-shaped manner, while those of low-mass galaxies rise progressively in time, consistent with the typically stronger activity of star formation in low-mass compared to high-mass galaxies. For galaxies of all masses, the star formation activity rises more rapidly at high than at low redshift. These findings imply that the standard approximation of exponentially declining SFHs wIdely used to interpret observed galaxy spectral energy distributions is not appropriate to constrain the physical parameters of star-forming galaxies at intermediate redshifts.

Star formation is boosted (and quenched) from the inside-out: radial star formation profiles from MaNGA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellison, Sara L.; Sánchez, Sebastian F.; Ibarra-Medel, Hector; Antonio, Braulio; Mendel, J. Trevor; Barrera-Ballesteros, Jorge

2018-02-01

The tight correlation between total galaxy stellar mass and star formation rate (SFR) has become known as the star-forming main sequence. Using ˜487 000 spaxels from galaxies observed as part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, we confirm previous results that a correlation also exists between the surface densities of star formation (ΣSFR) and stellar mass (Σ⋆) on kpc scales, representing a `resolved' main sequence. Using a new metric (ΔΣSFR), which measures the relative enhancement or deficit of star formation on a spaxel-by-spaxel basis relative to the resolved main sequence, we investigate the SFR profiles of 864 galaxies as a function of their position relative to the global star-forming main sequence (ΔSFR). For galaxies above the global main sequence (positive ΔSFR) ΔΣSFR is elevated throughout the galaxy, but the greatest enhancement in star formation occurs at small radii (<3 kpc, or 0.5Re). Moreover, galaxies that are at least a factor of 3 above the main sequence show diluted gas phase metallicities out to 2Re, indicative of metal-poor gas inflows accompanying the starbursts. For quiescent/passive galaxies that lie at least a factor of 10 below the star-forming main sequence, there is an analogous deficit of star formation throughout the galaxy with the lowest values of ΔΣSFR in the central 3 kpc. Our results are in qualitative agreement with the `compaction' scenario in which a central starburst leads to mass growth in the bulge and may ultimately precede galactic quenching from the inside-out.

Supermassive black hole formation by cold accretion shocks in the first galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inayoshi, Kohei; Omukai, Kazuyuki

2012-05-01

We propose a new scenario for supermassive star (SMS: >rsim 105 M⊙) formation in shocked regions of colliding cold accretion flows near the centres of the first galaxies. Recent numerical simulations indicate that assembly of a typical first galaxy with virial temperature Tvir≳104 K proceeds via cold and dense flows penetrating deep to the centre, where supersonic streams collide with each other to develop a hot (˜104 K) and dense (˜103 cm-3) shocked gas. The post-shock layer first cools by efficient Lyα emission and contracts isobarically until ≃8000 K. Whether the layer continues its isobaric contraction depends on the density at this moment: if the density is high enough to excite H2 rovibrational levels collisionally (>rsim 104 cm-3), enhanced H2 collisional dissociation suppresses the gas from cooling further. In this case, the layer fragments into massive (>rsim 105 M⊙) clouds, which collapse isothermally (˜8000 K) by Lyα cooling without subsequent fragmentation. As an outcome, SMSs are expected to form and eventually evolve into the seeds of supermassive black holes (SMBHs). By calculating the thermal evolution of the post-shock gas, we delimit the range of post-shock conditions for SMS formation, which can be expressed as T≳6000 K (nH/104 cm-3)-1 for ? and T>rsim 5000 -6000 K for nH≳104 cm-3, depending somewhat on the initial ionization degree. We found that metal enrichment does not affect the above condition for metallicity below ≃10-3 Z⊙ if metals are in the gas phase, while condensation of several per cent of metals into dust decreases this critical value of metallicity by an order of magnitude. Unlike the previously proposed scenario for SMS formation, which postulates extremely strong ultraviolet radiation to quench H2 cooling, our scenario here naturally explains SMBH seed formation in the assembly process of the first galaxies, even without such strong radiation.

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

Amblard, A.; Riguccini, L.; Temi, P.

We compute the properties of a sample of 221 local, early-type galaxies with a spectral energy distribution (SED) modeling software, CIGALEMC. Concentrating on the star-forming (SF) activity and dust contents, we derive parameters such as the specific star formation rate (sSFR), the dust luminosity, dust mass, and temperature. In our sample, 52% is composed of elliptical (E) galaxies and 48% of lenticular (S0) galaxies. We find a larger proportion of S0 galaxies among galaxies with a large sSFR and large specific dust emission. The stronger activity of S0 galaxies is confirmed by larger dust masses. We investigate the relative proportionmore » of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and SF galaxies in our sample using spectroscopic Sloan Digital Sky Survey data and near-infrared selection techniques, and find a larger proportion of AGN-dominated galaxies in the S0 sample than the E one. This could corroborate a scenario where blue galaxies evolve into red ellipticals by passing through an S0 AGN active period while quenching its star formation. Finally, we find a good agreement comparing our estimates with color indicators.« less

Near-field limits on the role of faint galaxies in cosmic reionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boylan-Kolchin, Michael; Bullock, James S.; Garrison-Kimmel, Shea

2014-09-01

Reionizing the Universe with galaxies appears to require significant star formation in low-mass haloes at early times, while local dwarf galaxy counts tell us that star formation has been minimal in small haloes around us today. Using simple models and the ELVIS simulation suite, we show that reionization scenarios requiring appreciable star formation in haloes with Mvir ≈ 108 M⊙ at z = 8 are in serious tension with galaxy counts in the Local Group. This tension originates from the seemingly inescapable conclusion that 30-60 haloes with Mvir > 108 M⊙ at z = 8 will survive to be distinct bound satellites of the Milky Way at z = 0. Reionization models requiring star formation in such haloes will produce dozens of bound galaxies in the Milky Way's virial volume today (and 100-200 throughout the Local Group), each with ≳105 M⊙ of old stars (≳13 Gyr). This exceeds the stellar mass function of classical Milky Way satellites today, even without allowing for the (significant) post-reionization star formation observed in these galaxies. One possible implication of these findings is that star formation became sharply inefficient in haloes smaller than ˜109 M⊙ at early times, implying that the high-z luminosity function must break at magnitudes brighter than is often assumed (at MUV ≃ -14). Our results suggest that the James Webb Space Telescope (and possibly even the Hubble Space Telescope with the Frontier Fields) may realistically detect the faintest galaxies that drive reionization. It remains to be seen how these results can be reconciled with the most sophisticated simulations of early galaxy formation at present, which predict substantial star formation in Mvir ˜ 108 M⊙ haloes during the epoch of reionization.

The polar-ring galaxies NGC 2685 and NGC 3808B (VV 300)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reshetnikov, V. P.; Yakovleva, V. A.

1990-01-01

Polar-ring galaxies (PRG) are among the most interesting examples of interaction between galaxies. A PRG is a galaxy with an elongated main body surrounded by a ring (or a disk) of stars, gas, and dust rotating in a near-polar plane (Schweizer, Whitmore, and Rubin, 1983). Accretion of matter by a massive lenticular galaxy from either intergalactic medium or a companion galaxy is usually considered as an explanation of the observed structure of PRG. In the latter case there are two possibilities: capture and merging of a neighbor galaxy, and accretion of mass from a companion galaxy during a close encounter. Two PRG formation scenarios just mentioned are illustrated here by the results of our observations of the peculiar galaxies NGC 2685 and NGC 3808B.

The Reliability of [c II] as a Star Formation Rate Indicator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Looze, Ilse; Baes, Maarten; Fritz, Jacopo; Bendo, George J.; Cortese, Luca

2011-08-01

We present a calibration of the star formation rate (SFR) as a function of the [C II] 157.74 μ m luminosity for a sample of 24 star-forming galaxies in the nearby universe. In order to calibrate the SFR against the line luminosity, we rely on both GALEX FUV data, which is an ideal tracer of the unobscured star formation, and Spitzer MIPS 24 μ m, to probe the dust-enshrouded fraction of star formation. For this sample of normal star-forming galaxies, the [C II] luminosity correlates well with the star formation rate. However, the extension of this relation to more quiescent (Hα EW ≤ 10 Å) or ultra luminous galaxies (L TIR ≥ 1012 L⊙) should be handled with caution, since these objects show a non-linearity in the L [C II]-to-L FIR ratio as a function of L FIR (and thus, their star formation activity). Two possible scenarios can be invoked to explain the tight correlation between the [C II] emission and the star formation activity on a global galaxy-scale. The first interpretation could be that the [C II] emission from photo dissociation regions arises from the immediate surroundings of actively star-forming regions and contributes a more or less constant fraction on a global galaxy-scale. Alternatively, we consider the possibility that the [C II] emission is associated to the cold interstellar medium, which advocates an indirect link with the star formation activity in a galaxy through the Schmidt law.

Galaxies in the act of quenching star formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quai, Salvatore; Pozzetti, Lucia; Citro, Annalisa; Moresco, Michele; Cimatti, Andrea

2018-04-01

Detecting galaxies when their star-formation is being quenched is crucial to understand the mechanisms driving their evolution. We identify for the first time a sample of quenching galaxies selected just after the interruption of their star formation by exploiting the [O III] λ5007/Hα ratio and searching for galaxies with undetected [O III]. Using a sample of ˜174000 star-forming galaxies extracted from the SDSS-DR8 at 0.04 ≤ z < 0.21,we identify the ˜300 quenching galaxy best candidates with low [O III]/Hα, out of ˜26 000 galaxies without [O III] emission. They have masses between 10^{9.7} and 10^{10.8} M_{⊙},consistently with the corresponding growth of the quiescent population at these redshifts. Their main properties (i.e. star-formation rate, colours and metallicities) are comparable to those of the star-forming population, coherently with the hypothesis of recent quenching, but preferably reside in higher-density environments.Most candidates have morphologies similar to star-forming galaxies, suggesting that no morphological transformation has occurred yet. From a survival analysis we find a low fraction of candidates (˜ 0.58% of the star-forming population), leading to a short quenching timescale of tQ ˜ 50 Myr and an e-folding time for the quenching history of τQ ˜ 90 Myr, and their upper limits of tQ < 0.76 Gyr and τQ <1.5 Gyr, assuming as quenching galaxies 50% of objects without [O III] (˜7.5%).Our results are compatible with a 'rapid' quenching scenario of satellites galaxies due to the final phase of strangulation or ram-pressure stripping. This approach represents a robust alternative to methods used so far to select quenched galaxies (e.g. colours, specific star-formation rate, or post-starburst spectra).

No WIMP mini-spikes in dwarf spheroidal galaxies

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

Wanders, Mark; Bertone, Gianfranco; Weniger, Christoph

The formation of black holes inevitably affects the distribution of dark and baryonic matter in their vicinity, leading to an enhancement of the dark matter density, called spike, and if dark matter is made of WIMPs, to a strong enhancement of the dark matter annihilation rate. Spikes at the center of galaxies like the Milky Way are efficiently disrupted by baryonic processes, but mini-spikes can form and survive undisturbed at the center of dwarf spheroidal galaxies. We show that Fermi LAT satellite data allow to set very stringent limits on the existence of mini-spikes in dwarf galaxies: for thermal WIMPsmore » with mass between 100 GeV and 1 TeV, we obtain a maximum black hole mass between 100 and 1000 M{sub ⊙}, ruling out black holes masses extrapolated from the M-σ relationship in a large region of the parameter space. We also performed Monte Carlo simulations of merger histories of black holes in dwarf spheroidals in a scenario where black holes form from the direct collapse of primordial gas in early halos, and found that this specific formation scenario is incompatible at the 84% CL with dark matter being in the form of thermal WIMPs.« less

Star clusters in evolving galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renaud, Florent

2018-04-01

Their ubiquity and extreme densities make star clusters probes of prime importance of galaxy evolution. Old globular clusters keep imprints of the physical conditions of their assembly in the early Universe, and younger stellar objects, observationally resolved, tell us about the mechanisms at stake in their formation. Yet, we still do not understand the diversity involved: why is star cluster formation limited to 105M⊙ objects in the Milky Way, while some dwarf galaxies like NGC 1705 are able to produce clusters 10 times more massive? Why do dwarfs generally host a higher specific frequency of clusters than larger galaxies? How to connect the present-day, often resolved, stellar systems to the formation of globular clusters at high redshift? And how do these links depend on the galactic and cosmological environments of these clusters? In this review, I present recent advances on star cluster formation and evolution, in galactic and cosmological context. The emphasis is put on the theory, formation scenarios and the effects of the environment on the evolution of the global properties of clusters. A few open questions are identified.

The Formation of a Planetary Nebula.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harpaz, Amos

1991-01-01

Proposes a scenario to describe the formation of a planetary nebula, a cloud of gas surrounding a very hot compact star. Describes the nature of a planetary nebula, the number observed to date in the Milky Way Galaxy, and the results of research on a specific nebula. (MDH)

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 EVOLUTION IN THE MID-INFRARED GREEN VALLEY: A CASE OF THE A2199 SUPERCLUSTER

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

Lee, Gwang-Ho; Lee, Myung Gyoon; Sohn, Jubee

2015-02-20

We study the mid-infrared (MIR) properties of the galaxies in the A2199 supercluster at z = 0.03 to understand the star formation activity of galaxy groups and clusters in the supercluster environment. Using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer data, we find no dependence of mass-normalized integrated star formation rates of galaxy groups/clusters on their virial masses. We classify the supercluster galaxies into three classes in the MIR color-luminosity diagram: MIR blue cloud (massive, quiescent, and mostly early-type), MIR star-forming sequence (mostly late-type), and MIR green valley galaxies. These MIR green valley galaxies are distinguishable from the optical green valley galaxiesmore » in the sense that they belong to the optical red sequence. We find that the fraction of each MIR class does not depend on the virial mass of each group/cluster. We compare the cumulative distributions of surface galaxy number density and cluster/group-centric distance for the three MIR classes. MIR green valley galaxies show the distribution between MIR blue cloud and MIR star-forming (SF) sequence galaxies. However, if we fix galaxy morphology, early- and late-type MIR green valley galaxies show different distributions. Our results suggest a possible evolutionary scenario of these galaxies: (1) late-type MIR SF sequence galaxies → (2) late-type MIR green valley galaxies → (3) early-type MIR green valley galaxies → (4) early-type MIR blue cloud galaxies. In this sequence, the star formation of galaxies is quenched before the galaxies enter the MIR green valley, and then morphological transformation occurs in the MIR green valley.« less

A hydrodynamic approach to cosmology - Texture-seeded cold dark matter and hot dark matter cosmogonies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cen, R. Y.; Ostriker, J. P.; Spergel, D. N.; Turok, N.

1991-01-01

Hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation in a texture-seeded cosmology are presented, with attention given to Omega = 1 galaxies dominated by both hot dark matter (HDM) and cold dark matter (CDM). The simulations include both gravitational and hydrodynamical physics with a detailed treatment of collisional and radiative thermal processes, and use a cooling criterion to estimate galaxy formation. Background radiation fields and Zel'dovich-Sunyaev fluctuations are explicitly computed. The derived galaxy mass function is well fitted by the observed Schechter luminosity function for a baryonic M/L of 3 and total M/L of 60 in galaxies. In both HDM and CDM texture scenarios, the 'galaxies' and 'clusters' are significantly more strongly correlated than the dark matter due to physical bias processes. The slope of the correlation function in both cases is consistent with observations. In contrast to Gaussian models, peaks in the dark matter density distributrion are less correlated than average.

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.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Type 2 AGN host galaxies in Chandra-COSMOS (Suh+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suh, H.; Civano, F.; Hasinger, G.; Lusso, E.; Lanzuisi, G.; Marchesi, S.; Trakhtenbrot, B.; Allevato, V.; Cappelluti, N.; Capak, P. L.; Elvis, M.; Griffiths, R. E.; Laigle, C.; Lira, P.; Riguccini, L.; Rosario, D. J.; Salvato, M.; Schawinski, K.; Vignali, C.

2018-01-01

We investigate the star formation properties of a large sample of ~2300 X-ray-selected Type 2 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) host galaxies out to z~3 in the Chandra COSMOS Legacy Survey in order to understand the connection between the star formation and nuclear activity. Making use of the existing multi-wavelength photometric data available in the COSMOS field, we perform a multi-component modeling from far-infrared to near-ultraviolet using a nuclear dust torus model, a stellar population model and a starburst model of the spectral energy distributions (SEDs). Through detailed analyses of SEDs, we derive the stellar masses and the star formation rates (SFRs) of Type 2 AGN host galaxies. The stellar mass of our sample is in the range of 93), and grow slowly through secular fueling processes hosting moderate-luminosity AGNs. (1 data file).

The Smallest Galaxies in the Universe: Investigating the Origins of Ultra-faint Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Yuewen; Graus, Andrew; Bullock, James

2018-01-01

One outstanding question in cosmology is, what are the smallest galaxies that can form? The answer to this question can tell us much about galaxy formation, and even of the properties of dark matter itself. A candidate for the smallest galaxies that can form are the ultrafaint galaxies. The star formation of ultrafaints appears to have been shut off during the epoch of reionization, when radiation from the first stars ionized all the free hydrogen in the universe. This would imply ultrafaints should exist everywhere in the universe. However, we can only observe ultrafaints as satellites of the Milky Way, due to their low brightness. This will change with the next generation of telescopes such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). The focus of this work is to predict the number of ultrafaints that should be seen with future surveys. To that end, we use the ELVIS suite, which contains 14 dark matter only simulations of Local Group like systems containing a Milky Way and Andromeda-like galaxy and the substructure out to around 1 Mpc of the barycenter. We mock observe the simulations in order to mimic current surveys such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and the Dark Energy Survey (DES), and use the population of galaxies found by those surveys to project the population of dwarf galaxies out beyond the virial radius of either galaxy. This number will depend sensitively on the formation mechanism of ultrafaint dwarfs, and comparisons of future surveys to this work could help rule out certain formation scenarios.

Star Formation Histories of Local Group Dwarf Galaxies. (Ludwig Biermann Award Lecture 1996)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grebel, E. K.

The star formation histories of dwarf galaxies in the Local Group are reviewed. First the question of Local Group membership is considered based on various criteria. The properties of 31 (36) galaxies are consistent with likely (potential) Local Group membership. To study the star formation histories of these galaxies, a multi-parameter problem needs to be solved: Ages, metallicities, population fractions, and spatial variations must be determined, which depend crucially on the knowledge of reddening and distance. The basic methods for studying resolvable stellar populations are summarized. One method is demonstrated using the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy. A comprehensive compilation of the star formation histories of dwarf irregulars, dwarf ellipticals, and dwarf spheroidals in the Local Group is presented and visualized through Hodge's population boxes. All galaxies appear to have differing fractions of old and intermediate-age populations, and those sufficiently massive and undisturbed to retain and recycle their gas are still forming stars today. Star formation has occurred either in distinct episodes or continuously over long periods of time. Metallicities and enrichment vary widely. Constraints on merger and remnant scenarios are discussed, and a unified picture based on the current knowledge is presented. Primary goals for future observations are: accurate age determinations based on turnoff photometry, detection of subpopulations distinct in age, metallicity, and/or spatial distribution; improved distances; and astrometric studies to derive orbits and constrain past and future interactions.

Quasar feedback revealed by giant molecular outflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feruglio, C.; Maiolino, R.; Piconcelli, E.; Menci, N.; Aussel, H.; Lamastra, A.; Fiore, F.

2010-07-01

In the standard scenario for galaxy evolution young star-forming galaxies transform into red bulge-dominated spheroids, where star formation has been quenched. To explain this transformation, a strong negative feedback generated by accretion onto a central super-massive black hole is often invoked. The depletion of gas resulting from quasar-driven outflows should eventually stop star-formation across the host galaxy and lead the black hole to “suicide” by starvation. Direct observational evidence for a major quasar feedback onto the host galaxy is still missing, because outflows previously observed in quasars are generally associated with the ionized component of the gas, which only accounts for a minor fraction of the total gas content, and typically occurrs in the central regions. We used the IRAM PdB Interferometer to observe the CO(1-0) transition in Mrk 231, the closest quasar known. Thanks to the wide band we detected broad wings of the CO line, with velocities of up to 750 km s-1 and spatially resolved on the kpc scale. These broad CO wings trace a giant molecular outflow of about 700 M_⊙/year, far larger than the ongoing star-formation rate (~200 M_⊙/year) observed in the host galaxy. This wind will totally expel the cold gas reservoir in Mrk 231 in about 107 yrs, therefore halting the star-formation activity on the same timescale. The inferred kinetic energy in the molecular outflow is ~1.2 × 1044 erg/s, corresponding to a few percent of the AGN bolometric luminosity, which is very close to the fraction expected by models ascribing quasar feedback to highly supersonic shocks generated by radiatively accelerated nuclear winds. Instead, the contribution by the SNe associated with the starburst fall short by several orders of magnitude to account for the kinetic energy observed in the outflow. The direct observational evidence for quasar feedback reported here provides solid support to the scenarios ascribing the observed properties of local massive galaxies to quasar-induced large-scale winds.

Dissecting the large-scale galactic conformity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Seongu

2018-01-01

Galactic conformity is an observed phenomenon that galaxies located in the same region have similar properties such as star formation rate, color, gas fraction, and so on. The conformity was first observed among galaxies within in the same halos (“one-halo conformity”). The one-halo conformity can be readily explained by mutual interactions among galaxies within a halo. Recent observations however further witnessed a puzzling connection among galaxies with no direct interaction. In particular, galaxies located within a sphere of ~5 Mpc radius tend to show similarities, even though the galaxies do not share common halos with each other ("two-halo conformity" or “large-scale conformity”). Using a cosmological hydrodynamic simulation, Illustris, we investigate the physical origin of the two-halo conformity and put forward two scenarios. First, back-splash galaxies are likely responsible for the large-scale conformity. They have evolved into red galaxies due to ram-pressure stripping in a given galaxy cluster and happen to reside now within a ~5 Mpc sphere. Second, galaxies in strong tidal field induced by large-scale structure also seem to give rise to the large-scale conformity. The strong tides suppress star formation in the galaxies. We discuss the importance of the large-scale conformity in the context of galaxy evolution.

Individual stellar haloes of massive galaxies measured to 100 kpc at 0.3 < z < 0.5 using Hyper Suprime-Cam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Song; Leauthaud, Alexie; Greene, Jenny E.; Bundy, Kevin; Lin, Yen-Ting; Tanaka, Masayuki; Miyazaki, Satoshi; Komiyama, Yutaka

2018-04-01

Massive galaxies display extended light profiles that can reach several hundreds of kiloparsecs. We use data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) survey that is simultaneously wide (˜100 deg2) and deep (>28.5 mag arcsec-2 in i band) to study the stellar haloes of a sample of ˜7000 massive galaxies at z ˜ 0.4. The depth of the HSC data enables us to measure surface mass density profiles to 100 kpc for individual galaxies without stacking. As in previous work, we find that more massive galaxies exhibit more extended outer profiles than smaller galaxies. When this extended light is not properly accounted for (because of shallow imaging and/or inadequate profile modelling), the derived stellar mass function can be significantly underestimated at the high-mass end. Across our sample, the ellipticity of outer light profile increases substantially with radius. We show for the first time that these ellipticity gradients steepen dramatically as a function of galaxy mass, but we detect no mass dependence in outer colour gradients. Our results support the two-phase formation scenario for massive galaxies in which outer envelopes are built up at a later time from a series of merging events. We provide surface mass density profiles in a convenient tabulated format to facilitate comparisons with predictions from numerical simulations of galaxy formation.

SDSS-IV MaNGA: properties of galaxies with kinematically decoupled stellar and gaseous components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Yifei; Chen, Yanmei; Shi, Yong; Tremonti, C. A.; Bershady, M. A.; Merrifield, M.; Emsellem, E.; Fu, Hai; Wake, D.; Bundy, K.; Lin, Lihwai; Argudo-Fernandez, M.; Huang, Song; Stark, D. V.; Storchi-Bergmann, T.; Bizyaev, D.; Brownstein, J.; Chisholm, J.; Guo, Qi; Hao, Lei; Hu, Jian; Li, Cheng; Li, Ran; Masters, K. L.; Malanushenko, E.; Pan, Kaike; Riffel, R. A.; Roman-Lopes, A.; Simmons, A.; Thomas, D.; Wang, Lan; Westfall, K.; Yan, Renbin

2016-11-01

We study the properties of 66 galaxies with kinematically misaligned gas and stars from MaNGA survey. The fraction of kinematically misaligned galaxies varies with galaxy physical parameters, I.e. M*, SFR and sSFR. According to their sSFR, we further classify these 66 galaxies into three categories, 10 star-forming, 26 `Green Valley' and 30 quiescent ones. The properties of different types of kinematically misaligned galaxies are different in that the star-forming ones have positive gradient in Dn4000 and higher gas-phase metallicity, while the green valley/quiescent ones have negative Dn4000 gradients and lower gas-phase metallicity on average. There is evidence that all types of the kinematically misaligned galaxies tend to live in more isolated environment. Based on all these observational results, we propose a scenario for the formation of star-forming galaxies with kinematically misaligned gas and stars - the progenitor accretes misaligned gas from a gas-rich dwarf or cosmic web, the cancellation of angular momentum from gas-gas collisions between the pre-existing gas and the accreted gas largely accelerates gas inflow, leading to fast centrally concentrated star formation. The higher metallicity is due to enrichment from this star formation. For the kinematically misaligned green valley and quiescent galaxies, they might be formed through gas-poor progenitors accreting kinematically misaligned gas from satellites which are smaller in mass.

The Morphological Evolution, AGN Fractions, Dust Content, Environments, and Downsizing of Massive Green Valley Galaxies at 0.5 < z < 2.5 in 3D-HST/CANDELS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Yizhou; Fang, Guanwen; Yuan, Qirong; Cai, Zhenyi; Wang, Tao

2018-03-01

To explore the evolutionary connection among red, green, and blue galaxy populations, based on a sample of massive ({M}* > {10}10 {M}ȯ ) galaxies at 0.5 < z < 2.5 in five 3D-HST/CANDELS fields, we investigate the dust content, morphologies, structures, active galactic nucleus (AGN) fractions, and environments of these three populations. Green valley galaxies are found to have intermediate dust attenuation and reside in the middle of the regions occupied by quiescent and star-forming galaxies in the UVJ diagram. Compared with blue and red galaxy populations at z < 2, green galaxies have intermediate compactness and morphological parameters. The above findings seem to favor the scenario that green galaxies are at a transitional phase when star-forming galaxies are being quenched into quiescent status. The green galaxies at z < 2 show the highest AGN fraction, suggesting that AGN feedback may have played an important role in star formation quenching. For the massive galaxies at 2 < z < 2.5, both red and green galaxies are found to have a similarly higher AGN fraction than the blue ones, which implies that AGN feedback may help to keep quiescence of red galaxies at z > 2. A significant environmental difference is found between green and red galaxies at z < 1.5. Green and blue galaxies at z > 0.5 seem to have similar local density distributions, suggesting that environment quenching is not the major mechanism to cease star formation at z > 0.5. The fractions of three populations as functions of mass support a “downsizing” quenching picture that the bulk of star formation in more massive galaxies is completed earlier than that of lower-mass galaxies.

QUENCHING STAR FORMATION AT INTERMEDIATE REDSHIFTS: DOWNSIZING OF THE MASS FLUX DENSITY IN THE GREEN VALLEY

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

Goncalves, Thiago S.; Menendez-Delmestre, Karin; Martin, D. Christopher

2012-11-01

The bimodality in galaxy properties has been observed at low and high redshifts, with a clear distinction between star-forming galaxies in the blue cloud and passively evolving objects in the red sequence; the absence of galaxies with intermediate properties indicates that the quenching of star formation and subsequent transition between populations must happen rapidly. In this paper, we present a study of over 100 transiting galaxies in the so-called green valley at intermediate redshifts (z {approx} 0.8). By using very deep spectroscopy with the DEIMOS instrument at the Keck telescope we are able to infer the star formation histories ofmore » these objects and measure the stellar mass flux density transiting from the blue cloud to the red sequence when the universe was half its current age. Our results indicate that the process happened more rapidly and for more massive galaxies in the past, suggesting a top-down scenario in which the massive end of the red sequence is forming first. This represents another aspect of downsizing, with the mass flux density moving toward smaller galaxies in recent times.« less

Signatures of AGN feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wylezalek, Dominika; Zakamska, Nadia L.; MaNGA-GMOS Team

2017-01-01

Feedback from actively accreting SMBHs (Active Galactic Nuclei, AGN) is now widely considered to be the main driver in regulating the growth of massive galaxies. Observational proof for this scenario has, however, been hard to come by. Many attempts at finding a conclusive observational proof that AGN may be able to quench star formation and regulate the host galaxies' growth have shown that this problem is highly complex.I will present results from several projects that focus on understanding the power, reach and impact of feedback processes exerted by AGN. I will describe recent efforts in our group of relating feedback signatures to the specific star formation rate in their host galaxies, where our results are consistent with the AGN having a `negative' impact through feedback on the galaxies' star formation history (Wylezalek+2016a,b). Furthermore, I will show that powerful AGN-driven winds can be easily hidden and not be apparent in the integrated spectrum of the galaxy. This implies that large IFU surveys, such as the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey, might uncover many previously unknown AGN and outflows that are potentially very relevant for understanding the role of AGN in galaxy evolution (Wylezalek+2016c)!

Implications of Stellar Feedback for Dynamical Modeling of the Milky Way and Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wetzel, Andrew

2018-04-01

I will present recent results on dynamical modeling of stellar populations from the FIRE cosmological zoom-in baryonic simulations of Milky Way-like and dwarf galaxies. First, I will discuss the dynamical formation of the Milky Way, including the origin of thin+thick stellar disk morphology. I also will discuss the curious origin of metal-rich stars on halo-like orbits near the Sun, as recently measured by Gaia, with new insights from FIRE simulations on stellar radial migration/heating. Next, I will discuss role of stellar feedback in generating non-equilibrium fluctuations of the gravitational potential in low-mass 'dwarf' galaxies, which can explain the origin of cores in their dark-matter density profiles. In particular, we predict significant observable effects on stellar dynamics, including radial migration, size fluctuations, and population gradients, which can provide observational tests of feedback-driven core formation. Finally, this scenario can explain the formation of newly discovered 'ultra-diffuse' galaxies.

3D view on Virgo and field dwarf elliptical galaxies: late-type origin and environmental transformations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryś, Agnieszka; Falcón-Barroso, Jesús; van de Ven, Glenn

2015-03-01

In our contribution we show the effects of environmental evolution on cluster and field dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs), presenting the first large-scale integral-field spectroscopic data for this galaxy class. Our sample con sists of 12 galaxies and no two of them are alike. We find that the level of rotation is not tied to flattening; we observe kinematic twists; we discover large-scale kinematically-decoupled components; we see varying gradient s in line-strength maps: from nearly flat to strongly peaked in the center. The great variety of morphological, kinematic, and stellar population parameters seen in our data supports the claim that dEs are defunct dwarf spiral/irregular galaxies and points to a formation scenario that allows for a stochastic shaping of galaxy properties. The combined influence of ram-pressure stripping and harassment fulfills these requirements, still, the exact impact of the two is not yet understood. We further investigate the properties of our sample by performing a detailed comprehensive analysis of its kinematic, dynamical, and stellar population parameters. The combined knowledge of the dynamical properties and star-formation histories, together with model predictions for different formation mechanisms, will be used to quant itatively determine the actual transformation paths for these galaxies.

Integral Field Spectroscopy of the Merger Remnant NGC 7252

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, John; Husemann, Bernd; Kuntschner, Harald; Martín-Navarro, Ignacio

2018-01-01

The merging of galaxies is a key aspect of the hierarchical ΛCDM Universe. The formation of massive quiescent elliptical galaxies may be explained through the merger of two star-forming disc galaxies. Despite nearly a century of effort, our understanding of this complex transformational process is remains incomplete and requires diligent observational study.NGC 7252 is one of the nearest starbursting major-merger galaxy remnants, formed about 1 Gyr after the collision of presumably two disc galaxies. It is therefore an ideal laboratory to study the underlying processes involved in transformation of two disc galaxies to an elliptical galaxy via a merger.We obtained wide-field IFU spectroscopy with the VLT-VIMOS integral-field spectrograph covering the central 50’’ × 50’’ of NGC 7252 to map the stellar and ionized gas kinematics, and the distribution and conditions of the ionized gas, revealing the extent of ongoing star formation and recent star formation history.Contrary to previous studies we find the inner gas disc not to be counter-rotating with respect to the overall stellar angular momentum. However, the stellar kinematics appear to be complex with a superposition of at least two nearly perpendicular angular momentum components. The host galaxy is still blue with g - i ~ 0.8 with an ongoing star formation rate of 2.2 ± 0.6 Msun/yr, placing NGC 7252 close to the blue cloud of galaxies and consistent with a disc-like molecular depletion time of ~2 Gyr.Although NGC 7252 appears as a fading starburst galaxy at the center, the elliptical-like major merger remnant appears to active, inconsistent with a fast quenching scenario. NGC 7252 may take several Gyr to reach the red sequence of galaxies unless star formation becomes quenched by either AGN feedback or inefficient gas conversion, leading to an H I-rich elliptical galaxy.

Galaxy Evolution Across The Redshift Desert

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotulla, Ralf

2010-01-01

GALEV evolutionary synthesis models are an ideal tool to study the formation and evolution of galaxies. I present a large model grid that contains undisturbed E and Sa-Sd type galaxies as well as a wide range of models undergoing starbursts of various strengths and at different times and also includes the subsequent post-starburst phases for these galaxies. This model grid not only allows to describe and refine currently used color selection criteria for Lyman Break Galaxies, BzK galaxies, Extremely Red Objects (ERO) and both Distant and Luminous Red Galaxies (DRG, LRG). It also gives accurate stellar masses, gas fractions, star formation rates, metallicities and burst strengths for an unprecedentedly large sample of galaxies with multi-band photometry. We find, amongst other things, that LBGs are most likely progenitors of local early type spiral galaxies and low-mass ellipticals. We are for the first time able to reproduce E+A features in EROs by post-starbursts as an alternative to dusty starforming galaxies and predict how to discriminate between these scenarios. Our results from photometric analyses perfectly agree with all available spectroscopic information and open up a much wider perspective, including the bulk of the less luminous and more typical galaxy population, in the redshift desert and beyond. All model data are available online at http://www.galev.org.

SDSS-IV MaNGA: constraints on the conditions for star formation in galaxy discs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stark, David V.; Bundy, Kevin A.; Orr, Matthew E.; Hopkins, Philip F.; Westfall, Kyle; Bershady, Matthew; Li, Cheng; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Masters, Karen L.; Weijmans, Anne-Marie; Lacerna, Ivan; Thomas, Daniel; Drory, Niv; Yan, Renbin; Zhang, Kai

2018-02-01

Regions of disc galaxies with widespread star formation tend to be both gravitationally unstable and self-shielded against ionizing radiation, whereas extended outer discs with little or no star formation tend to be stable and unshielded on average. We explore what drives the transition between these two regimes, specifically whether discs first meet the conditions for self-shielding (parametrized by dust optical depth, τ) or gravitational instability (parametrized by a modified version of Toomre's instability parameters, Qthermal, which quantifies the stability of a gas disc that is thermally supported at T = 104 K). We first introduce a new metric formed by the product of these quantities, Qthermalτ, which indicates whether the conditions for disc instability or self-shielding are easier to meet in a given region of a galaxy, and we discuss how Qthermalτ can be constrained even in the absence of direct gas information. We then analyse a sample of 13 galaxies with resolved gas measurements and find that on average galaxies will reach the threshold for disc instabilities (Qthermal < 1) before reaching the threshold for self-shielding (τ > 1). Using integral field spectroscopic observations of a sample of 236 galaxies from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) survey, we find that the value of Qthermalτ in star-forming discs is consistent with similar behaviour. These results support a scenario where disc fragmentation and collapse occurs before self-shielding, suggesting that gravitational instabilities are the primary condition for widespread star formation in galaxy discs. Our results support similar conclusions based on recent galaxy simulations.

Recent heavy particle decay in a matter dominated universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olive, K. A.; Seckel, D.; Vishniac, E.

1984-09-01

The cold matter scenario for galaxy formation solves the dark matter problem very nicely on small scales corresponding to galaxies and clusters of galaxies. It is, however, difficult to reconcile with a Universe with an Einstein-deSitter value of (UC OMEGA) = 1. Cold matter and (UC OMEGA) = 1 can be made compatible while retaining the feature that the Universe is matter dominated today. This is done by means of heavy (cold) particles whose decay subsequently leads to the unbinding of a large fraction of lighter clustered matter.

Recent heavy-particle decay in a matter-dominated universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olive, K. A.; Seckel, D.; Vishniac, E.

1985-05-01

The cold-matter scenario for galaxy formation solves the dark-matter problem very nicely on small scales corresponding to galaxies and clusters of galaxies. It is, however, difficult to reconcile with a universe with an Einstein-deSitter value of Ω = 1. It is shown here that cold matter and Ω = 1 can be made compatible while retaining the feature that the universe is matter-dominated today. This is done by means of heavy (cold) particles whose decay subsequently leads to the unbinding of a large fraction of lighter clustered matter.

The three-point function as a probe of models for large-scale structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frieman, Joshua A.; Gaztanaga, Enrique

1994-04-01

We analyze the consequences of models of structure formation for higher order (n-point) galaxy correlation functions in the mildly nonlinear regime. Several variations of the standard Omega = 1 cold dark matter model with scale-invariant primordial perturbations have recently been introduced to obtain more power on large scales, Rp is approximately 20/h Mpc, e.g., low matter-density (nonzero cosmological constant) models, 'tilted' primordial spectra, and scenarios with a mixture of cold and hot dark matter. They also include models with an effective scale-dependent bias, such as the cooperative galaxy formation scenario of Bower et al. We show that higher-order (n-point) galaxy correlation functions can provide a useful test of such models and can discriminate between models with true large-scale power in the density field and those where the galaxy power arises from scale-dependent bias: a bias with rapid scale dependence leads to a dramatic decrease of the the hierarchical amplitudes QJ at large scales, r is greater than or approximately Rp. Current observational constraints on the three-point amplitudes Q3 and S3 can place limits on the bias parameter(s) and appear to disfavor, but not yet rule out, the hypothesis that scale-dependent bias is responsible for the extra power observed on large scales.

Formation and evolution of dwarf elliptical galaxies - II. Spatially resolved star formation histories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koleva, Mina; de Rijcke, Sven; Prugniel, Philippe; Zeilinger, Werner W.; Michielsen, Dolf

2009-07-01

We present optical Very Large Telescope spectroscopy of 16 dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs) comparable in mass to NGC 205, and belonging to the Fornax cluster and to nearby groups of galaxies. Using full-spectrum fitting, we derive radial profiles of the SSP-equivalent ages and metallicities. We make a detailed analysis with ULYSS and STECKMAP of the star formation history in the core of the galaxies and in an aperture of one effective radius. We resolved the history into one to four epochs. The statistical significance of these reconstructions was carefully tested; the two programs give remarkably consistent results. The old stellar population of the dEs, which dominates their mass, is likely coeval with that of massive ellipticals or bulges, but the star formation efficiency is lower. Important intermediate age (1-5 Gyr) populations and frequently tails of star formation until recent times are detected. These histories are reminiscent of their lower mass dwarf spheroidal counterparts of the Local Group. Most galaxies (10/16) show significant metallicity gradients, with metallicity declining by 0.5 dex over one half-light radius on average. These gradients are already present in the old population. The flattened (or discy), rotating objects (6/16) have flat metallicity profiles. This may be consistent with a distinct origin for these galaxies or it may be due to their geometry. The central single stellar population equivalent age varies between 1 and 6 Gyr, with the age slowly increasing with radius in the vast majority of objects. The group and cluster galaxies have similar radial gradients and star formation histories. The strong and old metallicity gradients place important constraints on the possible formation scenarios of dEs. Numerical simulations of the formation of spherical low-mass galaxies reproduce these gradients, but they require a longer time for them to build up. A gentle depletion of the gas, by ram pressure stripping or starvation, could drive the gas-rich, star-forming progenitors to the present dEs.

Where are Low Mass X-ray Binaries Formed?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kundu, A.; Maccarone, T. J.; Zepf, S. E.

2004-08-01

Chandra images of nearby galaxies reveal large numbers of low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). As in the Galaxy, a significant fraction of these are associated with globular clusters. We exploit the LMXB-globular cluster link in order to probe both the physical properties of globular clusters that promote the formation of LMXBs within clusters with specific characteristics, and to study whether the non-cluster field LMXB population was originally formed in clusters and then released into the field. The large population of globular clusters around nearby galaxies and the range of properties such as age, metallicity and host galaxy environment spanned by these objects enables us to identify and probe the link between these characteristics and the formation of LMXBs. We present the results of our study of a large sample of elliptical and S0 galaxies which reveals among other things that bright LMXBs definitively prefer metal-rich cluster hosts and that this relationship is unlikely to be driven by age effects. The ancestry of the non-cluster field LMXBs is a matter of some debate with suggestions that they they might have formed in the field, or created in globular clusters and then subsequently released into the field either by being ejected from clusters by dynamical processes or as remnants of dynamically destroyed clusters. Each of these scenarios has a specific spatial signature that can be tested by our combined optical and X-ray study. Furthermore, these scenarios predict additional statistical variations that may be driven by the specific host galaxy environment. We present a detailed analysis of our sample galaxies and comment on the probability that the field sources were actually formed in clusters.

EXPLAINING THE OBSERVED VELOCITY DISPERSION OF DWARF GALAXIES BY BARYONIC MASS LOSS DURING THE FIRST COLLAPSE

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

Gritschneder, Matthias; Lin, Douglas N. C., E-mail: gritschneder@ucolick.org

2013-03-01

In the widely adopted {Lambda} cold dark matter ({Lambda}CDM) scenario for galaxy formation, dwarf galaxies are the building blocks of larger galaxies. Since they formed at relatively early epochs when the background density was relatively high, they are expected to retain their integrity as satellite galaxies when they merge to form larger entities. Although many dwarf spheroidal galaxies are found in the galactic halo around the Milky Way, their phase-space density (or velocity dispersion) appears to be significantly smaller than that expected for satellite dwarf galaxies in the {Lambda}CDM scenario. In order to account for this discrepancy, we consider themore » possibility that they may have lost a significant fraction of their baryonic matter content during the first infall at the Hubble expansion turnaround. Such mass loss arises naturally due to the feedback by relatively massive stars that formed in their centers briefly before the maximum contraction. Through a series of N-body simulations, we show that the timely loss of a significant fraction of the dSphs initial baryonic matter content can have profound effects on their asymptotic half-mass radius, velocity dispersion, phase-space density, and the mass fraction between residual baryonic and dark matter.« less

Central Stellar Mass Deficits in the Bulges of Local Lenticular Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dullo, B. T.

2014-03-01

The centers of giant galaxies display stellar mass deficits (Mdef) which are thought to be a signature left by inspiraling supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries that are formed in post-merger galaxies. We quantify these deficits for a sample of five luminous lenticular galaxies with bulge magnitude MV ≲ -21 mag and find Mdef ≍ 0.5 - 2MBH (black hole mass). Contrary to the traditionally proposed lenticular galaxy formation mechanisms such as ram-pressure stripping and galaxy harassment, the mass deficits in these galaxies suggest a two stage inside-out process for their assembly. That is, their bulges may have formed through “dry” major-merger events involving SMBHs while their disk was subsequently built up via cold gas accretion scenarios. Interestingly, these bulges have sizes and mass densities comparable to the compact massive galaxies found at z ˜ 2.

Conversion of gas into stars in the Galactic center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longmore, S. N.

2014-05-01

The star formation rate in the central 500 pc of the Milky Way is lower by a factor of > 10 than expected for the substantial amount of dense gas it contains, which challenges current star formation theories. I discuss which physical mechanisms could be causing this observation and put forward a self-consistent cycle of star formation in the Galactic center, in which the plausible star formation inhibitors are combined. Their ubiquity suggests that the perception of a lowered central SFR should be a common phenomenon in other galaxies with direct implications for galactic star formation and also potentially supermassive black hole growth. I then describe a scenario to explain the presence of super star clusters in the Galactic center environment, in which their formation is triggered by gas streams passing close to the minimum of the global Galactic gravitational potential at the location of the central supermassive black hole, Sgr A*. If this triggering mechanism can be verified, we can use the known time interval since closest approach to Sgr A* to study the physics of stellar mass assembly in an extreme environment as a function of absolute time. I outline the first results from detailed numerical simulations testing this scenario. Finally, I describe a study showing that in terms of the baryonic composition, kinematics, and densities, the gas in the Galactic center is indistinguishable from high-redshift clouds and galaxies. As such, the Galactic center clouds may be used as a template to understand the evolution (and possibly the life cycle) of high-redshift clouds and galaxies.

Clarification of the formation process of the super massive black hole by Infrared astrometric satellite, Small-JASMINE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yano, Taihei; JASMINE-WG

2018-04-01

Small-JASMINE (hearafter SJ), infrared astrometric satellite, will measure the positions and the proper motions which are located around the Galactic center, by operating at near infrared wave-lengths. SJ will clarify the formation process of the super massive black hole (hearafter SMBH) at the Galactic center. In particular, SJ will determine whether the SMBH was formed by a sequential merging of multiple black holes. The clarification of this formation process of the SMBH will contribute to a better understanding of merging process of satellite galaxies into the Galaxy, which is suggested by the standard galaxy formation scenario. A numerical simulation (Tanikawa and Umemura, 2014) suggests that if the SMBH was formed by the merging process, then the dynamical friction caused by the black holes have influenced the phase space distribution of stars. The phase space distribution measured by SJ will make it possible to determine the occurrences of the merging process.

A Large-Scale Super-Structure at z=0.65 in the UKIDSS Ultra-Deep Survey Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galametz, Audrey; Candels Clustering Working Group

2017-07-01

In hierarchical structure formation scenarios, galaxies accrete along high density filaments. Superclusters represent the largest density enhancements in the cosmic web with scales of 100 to 200 Mpc. As they represent the largest components of LSS, they are very powerful tools to constrain cosmological models. Since they also offer a wide range of density, from infalling group to high density cluster core, they are also the perfect laboratory to study the influence of environment on galaxy evolution. I will present a newly discovered large scale structure at z=0.65 in the UKIDSS UDS field. Although statistically predicted, the presence of such structure in UKIDSS, one of the most extensively covered and studied extragalactic field, remains a serendipity. Our follow-up confirmed more than 15 group members including at least three galaxy clusters with M200 10^14Msol . Deep spectroscopy of the quiescent core galaxies reveals that the most massive structure knots are at very different formation stage with a range of red sequence properties. Statistics allow us to map formation age across the structure denser knots and identify where quenching is most probably occurring across the LSS. Spectral diagnostics analysis also reveals an interesting population of transition galaxies we suspect are transforming from star-forming to quiescent galaxies.

A first constraint on the average mass of ultra-diffuse galaxies from weak gravitational lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sifón, Cristóbal; van der Burg, Remco F. J.; Hoekstra, Henk; Muzzin, Adam; Herbonnet, Ricardo

2018-01-01

The recent discovery of thousands of ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in nearby galaxy clusters has opened a new window into the process of galaxy formation and evolution. Several scenarios have been proposed to explain the formation history of UDGs, and their ability to survive in the harsh cluster environments. A key requirement to distinguish between these scenarios is a measurement of their halo masses which, due to their low surface brightnesses, has proven difficult if one relies on stellar tracers of the potential. We exploit weak gravitational lensing, a technique that does not depend on these baryonic tracers, to measure the average subhalo mass of 784 UDGs selected in 18 clusters at z ≤ 0.09. Our sample of UDGs has a median stellar mass 〈m⋆〉 = 2 × 108 M⊙ and a median effective radius 〈reff〉 = 2.8 kpc. We constrain the average mass of subhaloes within 30 kpc to log mUDG(r < 30 kpc)/M⊙ ≤ 10.99 at 95 per cent credibility, implying an effective virial mass log m200/M⊙ ≤ 11.80, and a lower limit on the stellar mass fraction within 10 kpc of 1.0 per cent. Such mass is consistent with a simple extrapolation of the subhalo-to-stellar mass relation of typical satellite galaxies in massive clusters. However, our analysis is not sensitive to scatter about this mean mass; the possibility remains that extreme UDGs reside in haloes as massive as the Milky Way.

The Taxonomy of Blue Amorphous Galaxies. I. Hα and UBVI Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marlowe, Amanda T.; Meurer, Gerhardt R.; Heckman, Timothy M.; Schommer, Robert

1997-10-01

Dwarf galaxies play an important role in our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. We have embarked on a systematic study of 12 nearby dwarf galaxies (most of which have been classified as amorphous) selected preferentially by their blue colors. The properties of the galaxies in the sample suggest that they are in a burst or postburst state. It seems likely that these amorphous galaxies are closely related to other ``starburst'' dwarfs such as blue compact dwarfs (BCDs) and H II galaxies but are considerably closer and therefore easier to study. If so, these galaxies may offer important insights into dwarf galaxy evolution. In an effort to clarify the role of starbursts in evolutionary scenarios for dwarf galaxies, we present Hα and UBVI data for our sample. Blue amorphous galaxies, like BCDs and H II galaxies, have surface brightness profiles that are exponential in the outer regions (r >~ 1.5re) but have a predominantly blue central excess, which suggests a young burst in an older, redder galaxy. Seven of the galaxies have the bubble or filamentary Hα morphology and double-peaked emission lines that are the signature of superbubbles or superwind activity. These galaxies are typically the ones with the strongest central excesses. The underlying exponential galaxies are very similar to those found in BCDs and H II galaxies. How amorphous galaxies fit into the dwarf irregular-``starburst dwarf''-dwarf elliptical evolutionary debate is less clear. In this paper, we present our data and make some preliminary comparisons between amorphous galaxies and other classes of dwarf galaxies. In a future companion paper, we will compare this sample more quantitatively with other dwarf galaxy samples in an effort to determine if amorphous galaxies are a physically different class of object from other starburst dwarfs such as BCDs and H II galaxies and also investigate their place in dwarf galaxy evolution scenarios.

Large-scale correlations in gas traced by Mg II absorbers around low-mass galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kauffmann, Guinevere

2018-03-01

The physical origin of the large-scale conformity in the colours and specific star formation rates of isolated low-mass central galaxies and their neighbours on scales in excess of 1 Mpc is still under debate. One possible scenario is that gas is heated over large scales by feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs), leading to coherent modulation of cooling and star formation between well-separated galaxies. In this Letter, the metal line absorption catalogue of Zhu & Ménard is used to probe gas out to large projected radii around a sample of a million galaxies with stellar masses ˜1010M⊙ and photometric redshifts in the range 0.4 < z < 0.8 selected from Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging data. This galaxy sample covers an effective volume of 2.2 Gpc3. A statistically significant excess of Mg II absorbers is present around the red-low-mass galaxies compared to their blue counterparts out to projected radii of 10 Mpc. In addition, the equivalent width distribution function of Mg II absorbers around low-mass galaxies is shown to be strongly affected by the presence of a nearby (Rp < 2 Mpc) radio-loud AGNs out to projected radii of 5 Mpc.

Directly Imaging Damped Ly-Alpha Galaxies at Redshifts Greater Than 2. III: The Star Formation Rates of Neutral Gas Reservoirs at Redshifts of Approximately 2.7

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fumagalli, Michele; OMeara, John M.; Prochaska, J. Xavier; Rafelski, Marc; Kanekar, Nissim

2014-01-01

We present results from a survey designed to probe the star formation properties of 32 damped Ly alpha systems (DLAs) at redshifts of approximately 2.7. By using the "double-DLA" technique that eliminates the glare of the bright background quasars, we directly measure the rest-frame FUV flux from DLAs and their neighbouring galaxies. At the position of the absorbing gas, we place stringent constraints on the unobscured star formation rates (SFRs) of DLAs to 2 sigma limits of psi less than 0.09-0.27 solar mass yr(exp -1), corresponding to SFR surface densities sigma(sub sfr) less than 10(exp -2.6)-10(exp -1.5) solar mass yr(exp -1) kpc(exp -2). The implications of these limits for the star formation law, metal enrichment, and cooling rates of DLAs are examined. By studying the distribution of impact parameters as a function of SFRs for all the galaxies detected around these DLAs, we place new direct constraints on the bright end of the UV luminosity function of DLA hosts. We find that less than or equal to 13% of the hosts have psi greater than or equal to 2 solar mass yr(exp -1) at impact parameters b(sub dla) less than or equal to (psi/solar mass yr(exp -1))(exp 0.8) + 6 kpc, differently from current samples of confirmed DLA galaxies. Our observations also disfavor a scenario in which the majority of DLAs arise from bright LBGs at distances 20 less than or equal to b(sub dla) less than 100 kpc. These new findings corroborate a picture in which DLAs do not originate from highly star forming systems that are coincident with the absorbers, and instead suggest that DLAs are associated with faint, possibly isolated, star-forming galaxies. Potential shortcomings of this scenario and future strategies for further investigation are discussed.

Globular cluster formation with multiple stellar populations from hierarchical star cluster complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bekki, Kenji

2017-05-01

Most old globular clusters (GCs) in the Galaxy are observed to have internal chemical abundance spreads in light elements. We discuss a new GC formation scenario based on hierarchical star formation within fractal molecular clouds. In the new scenario, a cluster of bound and unbound star clusters ('star cluster complex', SCC) that have a power-law cluster mass function with a slope (β) of 2 is first formed from a massive gas clump developed in a dwarf galaxy. Such cluster complexes and β = 2 are observed and expected from hierarchical star formation. The most massive star cluster ('main cluster'), which is the progenitor of a GC, can accrete gas ejected from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars initially in the cluster and other low-mass clusters before the clusters are tidally stripped or destroyed to become field stars in the dwarf. The SCC is initially embedded in a giant gas hole created by numerous supernovae of the SCC so that cold gas outside the hole can be accreted on to the main cluster later. New stars formed from the accreted gas have chemical abundances that are different from those of the original SCC. Using hydrodynamical simulations of GC formation based on this scenario, we show that the main cluster with the initial mass as large as [2-5] × 105 M⊙ can accrete more than 105 M⊙ gas from AGB stars of the SCC. We suggest that merging of hierarchical SSCs can play key roles in stellar halo formation around GCs and self-enrichment processes in the early phase of GC formation.

BULGES OF NEARBY GALAXIES WITH SPITZER: THE GROWTH OF PSEUDOBULGES IN DISK GALAXIES AND ITS CONNECTION TO OUTER DISKS

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

Fisher, David B.; Drory, Niv; Fabricius, Maximilian H.

2009-05-20

We study star formation rates (SFRs) and stellar masses in bulges of nearby disk galaxies. For this we construct a new SFR indicator that linearly combines data from the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer. All bulges are found to be forming stars irrespective of bulge type (pseudobulge or classical bulge). At present-day SFR the median pseudobulge could have grown the present-day stellar mass in 8 Gyr. Classical bulges have the lowest specific SFR implying a growth times that are longer than a Hubble time, and thus the present-day SFR does not likely play a major role inmore » the evolution of classical bulges. In almost all galaxies in our sample the specific SFR (SFR per unit stellar mass) of the bulge is higher than that of the outer disk. This suggests that almost all galaxies are increasing their B/T through internal star formation. The SFR in pseudobulges correlates with their structure. More massive pseudobulges have higher SFR density, this is consistent with that stellar mass being formed by moderate, extended star formation. Bulges in late-type galaxies have similar SFRs as pseudobulges in intermediate-type galaxies, and are similar in radial size. However, they are deficient in mass; thus, they have much shorter growth times, {approx}2 Gyr. We identify a class of bulges that have nuclear morphology similar to pseudobulges, significantly lower specific SFR than pseudobulges, and are closer to classical bulges in structural parameter correlations. These are possibly composite objects, evolved pseudobulges or classical bulges experiencing transient, enhanced nuclear star formation. Our results are consistent with a scenario in which bulge growth via internal star formation is a natural, and near ubiquitous phenomenon in disk galaxies. Those galaxies with large classical bulges are not affected by the in situ bulge growth, likely because the majority of their stellar mass comes from some other phenomenon. Yet, those galaxies without a classical bulge, over long periods of extended star formation are able to growth a pseudobulge. Though cold accretion is not ruled out, for pseudobulge galaxies an addition of stellar mass from mergers or accretion is not required to explain the bulge mass. In this sense, galaxies with pseudobulges may very well be bulgeless (or 'quasi-bulgeless') galaxies, and galaxies with classical bulges are galaxies in which both internal evolution and hierarchical merging are responsible for the bulge mass by fractions that vary from galaxy to galaxy.« less

The star formation histories of local group dwarf galaxies. II. Searching for signatures of reionization

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

Weisz, Daniel R.; Dolphin, Andrew E.; Skillman, Evan D.

We search for signatures of reionization in the star formation histories (SFHs) of 38 Local Group dwarf galaxies (10{sup 4} < M{sub *} < 10{sup 9} M{sub ☉}). The SFHs are derived from color-magnitude diagrams using archival Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 imaging. Only five quenched galaxies (And V, And VI, And XIII, Leo IV, and Hercules) are consistent with forming the bulk of their stars before reionization, when full uncertainties are considered. Observations of 13 of the predicted 'true fossils' identified by Bovill and Ricotti show that only two (Hercules and Leo IV) indicate star formation quenchedmore » by reionization. However, both are within the virial radius of the Milky Way and evidence of tidal disturbance complicates this interpretation. We argue that the late-time gas capture scenario posited by Ricotti for the low mass, gas-rich, and star-forming fossil candidate Leo T is observationally indistinguishable from simple gas retention. Given the ambiguity between environmental effects and reionization, the best reionization fossil candidates are quenched low mass field galaxies (e.g., KKR 25).« less

SDSS-IV MaNGA: modelling the metallicity gradients of gas and stars - radially dependent metal outflow versus IMF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lian, Jianhui; Thomas, Daniel; Maraston, Claudia; Goddard, Daniel; Parikh, Taniya; Fernández-Trincado, J. G.; Roman-Lopes, Alexandre; Rong, Yu; Tang, Baitian; Yan, Renbin

2018-05-01

In our previous work, we found that only two scenarios are capable of reproducing the observed integrated mass-metallicity relations for the gas and stellar components of local star-forming galaxies simultaneously. One scenario invokes a time-dependent metal outflow loading factor with stronger outflows at early times. The other scenario uses a time-dependent initial mass function (IMF) slope with a steeper IMF at early times. In this work, we extend our study to investigate the radial profile of gas and stellar metallicity in local star-forming galaxies using spatially resolved spectroscopic data from the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey. We find that most galaxies show negative gradients in both gas and stellar metallicity with steeper gradients in stellar metallicity. The stellar metallicity gradients tend to be mass dependent with steeper gradients in more massive galaxies while no clear mass dependence is found for the gas metallicity gradient. Then we compare the observations with the predictions from a chemical evolution model of the radial profiles of gas and stellar metallicities. We confirm that the two scenarios proposed in our previous work are also required to explain the metallicity gradients. Based on these two scenarios, we successfully reproduce the radial profiles of gas metallicity, stellar metallicity, stellar mass surface density, and star formation rate surface density simultaneously. The origin of the negative gradient in stellar metallicity turns out to be driven by either radially dependent metal outflow or IMF slope. In contrast, the radial dependence of the gas metallicity is less constrained because of the degeneracy in model parameters.

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 the two-phase scenario proposed for the formation of ETGs. (f) Evidence of an early and fast quenching is found only in the most massive (M⋆ > 2 × 1011 M⊙) E galaxies of the sample, but not in spirals of similar mass, suggesting that halo quenching is not the main mechanism for the shut down of star formation in galaxies. Less massive E and disk galaxies show more extended SFHs and a slow quenching. (g) Evidence of fast quenching is also found in the nuclei of ETG and early spirals, with SFR and ΣSFR indicating that they can be the relic of the "red nuggets" detected at high redshift.

Loops formed by tidal tails as fossil records of a major merger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J.; Hammer, F.; Athanassoula, E.; Puech, M.; Yang, Y.; Flores, H.

2012-02-01

Context. Many haloes of nearby disc galaxies contain faint and extended features, including loops, which are often interpreted as relics of satellite infall in the main galaxy's potential well. In most cases, however, the residual nucleus of the satellite is not seen, although it is predicted by numerical simulations. Aims: We test whether such faint and extended features can be associated to gas-rich, major mergers, which may also lead to disc rebuilding and thus be a corner stone for the formation of spiral galaxies. Our goal is to test whether the major merger scenario can provide a good model for a particularly difficult case, that of NGC 5907, and to compare to the scenario of a satellite infall. Methods: Using the TreeSPH code GADGET-2, we model the formation of an almost bulge-less galaxy similar to NGC 5907 (B/T ≲ 0.2) after a gas-rich major merger. First, we trace tidal tail particles captured by the galaxy gravitational potential to verify whether they can form loops similar to those discovered in the galactic haloes. Results: We indeed find that 3:1 major mergers can form features similar to the loops found in many galactic haloes, including in NGC 5907, and can reproduce an extended thin disc, a bulge, as well as the pronounced warp of the gaseous disc. Relatively small bulge fractions can be reproduced by a large gas fraction in the progenitors, as well as appropriate orbital parameters. Conclusions: Even though it remains difficult to fully cover the large volume of free parameters, the present modelling of the loops in NGC 5907 proves that they could well be the result of a major merger. It has many advantages over the satellite infall scenario; e.g., it solves the problem of the visibility of the satellite remnant, and it may explain some additional features in the NGC 5907 halo, as well as some gas properties of this system. For orbital parameters derived from cosmological simulations, the loops in NGC 5907 can be reproduced by major mergers (3:1 to 5:1) and possibly by intermediate mergers (5:1 to 12:1). The major merger scenario thus challenges the minor merger one and could explain many properties that haloes of spiral galaxies have in common, including their red colours and the presence of faint extended features.

The three-point function as a probe of models for large-scale structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frieman, Joshua A.; Gaztanaga, Enrique

1993-01-01

The consequences of models of structure formation for higher-order (n-point) galaxy correlation functions in the mildly non-linear regime are analyzed. Several variations of the standard Omega = 1 cold dark matter model with scale-invariant primordial perturbations were recently introduced to obtain more power on large scales, R(sub p) is approximately 20 h(sup -1) Mpc, e.g., low-matter-density (non-zero cosmological constant) models, 'tilted' primordial spectra, and scenarios with a mixture of cold and hot dark matter. They also include models with an effective scale-dependent bias, such as the cooperative galaxy formation scenario of Bower, etal. It is shown that higher-order (n-point) galaxy correlation functions can provide a useful test of such models and can discriminate between models with true large-scale power in the density field and those where the galaxy power arises from scale-dependent bias: a bias with rapid scale-dependence leads to a dramatic decrease of the hierarchical amplitudes Q(sub J) at large scales, r is approximately greater than R(sub p). Current observational constraints on the three-point amplitudes Q(sub 3) and S(sub 3) can place limits on the bias parameter(s) and appear to disfavor, but not yet rule out, the hypothesis that scale-dependent bias is responsible for the extra power observed on large scales.

H I-SELECTED GALAXIES AS A PROBE OF QUASAR ABSORPTION SYSTEMS

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

Okoshi, Katsuya; Nagashima, Masahiro; Gouda, Naoteru

2010-02-20

We investigate the properties of H I-rich galaxies detected in blind radio surveys within the hierarchical structure formation scenario using a semianalytic model of galaxy formation. By drawing a detailed comparison between the properties of H I-selected galaxies and H I absorption systems, we argue a link between the local galaxy population and quasar absorption systems, particularly for damped Lyalpha absorption (DLA) systems and sub-DLA systems. First, we evaluate how many H I-selected galaxies exhibit H I column densities as high as those of DLA systems. We find that H I-selected galaxies with H I masses M{sub H{sub I}} {approx}>more » 10{sup 8} M{sub sun} have gaseous disks that produce H I column densities comparable to those of DLA systems. We conclude that DLA galaxies where the H I column densities are as high as those of DLA systems, contribute significantly to the population of H I-selected galaxies at M{sub H{sub I}} {approx}> 10{sup 8} M{sub sun}. Second, we find that star formation rates (SFRs) correlate tightly with H I masses (M{sub H{sub I}}) rather than B- (and J-) band luminosities: SFR {proportional_to} M {sup alpha}{sub H{sub I}}, alpha = 1.25-1.40 for 10{sup 6} <= M{sub H{sub I}}/M{sub sun} <= 10{sup 11}. In the low-mass range M{sub H{sub I}} {approx}< 10{sup 8} M{sub sun}, sub-DLA galaxies replace DLA galaxies as the dominant population. The number fraction of sub-DLA galaxies relative to galaxies reaches 40%-60% for M{sub H{sub I}} {approx} 10{sup 8} M{sub sun} and 30%-80% for M{sub H{sub I}} {approx} 10{sup 7} M{sub sun}. The H I-selected galaxies at M{sub H{sub I}} {approx} 10{sup 7} M{sub sun} are a strong probe of sub-DLA systems that place stringent constraints on galaxy formation and evolution.« less

A hydrodynamic treatment of the cold dark matter cosmological scenario

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cen, Renyue; Ostriker, Jeremiah

1992-01-01

The evolution of structure in a postrecombination Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe containing both gaseous baryons and cold dark matter (CDM) is studied by means of an Eulerian code coupled with a standard particle-mesh code. Ionization state and radiative opacity are calculated in detail, and the hydrodynamic simulations make it possible to compute properties of gas distribution on scales larger than three cell sizes. The model yields a soft X-ray background consistent with the latest cosmic nucleosynthesis values, and can accurately reproduce the galaxy-galaxy two-point correlation. The rate of galaxy formation peaks at a relatively late epoch. With regard to mass function, the smallest objects are stabilized against collapse by thermal energy: the mass-weighted mass spectrum peaks in the vicinity of m(b) = 10 exp 9.2 solar masses with a reasonable fit to the Schecter luminosity function if the baryon mass to blue light ratio is approximately 4. Overall, the simulations provide strong support for the CMD scenario. Of particular interest is that, while the baryons are not biased on scales greater than 1/h Mpc, the galaxies are, and that the 'galaxies' have a correlation function of the required slope and the correct amplitude.

Baryon isocurvature scenario in inflationary cosmology - A particle physics model and its astrophysical implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yokoyama, Jun'ichi; Suto, Yasushi

1991-01-01

A phenomenological model to produce isocurvature baryon-number fluctuations is proposed in the framework of inflationary cosmology. The resulting spectrum of density fluctuation is very different from the conventional Harrison-Zel'dovich shape. The model, with the parameters satisfying several requirements from particle physics and cosmology, provides an appropriate initial condition for the minimal baryon isocurvature scenario of galaxy formation discussed by Peebles.

Distinctive aspects of the evolution of galactic magnetic fields

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

Yar-Mukhamedov, D., E-mail: danial.su@gmail.com

2016-11-15

We perform an in-depth analysis of the evolution of galactic magnetic fields within a semi-analytic galaxy formation and evolution framework, determine various distinctive aspects of the evolution process, and obtain analytic solutions for a wide range of possible evolution scenarios.

Comparing Low-Redshift Compact Dwarf Starbursts in the RESOLVE Survey with High-Redshift Blue Nuggets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palumbo, Michael Louis; Kannappan, Sheila; Snyder, Elaine; Eckert, Kathleen; Norman, Dara; Fraga, Luciano; Quint, Bruno; Amram, Philippe; Mendes de Oliveira, Claudia; RESOLVE Team

2018-01-01

We identify and characterize a population of compact dwarf starburst galaxies in the RESOLVE survey, a volume-limited census of galaxies in the local universe, to probe the possibility that these galaxies are related to “blue nuggets,” a class of intensely star-forming and compact galaxies previously identified at high redshift. Blue nuggets are thought to form as the result of intense compaction events that drive fresh gas to their centers. They are expected to display prolate morphology and rotation along their minor axes. We report IFU observations of three of our compact dwarf starburst galaxies, from which we construct high-resolution velocity fields, examining the evidence for minor axis or otherwise misaligned rotation. We find multiple cases of double nuclei in our sample, which may be indicative of a merger origin as in some blue nugget formation scenarios. We compare the masses, radii, gas-to-stellar mass ratios, star formation rates, stellar surface mass densities, and environmental contexts of our sample to expectations for blue nuggets.

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.

SEGUE 1—A COMPRESSED STAR FORMATION HISTORY BEFORE REIONIZATION

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

Webster, David; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Frebel, Anna, E-mail: d.webster@physics.usyd.edu.au

Segue 1 is the current best candidate for a “first galaxy,” a system that experienced only a single, short burst of star formation and has since remained unchanged. Here we present possible star formation scenarios that can explain Segue 1’s unique metallicity distribution. While the majority of stars in all other ultra-faint dwarfs are within 0.5 dex of the mean [Fe/H] for the galaxy, five of the seven stars in Segue 1 have a spread of Δ[Fe/H]  > 0.8 dex. We show that this distribution of metallicities cannot be explained by a gradual buildup of stars, but instead requires clustered star formation. Chemicalmore » tagging allows the separate unresolved delta functions in abundance space to be associated with discrete events in space and time. This provides an opportunity to put the enrichment events into a time sequence and unravel the history of the system. We investigate two possible scenarios for the star formation history of Segue 1 using Fyris Alpha simulations of gas in a 10{sup 7} M{sub ⊙} dark matter halo. The lack of stars with intermediate metallicities −3 < [Fe/H] < −2 can be explained either by a pause in star formation caused by supernova feedback or by the spread of metallicities resulting from one or two supernovae in a low-mass dark matter halo. Either possibility can reproduce the metallicity distribution function (MDF) as well as the other observed elemental abundances. The unusual MDF and the low luminosity of Segue 1 can be explained by it being a first galaxy that originated with M{sub vir} ∼ 10{sup 7}M{sub ⊙} at z ∼ 10.« less

Herschel-ATLAS: A Binary HyLIRG Pinpointing a Cluster of Starbursting Protoellipticals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivison, R.J.; Swinbank, A.M.; Smail, Ian; Harris, A. I.; Bussmann, R. S.; Cooray, A.; Cox, P.; Fu, H.; Kovacs, A.; Krips, M.;

The topology of large-scale structure. I - Topology and the random phase hypothesis. [galactic formation models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinberg, David H.; Gott, J. Richard, III; Melott, Adrian L.

1987-01-01

Many models for the formation of galaxies and large-scale structure assume a spectrum of random phase (Gaussian), small-amplitude density fluctuations as initial conditions. In such scenarios, the topology of the galaxy distribution on large scales relates directly to the topology of the initial density fluctuations. Here a quantitative measure of topology - the genus of contours in a smoothed density distribution - is described and applied to numerical simulations of galaxy clustering, to a variety of three-dimensional toy models, and to a volume-limited sample of the CfA redshift survey. For random phase distributions the genus of density contours exhibits a universal dependence on threshold density. The clustering simulations show that a smoothing length of 2-3 times the mass correlation length is sufficient to recover the topology of the initial fluctuations from the evolved galaxy distribution. Cold dark matter and white noise models retain a random phase topology at shorter smoothing lengths, but massive neutrino models develop a cellular topology.

Dust in Supernovae and Supernova Remnants I: Formation Scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarangi, A.; Matsuura, M.; Micelotta, E. R.

2018-04-01

Supernovae are considered as prime sources of dust in space. Observations of local supernovae over the past couple of decades have detected the presence of dust in supernova ejecta. The reddening of the high redshift quasars also indicate the presence of large masses of dust in early galaxies. Considering the top heavy IMF in the early galaxies, supernovae are assumed to be the major contributor to these large amounts of dust. However, the composition and morphology of dust grains formed in a supernova ejecta is yet to be understood with clarity. Moreover, the dust masses inferred from observations in mid-infrared and submillimeter wavelength regimes differ by two orders of magnitude or more. Therefore, the mechanism responsible for the synthesis of molecules and dust in such environments plays a crucial role in studying the evolution of cosmic dust in galaxies. This review summarises our current knowledge of dust formation in supernova ejecta and tries to quantify the role of supernovae as dust producers in a galaxy.

STELLAR KINEMATICS AND STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES OF VIRGO CLUSTER DWARF EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES FROM THE SMAKCED PROJECT. III. ANGULAR MOMENTUM AND CONSTRAINTS ON FORMATION SCENARIOS

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

Toloba, E.; Guhathakurta, P.; Boselli, A.

2015-02-01

We analyze the stellar kinematics of 39 dwarf early-type galaxies (dEs) in the Virgo Cluster. Based on the specific stellar angular momentum λ{sub Re} and the ellipticity, we find 11 slow rotators and 28 fast rotators. The fast rotators in the outer parts of the Virgo Cluster rotate significantly faster than fast rotators in the inner parts of the cluster. Moreover, 10 out of the 11 slow rotators are located in the inner 3° (D < 1 Mpc) of the cluster. The fast rotators contain subtle disk-like structures that are visible in high-pass filtered optical images, while the slow rotatorsmore » do not exhibit these structures. In addition, two of the dEs have kinematically decoupled cores and four more have emission partially filling in the Balmer absorption lines. These properties suggest that Virgo Cluster dEs may have originated from late-type star-forming galaxies that were transformed by the environment after their infall into the cluster. The correlation between λ{sub Re} and the clustercentric distance can be explained by a scenario where low luminosity star-forming galaxies fall into the cluster, their gas is rapidly removed by ram-pressure stripping, although some of it can be retained in their core, their star formation is quenched but their stellar kinematics are preserved. After a long time in the cluster and several passes through its center, the galaxies are heated up and transformed into slow rotating dEs.« less

GALAXY EVOLUTION. An over-massive black hole in a typical star-forming galaxy, 2 billion years after the Big Bang.

PubMed

Trakhtenbrot, Benny; Urry, C Megan; Civano, Francesca; Rosario, David J; Elvis, Martin; Schawinski, Kevin; Suh, Hyewon; Bongiorno, Angela; Simmons, Brooke D

2015-07-10

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their host galaxies are generally thought to coevolve, so that the SMBH achieves up to about 0.2 to 0.5% of the host galaxy mass in the present day. The radiation emitted from the growing SMBH is expected to affect star formation throughout the host galaxy. The relevance of this scenario at early cosmic epochs is not yet established. We present spectroscopic observations of a galaxy at redshift z = 3.328, which hosts an actively accreting, extremely massive BH, in its final stages of growth. The SMBH mass is roughly one-tenth the mass of the entire host galaxy, suggesting that it has grown much more efficiently than the host, contrary to models of synchronized coevolution. The host galaxy is forming stars at an intense rate, despite the presence of a SMBH-driven gas outflow. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Statistical analysis of ALFALFA galaxies: Insights in galaxy formation & near-field cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papastergis, Emmanouil

2013-03-01

The Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) survey is a blind, extragalactic survey in the 21cm emission line of atomic hydrogen (HI). Presently, sources have been cataloged over ≈4,000 deg2 of sky (~60% of its final area), resulting in the largest HI-selected sample to date. We use the rich ALFALFA dataset to measure the statistical properties of HI-bearing galaxies, such as their mass distribution and clustering characteristics. These statistical distributions are determined by the properties of darkmatter on galactic scales, and by the complex baryonic processes through which galaxies form over cosmic time. As a result, detailed studies of these distributions can lead to important insights in galaxy formation & evolution and near-field cosmology. In particular, we measure the space density of HI-bearing galaxies as a function of the width of their HI profile (i.e. the velocity width function of galaxies), and find substantial disagreement with the distribution expected in a lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM) universe. In particular, the number of galaxies with maximum rotational velocities upsilonrot ≈ 35 kms--1 (as judged by their HI velocity width) is about an order of magnitude lower than what predicted based on populating ΛCDM halos with modeled galaxies. We identify two possible solutions to the discrepancy: First, an alternative dark matter scenario in which the formation of low-mass halos is heavily suppressed (e.g. a warm dark matter universe with keV-scale dark matter particles). Secondly, we consider the possibility that rotational velocitites of dwarf galaxies derived from HI velocity widths may systematically underestimate the true mass of the host halo, due to the shape of their rotation curves. In this latter scenario, quantitative predictions for the internal kinematics of dwarf galaxies can be made, which can be checked in the future to probe the nature of dark matter. Furthermore, we take advantage of the overlap of ALFALFA with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), to measure the number density of galaxies as a function of their "baryonic" mass (stars + atomic gas). In the context of a ΛCDM cosmological model, the measured distribution reveals that low-mass halos are heavily "baryon depleted", i.e. their baryonic-to-dark mass ratio is much lower than the cosmological value. These baryon deficits are usually attributed to stellar feedback (e.g. supernova-driven gas outflows), but the efficiency implied by our measurement is extremely high. Whether such efficient feedback can be accommodated in a consistent picture of galaxy formation is an open question, and remains one of the principle scientific drivers for hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy formation. Lastly, we measure the clustering properties of HI-selected samples, through the two-point correlation function of ALFALFA galaxies. We find no compelling evidence for a dependence of clustering on HI mass, suggesting that the relationship between galactic gas mass and host halo mass is not tight. We furthermore find that HI galaxies cluster more weakly than optically selected ones, when no color selection is applied. However, SDSS galaxies with blue colors have very similar clustering characteristics with ALFALFA galaxies, both in real as well as in redshift space. On the other hand, HI galaxies cluster much more weakly than optical galaxies with red colors, and in fact "avoid" being located within ≈3 Mpc from the latter. By considering the clustering properties of ΛCDM halos, we confirm our previous intuition for an MHI-Mh relation with large scatter, and find that spin parameter may be a key halo property related to the gas content of present-day galaxies.

Small-scale effects of thermal inflation on halo abundance at high-z, galaxy substructure abundance, and 21-cm power spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Sungwook E.; Zoe, Heeseung; Ahn, Kyungjin

2017-11-01

We study the impact of thermal inflation on the formation of cosmological structures and present astrophysical observables which can be used to constrain and possibly probe the thermal inflation scenario. These are dark matter halo abundance at high redshifts, satellite galaxy abundance in the Milky Way, and fluctuation in the 21-cm radiation background before the epoch of reionization. The thermal inflation scenario leaves a characteristic signature on the matter power spectrum by boosting the amplitude at a specific wave number determined by the number of e-foldings during thermal inflation (N_{bc}), and strongly suppressing the amplitude for modes at smaller scales. For a reasonable range of parameter space, one of the consequences is the suppression of minihalo formation at high redshifts and that of satellite galaxies in the Milky Way. While this effect is substantial, it is degenerate with other cosmological or astrophysical effects. The power spectrum of the 21-cm background probes this impact more directly, and its observation may be the best way to constrain the thermal inflation scenario due to the characteristic signature in the power spectrum. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) in phase 1 (SKA1) has sensitivity large enough to achieve this goal for models with N_{bc} ≳ 26 if a 10000-hr observation is performed. The final phase SKA, with anticipated sensitivity about an order of magnitude higher, seems more promising and will cover a wider parameter space.

Initiating the Sierra Nevada catalogue of star-forming polar-ring galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Ribera, E.; Pérez-Montero, E.; García-Benito, R.; Vílchez, J. M.

2015-05-01

We describe photometric observations with the 1.5m. telescope of the Sierra Nevada Observatory of a preliminary sample of 16 candidates to polar-ring galaxies (PRGs) selected from Whitmore et al. (1990) and Moiseev et al. (2011). The images were taken in broad filters (BVR) in order to characterize the host galaxies and the rings and in narrow filter Hα at the corresponding redshifted wavelength to identify in the rings knots of on-going star-formation. These information allowed us to analyze different physical parameters (formation scenarios, morphological types, and stellar population) and to locate HII regions. The main aim of this work is the elaboration of a catalogue of PRGs with a star-forming ring. In a next future, the spatially-resolved spectroscopy study of these structures will help to understand their most probable mechanism of origin, formation and evolution by means of rotation curves, spectral fitting of stellar populations and chemical abundance analysis (e.g. Pérez-Montero et al. 2009)

Separate Ways: The Mass-Metallicity Relation Does Not Strongly Correlate with Star Formation Rate in SDSS-IV MaNGA Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrera-Ballesteros, J. K.; Sánchez, S. F.; Heckman, T.; Blanc, G. A.; The MaNGA Team

2017-07-01

We present the integrated stellar mass-metallicity relation (MZR) for more than 1700 galaxies included in the integral field area SDSS-IV MaNGA survey. The spatially resolved data allow us to determine the metallicity at the same physical scale (effective radius, R eff) using a heterogeneous set of 10 abundance calibrators. In addition to scale factors, the shape of the MZR is similar for all calibrators, consistent with those reported previously using single-fiber and integral field spectroscopy. We compare the residuals of this relation against the star formation rate (SFR) and specific SFR (sSFR). We do not find a strong secondary relation of the MZR with either SFR or sSFR for any of the calibrators, in contrast with previous single-fiber spectroscopic studies. Our results agree with a scenario in which metal enrichment happens at local scales, with global outflows playing a secondary role in shaping the chemistry of galaxies and cold-gas inflows regulating the stellar formation.

Metal enrichment in the Fermi bubbles as a probe of their origin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Yoshiyuki; Nakashima, Shinya; Tahara, Masaya; Kataoka, Jun; Totani, Tomonori; Fujita, Yutaka; Sofue, Yoshiaki

2015-06-01

The Fermi bubbles are gigantic gamma-ray structures in our Galaxy. The physical origin of the bubbles is still under debate. The leading scenarios can be divided into two categories. One is nuclear star-forming activity similar to extragalactic starburst galaxies and the other is past active galactic nucleus (AGN)-like activity of the Galactic center supermassive black hole. In this letter, we propose that metal abundance measurements will provide an important clue to probe their origin. Based on a simple spherically symmetric bubble model, we find that the generated metallicity and abundance patterns of the bubbles' gas strongly depend on assumed star formation or AGN activities. Star formation scenarios predict higher metallicities and abundance ratios of [O/Fe] and [Ne/Fe] than AGN scenarios do because of supernovae ejecta. Furthermore, the resultant abundance depends on the gamma-ray emission process because different mass injection histories are required for the different gamma-ray emission processes due to the acceleration and cooling time scales of non-thermal particles. Future X-ray missions such as ASTRO-H and Athena will give a clue to probe the origin of the bubbles through abundance measurements with their high energy resolution instruments.

Radial gas motions in The H I Nearby Galaxy Survey (THINGS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Tobias M.; Bigiel, Frank; Klessen, Ralf S.; de Blok, W. J. G.

2016-04-01

The study of 21 cm line observations of atomic hydrogen allows detailed insight into the kinematics of spiral galaxies. We use sensitive high-resolution Very Large Array data from The H I Nearby Galaxy Survey (THINGS) to search for radial gas flows primarily in the outer parts (up to 3 × r25) of 10 nearby spiral galaxies. Inflows are expected to replenish the gas reservoir and fuel star formation under the assumption that galaxies evolve approximately in steady state. We carry out a detailed investigation of existing tilted ring fitting schemes and discover systematics that can hamper their ability to detect signatures of radial flows. We develop a new Fourier decomposition scheme that fits for rotational and radial velocities and simultaneously determines position angle and inclination as a function of radius. Using synthetic velocity fields we show that our novel fitting scheme is less prone to such systematic errors and that it is well suited to detect radial inflows in discs. We apply our fitting scheme to 10 THINGS galaxies and find clear indications of, at least partly previously unidentified, radial gas flows, in particular for NGC 2403 and NGC 3198 and to a lesser degree for NGC 7331, NGC 2903 and NGC 6946. The mass flow rates are of the same order but usually larger than the star formation rates. At least for these galaxies a scenario in which continuous mass accretion feeds star formation seems plausible. The other galaxies show a more complicated picture with either no clear inflow, outward motions or complex kinematic signatures.

STAR FORMATION ACTIVITY IN A YOUNG GALAXY CLUSTER AT Z = 0.866

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

Laganá, T. F.; Martins, L. P.; Ulmer, M. P.

2016-07-10

The galaxy cluster RX J1257+4738 at z = 0.866 is one of the highest redshift clusters with a richness of multi-wavelength data, and is thus a good target to study the star formation–density relation at early epochs. Using a sample of spectroscopically confirmed cluster members, we derive the star-formation rates (SFRs) of our galaxies using two methods: (1) the relation between SFR and total infrared luminosity extrapolated from the observed Spitzer Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer 24 μ m imaging data; and (2) spectral energy distribution fitting using the MAGPHYS code, including eight different bands. We show that, for thismore » cluster, the SFR–density relation is very weak and seems to be dominated by the two central galaxies and the SFR presents a mild dependence on stellar mass, with more massive galaxies having higher SFR. However, the specific SFR (SSFR) decreases with stellar mass, meaning that more massive galaxies are forming fewer stars per unit of mass, and thus suggesting that the increase in star-forming members is driven by cluster assembly and infall. If the environment is somehow driving the star formation, one would expect a relation between the SSFR and the cluster centric distance, but that is not the case. A possible scenario to explain this lack of correlation is the contamination by infalling galaxies in the inner part of the cluster, which may be on their initial pass through the cluster center. As these galaxies have higher SFRs for their stellar mass, they enhance the mean SSFR in the center of the cluster.« less

A Hubble Space Telescope imaging study of four FeLoBAL quasar host galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawther, D.; Vestergaard, M.; Fan, X.

2018-04-01

We study the host galaxies of four Iron Low-Ionization Broad Absorption-line Quasars (FeLoBALs), using Hubble Space Telescope imaging data, investigating the possibility that they represent a transition between an obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN) and an ordinary optical quasar. In this scenario, the FeLoBALs represent the early stage of merger-triggered accretion, in which case their host galaxies are expected to show signs of an ongoing or recent merger. Using PSF subtraction techniques, we decompose the images into host galaxy and AGN components at rest-frame ultraviolet and optical wavelengths. The ultraviolet is sensitive to young stars, while the optical probes stellar mass. In the ultraviolet we image at the BAL absorption trough wavelengths so as to decrease the contrast between the quasar and host galaxy emission. We securely detect an extended source for two of the four FeLoBALs in the rest-frame optical; a third host galaxy is marginally detected. In the rest-frame UV we detect no host emission; this constrains the level of unobscured star formation. Thus, the host galaxies have observed properties that are consistent with those of non-BAL quasars with the same nuclear luminosity, i.e. quiescent or moderately star-forming elliptical galaxies. However, we cannot exclude starbursting hosts that have the stellar UV emission obscured by modest amounts of dust reddening. Thus, our findings also allow the merger-induced young quasar scenario. For three objects, we identify possible close companion galaxies that may be gravitationally interacting with the quasar hosts.

Environmental Effects on Evolution of Cluster Galaxies in a Λ-dominated Cold Dark Matter Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamoto, Takashi; Nagashima, Masahiro

2003-04-01

We investigate environmental effects on evolution of bright cluster galaxies (L>L*) in a Λ-dominated cold dark matter universe using a combination of dissipationless N-body simulations and a semianalytic galaxy formation model. The N-body simulations enable us to calculate orbits of galaxies in simulated clusters. Therefore, we can incorporate stripping of cold gas from galactic disks by ram pressure (RP) from the intracluster medium into our model. In this paper we study how ram pressure stripping (RPS) and small starburst induced by a minor merger affect colors, star formation rates (SFRs), and morphologies of cluster galaxies. These processes are new ingredients in our model and have not been studied sufficiently. We find that the RPS is not important for colors and SFRs of galaxies in the cluster core if the star formation timescale is properly chosen, because the star formation is sufficiently suppressed by consumption of the cold gas in the disks. Then observed color and SFR gradients can be reproduced without the RPS. The small starburst triggered by a minor merger hardly affects the SFRs and colors of the galaxies as well. We also examine whether these two processes can resolve the known problem that the hierarchical clustering models based on the major merger-driven bulge formation scenario predict too few galaxies of intermediate bulge-to-total luminosity ratio (B/T) in clusters. When the minor burst is taken into account, the intermediate B/T population is increased, and the observed morphology gradients in clusters are successfully reproduced. Without the minor burst, the RPS cannot increase the intermediate B/T population. On the other hand, when the minor burst is considered, the RPS also plays an important role in formation of the intermediate B/T galaxies. We present redshift evolution of morphological fractions predicted by our models. The predicted number ratios of the intermediate B/T galaxies to the bulge-dominated galaxies show nearly flat or slightly increasing trends with increasing redshift. We conclude that these trends are inevitable when bulges are formed through mergers. We discuss whether our results conflict with observationally suggested NS0/NE evolution in clusters, which is a decreasing function of redshift.

The peculiar velocities of rich clusters in the hot and cold dark matter scenarios

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhee, George F.; West, Michael J.; Villumsen, Jens V.

1993-01-01

We present the results of a study of the peculiar velocities of rich clusters of galaxies. The peculiar motion of rich clusters in various cosmological scenarios is of interest for a number of reasons. Observationally, one can measure the peculiar motion of clusters to greater distances than galaxies because cluster peculiar motions can be determined to greater accuracy. One can also test the slope of distance indicator relations using clusters to see if galaxy properties vary with environment. We have used N-body simulations to measure the amplitude and rms cluster peculiar velocity as a function of bias parameter in the hot and cold dark matter scenarios. In addition to measuring the mean and rms peculiar velocity of clusters in the two models, we determined whether the peculiar velocity vector of a given cluster is well aligned with the gravity vector due to all the particles in the simulation and the gravity vector due to the particles present only in the clusters. We have investigated the peculiar velocities of rich clusters of galaxies in the cold dark matter and hot dark matter galaxy formation scenarios. We have derived peculiar velocities and associated errors for the scenarios using four values of the bias parameter ranging from b = 1 to b = 2.5. The growth of the mean peculiar velocity with scale factor has been determined and compared to that predicted by linear theory. In addition, we have compared the orientation of force and velocity in these simulations to see if a program such as that proposed by Bertschinger and Dekel (1989) for elliptical galaxy peculiar motions can be applied to clusters. The method they describe enables one to recover the density field from large scale redshift distance samples. The method makes it possible to do this when only radial velocities are known by assuming that the velocity field is curl free. Our analysis suggests that this program if applied to clusters is only realizable for models with a low value of the bias parameter, i.e., models in which the peculiar velocities of clusters are large enough that the errors do not render the analysis impracticable.

Reconstructing the galaxy density field with photometric redshifts - II. Environment-dependent galaxy evolution since z ≃ 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malavasi, Nicola; Pozzetti, Lucia; Cucciati, Olga; Bardelli, Sandro; Ilbert, Olivier; Cimatti, Andrea

2017-09-01

Although extensively investigated, the role of the environment in galaxy formation is still not well understood. In this context, the galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) is a powerful tool to understand how environment relates to galaxy mass assembly and the quenching of star formation. In this work, we make use of the high-precision photometric redshifts of the UltraVISTA Survey to study the GSMF in different environments up to z ˜ 3, on physical scales from 0.3 to 2 Mpc, down to masses of M ˜ 1010 M⊙. We witness the appearance of environmental signatures for both quiescent and star-forming galaxies. We find that the shape of the GSMF of quiescent galaxies is different in high- and low-density environments up to z ˜ 2 with the high-mass end (M ≳ 1011 M⊙) being enhanced in high-density environments. On the contrary, for star-forming galaxies, a difference between the GSMF in high- and low-density environments is present for masses M ≲ 1011 M⊙. Star-forming galaxies in this mass range appear to be more frequent in low-density environments up to z < 1.5. Differences in the shape of the GSMF are not visible anymore at z > 2. Our results, in terms of general trends in the shape of the GSMF, are in agreement with a scenario in which galaxies are quenched when they enter hot gas-dominated massive haloes that are preferentially in high-density environments.

The evolution of the metallicity gradient and the star formation efficiency in disc galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sillero, Emanuel; Tissera, Patricia B.; Lambas, Diego G.; Michel-Dansac, Leo

2017-12-01

We study the oxygen abundance profiles of the gas-phase components in hydrodynamical simulations of pre-prepared disc galaxies including major mergers, close encounters and isolated configurations. We analyse the evolution of the slope of oxygen abundance profiles and the specific star formation rate (sSFR) along their evolution. We find that galaxy-galaxy interactions could generate either positive or negative gas-phase oxygen profiles, depending on the state of evolution. Along the interaction, galaxies are found to have metallicity gradients and sSFR consistent with observations, on average. Strong gas inflows produced during galaxy-galaxy interactions or as a result of strong local instabilities in gas-rich discs are able to produce both a quick dilution of the central gas-phase metallicity and a sudden increase of the sSFR. Our simulations show that, during these events, a correlation between the metallicity gradients and the sSFR can be set up if strong gas inflows are triggered in the central regions in short time-scales. Simulated galaxies without experiencing strong disturbances evolve smoothly without modifying the metallicity gradients. Gas-rich systems show large dispersion along the correlation. The dispersion in the observed relation could be interpreted as produced by the combination of galaxies with different gas-richness and/or experiencing different types of interactions. Hence, our findings suggest that the observed relation might be the smoking gun of galaxies forming in a hierarchical clustering scenario.

On the Nature and History of Blue Amorphous Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marlowe, Amanda True

1998-07-01

Dwarf galaxies play an important role in our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. We have embarked on a systematic study of 12 blue amorphous galaxies (BAGs) whose properties suggest that they are dwarf galaxies in a starburst or post-burst state. It seems likely that BAGs are related to other 'starburst' dwarfs such as blue compact dwarfs (BCDs) and HII galaxies. The BAGs in our sample, however, are considerably closer than BCDs and HII galaxies in other samples, and therefore easier to study. These galaxies may offer important insights into dwarf galaxy evolution. In an effort to clarify the role of BAGs in evolutionary scenarios for dwarf galaxies, we present and analyze Hα and UBVI data for our sample. BAGs, like BCDs and HII galaxies, have surface brightness profiles that are exponential in the outer regions but have a predominantly blue central blue excess, suggesting a young burst in an older, redder galaxy. Seven of the galaxies have the bubble or filamentary Hα morphology and double peaked emission lines that are the signature of superbubbles or superwind activity. These galaxies are typically the ones with the strongest central excesses. The starbursting regions are young events compared to the older underlying galaxy, which follow an exponential surface brightness law. Not all of the galaxies develop superwinds: the appearance of superwinds is most sensitive to the concentration and rate of star formation in the starbursting core. The underlying exponential galaxies are very similar to those found in BCDs and HII galaxies, though the 'burst' colors are slightly redder than those found in HII galaxies. BAGs are structurally similar to BCDs and HII galaxies. How BAGs fit into the dwarf galaxy evolutionary debate is less clear. While some compact dIs have properties similar to those of the underlying exponential galaxy in our sample, issues such as mass loss from superwinds, the impact of the starbursting core on the underlying galaxy, and fading complicate the search for BAG progenitor and evolved or faded BAG galaxy classes.

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.

Formation of Warped Disks by Galactic Flyby Encounters. I. Stellar Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jeonghwan H.; Peirani, Sebastien; Kim, Sungsoo; Ann, Hong Bae; An, Sung-Ho; Yoon, Suk-Jin

2014-07-01

Warped disks are almost ubiquitous among spiral galaxies. Here we revisit and test the "flyby scenario" of warp formation, in which impulsive encounters between galaxies are responsible for warped disks. Based on N-body simulations, we investigate the morphological and kinematical evolution of the stellar component of disks when galaxies undergo flyby interactions with adjacent dark matter halos. We find that the so-called "S"-shaped warps can be excited by flybys and sustained for even up to a few billion years, and that this scenario provides a cohesive explanation for several key observations. We show that disk warp properties are governed primarily by the following three parameters: (1) the impact parameter, i.e., the minimum distance between two halos; (2) the mass ratio between two halos; and (3) the incident angle of the flyby perturber. The warp angle is tied up with all three parameters, yet the warp lifetime is particularly sensitive to the incident angle of the perturber. Interestingly, the modeled S-shaped warps are often non-symmetric depending on the incident angle. We speculate that the puzzling U- and L-shaped warps are geometrically superimposed S-types produced by successive flybys with different incident angles, including multiple interactions with a satellite on a highly elongated orbit.

Ultra faint dwarf galaxies: an arena for testing dark matter versus modified gravity

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

Lin, Weikang; Ishak, Mustapha, E-mail: wxl123830@utdallas.edu, E-mail: mishak@utdallas.edu

2016-10-01

The scenario consistent with a wealth of observations for the missing mass problem is that of weakly interacting dark matter particles. However, arguments or proposals for a Newtonian or relativistic modified gravity scenario continue to be made. A distinguishing characteristic between the two scenarios is that dark matter particles can produce a gravitational effect, in principle, without the need of baryons while this is not the case for the modified gravity scenario where such an effect must be correlated with the amount of baryonic matter. We consider here ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxies as a promising arena to test the twomore » scenarios based on the above assertion. We compare the correlation of the luminosity with the velocity dispersion between samples of UFD and non-UFD galaxies, finding a significant loss of correlation for UFD galaxies. For example, we find for 28 non-UFD galaxies a strong correlation coefficient of −0.688 which drops to −0.077 for the 23 UFD galaxies. Incoming and future data will determine whether the observed stochasticity for UFD galaxies is physical or due to systematics in the data. Such a loss of correlation (if it is to persist) is possible and consistent with the dark matter scenario for UFD galaxies but would constitute a new challenge for the modified gravity scenario.« less

The stellar metallicity gradients in galaxy discs in a cosmological scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tissera, Patricia B.; Machado, Rubens E. G.; Sanchez-Blazquez, Patricia; Pedrosa, Susana E.; Sánchez, Sebastián F.; Snaith, Owain; Vilchez, Jose

2016-08-01

Context. The stellar metallicity gradients of disc galaxies provide information on disc assembly, star formation processes, and chemical evolution. They also might store information on dynamical processes that could affect the distribution of chemical elements in the gas phase and the stellar components. Understanding their joint effects within a hierarchical clustering scenario is of paramount importance. Aims: We studied the stellar metallicity gradients of simulated discs in a cosmological simulation. We explored the dependence of the stellar metallicity gradients on stellar age and on the size and mass of the stellar discs. Methods: We used a catalogue of galaxies with disc components selected from a cosmological hydrodynamical simulation performed including a physically motivated supernova feedback and chemical evolution. Disc components were defined based on angular momentum and binding energy criteria. The metallicity profiles were estimated for stars with different ages. We confront our numerical findings with results from the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) Survey. Results: The simulated stellar discs are found to have metallicity profiles with slopes in global agreement with observations. Low stellar mass galaxies tend to have a larger variety of metallicity slopes. When normalized by the half-mass radius, the stellar metallicity gradients do not show any dependence and the dispersion increases significantly, regardless of the galaxy mass. Galaxies with stellar masses o f around 1010M⊙ show steeper negative metallicity gradients. The stellar metallicity gradients correlate with the half-mass radius. However, the correlation signal is not present when they are normalized by the half-mass radius. Stellar discs with positive age gradients are detected to have negative and positive metallicity gradients, depending on the relative importance of recent star formation activity in the central regions. Conclusions: Our results suggest that inside-out formation is the main process responsible for the metallicity and age profiles. The large dispersions in the metallicity gradients as a function of stellar mass could be ascribed to the effects of dynamical processes such as mergers, interactions and/or migration as well as those regulating the conversion of gas into stars. The fingerprints of the inside-out formation seem better preserved by the stellar metallicity gradients as a function of the half-mass radius.

Chandra and ALMA observations of the nuclear activity in two strongly lensed star-forming galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massardi, M.; Enia, A. F. M.; Negrello, M.; Mancuso, C.; Lapi, A.; Vignali, C.; Gilli, R.; Burkutean, S.; Danese, L.; Zotti, G. De

2018-02-01

Aim. According to coevolutionary scenarios, nuclear activity and star formation play relevant roles in the early stages of galaxy formation. We aim at identifying them in high-redshift galaxies by exploiting high-resolution and high-sensitivity X-ray and millimeter-wavelength data to confirm the presence or absence of star formation and nuclear activity and describe their relative roles in shaping the spectral energy distributions and in contributing to the energy budgets of the galaxies. Methods: We present the data, model, and analysis in the X-ray and millimeter (mm) bands for two strongly lensed galaxies, SDP.9 (HATLAS J090740.0-004200) and SDP.11 (HATLAS J091043.1-000322), which we selected in the Herschel-ATLAS catalogs for their excess emission in the mid-IR regime at redshift ≳1.5. This emission suggests nuclear activity in the early stages of galaxy formation. We observed both of them with Chandra ACIS-S in the X-ray regime and analyzed the high-resolution mm data that are available in the ALMA Science Archive for SDP.9. By combining the information available in mm, optical, and X-ray bands, we reconstructed the source morphology. Results: Both targets were detected in the X-ray, which strongly indicates highly obscured nuclear activity. ALMA observations for SDP.9 for the continuum and CO(6-5) spectral line with high resolution (0.02 arcsec corresponding to 65 pc at the distance of the galaxy) allowed us to estimate the lensed galaxy redshift to a better accuracy than pre-ALMA estimates (1.5753 ± 0.0003) and to model the emission of the optical, millimetric, and X-ray band for this galaxy. We demonstrate that the X-ray emission is generated in the nuclear environment, which strongly supports that this object has nuclear activity. On the basis of the X-ray data, we attempt an estimate of the black hole properties in these galaxies. Conclusions: By taking advantage of the lensing magnification, we identify weak nuclear activity associated with high-z galaxies with high star formation rates. This is useful to extend the investigation of the relationship between star formation and nuclear activity to two intrinsically less luminous high-z star-forming galaxies than was possible so far. Given our results for only two objects, they alone cannot constrain the evolutionary models, but provide us with interesting hints and set an observational path toward addressing the role of star formation and nuclear activity in forming galaxies. The reduced images and data cubes as FITS files are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/610/A53

Non Thermal Emission from Clusters of Galaxies: the Importance of a Joint LOFAR/Simbol-X View

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrari, C.

2009-05-01

Deep radio observations of galaxy clusters have revealed the existence of diffuse radio sources (``halos'' and ``relics'') related to the presence of relativistic electrons and weak magnetic fields in the intracluster volume. I will outline our current knowledge about the presence and properties of this non-thermal cluster component. Despite the recent progress made in observational and theoretical studies of the non-thermal emission in galaxy clusters, a number of open questions about its origin and its effects on the thermo-dynamical evolution of galaxy clusters need to be answered. I will show the importance of combining galaxy cluster observations by new-generation instruments such as LOFAR and Simbol-X. A deeper knowledge of the non-thermal cluster component, together with statistical studies of radio halos and relics, will allow to test the current cluster formation scenario and to better constrain the physics of large scale structure evolution.

NGC 5044-N50: Una etapa evolutiva intermedia entre galaxias compactas azules (BCD) y enanas elípticas (dE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cellone, S. A.; Buzzoni, A.

The possible connection between dwarf elliptical (dE), dwarf irregular (dI), and blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies, is a subject of sustained interest, with deep consequences on our underestanding of star formation and evolution of galaxies. We present here observational results (ESO - CASLEO) on the dwarf galaxy N50 in the NGC 5044 Group, which appears to be at an intermediate stage BCD-dE, after its last star-formation burst. We focused on this galaxy because of its strong departure from the relation between luminosity and surface brightness profile curvature, despite its integrated color [(B-V)0=0.76], normal for a dE. However, new observations under sub-arcsec seeing conditions (ESO 3.6 m Tel.) showed several knots surrounding the nucleus whose colors (g-r, g-i, Gunn system) indicate, through evolutionary population synthesis models, ages around ~5 × 109 years with slightly sub-solar metallicities. The spectroscopic data support this scenario; hence, while the main component of N50 is an old (~ 15 × 109 yr) population, there is evidence of recent star formation activity within ~400 pc of the nucleus. The incidence of these structures on the anomalous profile of N50 is discussed, as well as the particular evolutive stage of this galaxy within the dE-BCD relation.

The Quest for the Largest Depleted Galaxy Core: Supermassive Black Hole Binaries and Stalled Infalling Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonfini, Paolo; Graham, Alister W.

2016-10-01

Partially depleted cores are practically ubiquitous in luminous early-type galaxies (M B ≲ -20.5 mag) and are typically smaller than 1 kpc. In one popular scenario, supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries—established during dry (I.e., gas-poor) galaxy mergers—kick out the stars from a galaxy’s central region via three-body interactions. Here, this “binary black hole scouring scenario” is probed at its extremes by investigating the two galaxies reported to have the largest partially depleted cores found to date: 2MASX J09194427+5622012 and 2MASX J17222717+3207571 (the brightest galaxy in Abell 2261). We have fit these galaxy’s two-dimensional light distribution using the core-Sérsic model and found that the former galaxy has a core-Sérsic break radius {R}b,{cS}=0.55 {{kpc}}, which is three times smaller than the published value. We use this galaxy to caution that other reportedly large break radii may too have been overestimated if they were derived using the “sharp-transition” (inner core)-to-(outer Sérsic) model. In the case of 2MASX J17222717+3207571, we obtain R b,cS = 3.6 kpc. While we confirm that this is the biggest known partially depleted core of any galaxy, we stress that it is larger than expected from the evolution of SMBH binaries—unless one invokes substantial gravitational-wave-induced (black hole-)recoil events. Given the presence of multiple nuclei located (in projection) within the core radius of this galaxy, we explored and found support for the alternative “stalled infalling perturber” core-formation scenario, in which this galaxy’s core could have been excavated by the action of an infalling massive perturber.

On the Formation of Ultra-Difuse Galaxies as Tidally-Stripped Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carleton, Timothy; Cooper, Michael; Kaplinghat, Manoj; Errani, Raphael; Penarrubia, Jorge

2018-01-01

The recent identification of a large population of so-called 'Ultra-Diffuse' Galaxies (UDGs), with stellar masses ~108 M⊙, but half light radii over 1.5 kpc, has challenged our understanding of galaxy evolution. Motivated by the environmental dependence of UDG properties and abundance, I present a model for the formation of UDGs through tidal-stripping of dwarf galaxies in cored dark matter halos. To test this scenario, I utilize results from simulations of tidal stripping, which demonstrate that changes in the stellar profile of a tidally stripped galaxy can be written as a function of the amount of tidal stripping experienced by the halo (tidal tracks). These tracks, however, are different for cored and cuspy halos. Additional simulations show how the halo responds to tidal interactions given the halo orbit within a cluster.In particular, dwarf elliptical galaxies, born in 1010-10.5 M⊙ halos, expand significantly as a result of tidal stripping and produce UDGs. Applying these models to the population of halos in the Bolshoi simulation, I am able to follow the effects of tidal stripping on the dwarf galaxy population in clusters. Using tidal tracks for cuspy halos does not reproduce the observed properties of UDGs. However, using the tidal tracks for cored halos, I reproduce the distribution of sizes, stellar masses, and abundance of UDGs in clusters remarkably well.

A New Scaling Relation for H II Regions in Spiral Galaxies: Unveiling the True Nature of the Mass-Metallicity Relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosales-Ortega, F. F.; Sánchez, S. F.; Iglesias-Páramo, J.; Díaz, A. I.; Vílchez, J. M.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Husemann, B.; Mast, D.

2012-09-01

We demonstrate the existence of a local mass, metallicity, star formation relation using spatially resolved optical spectroscopy of H II regions in the local universe. One of the projections of this distribution—the local mass-metallicity relation—extends over a wide range in this parameter space: three orders of magnitude in mass and a factor of eight in metallicity. We explain the new relation as the combined effect of the differential distributions of mass and metallicity in the disks of galaxies, and a selective star formation efficiency. We use this local relation to reproduce—with a noticeable agreement—the mass-metallicity relation seen in galaxies, and conclude that the latter is a scale-up integrated effect of a local relation, supporting the inside-out growth and downsizing scenarios of galaxy evolution. Based on observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano-Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).

Demise of faint satellites around isolated early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Changbom; Hwang, Ho Seong; Park, Hyunbae; Lee, Jong Chul

2018-02-01

The hierarchical galaxy formation scenario in the Cold Dark Matter cosmology with a non-vanishing cosmological constant Λ and geometrically flat space (ΛCDM) has been very successful in explaining the large-scale distribution of galaxies. However, there have been claims that ΛCDM over-predicts the number of satellite galaxies associated with massive galaxies compared with observations—the missing satellite galaxy problem1-3. Isolated groups of galaxies hosted by passively evolving massive early-type galaxies are ideal laboratories for identifying the missing physics in the current theory4-11. Here, we report—based on a deep spectroscopic survey—that isolated massive and passive early-type galaxies without any signs of recent wet mergers or accretion episodes have almost no satellite galaxies fainter than the r-band absolute magnitude of about Mr = -14. If only early-type satellites are used, the cutoff is at the somewhat brighter magnitude of about Mr = -15. Such a cutoff has not been found in other nearby satellite galaxy systems hosted by late-type galaxies or those with merger features. Various physical properties of satellites depend strongly on the host-centric distance. Our observations indicate that the satellite galaxy luminosity function is largely determined by the interaction of satellites with the environment provided by their host.

STAR FORMATION IN DWARF GALAXIES OF THE NEARBY CENTAURUS A GROUP

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

Cote, Stephanie; Draginda, Adam; Skillman, Evan D.

2009-10-15

We present H{alpha} narrow-band imaging of 17 dwarf irregular (dI) galaxies in the nearby Centaurus A Group. Although all large galaxies of the group are or recently have been through a period of enhanced star formation, the dIs have normal star formation rates (SFRs) and do not contain a larger fraction of dwarf starbursts than other nearby groups such as the Sculptor Group or the Local Group. Most of the galaxies in the group now have fairly accurately known distances, which enables us to obtain relative distances between dIs and larger galaxies of the group. We find that the dImore » SFRs do not depend on local environment, and in particular they do not show any correlation with the distance of the dI to the nearest large galaxy of the group. There is a clear morphology-density relation in the Centaurus A Group, similar to the Sculptor Group and Local Group, in the sense that dwarf ellipticals (dEs)/dwarf spheroidals (dSphs) tend to be at small distances from the more massive galaxies of the group, while dIs are on average at larger distances. We find four transition dwarfs in the Group, dwarfs that show characteristics of both dE/dSphs and dIs, and which contain cold gas but no current star formation. Interestingly, the transition dwarfs have an average distance to the more massive galaxies, which is intermediate between those of the dEs/dSphs and dIs and which is quite large: 0.54 {+-} 0.31 Mpc. This large distance poses some difficulty for the most popular scenarios proposed for transforming a dI into a dE/dSph (ram-pressure with tidal stripping or galaxy harassment). If the observed transition dwarfs are indeed missing links between dIs and dE/dSphs, their relative isolation makes it less likely to have been produced by these mechanisms. An inhomogeneous intergalactic medium containing higher density clumps would be able to ram-pressure strip the dIs at larger distances from the more massive galaxies of the group.« less

Separate Ways: The Mass–Metallicity Relation Does Not Strongly Correlate with Star Formation Rate in SDSS-IV MaNGA Galaxies

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

Barrera-Ballesteros, J. K.; Heckman, T.; Sánchez, S. F.

We present the integrated stellar mass–metallicity relation (MZR) for more than 1700 galaxies included in the integral field area SDSS-IV MaNGA survey. The spatially resolved data allow us to determine the metallicity at the same physical scale (effective radius, R {sub eff}) using a heterogeneous set of 10 abundance calibrators. In addition to scale factors, the shape of the MZR is similar for all calibrators, consistent with those reported previously using single-fiber and integral field spectroscopy. We compare the residuals of this relation against the star formation rate (SFR) and specific SFR (sSFR). We do not find a strong secondarymore » relation of the MZR with either SFR or sSFR for any of the calibrators, in contrast with previous single-fiber spectroscopic studies. Our results agree with a scenario in which metal enrichment happens at local scales, with global outflows playing a secondary role in shaping the chemistry of galaxies and cold-gas inflows regulating the stellar formation.« less

Large Binocular Telescope and Sptizer Spectroscopy of Star-forming Galaxies at 1 < z < 3: Extinction and Star Formation Rate Indicators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rujopakarn, W.; Rieke, G. H.; Papovich, C. J.; Weiner, B. J.; Rigby, Jane; Rex, M.; Bian, F.; Kuhn, O. P.; Thompson, D.

2012-01-01

We present spectroscopic observations in the rest-frame optical and near- to mid-infrared wavelengths of four gravitationally lensed infrared (IR) luminous star-forming galaxies at redshift 1 < z < 3 from the LUCIFER instrument on the Large Binocular Telescope and the Infrared Spectrograph on Spitzer. The sample was selected to represent pure, actively star-forming systems, absent of active galactic nuclei. The large lensing magnifications result in high signal-to-noise spectra that can probe faint IR recombination lines, including Paa and Bra at high redshifts. The sample was augmented by three lensed galaxies with similar suites of unpublished data and observations from the literature, resulting in the final sample of seven galaxies. We use the IR recombination lines in conjunction with Ha observations to probe the extinction, Av, of these systems, as well as testing star formation rate (SFR) indicators against the SFR measured by fitting spectral energy distributions to far-IR photometry. Our galaxies occupy a range of Av from 0 to 5.9 mag, larger than previously known for a similar range of IR luminosities at these redshifts. Thus, estimates of SFR even at z 2 must take careful count of extinction in the most IR luminous galaxies.We also measure extinction by comparing SFR estimates from optical emission lines with those from far- IR measurements. The comparison of results from these two independent methods indicates a large variety of dust distribution scenarios at 1 < z < 3. Without correcting for dust extinction, the Ha SFR indicator underestimates the SFR; the size of the necessary correction depends on the IR luminosity and dust distribution scenario. Individual SFR estimates based on the 6.2µm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission line luminosity do not show a systematic discrepancy with extinction, although a considerable, 0.2 dex, scatter is observed.

Exploring simulated early star formation in the context of the ultrafaint dwarf galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corlies, Lauren; Johnston, Kathryn V.; Wise, John H.

2018-04-01

Ultrafaint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) are typically assumed to have simple, stellar populations with star formation ending at reionization. Yet as the observations of these galaxies continue to improve, their star formation histories (SFHs) are revealed to be more complicated than previously thought. In this paper, we study how star formation, chemical enrichment, and mixing proceed in small, dark matter haloes at early times using a high-resolution, cosmological, hydrodynamical simulation. The goals are to inform the future use of analytic models and to explore observable properties of the simulated haloes in the context of UFD data. Specifically, we look at analytic approaches that might inform metal enrichment within and beyond small galaxies in the early Universe. We find that simple assumptions for modelling the extent of supernova-driven winds agree with the simulation on average, whereas inhomogeneous mixing and gas flows have a large effect on the spread in simulated stellar metallicities. In the context of the UFDs, this work demonstrates that simulations can form haloes with a complex SFH and a large spread in the metallicity distribution function within a few hundred Myr in the early Universe. In particular, bursty and continuous star formation are seen in the simulation and both scenarios have been argued from the data. Spreads in the simulated metallicities, however, remain too narrow and too metal-rich when compared to the UFDs. Future work is needed to help reduce these discrepancies and advance our interpretation of the data.

Cosmic strings and the large-scale structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stebbins, Albert

1988-01-01

A possible problem for cosmic string models of galaxy formation is presented. If very large voids are common and if loop fragmentation is not much more efficient than presently believed, then it may be impossible for string scenarios to produce the observed large-scale structure with Omega sub 0 = 1 and without strong environmental biasing.

H-ATLAS/GAMA: the nature and characteristics of optically red galaxies detected at submillimetre wavelengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dariush, A.; Dib, S.; Hony, S.; Smith, D. J. B.; Zhukovska, S.; Dunne, L.; Eales, S.; Andrae, E.; Baes, M.; Baldry, I.; Bauer, A.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Brough, S.; Bourne, N.; Cava, A.; Clements, D.; Cluver, M.; Cooray, A.; De Zotti, G.; Driver, S.; Grootes, M. W.; Hopkins, A. M.; Hopwood, R.; Kaviraj, S.; Kelvin, L.; Lara-Lopez, M. A.; Liske, J.; Loveday, J.; Maddox, S.; Madore, B.; Michałowski, M. J.; Pearson, C.; Popescu, C.; Robotham, A.; Rowlands, K.; Seibert, M.; Shabani, F.; Smith, M. W. L.; Taylor, E. N.; Tuffs, R.; Valiante, E.; Virdee, J. S.

2016-02-01

We combine Herschel/SPIRE submillimetre (submm) observations with existing multiwavelength data to investigate the characteristics of low-redshift, optically red galaxies detected in submm bands. We select a sample of galaxies in the redshift range 0.01 ≤ z ≤ 0.2, having >5σ detections in the SPIRE 250 μm submm waveband. Sources are then divided into two sub-samples of red and blue galaxies, based on their UV-optical colours. Galaxies in the red sample account for ≈4.2 per cent of the total number of sources with stellar masses M* ≳ 1010 M⊙. Following visual classification of the red galaxies, we find that ≳30 per cent of them are early-type galaxies and ≳40 per cent are spirals. The colour of the red-spiral galaxies could be the result of their highly inclined orientation and/or a strong contribution of the old stellar population. It is found that irrespective of their morphological types, red and blue sources occupy environments with more or less similar densities (I.e. the Σ5 parameter). From the analysis of the spectral energy distributions of galaxies in our samples based on MAGPHYS, we find that galaxies in the red sample (of any morphological type) have dust masses similar to those in the blue sample (I.e. normal spiral/star-forming systems). However, in comparison to the red-spirals and in particular blue systems, red-ellipticals have lower mean dust-to-stellar mass ratios. Besides galaxies in the red-elliptical sample have much lower mean star formation/specific star formation rates in contrast to their counterparts in the blue sample. Our results support a scenario where dust in early-type systems is likely to be of an external origin.

Stellar systems in the direction of the Hickson Compact Group 44. I. Low surface brightness galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith Castelli, A. V.; Faifer, F. R.; Escudero, C. G.

2016-11-01

Context. In spite of the numerous studies of low-luminosity galaxies in different environments, there is still no consensus about their formation scenario. In particular, a large number of galaxies displaying extremely low-surface brightnesses have been detected in the last year, and the nature of these objects is under discussion. Aims: In this paper we report the detection of two extended low-surface brightness (LSB) objects (μeffg' ≃ 27 mag) found, in projection, next to NGC 3193 and in the zone of the Hickson Compact Group (HCG) 44, respectively. Methods: We analyzed deep, high-quality, GEMINI-GMOS images with ELLIPSE within IRAF in order to obtain their brightness profiles and structural parameters. We also searched for the presence of globular clusters (GC) in these fields. Results: We have found that, if these LSB galaxies were at the distances of NGC 3193 and HCG 44, they would show sizes and luminosities similar to those of the ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) found in the Coma cluster and other associations. In that case, their sizes would be rather larger than those displayed by the Local Group dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies. We have detected a few unresolved sources in the sky zone occupied by these galaxies showing colors and brightnesses typical of blue globular clusters. Conclusions: From the comparison of the properties of the galaxies presented in this work with those of similar objects reported in the literature, we have found that LSB galaxies display sizes covering a quite extended continous range (reff 0.3-4.5 kpc), in contrast to "normal" early-type galaxies, which show reff 1.0 kpc with a low dispersion. This fact might point to different formation processes for both types of galaxies.

Was the Milky Way Bulge Formed from the Buckling Disk Instability, Hierarchical Collapse, Accretion of Clumps, or All of the Above?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nataf, David M.

2017-09-01

The assembly of the Milky Way bulge is an old topic in astronomy, one now in a period of renewed and rapid development. That is due to tremendous advances in observations of bulge stars, motivating observations of both local and high-redshift galaxies, and increasingly sophisticated simulations. The dominant scenario for bulge formation is that of the Milky Way as a nearly pure disk galaxy, with the inner disk having formed a bar and buckled. This can potentially explain virtually all bulge stars with [Fe/H] ≳ -1.0, which comprise 95% of the stellar population. The evidence is the incredible success in N-body models of this type in making non-trivial, non-generic predictions, such as the rotation curve and velocity dispersion measured from radial velocities, and the spatial morphologies of the peanut/X-shape and the long bar. The classical bulge scenario, whereby the bulge formed from early dissipative collapse and mergers, remains viable for stars with [Fe/H] ≲ -1.0 and potentially a minority of the other stars. A classical bulge is expected from Λ-CDM cosmological simulations, can accentuate the properties of an existing bar in a hybrid system, and is most consistent with the bulge abundance trends such as [Mg/Fe], which are elevated relative to both the thin and thick disks. Finally, the clumpy-galaxy scenario is considered, as it is the correct description of most Milky Way precursors given observations of high-redshift galaxies. Simulations predict that these star-forming clumps will sometimes migrate to the centres of galaxies where they may form a bulge, and galaxies often include a bulge clump as well. They will possibly form a bar with properties consistent with those of the Milky Way, such as the exponential profile and metallicity gradient. Given the relative successes of these scenarios, the Milky Way bulge is plausibly of composite origin, with a classical bulge and/or inner halo numerically dominant for stars with [Fe/H] ≲ -1.0, a buckling thick disk for stars with - 1.0 ≲ [Fe/H

Gas Loss by Ram Pressure Stripping and Internal Feedback from Low-mass Milky Way Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emerick, Andrew; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Grcevich, Jana; Gatto, Andrea

2016-08-01

The evolution of dwarf satellites in the Milky Way (MW) is affected by a combination of ram pressure stripping (RPS), tidal stripping, and internal feedback from massive stars. We investigate gas loss processes in the smallest satellites of the MW using three-dimensional, high-resolution, idealized wind tunnel simulations, accounting for gas loss through both ram pressure stripping and expulsion by supernova feedback. Using initial conditions appropriate for a dwarf galaxy like Leo T, we investigate whether or not environmental gas stripping and internal feedback can quench these low-mass galaxies on the expected timescales, shorter than 2 Gyr. We find that supernova feedback contributes negligibly to the stripping rate for these low star formation rate galaxies. However, we also find that RPS is less efficient than expected in the stripping scenarios we consider. Our work suggests that although RPS can eventually completely strip these galaxies, other physics is likely at play to reconcile our computed stripping times with the rapid quenching timescales deduced from observations of low-mass MW dwarf galaxies. We discuss the roles additional physics may play in this scenario, including host-satellite tidal interactions, cored versus cuspy dark matter profiles, reionization, and satellite preprocessing. We conclude that a proper accounting of these physics together is necessary to understand the quenching of low-mass MW satellites.

GAS LOSS BY RAM PRESSURE STRIPPING AND INTERNAL FEEDBACK FROM LOW-MASS MILKY WAY SATELLITES

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

Emerick, Andrew; Low, Mordecai-Mark Mac; Grcevich, Jana

The evolution of dwarf satellites in the Milky Way (MW) is affected by a combination of ram pressure stripping (RPS), tidal stripping, and internal feedback from massive stars. We investigate gas loss processes in the smallest satellites of the MW using three-dimensional, high-resolution, idealized wind tunnel simulations, accounting for gas loss through both ram pressure stripping and expulsion by supernova feedback. Using initial conditions appropriate for a dwarf galaxy like Leo T, we investigate whether or not environmental gas stripping and internal feedback can quench these low-mass galaxies on the expected timescales, shorter than 2 Gyr. We find that supernovamore » feedback contributes negligibly to the stripping rate for these low star formation rate galaxies. However, we also find that RPS is less efficient than expected in the stripping scenarios we consider. Our work suggests that although RPS can eventually completely strip these galaxies, other physics is likely at play to reconcile our computed stripping times with the rapid quenching timescales deduced from observations of low-mass MW dwarf galaxies. We discuss the roles additional physics may play in this scenario, including host-satellite tidal interactions, cored versus cuspy dark matter profiles, reionization, and satellite preprocessing. We conclude that a proper accounting of these physics together is necessary to understand the quenching of low-mass MW satellites.« less

Hot Dust Obscured Galaxies with Excess Blue Light: Dual AGN or Single AGN Under Extreme Conditions?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assef, R. J.; Walton, D. J.; Brightman, M.; Stern, D.; Alexander, D.; Bauer, F.; Blain, A. W.; Diaz-Santos, T.; Eisenhardt, P. R. M.; Finkelstein, S. L.; Hickox, R. C.; Tsai, C.-W.; Wu, J. W.

2016-03-01

Hot dust-obscured galaxies (Hot DOGs) are a population of hyper-luminous infrared galaxies identified by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission from their very red mid-IR colors, and characterized by hot dust temperatures (T > 60 K). Several studies have shown clear evidence that the IR emission in these objects is powered by a highly dust-obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN) that shows close to Compton-thick absorption at X-ray wavelengths. Thanks to the high AGN obscuration, the host galaxy is easily observable, and has UV/optical colors usually consistent with those of a normal galaxy. Here we discuss a sub-population of eight Hot DOGs that show enhanced rest-frame UV/optical emission. We discuss three scenarios that might explain the excess UV emission: (I) unobscured light leaked from the AGN by reflection over the dust or by partial coverage of the accretion disk; (II) a second unobscured AGN in the system; or (III) a luminous young starburst. X-ray observations can help discriminate between these scenarios. We study in detail the blue excess Hot DOG WISE J020446.13-050640.8, which was serendipitously observed by Chandra/ACIS-I for 174.5 ks. The X-ray spectrum is consistent with a single, hyper-luminous, highly absorbed AGN, and is strongly inconsistent with the presence of a secondary unobscured AGN. Based on this, we argue that the excess blue emission in this object is most likely either due to reflection or a co-eval starburst. We favor the reflection scenario as the unobscured star formation rate needed to power the UV/optical emission would be ≳1000 M⊙ yr-1. Deep polarimetry observations could confirm the reflection hypothesis.

HOT DUST OBSCURED GALAXIES WITH EXCESS BLUE LIGHT: DUAL AGN OR SINGLE AGN UNDER EXTREME CONDITIONS?

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

Assef, R. J.; Diaz-Santos, T.; Walton, D. J.

Hot dust-obscured galaxies (Hot DOGs) are a population of hyper-luminous infrared galaxies identified by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission from their very red mid-IR colors, and characterized by hot dust temperatures (T > 60 K). Several studies have shown clear evidence that the IR emission in these objects is powered by a highly dust-obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN) that shows close to Compton-thick absorption at X-ray wavelengths. Thanks to the high AGN obscuration, the host galaxy is easily observable, and has UV/optical colors usually consistent with those of a normal galaxy. Here we discuss a sub-population of eight Hot DOGsmore » that show enhanced rest-frame UV/optical emission. We discuss three scenarios that might explain the excess UV emission: (i) unobscured light leaked from the AGN by reflection over the dust or by partial coverage of the accretion disk; (ii) a second unobscured AGN in the system; or (iii) a luminous young starburst. X-ray observations can help discriminate between these scenarios. We study in detail the blue excess Hot DOG WISE J020446.13–050640.8, which was serendipitously observed by Chandra/ACIS-I for 174.5 ks. The X-ray spectrum is consistent with a single, hyper-luminous, highly absorbed AGN, and is strongly inconsistent with the presence of a secondary unobscured AGN. Based on this, we argue that the excess blue emission in this object is most likely either due to reflection or a co-eval starburst. We favor the reflection scenario as the unobscured star formation rate needed to power the UV/optical emission would be ≳1000 M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}. Deep polarimetry observations could confirm the reflection hypothesis.« less

The Metallicity Evolution of Low Mass Galaxies: New Contraints at Intermediate Redshift

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henry, Alaina; Martin, Crystal L.; Finlator, Kristian; Dressler, Alan

2013-01-01

We present abundance measurements from 26 emission-line-selected galaxies at z approx. 0.6-0.7. By reaching stellar masses as low as 10(exp 8) M stellar mass, these observations provide the first measurement of the intermediate-redshift mass-metallicity (MZ) relation below 10(exp 9)M stellar mass. For the portion of our sample above M is greater than 10(exp 9)M (8/26 galaxies), we find good agreement with previous measurements of the intermediate-redshift MZ relation. Compared to the local relation, we measure an evolution that corresponds to a 0.12 dex decrease in oxygen abundances at intermediate redshifts. This result confirms the trend that metallicity evolution becomes more significant toward lower stellar masses, in keeping with a downsizing scenario where low-mass galaxies evolve onto the local MZ relation at later cosmic times. We show that these galaxies follow the local fundamental metallicity relation, where objects with higher specific (mass-normalized) star formation rates (SFRs) have lower metallicities. Furthermore, we show that the galaxies in our sample lie on an extrapolation of the SFR-M* relation (the star-forming main sequence). Leveraging the MZ relation and star-forming main sequence (and combining our data with higher-mass measurements from the literature), we test models that assume an equilibrium between mass inflow, outflow, and star formation.We find that outflows are required to describe the data. By comparing different outflow prescriptions, we show that momentum, driven winds can describe the MZ relation; however, this model underpredicts the amount of star formation in low-mass galaxies. This disagreement may indicate that preventive feedback from gas heating has been overestimated, or it may signify a more fundamental deviation from the equilibrium assumption.

Division H Commission 33: Structure & Dynamics of the Galactic System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nordström, Birgitta; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Wyse, Rosemary; Athanassoula, Lia; Feltzing, Sofia; Jog, Chanda; Lockman, Jay; Minniti, Dante; Robin, Annie

2016-04-01

Research on the structure and dynamics of the Galactic System covers a large field of research, from formation scenarios to long-term evolution and secular processes. Today we speak of near-field cosmology where the oldest parts of the Galaxy are used to probe back to early times, e.g. studying the chemical signatures of the oldest star clusters and dwarf galaxies to learn about the byproducts of the first stars. Some of the most detailed work relates to the structure of the dark matter and baryons in order to compare with expectation from N-body models. Secular processes have been identified (e.g. stellar migration) where material within the Galaxy is being reorganized by dynamical resonances and feedback processes.

Evolution over time of the Milky Way's disc shape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amôres, E. B.; Robin, A. C.; Reylé, C.

2017-06-01

Context. Galactic structure studies can be used as a path to constrain the scenario of formation and evolution of our Galaxy. The dependence with the age of stellar population parameters would be linked with the history of star formation and dynamical evolution. Aims: We aim to investigate the structures of the outer Galaxy, such as the scale length, disc truncation, warp and flare of the thin disc and study their dependence with age by using 2MASS data and a population synthesis model (the so-called Besançon Galaxy Model). Methods: We have used a genetic algorithm to adjust the parameters on the observed colour-magnitude diagrams at longitudes 80° ≤ ℓ ≤ 280° for | b | ≤ 5.5°. We explored parameter degeneracies and uncertainties. Results: We identify a clear dependence of the thin disc scale length, warp and flare shapes with age. The scale length is found to vary between 3.8 kpc for the youngest to about 2 kpc for the oldest. The warp shows a complex structure, clearly asymmetrical with a node angle changing with age from approximately 165° for old stars to 195° for young stars. The outer disc is also flaring with a scale height that varies by a factor of two between the solar neighbourhood and a Galactocentric distance of 12 kpc. Conclusions: We conclude that the thin disc scale length is in good agreement with the inside-out formation scenario and that the outer disc is not in dynamical equilibrium. The warp deformation with time may provide some clues to its origin.

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 galaxies, fail to reproduce these results, thus calling for adequate hydrodynamical simulations of dense galaxy environments if we are to understand cluster disks. The current paper highlights numerous constraints for such simulations. In the Appendix, we confirm the claim by Erwin et al. that Type II breaks are absent in Virgo cluster S0s and discuss the detection of Type III breaks in such galaxies.

SuperMassive Blackholes grow from stellar BHs of star formation history?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocca-Volmerange, Brigitte

The origin of the supermassive black hole masses M SMBH discovered at the highest redshifts is still actively debated. Moreover the statistically significant relation of M SMBH with bulge luminosities L V , extended on several magnitude orders, confirms a common physical process linking small (<= 1pc) to large (kpcs) size scales. The Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) of two z=3.8 radio galaxies 4C41.17 and TN J2007-1316, best-fitted by evolved early type galaxy and starburst scenarios also imply masses of stellar remnants. Computed with the evolutionary code Pegase.3, the cumulated stellar black hole mass M sBH reach up to several 109M⊙, similar to M SMBH at same z. We propose the SMBH growth is due to the migration of the stellar dense residues (sBH) towards the galaxy core by dynamical friction. Discussed in terms of time-scales, this process which is linking AGN and star formation, also fully justifies the famous relation M SMBH -L V .

Active galactic nuclei from He II: a more complete census of AGN in SDSS galaxies yields a new population of low-luminosity AGN in highly star-forming galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bär, Rudolf E.; Weigel, Anna K.; Sartori, Lia F.; Oh, Kyuseok; Koss, Michael; Schawinski, Kevin

2017-04-01

In order to perform a more complete census of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the local Universe, we investigate the use of the He II λ4685 emission line diagnostic diagram by Shirazi & Brinchmann (2012) in addition to the standard methods based on other optical emission lines. The He II-based diagnostics is more sensitive to AGN ionization in the presence of strong star formation than conventional line diagnostics. We survey a magnitude-limited sample of 63 915 galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 at 0.02 < z < 0.05 and use both the conventional BPT emission line diagnostic diagrams, as well as the He II diagram to identify AGN. In this sample, 1075 galaxies are selected as AGN using the BPT diagram, while additional 234 galaxies are identified as AGN using the He II diagnostic diagram, representing a 22 per cent increase of AGN in the parent galaxy sample. We explore the host galaxy properties of these new He II-selected AGN candidates and find that they are most common in star-forming galaxies on the blue cloud and on the main sequence where ionization from star formation is most likely to mask AGN emission in the BPT lines. We note in particular a high He II AGN fraction in galaxies above the high-mass end of the main sequence where quenching is expected to occur. We use archival Chandra observations to confirm the AGN nature of candidates selected through He II-based diagnostic. Finally, we discuss how this technique can help inform galaxy/black hole coevolution scenarios.

Properties of the outer regions of spiral disks: abundances, colors and ages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mollá, Mercedes; Díaz, Angeles I.; Gibson, Brad K.; Cavichia, Oscar; López-Sánchez, Ángel-R.

2017-03-01

We summarize the results obtained from our suite of chemical evolution models for spiral disks, computed for different total masses and star formation efficiencies. Once the gas, stars and star formation radial distributions are reproduced, we analyze the Oxygen abundances radial profiles for gas and stars, in addition to stellar averaged ages and global metallicity. We examine scenarios for the potential origin of the apparent flattening of abundance gradients in the outskirts of disk galaxies, in particular the role of molecular gas formation prescriptions.

Faint blue counts from formation of dwarf galaxies at z approximately equals 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Babul, Arif; Rees, Martin J.

1993-01-01

The nature of faint blue objects (FBO's) has been a source of much speculation since their detection in deep CCD images of the sky. Their high surface density argues against them being progenitors of present-day bright galaxies and since they are only weakly clustered on small scales, they cannot be entities that merged together to form present-day galaxies. Babul & Rees (1992) have suggested that the observed faint blue counts may be due to dwarf elliptical galaxies undergoing their initial starburst at z is approximately equal to 1. In generic hierarchical clustering scenarios, however, dwarf galaxy halos (M is approximately 10(exp 9) solar mass) are expected to form at an earlier epoch; for example, typical 10(exp 9) solar mass halos will virialize at z is approximately equal to 2.3 if the power-spectrum for the density fluctuations is that of the standard b = 2 cold dark matter (CDM) model. Under 'ordinary conditions' the gas would rapidly cool, collect in the cores, and undergo star-formation. Conditions at high redshifts are far from 'ordinary'. The intense UV background will prevent the gas in the dwarf halos from cooling, the halos being released from their suspended state only when the UV flux has diminished sufficiently.

An Enigmatic Population of Luminous Globular Clusters in a Galaxy Lacking Dark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Dokkum, Pieter; Cohen, Yotam; Danieli, Shany; Kruijssen, J. M. Diederik; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Merritt, Allison; Abraham, Roberto; Brodie, Jean; Conroy, Charlie; Lokhorst, Deborah; Mowla, Lamiya; O’Sullivan, Ewan; Zhang, Jielai

2018-04-01

We recently found an ultra diffuse galaxy (UDG) with a half-light radius of R e = 2.2 kpc and little or no dark matter. The total mass of NGC1052–DF2 was measured from the radial velocities of bright compact objects that are associated with the galaxy. Here, we analyze these objects using a combination of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging and Keck spectroscopy. Their average size is < {r}h> =6.2+/- 0.5 pc and their average ellipticity is < ε > =0.18+/- 0.02. From a stacked Keck spectrum we derive an age of ≳9 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = ‑1.35 ± 0.12. Their properties are similar to ω Centauri, the brightest and largest globular cluster in the Milky Way, and our results demonstrate that the luminosity function of metal-poor globular clusters is not universal. The fraction of the total stellar mass that is in the globular cluster system is similar to that in other UDGs, and consistent with “failed galaxy” scenarios, where star formation terminated shortly after the clusters were formed. However, the galaxy is a factor of ∼1000 removed from the relation between globular cluster mass and total galaxy mass that has been found for other galaxies, including other UDGs. We infer that a dark matter halo is not a prerequisite for the formation of metal-poor globular cluster-like objects in high-redshift galaxies.

Axions, neutrinos and strings: The formation of structure in an SO(10) universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.

1984-01-01

In a class of grand unified theories containing SO(10), cosmologically significant axion and neutrino energy densities are obtainable naturally. To obtain large scale structure, both components of dark matter are considered to exist with comparable energy densities. To obtain large scale structure, inflationary and non-inflationary scenarios are considered, as well as scenarios with and without vacuum strings. It is shown that inflation may be compatible with recent observations of the mass density within galaxy clusters and superclusters, especially if strings are present.

Axions, neutrinos and strings - The formation of structure in an SO(10) universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.

1986-01-01

In a class of grand unified theories containing SO(10), cosmologically significant axion and neutrino energy densities are obtainable naturally. To obtain large scale structure, both components of dark matter are considered to exist with comparable energy densities. To obtain large scale structure, inflationary and non-inflationary scenarios are considered, as well as scenarios with and without vacuum strings. It is shown that inflation may be compatible with recent observations of the mass density within galaxy clusters and superclusters, especially if strings are present.

The ATLAS3D project - XXVII. Cold gas and the colours and ages of early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Lisa M.; Scott, Nicholas; Serra, Paolo; Alatalo, Katherine; Bayet, Estelle; Blitz, Leo; Bois, Maxime; Bournaud, Frédéric; Bureau, Martin; Crocker, Alison F.; Cappellari, Michele; Davies, Roger L.; Davis, Timothy A.; de Zeeuw, P. T.; Duc, Pierre-Alain; Emsellem, Eric; Khochfar, Sadegh; Krajnović, Davor; Kuntschner, Harald; McDermid, Richard M.; Morganti, Raffaella; Naab, Thorsten; Oosterloo, Tom; Sarzi, Marc; Weijmans, Anne-Marie

2014-11-01

We present a study of the cold gas contents of the ATLAS3D early-type galaxies, in the context of their optical colours, near-ultraviolet colours and Hβ absorption line strengths. Early-type (elliptical and lenticular) galaxies are not as gas poor as previously thought, and at least 40 per cent of local early-type galaxies are now known to contain molecular and/or atomic gas. This cold gas offers the opportunity to study recent galaxy evolution through the processes of cold gas acquisition, consumption (star formation) and removal. Molecular and atomic gas detection rates range from 10 to 34 per cent in red sequence early-type galaxies, depending on how the red sequence is defined, and from 50 to 70 per cent in blue early-type galaxies. Notably, massive red sequence early-type galaxies (stellar masses >5 × 1010 M⊙, derived from dynamical models) are found to have H I masses up to M(H I)/M* ˜ 0.06 and H2 masses up to M(H2)/M* ˜ 0.01. Some 20 per cent of all massive early-type galaxies may have retained atomic and/or molecular gas through their transition to the red sequence. However, kinematic and metallicity signatures of external gas accretion (either from satellite galaxies or the intergalactic medium) are also common, particularly at stellar masses ≤5 × 1010 M⊙, where such signatures are found in ˜50 per cent of H2-rich early-type galaxies. Our data are thus consistent with a scenario in which fast rotator early-type galaxies are quenched former spiral galaxies which have undergone some bulge growth processes, and in addition, some of them also experience cold gas accretion which can initiate a period of modest star formation activity. We discuss implications for the interpretation of colour-magnitude diagrams.

Evidence of Nuclear Disks from the Radial Distribution of CCSNe in Starburst Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrero-Illana, Rubén; Pérez-Torres, Miguel Ángel; Alberdi, Antxon

Galaxy-galaxy interactions are expected to be responsible for triggering massive star formation and possibly accretion onto a supermassive black hole, by providing large amounts of dense molecular gas down to the central kiloparsec region. Several scenarios to drive the gas further down to the central ˜ 100 pc, have been proposed, including the formation of a nuclear disk around the black hole, where massive stars would produce supernovae. Here, we probe the radial distribution of supernovae and supernova remnants in the nuclear regions of the starburst galaxies M82, Arp 299-A, and Arp 220, by using high-angular resolution (≲ 0.'1) radio observations. We derived scale-length values for the putative nuclear disks, which range from ˜ 20-30 pc for Arp 299-A and Arp 220, up to ˜ 140 pc for M82. The radial distribution of SNe for the nuclear disks in Arp 299-A and Arp 220 is also consistent with a power-law surface density profile of exponent γ = 1, as expected from detailed hydrodynamical simulations of nuclear disks. This study is detailed in Herrero-Illana, Perez-Torres, and Alberdi [11].

How does star formation proceed in the circumnuclear starburst ring of NGC 6951?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Laan, T. P. R.; Schinnerer, E.; Emsellem, E.; Hunt, L. K.; McDermid, R. M.; Liu, G.

2013-03-01

Gas inflowing along stellar bars is often stalled at the location of circumnuclear rings, which form an effective reservoir for massive star formation and thus shape the central regions of galaxies. However, how exactly star formation proceeds within these circumnuclear starburst rings is the subject of debate. Two main scenarios for this process have been put forward. In the first, the onset of star formation is regulated by the total amount of gas present in the ring with star forming starting, once a mass threshold has been reached, in "random" positions within the ring like "popcorn". In the second, star formation primarily takes place near the locations where the gas enters the ring. This scenario has been dubbed "pearls-on-a-string". Here we combine new optical IFU data covering the full stellar bar with existing multiwavelength data to study the 580 pc radius circumnuclear starburst ring in detail in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 6951. Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) archival data together with SAURON and OASIS IFU data, we derive the ages and stellar masses of star clusters, as well as the total stellar content of the central region. Adding information on the molecular gas distribution, stellar and gaseous dynamics, and extinction, we find that the circumnuclear ring in NGC 6951 is ~1-1.5 Gyr old and has been forming stars for most of that time. We see evidence for preferred sites of star formation within the ring, consistent with the "pearls-on-a-string" scenario, when focusing on the youngest stellar populations. The ring's longevity means that this signature is washed out when older stellar populations are included in the analysis. Tables 4 and 5 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgOASIS maps and SAURON cube are available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr(130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/551/A81

Constraining AGN triggering mechanisms through the clustering analysis of active black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gatti, M.; Shankar, F.; Bouillot, V.; Menci, N.; Lamastra, A.; Hirschmann, M.; Fiore, F.

2016-02-01

The triggering mechanisms for active galactic nuclei (AGN) are still debated. Some of the most popular ones include galaxy interactions (IT) and disc instabilities (DIs). Using an advanced semi-analytic model (SAM) of galaxy formation, coupled to accurate halo occupation distribution modelling, we investigate the imprint left by each separate triggering process on the clustering strength of AGN at small and large scales. Our main results are as follows: (I) DIs, irrespective of their exact implementation in the SAM, tend to fall short in triggering AGN activity in galaxies at the centre of haloes with Mh > 1013.5 h-1 M⊙. On the contrary, the IT scenario predicts abundance of active central galaxies that generally agrees well with observations at every halo mass. (II) The relative number of satellite AGN in DIs at intermediate-to-low luminosities is always significantly higher than in IT models, especially in groups and clusters. The low AGN satellite fraction predicted for the IT scenario might suggest that different feeding modes could simultaneously contribute to the triggering of satellite AGN. (III) Both scenarios are quite degenerate in matching large-scale clustering measurements, suggesting that the sole average bias might not be an effective observational constraint. (IV) Our analysis suggests the presence of both a mild luminosity and a more consistent redshift dependence in the AGN clustering, with AGN inhabiting progressively less massive dark matter haloes as the redshift increases. We also discuss the impact of different observational selection cuts in measuring AGN clustering, including possible discrepancies between optical and X-ray surveys.

GOODS-HERSCHEL: STAR FORMATION, DUST ATTENUATION, AND THE FIR–RADIO CORRELATION ON THE MAIN SEQUENCE OF STAR-FORMING GALAXIES UP TO z ≃ 4

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

Pannella, M.; Elbaz, D.; Daddi, E.

We use deep panchromatic data sets in the GOODS-N field, from GALEX to the deepest Herschel far-infrared (FIR) and VLA radio continuum imaging, to explore the evolution of star-formation activity and dust attenuation properties of star-forming galaxies to z ≃ 4, using mass-complete samples. Our main results can be summarized as follows: (i) the slope of the star-formation rate–M{sub *} correlation is consistent with being constant ≃0.8 up to z ≃ 1.5, while its normalization keeps increasing with redshift; (ii) for the first time we are able to explore the FIR–radio correlation for a mass-selected sample of star-forming galaxies: themore » correlation does not evolve up to z ≃ 4; (iii) we confirm that galaxy stellar mass is a robust proxy for UV dust attenuation in star-forming galaxies, with more massive galaxies being more dust attenuated. Strikingly, we find that this attenuation relation evolves very weakly with redshift, with the amount of dust attenuation increasing by less than 0.3 mag over the redshift range [0.5–4] for a fixed stellar mass; (iv) the correlation between dust attenuation and the UV spectral slope evolves with redshift, with the median UV slope becoming bluer with redshift. By z ≃ 3, typical UV slopes are inconsistent, given the measured dust attenuations, with the predictions of commonly used empirical laws. (v) Finally, building on existing results, we show that gas reddening is marginally larger (by a factor of around 1.3) than the stellar reddening at all redshifts probed. Our results support a scenario where the ISM conditions of typical star-forming galaxies evolve with redshift, such that at z ≥ 1.5 Main Sequence galaxies have ISM conditions moving closer to those of local starbursts.« less

Modelling Dust Processing and Evolution in Extreme Environments as seen by Herschel Space Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bocchio, Marco

2014-09-01

The main goal of my PhD study is to understand the dust processing that occurs during the mixing between the galactic interstellar medium and the intracluster medium. This process is of particular interest in violent phenomena such as galaxy-galaxy interactions or the ``Ram Pressure Stripping'' due to the infalling of a galaxy towards the cluster centre.Initially, I focus my attention to the problem of dust destruction and heating processes, re-visiting the available models in literature. I particularly stress on the cases of extreme environments such as a hot coronal-type gas (e.g., IGM, ICM, HIM) and supernova-generated interstellar shocks. Under these conditions small grains are destroyed on short timescales and large grains are heated by the collisions with fast electrons making the dust spectral energy distribution very different from what observed in the diffuse ISM.In order to test our models I apply them to the case of an interacting galaxy, NGC 4438. Herschel data of this galaxy indicates the presence of dust with a higher-than-expected temperature.With a multi-wavelength analysis on a pixel-by-pixel basis we show that this hot dust seems to be embedded in a hot ionised gas therefore undergoing both collisional heating and small grain destruction.Furthermore, I focus on the long-standing conundrum about the dust destruction and dust formation timescales in the Milky Way. Based on the destruction efficiency in interstellar shocks, previous estimates led to a dust lifetime shorter than the typical timescale for dust formation in AGB stars. Using a recent dust model and an updated dust processing model we re-evaluate the dust lifetime in our Galaxy. Finally, I turn my attention to the phenomenon of ``Ram Pressure Stripping''. The galaxy ESO 137-001 represents one of the best cases to study this effect. Its long H2 tail embedded in a hot and ionised tail raises questions about its possible stripping from the galaxy or formation downstream in the tail. Based on recent hydrodynamical numerical simulations, I show that the formation of H2 molecules on the surface of dust grains in the tail is a viable scenario.

The star formation history of redshift z ~ 2 galaxies: the role of the infrared prior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Lu-Lu; Lapi, Andrea; Bressan, Alessandro; Nonino, Mario; De Zotti, Gianfranco; Danese, Luigi

2014-01-01

We build a sample of 298 spectroscopically-confirmed galaxies at redshift z ~ 2, selected in the z850-band from the GOODS-MUSIC catalog. By utilizing the rest frame 8 μm luminosity as a proxy of the star formation rate (SFR), we check the accuracy of the standard SED-fitting technique, finding it is not accurate enough to provide reliable estimates of the physical parameters of galaxies. We then develop a new SED-fitting method that includes the IR luminosity as a prior and a generalized Calzetti law with a variable RV. Then we exploit the new method to re-analyze our galaxy sample, and to robustly determine SFRs, stellar masses and ages. We find that there is a general trend of increasing attenuation with the SFR. Moreover, we find that the SFRs range between a few to 103 Msolar yr-1, the masses from 109 to 4 × 1011 Msolar, and the ages from a few tens of Myr to more than 1 Gyr. We discuss how individual age measurements of highly attenuated objects indicate that dust must have formed within a few tens of Myr and already been copious at <=100 Myr. In addition, we find that low luminosity galaxies harbor, on average, significantly older stellar populations and are also less massive than brighter ones; we discuss how these findings and the well known ‘downsizing’ scenario are consistent in a framework where less massive galaxies form first, but their star formation lasts longer. Finally, we find that the near-IR attenuation is not scarce for luminous objects, contrary to what is customarily assumed; we discuss how this affects the interpretation of the observed M*/L ratios.

Exploring the luminosity evolution and stellar mass assembly of 2SLAQ luminous red galaxies between redshifts 0.4 and 0.8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerji, Manda; Ferreras, Ignacio; Abdalla, Filipe B.; Hewett, Paul; Lahav, Ofer

2010-03-01

We present an analysis of the evolution of 8625 luminous red galaxies (LRGs) between z = 0.4 and 0.8 in the 2dF and Sloan Digital Sky Survey LRG and QSO (2SLAQ) survey. The LRGs are split into redshift bins and the evolution of both the luminosity and stellar mass function with redshift is considered and compared to the assumptions of a passive evolution scenario. We draw attention to several sources of systematic error that could bias the evolutionary predictions made in this paper. While the inferred evolution is found to be relatively unaffected by the exact choice of spectral evolution model used to compute K + e corrections, we conclude that photometric errors could be a source of significant bias in colour-selected samples such as this, in particular when using parametric maximum likelihood based estimators. We find that the evolution of the most massive LRGs is consistent with the assumptions of passive evolution and that the stellar mass assembly of the LRGs is largely complete by z ~ 0.8. Our findings suggest that massive galaxies with stellar masses above 1011Msolar must have undergone merging and star formation processes at a very early stage (z >~ 1). This supports the emerging picture of downsizing in both the star formation as well as the mass assembly of early-type galaxies. Given that our spectroscopic sample covers an unprecedentedly large volume and probes the most massive end of the galaxy mass function, we find that these observational results present a significant challenge for many current models of galaxy formation.

An actively accreting massive black hole in the dwarf starburst galaxy Henize 2-10.

PubMed

Reines, Amy E; Sivakoff, Gregory R; Johnson, Kelsey E; Brogan, Crystal L

2011-02-03

Supermassive black holes are now thought to lie at the heart of every giant galaxy with a spheroidal component, including our own Milky Way. The birth and growth of the first 'seed' black holes in the earlier Universe, however, is observationally unconstrained and we are only beginning to piece together a scenario for their subsequent evolution. Here we report that the nearby dwarf starburst galaxy Henize 2-10 (refs 5 and 6) contains a compact radio source at the dynamical centre of the galaxy that is spatially coincident with a hard X-ray source. From these observations, we conclude that Henize 2-10 harbours an actively accreting central black hole with a mass of approximately one million solar masses. This nearby dwarf galaxy, simultaneously hosting a massive black hole and an extreme burst of star formation, is analogous in many ways to galaxies in the infant Universe during the early stages of black-hole growth and galaxy mass assembly. Our results confirm that nearby star-forming dwarf galaxies can indeed form massive black holes, and that by implication so can their primordial counterparts. Moreover, the lack of a substantial spheroidal component in Henize 2-10 indicates that supermassive black-hole growth may precede the build-up of galaxy spheroids.

EXTENDED NEUTRAL HYDROGEN IN THE ALIGNED SHELL GALAXIES Arp 230 AND MCG -5-7-1: FORMATION OF DISKS IN MERGING GALAXIES?

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

Schiminovich, David; Van Gorkom, J. H.; Van der Hulst, J. M.

2013-02-01

As part of an ongoing study of the neutral hydrogen (H I) morphology and kinematics of 'shell' elliptical galaxies, we present Very Large Array observations of two shell galaxies with aligned shells, Arp 230 and MCG -5-7-1. Our data provide the first H I images of Arp 230 and deeper images of MCG -5-7-1 than previously reported. Optical images of Arp 230 reveal a bright, aligned, interleaved shell system, making it an ideal candidate for 'phase-wrapped' shell formation following a radial encounter with a smaller companion. The fainter, non-interleaved shells of MCG -5-7-1 do not clearly favor a particular formationmore » scenario. The H I we detect in both galaxies extends to nearly the same projected distance as the optical shells. In Arp 230 this gas appears to be anti-correlated with the aligned shells, consistent with our expectations for phase-wrapped shells produced in a radial encounter. In MCG -5-7-1, we observe gas associated with the shells making a 'spatial wrapping' or looping scenario more plausible. Although the extended gas component in both galaxies is unevenly distributed, the gas kinematics are surprisingly regular, looking almost like complete disks in rotation. We use the H I kinematics and optical data to determine mass-to-light ratios M/L{sub B} of 2.4{sup +3.0}{sub -0.5} (at 13.5 kpc, 4.5 R{sub e} ) for Arp 230 and M/L{sub B} of 30 {+-} 7 (at 40 kpc, 7 R{sub e} ) in MCG -5-7-1. In both systems we find that this ratio changes as a function of radius, indicating the presence of a dark halo. By comparing orbital and precession timescales, we conclude that the potentials are slightly flattened. We infer a 5%-10% flattening for Arp 230 and less flattening in the case of MCG -5-7-1. Finally, we present images of the H I associated with the inner disk or (polar) ring of each galaxy and discuss possible explanations for their different present-day star formation rates. We detect total H I masses of 1.1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun} in Arp 230 and 3.7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun} in MCG -5-7-1. Both systems have H I masses, scale sizes, and regular kinematics similar to those of non-aligned shell galaxies we have previously studied (Cen A and NGC 2865). Furthermore, we (re-)emphasize in this paper that shell galaxies such as MCG -5-7-1, along with previously studied galaxies NGC 5128 (Cen A) and NGC 2865, are unique in that they provide evidence of recent accretion with gas and collisionless stars showing clear association, though the displacement suggests the presence of significant gas-dynamical interaction.« less

Chemical evolution of Local Group dwarf galaxies in a cosmological context - I. A new modelling approach and its application to the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romano, Donatella; Starkenburg, Else

2013-09-01

We present a new approach for chemical evolution modelling, specifically designed to investigate the chemical properties of dwarf galaxies in a full cosmological framework. In particular, we focus on the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy, for which a wealth of observational data exists, as a test bed for our model. We select four candidate Sculptor-like galaxies from the satellite galaxy catalogue generated by implementation of a version of the Munich semi-analytic model for galaxy formation on the level 2 Aquarius dark matter simulations and use the mass assembly and star formation histories predicted for these four systems as an input for the chemical evolution code. We follow explicitly the evolution of several chemical elements, both in the cold gas out of which the stars form and in the hot medium residing in the halo. We take into account in detail the lifetimes of stars of different initial masses, the distribution of the delay times for Type Ia supernova explosions and the dependence of the stellar yields from the initial metallicity of the stars. We allow large fractions of metals to be deposited into the hot phase, either directly as stars die or through reheated gas flows powered by supernova explosions. We find that, in order to reproduce both the observed metallicity distribution function and the observed abundance ratios of long-lived stars of Sculptor, large fractions of the reheated metals must never re-enter regions of active star formation. With this prescription, all the four analogues to the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy extracted from the simulated satellites catalogue on the basis of luminosity and stellar population ages are found to reasonably match the detailed chemical properties of real Sculptor stars. However, all model galaxies do severely underestimate the fraction of very metal poor stars observed in Sculptor. Our analysis thus sets further constraints on the semi-analytical models and, at large, on possible metal enrichment scenarios for the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy.

Star formation and mass assembly in high redshift galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santini, P.; Fontana, A.; Grazian, A.; Salimbeni, S.; Fiore, F.; Fontanot, F.; Boutsia, K.; Castellano, M.; Cristiani, S.; de Santis, C.; Gallozzi, S.; Giallongo, E.; Menci, N.; Nonino, M.; Paris, D.; Pentericci, L.; Vanzella, E.

2009-09-01

Aims: The goal of this work is to infer the star formation properties and the mass assembly process of high redshift (0.3 ≤ z < 2.5) galaxies from their IR emission using the 24 μm band of MIPS-Spitzer. Methods: We used an updated version of the GOODS-MUSIC catalog, which has multiwavelength coverage from 0.3 to 24 μm and either spectroscopic or accurate photometric redshifts. We describe how the catalog has been extended by the addition of mid-IR fluxes derived from the MIPS 24 μm image. We compared two different estimators of the star formation rate (SFR hereafter). One is the total infrared emission derived from 24 μm, estimated using both synthetic and empirical IR templates. The other one is a multiwavelength fit to the full galaxy SED, which automatically accounts for dust reddening and age-star formation activity degeneracies. For both estimates, we computed the SFR density and the specific SFR. Results: We show that the two SFR indicators are roughly consistent, once the uncertainties involved are taken into account. However, they show a systematic trend, IR-based estimates exceeding the fit-based ones as the star formation rate increases. With this new catalog, we show that: a) at z>0.3, the star formation rate is correlated well with stellar mass, and this relationship seems to steepen with redshift if one relies on IR-based estimates of the SFR; b) the contribution to the global SFRD by massive galaxies increases with redshift up to ≃ 2.5, more rapidly than for galaxies of lower mass, but appears to flatten at higher z; c) despite this increase, the most important contributors to the SFRD at any z are galaxies of about, or immediately lower than, the characteristic stellar mass; d) at z≃ 2, massive galaxies are actively star-forming, with a median {SFR} ≃ 300 M_⊙ yr-1. During this epoch, our targeted galaxies assemble a substantial part of their final stellar mass; e) the specific SFR (SSFR) shows a clear bimodal distribution. Conclusions: The analysis of the SFR density and the SSFR seems to support the downsizing scenario, according to which high mass galaxies have formed their stars earlier and more rapidly than their low mass counterparts. A comparison with renditions of theoretical simulations of galaxy formation and evolution indicates that these models follow the global increase in the SSFR with redshift and predict the existence of quiescent galaxies even at z>1.5. However, the average SSFR is systematically underpredicted by all models considered. GOODS-MUSIC multiwavelength photometric catalog is available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/504/751

The Relationship Between Brightest Cluster Galaxy Star Formation and the Intracluster Medium in CLASH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fogarty, Kevin; Postman, Marc; Larson, Rebecca; Donahue, Megan; Moustakas, John

2017-09-01

We study the nature of feedback mechanisms in the 11 CLASH brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) that exhibit extended ultraviolet and nebular line emission features. We estimate star formation rates (SFRs), dust masses, and starburst durations using a Bayesian photometry-fitting technique that accounts for both stellar and dust emission from the UV through far-IR. By comparing these quantities to intracluster medium (ICM) cooling times and freefall times derived from X-ray observations and lensing estimates of the cluster mass distribution, we discover a tight relationship between the BCG SFR and the ICM cooling time to freefall time ratio, {t}{cool}/{t}{ff}, with an upper limit on the intrinsic scatter of 0.15 dex. Furthermore, starburst durations may correlate with ICM cooling times at a radius of 0.025 {R}500, and the two quantities converge upon reaching the gigayear regime. Our results provide a direct observational link between the thermodynamical state of the ICM and the intensity and duration of BCG star formation activity, and appear consistent with a scenario where active galactic nuclei induce condensation of thermally unstable ICM overdensities that fuel long-duration (>1 Gyr) BCG starbursts. This scenario can explain (a) how gas with a low cooling time is depleted without causing a cooling flow and (b) the scaling relationship between SFR and {t}{cool}/{t}{ff}. We also find that the scaling relation between SFR and dust mass in BCGs with SFRs < 100 {M}⊙ yr-1 is similar to that in star-forming field galaxies; BCGs with large (> 100 {M}⊙ yr-1) SFRs have dust masses comparable to extreme starbursts.

Inference from the small scales of cosmic shear with current and future Dark Energy Survey data

DOE PAGES

MacCrann, N.; Aleksić, J.; Amara, A.; ...

2016-11-05

Cosmic shear is sensitive to fluctuations in the cosmological matter density field, including on small physical scales, where matter clustering is affected by baryonic physics in galaxies and galaxy clusters, such as star formation, supernovae feedback and AGN feedback. While muddying any cosmological information that is contained in small scale cosmic shear measurements, this does mean that cosmic shear has the potential to constrain baryonic physics and galaxy formation. We perform an analysis of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Science Verification (SV) cosmic shear measurements, now extended to smaller scales, and using the Mead et al. 2015 halo model tomore » account for baryonic feedback. While the SV data has limited statistical power, we demonstrate using a simulated likelihood analysis that the final DES data will have the statistical power to differentiate among baryonic feedback scenarios. We also explore some of the difficulties in interpreting the small scales in cosmic shear measurements, presenting estimates of the size of several other systematic effects that make inference from small scales difficult, including uncertainty in the modelling of intrinsic alignment on nonlinear scales, `lensing bias', and shape measurement selection effects. For the latter two, we make use of novel image simulations. While future cosmic shear datasets have the statistical power to constrain baryonic feedback scenarios, there are several systematic effects that require improved treatments, in order to make robust conclusions about baryonic feedback.« less

Comparing cosmological hydrodynamic simulations with observations of high- redshift galaxy formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finlator, Kristian Markwart

We use cosmological hydrodynamic simulations to study the impact of outflows and radiative feedback on high-redshift galaxies. For outflows, we consider simulations that assume (i) no winds, (ii) a "constant-wind" model in which the mass-loading factor and outflow speed are constant, and (iii) "momentum-driven" winds in which both parameters vary smoothly with mass. In order to treat radiative feedback, we develop a moment-based radiative transfer technique that operates in both post-processing and coupled radiative hydrodynamic modes. We first ask how outflows impact the broadband spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of six observed reionization-epoch galaxies. Simulations reproduce five regardless of the outflow prescription, while the sixth suggests an unusually bursty star formation history. We conclude that (i) simulations broadly account for available constraints on reionization-epoch galaxies, (ii) individual SEDs do not constrain outflows, and (iii) SED comparisons efficiently isolate objects that challenge simulations. We next study how outflows impact the galaxy mass metallicity relation (MZR). Momentum-driven outflows uniquely reproduce observations at z = 2. In this scenario, galaxies obey two equilibria: (i) The rate at which a galaxy processes gas into stars and outflows tracks its inflow rate; and (ii) The gas enrichment rate owing to star formation balances the dilution rate owing to inflows. Combining these conditions indicates that the MZR is dominated by the (instantaneous) variation of outflows with mass, with more-massive galaxies driving less gas into outflows per unit stellar mass formed. Turning to radiative feedback, we use post-processing simulations to study the topology of reionization. Reionization begins in overdensities and then "leaks" directly into voids, with filaments reionizing last owing to their high density and low emissivity. This result conflicts with previous findings that voids ionize last. We argue that it owes to the uniqely-biased emissivity field produced by our star formation prescriptions, which have previously been shown to reproduce numerous post-reionization constraints. Finally, preliminary results from coupled radiative hydrodynamic simulations indicate that reionization suppresses the star formation rate density by at most 10-20% by z = 5. This is much less than previous estimates, which we attribute to our unique reionization topology although confirmation will have to await more detailed modeling.

The Evolution of Metals and Dust in the High-Redshift Universe (z greater than 6)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dwek, Eliahu

2007-01-01

Dusty hyperluminous galaxies in the early universe provide unique environments for studying the role of massive stars in the formation and destruction of dust. At redshifts above approx. 6, when the universe was less than approx. 1 Gyr old, dust could have only condensed in the explosive ejecta of Type-II supernovae (SNe), since most of the progenitors of the AGB stars, the major alternative source of interstellar dust, did not have time to evolve off the main sequence. I will present analytical models for the evolution of the gas, dust, and metals in high redshift galaxies, with a special application to SDSS J1148+5251, a hyperluminous quasar at $z = 6.4$. I will also discuss possible star formation scenarios consistent with observational constraints on the dust and gas content of this object.

A small-scale dynamo in feedback-dominated galaxies - III. Cosmological simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rieder, Michael; Teyssier, Romain

2017-12-01

Magnetic fields are widely observed in the Universe in virtually all astrophysical objects, from individual stars to entire galaxies, even in the intergalactic medium, but their specific genesis has long been debated. Due to the development of more realistic models of galaxy formation, viable scenarios are emerging to explain cosmic magnetism, thanks to both deeper observations and more efficient and accurate computer simulations. We present here a new cosmological high-resolution zoom-in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation, using the adaptive mesh refinement technique, of a dwarf galaxy with an initially weak and uniform magnetic seed field that is amplified by a small-scale dynamo (SSD) driven by supernova-induced turbulence. As first structures form from the gravitational collapse of small density fluctuations, the frozen-in magnetic field separates from the cosmic expansion and grows through compression. In a second step, star formation sets in and establishes a strong galactic fountain, self-regulated by supernova explosions. Inside the galaxy, the interstellar medium becomes highly turbulent, dominated by strong supersonic shocks, as demonstrated by the spectral analysis of the gas kinetic energy. In this turbulent environment, the magnetic field is quickly amplified via a SSD process and is finally carried out into the circumgalactic medium by a galactic wind. This realistic cosmological simulation explains how initially weak magnetic seed fields can be amplified quickly in early, feedback-dominated galaxies, and predicts, as a consequence of the SSD process, that high-redshift magnetic fields are likely to be dominated by their small-scale components.

A simple and general method for solving detailed chemical evolution with delayed production of iron and other chemical elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vincenzo, F.; Matteucci, F.; Spitoni, E.

2017-04-01

We present a theoretical method for solving the chemical evolution of galaxies by assuming an instantaneous recycling approximation for chemical elements restored by massive stars and the delay time distribution formalism for delayed chemical enrichment by Type Ia Supernovae. The galaxy gas mass assembly history, together with the assumed stellar yields and initial mass function, represents the starting point of this method. We derive a simple and general equation, which closely relates the Laplace transforms of the galaxy gas accretion history and star formation history, which can be used to simplify the problem of retrieving these quantities in the galaxy evolution models assuming a linear Schmidt-Kennicutt law. We find that - once the galaxy star formation history has been reconstructed from our assumptions - the differential equation for the evolution of the chemical element X can be suitably solved with classical methods. We apply our model to reproduce the [O/Fe] and [Si/Fe] versus [Fe/H] chemical abundance patterns as observed at the solar neighbourhood by assuming a decaying exponential infall rate of gas and different delay time distributions for Type Ia Supernovae; we also explore the effect of assuming a non-linear Schmidt-Kennicutt law, with the index of the power law being k = 1.4. Although approximate, we conclude that our model with the single-degenerate scenario for Type Ia Supernovae provides the best agreement with the observed set of data. Our method can be used by other complementary galaxy stellar population synthesis models to predict also the chemical evolution of galaxies.

The VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). Star formation history of passive red galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siudek, M.; Małek, K.; Scodeggio, M.; Garilli, B.; Pollo, A.; Haines, C. P.; Fritz, A.; Bolzonella, M.; de la Torre, S.; Granett, B. R.; Guzzo, L.; Abbas, U.; Adami, C.; Bottini, D.; Cappi, A.; Cucciati, O.; De Lucia, G.; Davidzon, I.; Franzetti, P.; Iovino, A.; Krywult, J.; Le Brun, V.; Le Fèvre, O.; Maccagni, D.; Marchetti, A.; Marulli, F.; Polletta, M.; Tasca, L. A. M.; Tojeiro, R.; Vergani, D.; Zanichelli, A.; Arnouts, S.; Bel, J.; Branchini, E.; Ilbert, O.; Gargiulo, A.; Moscardini, L.; Takeuchi, T. T.; Zamorani, G.

2017-01-01

Aims: We trace the evolution and the star formation history of passive red galaxies, using a subset of the VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). The detailed spectral analysis of stellar populations of intermediate-redshift passive red galaxies allows the build up of their stellar content to be followed over the last 8 billion years. Methods: We extracted a sample of passive red galaxies in the redshift range 0.4

Active Galactic Nuclei, Host Star Formation, and the Far Infrared

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Draper, Aden R.; Ballantyne, D. R.

2011-05-01

Telescopes like Herschel and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) are creating new opportunities to study sources in the far infrared (FIR), a wavelength region dominated by cold dust emission. Probing cold dust in active galaxies allows for study of the star formation history of active galactic nuclei (AGN) hosts. The FIR is also an important spectral region for observing AGN which are heavily enshrouded by dust, such as Compton thick (CT) AGN. By using information from deep X-ray surveys and cosmic X-ray background synthesis models, we compute Cloudy photoionization simulations which are used to predict the spectral energy distribution (SED) of AGN in the FIR. Expected differential number counts of AGN and their host galaxies are calculated in the Herschel bands. The expected contribution of AGN and their hosts to the cosmic infrared background (CIRB) is also computed. Multiple star formation scenarios are investigated using a modified blackbody star formation SED. It is found that FIR observations at 350 and 500 um are an excellent tool in determining the star formation history of AGN hosts. Additionally, the AGN contribution to the CIRB can be used to determine whether star formation in AGN hosts evolves differently than in normal galaxies. AGN and host differential number counts are dominated by CT AGN in the Herschel-SPIRE bands. Therefore, X-ray stacking of bright SPIRE sources is likely to disclose a large fraction of the CT AGN population.

Metal Deficiency in Two Massive Dead Galaxies at z ∼ 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morishita, T.; Abramson, L. E.; Treu, T.; Wang, X.; Brammer, G. B.; Kelly, P.; Stiavelli, M.; Jones, T.; Schmidt, K. B.; Trenti, M.; Vulcani, B.

2018-03-01

Local massive early-type galaxies are believed to have completed most of their star formation ∼10 Gyr ago and evolved without having substantial star formation since that time. If so, their progenitors should have roughly solar stellar metallicities (Z *), comparable to their values today. We report the discovery of two lensed massive ({log}{M}* /{M}ȯ ∼ 11), z ∼ 2.2 dead galaxies that appear markedly metal deficient given this scenario. Using 17-band HST+K s +Spitzer photometry and deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) grism spectra from the Grism Lens Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS) and supernova (SN) Refsdal follow-up campaigns covering features near λ rest ∼ 4000 Å, we find these systems to be dominated by A-type stars with {log}{Z}* /{Z}ȯ =-0.40+/- 0.02 and ‑0.49 ± 0.03 (30%–40% solar) under standard assumptions. The second system’s lower metallicity is robust to isochrone changes, though this choice can drive the first system’s from {log}{Z}* /{Z}ȯ =-0.6 to 0.1. If these two galaxies are representative of larger samples, this finding suggests that evolutionary paths other than dry minor merging are required for these massive galaxies. Future analyses with direct metallicity measurements—e.g., by the James Webb Space Telescope—will provide critical insight into the nature of such phenomena.

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

Reactive Desorption and Radiative Association as Possible Drivers of Complex Molecule Formation in the Cold Interstellar Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasyunin, A. I.; Herbst, Eric

2013-05-01

The recent discovery of terrestrial-type organic species such as methyl formate and dimethyl ether in the cold interstellar gas has proved that the formation of organic matter in the Galaxy begins at a much earlier stage of star formation than was previously thought. This discovery represents a challenge for astrochemical modelers. The abundances of these molecules cannot be explained by the previously developed "warm-up" scenario, in which organic molecules are formed via diffusive chemistry on surfaces of interstellar grains starting at 30 K, and then released to the gas at higher temperatures during later stages of star formation. In this article, we investigate an alternative scenario in which complex organic species are formed via a sequence of gas-phase reactions between precursor species formed on grain surfaces and then ejected into the gas via efficient reactive desorption, a process in which non-thermal desorption occurs as a result of conversion of the exothermicity of chemical reactions into the ejection of products from the surface. The proposed scenario leads to reasonable if somewhat mixed results at temperatures as low as 10 K and may be considered as a step toward the explanation of abundances of terrestrial-like organic species observed during the earliest stages of star formation.

Disentangling Dominance: Obscured AGN Activity versus Star Formation in BPT-Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trouille, Laura

2011-11-01

Approximately 20% of SDSS emission-line galaxies (ELG) lie in the BPT-comp regime, between the Kauffmann et al. (2003) empirically determined SF-dominated regime and the Kewley et al. (2001) theoretically predicted AGN-dominated regime. BPT-AGN, on the other hand, make up only 11% of the ELG population. Whether to include the significant number of BPT-comp in samples of AGN or samples of star-forming galaxies is an open question and has important implications for galaxy evolution studies, metallicity studies, etc. Using a large pectroscopic sample of GOODS-N and LH galaxies with deep Chandra imaging, we perform an X-ray stacking analysis of BPT-comp. We find the stacked signal to be X-ray hard. This X-ray hardness can be indicative of obscured AGN activity or the presence of HMXBs associated with ongoing star formation. In order to distinguish between these scenarios, we perform an IR stacking analysis using Spitzer 24 micron data. The stacked BPT-comp lies well above the expected value for L_x/L_IR for pure star-forming galaxies; similarly for the X-ray detected BPT-comp. We also find that the BPT-comp lie in the AGN-dominated regime of our new TBT diagnostic, which uses [NeIII]/[OII] versus rest-frame g-z colour to identify AGN and star forming galaxies out to z=1.4. [NeIII], which has a higher ionisation potential than other commonly used forbidden emission lines, appears to foster a more reliable selection of AGN-dominated galaxies. These findings suggest that both the X-ray and optical signal in BPT-comp are dominated by obscured or low accretion rate AGN activity rather than star formation. This is in contrast to claims by previous optical emission-line studies that the signal in BPT-comp is dominated by star-formation activity. Therefore, we recommend that groups carefully consider the impact of excluding or including BPT-comp on the interpretation of their results. For example, for studies involving determining the bolometric contribution from AGN activity or the role of AGN activity in galaxy evolution, we advise maximal inclusiveness. Since BPT-comp comprise a significant percentage of the overall emission-line galaxy population, inclusion of the BPT-comp would provide a more comprehensive picture of the true impact of AGN activity in these studies.

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

de Gasperin, F.; Ogrean, G. A.; van Weeren, R. J.

We report that extended steep-spectrum radio emission in a galaxy cluster is usually associated with a recent merger. However, given the complex scenario of galaxy cluster mergers, many of the discovered sources hardly fit into the strict boundaries of a precise taxonomy. This is especially true for radio phoenixes that do not have very well defined observational criteria. Radio phoenixes are aged radio galaxy lobes whose emission is reactivated by compression or other mechanisms. Here in this paper, we present the detection of a radio phoenix close to the moment of its formation. The source is located in Abell 1033,more » a peculiar galaxy cluster which underwent a recent merger. To support our claim, we present unpublished Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope and Chandra observations together with archival data from the Very Large Array and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We discover the presence of two subclusters displaced along the N–S direction. The two subclusters probably underwent a recent merger which is the cause of a moderately perturbed X-ray brightness distribution. A steep-spectrum extended radio source very close to an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is proposed to be a newly born radio phoenix: the AGN lobes have been displaced/compressed by shocks formed during the merger event. This scenario explains the source location, morphology, spectral index, and brightness. Finally, we show evidence of a density discontinuity close to the radio phoenix and discuss the consequences of its presence.« less

The radial distribution of supernovae in nuclear starbursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrero-Illana, R.; Pérez-Torres, M. A.; Alberdi, A.

2013-05-01

Galaxy-galaxy interactions are expected to be responsible for triggering massive star formation and possibly accretion onto a supermassive black hole, by providing large amounts of dense molecular gas down to the central kiloparsec region. Several scenarios to drive the gas further down to the central ˜100 pc, have been proposed, including the formation of a nuclear disk around the black hole, where massive stars would produce supernovae. Here, we probe the radial distribution of supernovae and supernova remnants in the nuclear regions of the starburst galaxies M82, Arp 299-A, and Arp 220, by using high-angular resolution (≲ 0.''1) radio observations. We derived scale-length values for the putative nuclear disks, which range from ˜20-30 pc for Arp 299-A and Arp 220, up to ˜140 pc for M82. The radial distribution of SNe for the nuclear disks in Arp 299-A and Arp 220 is also consistent with a power-law surface density profile of exponent γ = 1, as expected from detailed hydrodynamical simulations of nuclear disks. This study is detailed in te{herrero-illana12}.

SHARDS: An Optical Spectro-photometric Survey of Distant Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez-González, Pablo G.; Cava, Antonio; Barro, Guillermo; Villar, Víctor; Cardiel, Nicolás; Ferreras, Ignacio; Rodríguez-Espinosa, José Miguel; Alonso-Herrero, Almudena; Balcells, Marc; Cenarro, Javier; Cepa, Jordi; Charlot, Stéphane; Cimatti, Andrea; Conselice, Christopher J.; Daddi, Emmanuele; Donley, Jennifer; Elbaz, David; Espino, Néstor; Gallego, Jesús; Gobat, R.; González-Martín, Omaira; Guzmán, Rafael; Hernán-Caballero, Antonio; Muñoz-Tuñón, Casiana; Renzini, Alvio; Rodríguez-Zaurín, Javier; Tresse, Laurence; Trujillo, Ignacio; Zamorano, Jaime

2013-01-01

We present the Survey for High-z Absorption Red and Dead Sources (SHARDS), an ESO/GTC Large Program carried out using the OSIRIS instrument on the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). SHARDS is an ultra-deep optical spectro-photometric survey of the GOODS-N field covering 130 arcmin2 at wavelengths between 500 and 950 nm with 24 contiguous medium-band filters (providing a spectral resolution R ~ 50). The data reach an AB magnitude of 26.5 (at least at a 3σ level) with sub-arcsec seeing in all bands. SHARDS' main goal is to obtain accurate physical properties of intermediate- and high-z galaxies using well-sampled optical spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with sufficient spectral resolution to measure absorption and emission features, whose analysis will provide reliable stellar population and active galactic nucleus (AGN) parameters. Among the different populations of high-z galaxies, SHARDS' principal targets are massive quiescent galaxies at z > 1, whose existence is one of the major challenges facing current hierarchical models of galaxy formation. In this paper, we outline the observational strategy and include a detailed discussion of the special reduction and calibration procedures which should be applied to the GTC/OSIRIS data. An assessment of the SHARDS data quality is also performed. We present science demonstration results on the detection and study of emission-line galaxies (star-forming objects and AGNs) at z = 0-5. We also analyze the SEDs for a sample of 27 quiescent massive galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts in the range 1.0 < z <~ 1.4. We discuss the improvements introduced by the SHARDS data set in the analysis of their star formation history and stellar properties. We discuss the systematics arising from the use of different stellar population libraries, typical in this kind of study. Averaging the results from the different libraries, we find that the UV-to-MIR SEDs of the massive quiescent galaxies at z = 1.0-1.4 are well described by an exponentially decaying star formation history with scale τ = 100-200 Myr, age around 1.5-2.0 Gyr, solar or slightly sub-solar metallicity, and moderate extinction, A(V) ~ 0.5 mag. We also find that galaxies with masses above M* are typically older than lighter galaxies, as expected in a downsizing scenario of galaxy formation. This trend is, however, model dependent, i.e., it is significantly more evident in the results obtained with some stellar population synthesis libraries, and almost absent in others.

The Metallicity Evolution of Low-mass Galaxies: New Constraints at Intermediate Redshift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henry, Alaina; Martin, Crystal L.; Finlator, Kristian; Dressler, Alan

2013-06-01

We present abundance measurements from 26 emission-line-selected galaxies at z ~ 0.6-0.7. By reaching stellar masses as low as 108 M ⊙, these observations provide the first measurement of the intermediate-redshift mass-metallicity (MZ) relation below 109 M ⊙. For the portion of our sample above M > 109 M ⊙ (8/26 galaxies), we find good agreement with previous measurements of the intermediate-redshift MZ relation. Compared to the local relation, we measure an evolution that corresponds to a 0.12 dex decrease in oxygen abundances at intermediate redshifts. This result confirms the trend that metallicity evolution becomes more significant toward lower stellar masses, in keeping with a downsizing scenario where low-mass galaxies evolve onto the local MZ relation at later cosmic times. We show that these galaxies follow the local fundamental metallicity relation, where objects with higher specific (mass-normalized) star formation rates (SFRs) have lower metallicities. Furthermore, we show that the galaxies in our sample lie on an extrapolation of the SFR-M * relation (the star-forming main sequence). Leveraging the MZ relation and star-forming main sequence (and combining our data with higher-mass measurements from the literature), we test models that assume an equilibrium between mass inflow, outflow, and star formation. We find that outflows are required to describe the data. By comparing different outflow prescriptions, we show that momentum, driven winds can describe the MZ relation; however, this model underpredicts the amount of star formation in low-mass galaxies. This disagreement may indicate that preventive feedback from gas heating has been overestimated, or it may signify a more fundamental deviation from the equilibrium assumption. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Spitzer Imaging of Strongly lensed Herschel-selected Dusty Star-forming Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Brian; Cooray, Asantha; Calanog, J. A.; Nayyeri, H.; Timmons, N.; Casey, C.; Baes, M.; Chapman, S.; Dannerbauer, H.; da Cunha, E.; De Zotti, G.; Dunne, L.; Farrah, D.; Fu, Hai; Gonzalez-Nuevo, J.; Magdis, G.; Michałowski, M. J.; Oteo, I.; Riechers, D. A.; Scott, D.; Smith, M. W. L.; Wang, L.; Wardlow, J.; Vaccari, M.; Viaene, S.; Vieira, J. D.

2015-11-01

We present the rest-frame optical spectral energy distribution (SED) and stellar masses of six Herschel-selected gravitationally lensed dusty, star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) at 1 < z < 3. These galaxies were first identified with Herschel/SPIRE imaging data from the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey (H-ATLAS) and the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES). The targets were observed with Spitzer/IRAC at 3.6 and 4.5 μm. Due to the spatial resolution of the IRAC observations at the level of 2″, the lensing features of a background DSFG in the near-infrared are blended with the flux from the foreground lensing galaxy in the IRAC imaging data. We make use of higher resolution Hubble/WFC3 or Keck/NIRC2 Adaptive Optics imaging data to fit light profiles of the foreground lensing galaxy (or galaxies) as a way to model the foreground components, in order to successfully disentangle the foreground lens and background source flux densities in the IRAC images. The flux density measurements at 3.6 and 4.5 μm, once combined with Hubble/WFC3 and Keck/NIRC2 data, provide important constraints on the rest-frame optical SED of the Herschel-selected lensed DSFGs. We model the combined UV- to millimeter-wavelength SEDs to establish the stellar mass, dust mass, star formation rate, visual extinction, and other parameters for each of these Herschel-selected DSFGs. These systems have inferred stellar masses in the range 8 × 1010-4 × 1011 M⊙ and star formation rates of around 100 M⊙ yr-1. This puts these lensed submillimeter systems well above the SFR-M* relation observed for normal star-forming galaxies at similar redshifts. The high values of SFR inferred for these systems are consistent with a major merger-driven scenario for star formation.

Energetics of the molecular gas in the H2 luminous radio galaxy 3C 326: Evidence for negative AGN feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesvadba, N. P. H.; Boulanger, F.; Salomé, P.; Guillard, P.; Lehnert, M. D.; Ogle, P.; Appleton, P.; Falgarone, E.; Pineau Des Forets, G.

2010-10-01

We present a detailed analysis of the gas conditions in the H2 luminous radio galaxy 3C 326 N at z ~ 0.1, which has a low star-formation rate (SFR ~ 0.07 M⊙ yr-1) in spite of a gas surface density similar to those in starburst galaxies. Its star-formation efficiency is likely a factor ~10-50 lower than those of ordinary star-forming galaxies. Combining new IRAM CO emission-line interferometry with existing Spitzer mid-infrared spectroscopy, we find that the luminosity ratio of CO and pure rotational H2 line emission is factors 10-100 lower than what is usually found. This suggests that most of the molecular gas is warm. The Na D absorption-line profile of 3C 326 N in the optical suggests an outflow with a terminal velocity of ~-1800 km s-1 and a mass outflow rate of 30-40 M⊙ yr-1, which cannot be explained by star formation. The mechanical power implied by the wind, of order 1043 erg s-1, is comparable to the bolometric luminosity of the emission lines of ionized and molecular gas. To explain these observations, we propose a scenario where a small fraction of the mechanical energy of the radio jet is deposited in the interstellar medium of 3C 326 N, which powers the outflow, and the line emission through a mass, momentum and energy exchange between the different gas phases of the ISM. Dissipation times are of order 107-8 yrs, similar or greater than the typical jet lifetime. Small ratios of CO and PAH surface brightnesses in another 7 H2 luminous radio galaxies suggest that a similar form of AGN feedback could be lowering star-formation efficiencies in these galaxies in a similar way. The local demographics of radio-loud AGN suggests that secular gas cooling in massive early-type galaxies of ≥1011 M⊙ could generally be regulated through a fundamentally similar form of “maintenance-phase” AGN feedback. Based on observations carried out with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer.

Optical-near-IR analysis of globular clusters in the IKN dwarf spheroidal: a complex star formation history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tudorica, A.; Georgiev, I. Y.; Chies-Santos, A. L.

2015-09-01

Context. Age, metallicity, and spatial distribution of globular clusters (GCs) provide a powerful tool for reconstructing major star-formation episodes in galaxies. IKN is a faint dwarf spheroidal (dSph) in the M 81 group of galaxies. It contains five old GCs, which makes it the galaxy with the highest known specific frequency (SN = 126). Aims: We estimate the photometric age, metallicity, and spatial distribution of the poorly studied IKN GCs. We search SDSS for GC candidates beyond the HST/ACS field of view, which covers half of IKN. Methods: To break the age-metallicity degeneracy in the colour, we used WHT/LIRIS KS-band photometry and derived photometric ages and metallicities by comparison with SSP models in the V,I,Ks colour space. Results: IKN GCs' VIKs colours are consistent with old ages (≥8 Gyr) and a metallicity distribution with a higher mean than is typical for such a dSph ([Fe/H] ≃ -1.4-0.2+0.6 dex). Their photometric mass range (0.5 < ℳGC< 4 × 105 M⊙) implies an unusually high mass ratio between GCs and field stars, of 10.6%. Mixture model analysis of the RGB field stars' metallicity suggests that 72% of the stars may have formed together with the GCs. Using the most massive GC-SFR relation, we calculated a star formation rate (SFR) of ~10 M⊙/yr during its formation epoch. We note that the more massive GCs are closer to the galaxy photometric centre. IKN GCs also appear spatially aligned along a line close to the major axis of the IKN and nearly orthogonal to the plane of spatial distribution of galaxies in the M 81 group. We identify one new IKN GC candidate based on colour and the PSF analysis of the SDSS data. Conclusions: The evidence of i) broad and high metallicity distribution of the field IKN RGB stars and its GCs, ii) high fraction, and iii) spatial alignment of IKN GCs supports a scenario for tidally triggered, complex IKN's star formation history in the context of interactions with galaxies in the M 81 group.

Chemo-Dynamical Evolution of r-process Elements in the Local Group Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirai, Yutaka; Ishimaru, Yuhri; Saitoh, Takayuki R.; Fujii, Michiko S.; Hidaka, Jun; Kajino, Toshitaka

The astrophysical site(s) of r-process is not yet identified over half a century. Astronomical high dispersion observations have shown that extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars in the Milky Way (MW) halo have large star-to-star dispersions in the abundance of r-process elements. Binary neutron star mergers (NSMs) are one of the most promising sites of r-process. However, several studies suggested that it is difficult to reproduce the dispersions by NSMs due to their long merger times and low rates. In this study, we performed a series of N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations of dwarf galaxies. We show that NSMs can explain the dispersions with long merger times (˜100 Myr). We find that the metallicity of our simulated galaxies does not correlate with time in their early phase due to slow chemical enrichment. This slow chemical enrichment produces [Eu/Fe] distribution which is consistent with the observation. Our results suggest that stars in the MW halo formed with a low star formation rate of less than 10 - 3M ⊙ yr-1, which is common for typical dwarf galaxies in the MW. Our simulations support the scenario that early enrichment of the MW halo occurred in the framework of hierarchical structure formation.

Testing the gravitational instability hypothesis?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Babul, Arif; Weinberg, David H.; Dekel, Avishai; Ostriker, Jeremiah P.

1994-01-01

We challenge a widely accepted assumption of observational cosmology: that successful reconstruction of observed galaxy density fields from measured galaxy velocity fields (or vice versa), using the methods of gravitational instability theory, implies that the observed large-scale structures and large-scale flows were produced by the action of gravity. This assumption is false, in that there exist nongravitational theories that pass the reconstruction tests and gravitational theories with certain forms of biased galaxy formation that fail them. Gravitational instability theory predicts specific correlations between large-scale velocity and mass density fields, but the same correlations arise in any model where (a) structures in the galaxy distribution grow from homogeneous initial conditions in a way that satisfies the continuity equation, and (b) the present-day velocity field is irrotational and proportional to the time-averaged velocity field. We demonstrate these assertions using analytical arguments and N-body simulations. If large-scale structure is formed by gravitational instability, then the ratio of the galaxy density contrast to the divergence of the velocity field yields an estimate of the density parameter Omega (or, more generally, an estimate of beta identically equal to Omega(exp 0.6)/b, where b is an assumed constant of proportionality between galaxy and mass density fluctuations. In nongravitational scenarios, the values of Omega or beta estimated in this way may fail to represent the true cosmological values. However, even if nongravitational forces initiate and shape the growth of structure, gravitationally induced accelerations can dominate the velocity field at late times, long after the action of any nongravitational impulses. The estimated beta approaches the true value in such cases, and in our numerical simulations the estimated beta values are reasonably accurate for both gravitational and nongravitational models. Reconstruction tests that show correlations between galaxy density and velocity fields can rule out some physically interesting models of large-scale structure. In particular, successful reconstructions constrain the nature of any bias between the galaxy and mass distributions, since processes that modulate the efficiency of galaxy formation on large scales in a way that violates the continuity equation also produce a mismatch between the observed galaxy density and the density inferred from the peculiar velocity field. We obtain successful reconstructions for a gravitational model with peaks biasing, but we also show examples of gravitational and nongravitational models that fail reconstruction tests because of more complicated modulations of galaxy formation.

Testing the Presence of Multiple Photometric Components in Nearby Early-type Galaxies using SDSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Semyeong; Greene, Jenny E.; Lackner, Claire N.

2017-02-01

We investigate two-dimensional image decomposition of nearby, morphologically selected early-type galaxies (ETGs). We are motivated by recent observational evidence of significant size growth of quiescent galaxies and theoretical development advocating a two-phase formation scenario for ETGs. We find that a significant fraction of nearby ETGs show changes in isophotal shape that require multi-component models. The characteristic sizes of the inner and outer component are ˜3 and ˜15 kpc. The inner component lies on the mass-size relation of ETGs at z ˜ 0.25-0.75, while the outer component tends to be more elliptical and hints at a stochastic buildup process. We find real physical differences between single- and double-component ETGs, with double-component galaxies being younger and more metal-rich. The fraction of double-component ETGs increases with increasing σ and decreases in denser environments. We hypothesize that double-component systems were able to accrete gas and small galaxies until later times, boosting their central densities, building up their outer parts, and lowering their typical central ages. In contrast, the oldest galaxies, perhaps due to residing in richer environments, have no remaining hints of their last accretion episode.

New Ultra-Compact Dwarf Galaxies in Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-02-01

How do ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) galaxies that are especially small and dense form and evolve? Scientists have recently examined distant galaxy clusters, searching for more UCDs to help us answer this question.Origins of DwarfsIn recent years we have discovered a growing sample of small, very dense galaxies. Galaxies that are tens to hundreds of light-years across, with masses between a million and a billion solar masses, fall into category of ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs).An example of an unresolved compact object from the authors survey that is likely an ultra-compact dwarf galaxy. [Adapted from Zhang Bell 2017]How do these dense and compact galaxies form? Two possibilities are commonly suggested:An initially larger galaxy was tidally stripped during interactions with other galaxies in a cluster, leaving behind only its small, dense core as a UCD.UCDs formed as compact galaxies at very early cosmic times. The ones living in a massive dark matter halo may have been able to remain compact over time, evolving into the objectswe see today.To better understand which of these formation scenarios applies to which galaxies, we need a larger sample size! Our census of UCDs is fairly limited and because theyare small and dim, most of the ones weve discovered are in the nearby universe. To build a good sample, we need to find UCDs at higher redshifts as well.A New SampleIn a recent study, two scientists from University of Michigan have demonstrated how we might find more UCDs. Yuanyuan Zhang (also affiliated with Fermilab) and Eric Bell used the Cluster Lensing and Supernova Survey with Hubble (CLASH) to search 17 galaxy clusters at intermediate redshifts of 0.2 z 0.6, looking for unresolved objects that might be UCDs.The mass and size distributions of the UCD candidates reported in this study, in the context of previously known nuclear star clusters, globular clusters (GCs), UCDs, compact elliptical galaxies (cEs), and dwarf galaxies. [Zhang Bell 2017]Zhang and Bell discovered a sample of compact objects grouped around the central galaxies of the clusters that are consistent with ultra-compact galaxies. The inferred sizes (many around 600 light-years in radius) and masses (roughly one billion solar masses) of these objects suggest that this sample may contain some of the densest UCDs discovered to date.The properties of this new set of UCD candidates arent enough to distinguish between formation scenarios yet, but the authors argue that if we find more such galaxies, we will be able to use the statistics of their spatial and color distributions to determine how they were formed.Zhang and Bell estimate that the 17 CLASH clusters studied in this work each contain an average of 2.7 of these objects in the central million light-years of the cluster. The authors work here suggests that searching wide-field survey data for similar discoveries is a plausible way to increase our sample of UCDs. This will allow us to statistically characterize these dense, compact galaxies and better understand their origins.CitationYuanyuan Zhang and Eric F. Bell 2017 ApJL 835 L2. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/835/1/L2

The mass-metallicity relations for gas and stars in star-forming galaxies: strong outflow versus variable IMF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lian, Jianhui; Thomas, Daniel; Maraston, Claudia; Goddard, Daniel; Comparat, Johan; Gonzalez-Perez, Violeta; Ventura, Paolo

2018-02-01

We investigate the mass-metallicity relations for the gaseous (MZRgas) and stellar components (MZRstar) of local star-forming galaxies based on a representative sample from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12. The mass-weighted average stellar metallicities are systematically lower than the gas metallicities. This difference in metallicity increases towards galaxies with lower masses and reaches 0.4-0.8 dex at 109 M⊙ (depending on the gas metallicity calibration). As a result, the MZRstar is much steeper than the MZRgas. The much lower metallicities in stars compared to the gas in low-mass galaxies imply dramatic metallicity evolution with suppressed metal enrichment at early times. The aim of this paper is to explain the observed large difference in gas and stellar metallicity and to infer the origin of the mass-metallicity relations. To this end we develop a galactic chemical evolution model accounting for star formation, gas inflow and outflow. By combining the observed mass-metallicity relation for both gas and stellar components to constrain the models, we find that only two scenarios are able to reproduce the observations. Either strong metal outflow or a steep initial mass function (IMF) slope at early epochs of galaxy evolution is needed. Based on these two scenarios, for the first time we successfully reproduce the observed MZRgas and MZRstar simultaneously, together with other independent observational constraints in the local Universe. Our model also naturally reproduces the flattening of the MZRgas at the high-mass end leaving the MZRstar intact, as seen in observational data.

Globular cluster seeding by primordial black hole population

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

Dolgov, A.; Postnov, K., E-mail: dolgov@fe.infn.it, E-mail: kpostnov@gmail.com

Primordial black holes (PBHs) that form in the early Universe in the modified Affleck-Dine (AD) mechanism of baryogenesis should have intrinsic log-normal mass distribution of PBHs. We show that the parameters of this distribution adjusted to provide the required spatial density of massive seeds (≥ 10{sup 4} M {sub ⊙}) for early galaxy formation and not violating the dark matter density constraints, predict the existence of the population of intermediate-mass PBHs with a number density of 0∼ 100 Mpc{sup −3}. We argue that the population of intermediate-mass AD PBHs can also seed the formation of globular clusters in galaxies. Inmore » this scenario, each globular cluster should host an intermediate-mass black hole with a mass of a few thousand solar masses, and should not obligatorily be immersed in a massive dark matter halo.« less

Properties and Expected Number Counts of Active Galactic Nuclei and Their Hosts in the Far-infrared

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Draper, A. R.; Ballantyne, D. R.

2011-03-01

Telescopes like Herschel and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) are creating new opportunities to study sources in the far-infrared (FIR), a wavelength region dominated by cold dust emission. Probing cold dust in active galaxies allows for study of the star formation history of active galactic nucleus (AGN) hosts. The FIR is also an important spectral region for observing AGNs which are heavily enshrouded by dust, such as Compton thick (CT) AGNs. By using information from deep X-ray surveys and cosmic X-ray background synthesis models, we compute Cloudy photoionization simulations which are used to predict the spectral energy distribution (SED) of AGNs in the FIR. Expected differential number counts of AGNs and their host galaxies are calculated in the Herschel bands. The expected contribution of AGNs and their hosts to the cosmic infrared background (CIRB) and the infrared luminosity density are also computed. Multiple star formation scenarios are investigated using a modified blackbody star formation SED. It is found that FIR observations at ~500 μm are an excellent tool in determining the star formation history of AGN hosts. Additionally, the AGN contribution to the CIRB can be used to determine whether star formation in AGN hosts evolves differently than in normal galaxies. The contribution of CT AGNs to the bright end differential number counts and to the bright source infrared luminosity density is a good test of AGN evolution models where quasars are triggered by major mergers.

The Ongoing Assembly of a Central Cluster Galaxy: Phase-space Substructures in the Halo of M87

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Strader, Jay; Brodie, Jean P.; Mihos, J. Christopher; Spitler, Lee R.; Forbes, Duncan A.; Foster, Caroline; Arnold, Jacob A.

2012-03-01

The halos of galaxies preserve unique records of their formation histories. We carry out the first combined observational and theoretical study of phase-space halo substructure in an early-type galaxy: M87, the central galaxy in the Virgo cluster. We analyze an unprecedented wide-field, high-precision photometric and spectroscopic data set for 488 globular clusters (GCs), which includes new, large-radius Subaru/Suprime-Cam and Keck/DEIMOS observations. We find signatures of two substructures in position-velocity phase space. One is a small, cold stream associated with a known stellar filament in the outer halo; the other is a large shell-like pattern in the inner halo that implies a massive, hitherto unrecognized accretion event. We perform extensive statistical tests and independent metallicity analyses to verify the presence and characterize the properties of these features, and to provide more general methodologies for future extragalactic studies of phase-space substructure. The cold outer stream is consistent with a dwarf galaxy accretion event, while for the inner shell there is tension between a low progenitor mass implied by the cold velocity dispersion, and a high mass from the large number of GCs, which might be resolved by a ~0.5 L* E/S0 progenitor. We also carry out proof-of-principle numerical simulations of the accretion of smaller galaxies in an M87-like gravitational potential. These produce analogous features to the observed substructures, which should have observable lifetimes of ~1 Gyr. The shell and stream GCs together support a scenario where the extended stellar envelope of M87 has been built up by a steady rain of material that continues until the present day. This phase-space method demonstrates unique potential for detailed tests of galaxy formation beyond the Local Group.

The nightmare scenario: measuring the stochastic gravitational wave background from stalling massive black hole binaries with pulsar timing arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dvorkin, Irina; Barausse, Enrico

2017-10-01

Massive black hole binaries, formed when galaxies merge, are among the primary sources of gravitational waves targeted by ongoing pulsar timing array (PTA) experiments and the upcoming space-based Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) interferometer. However, their formation and merger rates are still highly uncertain. Recent upper limits on the stochastic gravitational wave background obtained by PTAs are starting to be in marginal tension with theoretical models for the pairing and orbital evolution of these systems. This tension can be resolved by assuming that these binaries are more eccentric or interact more strongly with the environment (gas and stars) than expected, or by accounting for possible selection biases in the construction of the theoretical models. However, another (pessimistic) possibility is that these binaries do not merge at all, but stall at large (˜pc) separations. We explore this extreme scenario by using a semi-analytic galaxy formation model including massive black holes (isolated and in binaries), and show that future generations of PTAs will detect the stochastic gravitational wave background from the massive black hole binary population within 10-15 yr of observations, even in the `nightmare scenario' in which all binaries stall at the hardening radius. Moreover, we argue that this scenario is too pessimistic, because our model predicts the existence of a subpopulation of binaries with small mass ratios (q ≲ 10-3) that should merge within a Hubble time simply as a result of gravitational wave emission. This subpopulation will be observable with large signal-to-noise ratios by future PTAs thanks to next-generation radio telescopes such as Square Kilometre Array or Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, and possibly by LISA.

Measuring the X-shaped structures in edge-on galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savchenko, S. S.; Sotnikova, N. Ya.; Mosenkov, A. V.; Reshetnikov, V. P.; Bizyaev, D. V.

2017-11-01

We present a detailed photometric study of a sample of 22 edge-on galaxies with clearly visible X-shaped structures. We propose a novel method to derive geometrical parameters of these features, along with the parameters of their host galaxies based on the multi-component photometric decomposition of galactic images. To include the X-shaped structure into our photometric model, we use the imfit package, in which we implement a new component describing the X-shaped structure. This method is applied for a sample of galaxies with available Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Spitzer IRAC 3.6 μm observations. In order to explain our results, we perform realistic N-body simulations of a Milky Way-type galaxy and compare the observed and the model X-shaped structures. Our main conclusions are as follows: (1) galaxies with strong X-shaped structures reside in approximately the same local environments as field galaxies; (2) the characteristic size of the X-shaped structures is about 2/3 of the bar size; (3) there is a correlation between the X-shaped structure size and its observed flatness: the larger structures are more flattened; (4) our N-body simulations qualitatively confirm the observational results and support the bar-driven scenario for the X-shaped structure formation.

Reconciling large- and small-scale structure in Twin Higgs models

DOE PAGES

Prilepina, Valentina; Tsai, Yuhsin

2017-09-08

Here, we study possible extensions of the Twin Higgs model that solve the Hierarchy problem and simultaneously address problems of the large- and small-scale structures of the Universe. Besides naturally providing dark matter (DM) candidates as the lightest charged twin fermions, the twin sector contains a light photon and neutrinos, which can modify structure formation relative to the prediction from the ΛCDM paradigm. We focus on two viable scenarios. First, we study a Fraternal Twin Higgs model in which the spin-3/2 baryonmore » $$\\hat{Ω}$$~($$\\hat{b}$$$\\hat{b}$$$\\hat{b}$$) and the lepton twin tau $$\\hat{τ}$$ contribute to the dominant and subcomponent dark matter densities. A non-decoupled scattering between the twin tau and twin neutrino arising from a gauged twin lepton number symmetry provides a drag force that damps the density inhomogeneity of a dark matter subcomponent. Next, we consider the possibility of introducing a twin hydrogen atom $$\\hat{H}$$ as the dominant DM component. After recombination, a small fraction of the twin protons and leptons remains ionized during structure formation, and their scattering to twin neutrinos through a gauged U(1) B-L force provides the mechanism that damps the density inhomogeneity. Both scenarios realize the Partially Acoustic dark matter (PAcDM) scenario and explain the σ 8 discrepancy between the CMB and weak lensing results. Moreover, the self-scattering neutrino behaves as a dark fluid that enhances the size of the Hubble rate H 0 to accommodate the local measurement result while satisfying the CMB constraint. For the small-scale structure, the scattering of $$\\hat{Ω}$$ ’s and $$\\hat{H}$$’s through the twin photon exchange generates a self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) model that solves the mass deficit problem from dwarf galaxy to galaxy cluster scales. Furthermore, when varying general choices of the twin photon coupling, bounds from the dwarf galaxy and the cluster merger observations can set an upper limit on the twin electric coupling.« less

Reconciling large- and small-scale structure in Twin Higgs models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prilepina, Valentina; Tsai, Yuhsin

2017-09-01

We study possible extensions of the Twin Higgs model that solve the Hierarchy problem and simultaneously address problems of the large- and small-scale structures of the Universe. Besides naturally providing dark matter (DM) candidates as the lightest charged twin fermions, the twin sector contains a light photon and neutrinos, which can modify structure formation relative to the prediction from the ΛCDM paradigm. We focus on two viable scenarios. First, we study a Fraternal Twin Higgs model in which the spin-3/2 baryon \\widehat{Ω}˜ (\\widehat{b}\\widehat{b}\\widehat{b}) and the lepton twin tau \\widehat{τ} contribute to the dominant and subcomponent dark matter densities. A non-decoupled scattering between the twin tau and twin neutrino arising from a gauged twin lepton number symmetry provides a drag force that damps the density inhomogeneity of a dark matter subcomponent. Next, we consider the possibility of introducing a twin hydrogen atom Ĥ as the dominant DM component. After recombination, a small fraction of the twin protons and leptons remains ionized during structure formation, and their scattering to twin neutrinos through a gauged U(1) B-L force provides the mechanism that damps the density inhomogeneity. Both scenarios realize the Partially Acoustic dark matter (PAcDM) scenario and explain the σ 8 discrepancy between the CMB and weak lensing results. Moreover, the self-scattering neutrino behaves as a dark fluid that enhances the size of the Hubble rate H 0 to accommodate the local measurement result while satisfying the CMB constraint. For the small-scale structure, the scattering of \\widehat{Ω} 's and Ĥ's through the twin photon exchange generates a self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) model that solves the mass deficit problem from dwarf galaxy to galaxy cluster scales. Furthermore, when varying general choices of the twin photon coupling, bounds from the dwarf galaxy and the cluster merger observations can set an upper limit on the twin electric coupling.

Stellar populations of bulges in galaxies with a low surface-brightness disc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morelli, L.; Corsini, E. M.; Pizzella, A.; Dalla Bontà, E.; Coccato, L.; Méndez-Abreu, J.

2015-03-01

The radial profiles of the Hβ, Mg, and Fe line-strength indices are presented for a sample of eight spiral galaxies with a low surface-brightness stellar disc and a bulge. The correlations between the central values of the line-strength indices and velocity dispersion are consistent to those known for early-type galaxies and bulges of high surface-brightness galaxies. The age, metallicity, and α/Fe enhancement of the stellar populations in the bulge-dominated region are obtained using stellar population models with variable element abundance ratios. Almost all the sample bulges are characterized by a young stellar population, on-going star formation, and a solar α/Fe enhancement. Their metallicity spans from high to sub-solar values. No significant gradient in age and α/Fe enhancement is measured, whereas only in a few cases a negative metallicity gradient is found. These properties suggest that a pure dissipative collapse is not able to explain formation of all the sample bulges and that other phenomena, like mergers or acquisition events, need to be invoked. Such a picture is also supported by the lack of a correlation between the central value and gradient of the metallicity in bulges with very low metallicity. The stellar populations of the bulges hosted by low surface-brightness discs share many properties with those of high surface-brightness galaxies. Therefore, they are likely to have common formation scenarios and evolution histories. A strong interplay between bulges and discs is ruled out by the fact that in spite of being hosted by discs with extremely different properties, the bulges of low and high surface-brightness discs are remarkably similar.

Formation of Cool Cores in Galaxy Clusters via Hierarchical Mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motl, Patrick M.; Burns, Jack O.; Loken, Chris; Norman, Michael L.; Bryan, Greg

2004-05-01

We present a new scenario for the formation of cool cores in rich galaxy clusters, based on results from recent high spatial dynamic range, adaptive mesh Eulerian hydrodynamic simulations of large-scale structure formation. We find that cores of cool gas, material that would be identified as a classical cooling flow on the basis of its X-ray luminosity excess and temperature profile, are built from the accretion of discrete stable subclusters. Any ``cooling flow'' present is overwhelmed by the velocity field within the cluster; the bulk flow of gas through the cluster typically has speeds up to about 2000 km s-1, and significant rotation is frequently present in the cluster core. The inclusion of consistent initial cosmological conditions for the cluster within its surrounding supercluster environment is crucial when the evolution of cool cores in rich galaxy clusters is simulated. This new model for the hierarchical assembly of cool gas naturally explains the high frequency of cool cores in rich galaxy clusters, despite the fact that a majority of these clusters show evidence of substructure that is believed to arise from recent merger activity. Furthermore, our simulations generate complex cluster cores in concordance with recent X-ray observations of cool fronts, cool ``bullets,'' and filaments in a number of galaxy clusters. Our simulations were computed with a coupled N-body, Eulerian, adaptive mesh refinement, hydrodynamics cosmology code that properly treats the effects of shocks and radiative cooling by the gas. We employ up to seven levels of refinement to attain a peak resolution of 15.6 kpc within a volume 256 Mpc on a side and assume a standard ΛCDM cosmology.

The Coevolution of Supermassive Black Holes and Massive Galaxies at High Redshift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapi, A.; Raimundo, S.; Aversa, R.; Cai, Z.-Y.; Negrello, M.; Celotti, A.; De Zotti, G.; Danese, L.

2014-02-01

We exploit the recent, wide samples of far-infrared (FIR) selected galaxies followed up in X-rays and of X-ray/optically selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) followed up in the FIR band, along with the classic data on AGNs and stellar luminosity functions at high redshift z >~ 1.5, to probe different stages in the coevolution of supermassive black holes (BHs) and host galaxies. The results of our analysis indicate the following scenario: (1) the star formation in the host galaxy proceeds within a heavily dust-enshrouded medium at an almost constant rate over a timescale <~ 0.5-1 Gyr and then abruptly declines due to quasar feedback, over the same timescale; (2) part of the interstellar medium loses angular momentum, reaches the circum-nuclear regions at a rate proportional to the star formation, and is temporarily stored in a massive reservoir/proto-torus wherefrom it can be promptly accreted; (3) the BH grows by accretion in a self-regulated regime with radiative power that can slightly exceed the Eddington limit L/L Edd <~ 4, particularly at the highest redshifts; (4) for massive BHs, the ensuing energy feedback at its maximum exceeds the stellar one and removes the interstellar gas, thus stopping the star formation and the fueling of the reservoir; (5) afterward, if the latter has retained enough gas, a phase of supply-limited accretion follows, exponentially declining with a timescale of about two e-folding times. We also discuss how the detailed properties and the specific evolution of the reservoir can be investigated via coordinated, high-resolution observations of star-forming, strongly lensed galaxies in the (sub-)mm band with ALMA and in the X-ray band with Chandra and the next-generation X-ray instruments.

Red but not dead: unveiling the star-forming far-infrared spectral energy distribution of SpARCS brightest cluster galaxies at 0 < z < 1.8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonaventura, N. R.; Webb, T. M. A.; Muzzin, A.; Noble, A.; Lidman, C.; Wilson, G.; Yee, H. K. C.; Geach, J.; Hezaveh, Y.; Shupe, D.; Surace, J.

2017-08-01

We present the results of a Spitzer/Herschel infrared photometric analysis of the largest (716) and the highest-redshift (z = 1.8) sample of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), those from the Spitzer Adaptation of the Red-Sequence Cluster Survey Given the tension that exists between model predictions and recent observations of BCGs at z < 2, we aim to uncover the dominant physical mechanism(s) guiding the stellar mass buildup of this special class of galaxies, the most massive in the Universe and uniquely residing at the centres of galaxy clusters. Through a comparison of their stacked, broad-band, infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) to a variety of model templates in the literature, we identify the major sources of their infrared energy output, in multiple redshift bins between 0 < z < 1.8. We derive estimates of various BCG physical parameters from the stacked νLν SEDs, from which we infer a star-forming, as opposed to a 'red and dead' population of galaxies, producing tens to hundreds of solar masses per year down to z = 0.5. This discovery challenges the accepted belief that BCGs should only passively evolve through a series of gas-poor, minor mergers since z ˜ 4, but agrees with an improved semi-analytic model of hierarchical structure formation that predicts star-forming BCGs throughout the epoch considered. We attribute the star formation inferred from the stacked infrared SEDs to both major and minor 'wet' (gas-rich) mergers, based on a lack of key signatures (to date) of cooling-flow-induced star formation, as well as a number of observational and simulation-based studies that support this scenario.

Early Formed Astrophysical Objects and Cosmological Antimatter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolgov, Alexander D.

Astronomical observations of recent years show that the universe at high redshifts (about ten) is densely populated by early formed objects: bright galaxies, quasars, gamma-bursters, and it contains a lot of metals and dust. Such a rich variety of early formed objects have not been expected in the standard model of formation of astrophysical objects. There is serious tension between the standard theory and the observations. We describe the model which relaxes this tension and nicely fits the data. The model naturally leads to the creation of cosmologically significant antimatter which may be abundant even in the Galaxy. Phenomenological consequences of our scenario and the possibility of distant registration of antimatter are discussed.

Early formed astrophysical objects and cosmological antimatter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolgov, Alexander D.

2016-10-01

Astronomical observations of recent years show that the universe at high redshifts (about ten) is densely populated by early formed objects: bright galaxies, quasars, gamma-bursters, and it contains a lot of metals and dust. Such a rich variety of early formed objects have not been expected in the standard model of formation of astrophysical objects. There is serious tension between the standard theory and the observations. We describe the model which relaxes this tension and nicely fits the data. The model naturally leads to the creation of cosmologically significant antimatter which may be abundant even in the Galaxy. Phenomenological consequences of our scenario and the possibility of distant registration of antimatter are discussed.

Two channels of supermassive black hole growth as seen on the galaxies mass-size plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krajnović, Davor; Cappellari, Michele; McDermid, Richard M.

2018-02-01

We investigate the variation of black hole masses (MBH) as a function of their host galaxy stellar mass (M*) and half-light radius (Re). We confirm that the scatter in MBH within this plane is essentially the same as that in the MBH-σ relation, as expected from the negligible scatter reported in the virial mass estimator σ _v^2=G× M_\\ast /(5× R_e). All variation in MBH happens along lines of constant σv on the (M*, Re) plane, or M* ∝ Re for M* ≲ 2 × 1011 M⊙. This trend is qualitatively the same as those previously reported for galaxy properties related to stellar populations, like age, metallicity, alpha enhancement, mass-to-light ratio and gas content. We find evidence for a change in the MBH variation above the critical mass of Mcrit ≈ 2 × 1011 M⊙. This behaviour can be explained assuming that MBH in galaxies less massive than Mcrit can be predicted by the MBH-σ relation, while MBH in more massive galaxies follows a modified relation, which is also dependent on M* once M* > Mcrit. This is consistent with the scenario where the majority of galaxies grow through star formation, while the most massive galaxies undergo a sequence of dissipation-less mergers. In both channels, black holes and galaxies grow synchronously, giving rise to the black hole-host galaxy scaling relations, but there is no underlying single relation that is universal across the full range of galaxy masses.

Alignment of galaxies relative to their local environment in SDSS-DR8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirv, A.; Pelt, J.; Saar, E.; Tago, E.; Tamm, A.; Tempel, E.; Einasto, M.

2017-03-01

Aims: We study the alignment of galaxies relative to their local environment in SDSS-DR8 and, using these data, we discuss evolution scenarios for different types of galaxies. Methods: We defined a vector field of the direction of anisotropy of the local environment of galaxies. We summed the unit direction vectors of all close neighbours of a given galaxy in a particular way to estimate this field. We found the alignment angles between the spin axes of disc galaxies, or the minor axes of elliptical galaxies, and the direction of anisotropy. The distributions of cosines of these angles are compared to the random distributions to analyse the alignment of galaxies. Results: Sab galaxies show perpendicular alignment relative to the direction of anisotropy in a sparse environment, for single galaxies and galaxies of low luminosity. Most of the parallel alignment of Scd galaxies comes from dense regions, from 2...3 member groups and from galaxies with low luminosity. The perpendicular alignment of S0 galaxies does not depend strongly on environmental density nor luminosity; it is detected for single and 2...3 member group galaxies, and for main galaxies of 4...10 member groups. The perpendicular alignment of elliptical galaxies is clearly detected for single galaxies and for members of ≤10 member groups; the alignment increases with environmental density and luminosity. Conclusions: We confirm the existence of fossil tidally induced alignment of Sab galaxies at low z. The alignment of Scd galaxies can be explained via the infall of matter to filaments. S0 galaxies may have encountered relatively massive mergers along the direction of anisotropy. Major mergers along this direction can explain the alignment of elliptical galaxies. Less massive, but repeated mergers are possibly responsible for the formation of elliptical galaxies in sparser areas and for less luminous elliptical galaxies.

Glimpsing the imprint of local environment on the galaxy stellar mass function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomczak, Adam R.; Lemaux, Brian C.; Lubin, Lori M.; Gal, Roy R.; Wu, Po-Feng; Holden, Bradford; Kocevski, Dale D.; Mei, Simona; Pelliccia, Debora; Rumbaugh, Nicholas; Shen, Lu

2017-12-01

We investigate the impact of local environment on the galaxy stellar mass function (SMF) spanning a wide range of galaxy densities from the field up to dense cores of massive galaxy clusters. Data are drawn from a sample of eight fields from the Observations of Redshift Evolution in Large-Scale Environments (ORELSE) survey. Deep photometry allow us to select mass-complete samples of galaxies down to 109 M⊙. Taking advantage of >4000 secure spectroscopic redshifts from ORELSE and precise photometric redshifts, we construct three-dimensional density maps between 0.55 < z < 1.3 using a Voronoi tessellation approach. We find that the shape of the SMF depends strongly on local environment exhibited by a smooth, continual increase in the relative numbers of high- to low-mass galaxies towards denser environments. A straightforward implication is that local environment proportionally increases the efficiency of (a) destroying lower mass galaxies and/or (b) growth of higher mass galaxies. We also find a presence of this environmental dependence in the SMFs of star-forming and quiescent galaxies, although not quite as strongly for the quiescent subsample. To characterize the connection between the SMF of field galaxies and that of denser environments, we devise a simple semi-empirical model. The model begins with a sample of ≈106 galaxies at zstart = 5 with stellar masses distributed according to the field. Simulated galaxies then evolve down to zfinal = 0.8 following empirical prescriptions for star-formation, quenching and galaxy-galaxy merging. We run the simulation multiple times, testing a variety of scenarios with differing overall amounts of merging. Our model suggests that a large number of mergers are required to reproduce the SMF in dense environments. Additionally, a large majority of these mergers would have to occur in intermediate density environments (e.g. galaxy groups).

Galaxy properties in clusters. II. Backsplash galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muriel, H.; Coenda, V.

2014-04-01

Aims: We explore the properties of galaxies on the outskirts of clusters and their dependence on recent dynamical history in order to understand the real impact that the cluster core has on the evolution of galaxies. Methods: We analyse the properties of more than 1000 galaxies brighter than M0.1r = - 19.6 on the outskirts of 90 clusters (1 < r/rvir < 2) in the redshift range 0.05 < z < 0.10. Using the line of sight velocity of galaxies relative to the cluster's mean, we selected low and high velocity subsamples. Theoretical predictions indicate that a significant fraction of the first subsample should be backsplash galaxies, that is, objects that have already orbited near the cluster centre. A significant proportion of the sample of high relative velocity (HV) galaxies seems to be composed of infalling objects. Results: Our results suggest that, at fixed stellar mass, late-type galaxies in the low-velocity (LV) sample are systematically older, redder, and have formed fewer stars during the last 3 Gyrs than galaxies in the HV sample. This result is consistent with models that assume that the central regions of clusters are effective in quenching the star formation by means of processes such as ram pressure stripping or strangulation. At fixed stellar mass, LV galaxies show some evidence of having higher surface brightness and smaller size than HV galaxies. These results are consistent with the scenario where galaxies that have orbited the central regions of clusters are more likely to suffer tidal effects, producing loss of mass as well as a re-distribution of matter towards more compact configurations. Finally, we found a higher fraction of ET galaxies in the LV sample, supporting the idea that the central region of clusters of galaxies may contribute to the transformation of morphological types towards earlier types.

Supermassive black holes and their feedback effects in the IllustrisTNG simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinberger, Rainer; Springel, Volker; Pakmor, Rüdiger; Nelson, Dylan; Genel, Shy; Pillepich, Annalisa; Vogelsberger, Mark; Marinacci, Federico; Naiman, Jill; Torrey, Paul; Hernquist, Lars

2018-06-01

We study the population of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their effects on massive central galaxies in the IllustrisTNG cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation. The employed model for SMBH growth and feedback assumes a two-mode scenario in which the feedback from active galactic nuclei occurs through a kinetic, comparatively efficient mode at low accretion rates relative to the Eddington limit, and in the form of a thermal, less efficient mode at high accretion rates. We show that the quenching of massive central galaxies happens coincidently with kinetic-mode feedback, consistent with the notion that active supermassive black cause the low specific star formation rates observed in massive galaxies. However, major galaxy mergers are not responsible for initiating most of the quenching events in our model. Up to black hole masses of about 108.5 M⊙, the dominant growth channel for SMBHs is in the thermal mode. Higher mass black holes stay mainly in the kinetic mode and gas accretion is self-regulated via their feedback, which causes their Eddington ratios to drop, with SMBH mergers becoming the main channel for residual mass growth. As a consequence, the quasar luminosity function is dominated by rapidly accreting, moderately massive black holes in the thermal mode. We show that the associated growth history of SMBHs produces a low-redshift quasar luminosity function and a redshift zero black hole mass - stellar bulge mass relation in good agreement with observations, whereas the simulation tends to over-predict the high-redshift quasar luminosity function.

Statistics of the cosmic Mach number from numerical simulations of a cold dark matter universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suto, Yasushi; Cen, Renyue; Ostriker, Jeremiah P.

1992-01-01

Results are presented of an analysis of the cosmic Mach number, M, the ratio of the streaming velocity, v, to the random velocity dispersion, sigma, of galaxies in a given patch of the universe, which was performed on the basis of hydrodynamical simulations of the cold dark matter scenario. Galaxy formation is modeled by application of detailed physical processes rather than by the ad hoc assumption of 'bias' between dark matter and galaxy fluctuations. The correlation between M and sigma is found to be very weak for both components. No evidence is found for a physical 'velocity bias' in the quantities which appear in the definition of M. Standard cold-dark-matter-dominated universes are in conflict, at a statistically significant level, with the available observation, in that they predict a Mach number considerably lower than is observed.

A galactic microquasar mimicking winged radio galaxies.

PubMed

Martí, Josep; Luque-Escamilla, Pedro L; Bosch-Ramon, Valentí; Paredes, Josep M

2017-11-24

A subclass of extragalactic radio sources known as winged radio galaxies has puzzled astronomers for many years. The wing features are detected at radio wavelengths as low-surface-brightness radio lobes that are clearly misaligned with respect to the main lobe axis. Different models compete to account for these peculiar structures. Here, we report observational evidence that the parsec-scale radio jets in the Galactic microquasar GRS 1758-258 give rise to a Z-shaped radio emission strongly reminiscent of the X and Z-shaped morphologies found in winged radio galaxies. This is the first time that such extended emission features are observed in a microquasar, providing a new analogy for its extragalactic relatives. From our observations, we can clearly favour the hydrodynamic backflow interpretation against other possible wing formation scenarios. Assuming that physical processes are similar, we can extrapolate this conclusion and suggest that this mechanism could also be at work in many extragalactic cases.

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.

Abell 1033: birth of a radio phoenix

DOE PAGES

de Gasperin, F.; Ogrean, G. A.; van Weeren, R. J.; ...

2015-02-26

We report that extended steep-spectrum radio emission in a galaxy cluster is usually associated with a recent merger. However, given the complex scenario of galaxy cluster mergers, many of the discovered sources hardly fit into the strict boundaries of a precise taxonomy. This is especially true for radio phoenixes that do not have very well defined observational criteria. Radio phoenixes are aged radio galaxy lobes whose emission is reactivated by compression or other mechanisms. Here in this paper, we present the detection of a radio phoenix close to the moment of its formation. The source is located in Abell 1033,more » a peculiar galaxy cluster which underwent a recent merger. To support our claim, we present unpublished Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope and Chandra observations together with archival data from the Very Large Array and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We discover the presence of two subclusters displaced along the N–S direction. The two subclusters probably underwent a recent merger which is the cause of a moderately perturbed X-ray brightness distribution. A steep-spectrum extended radio source very close to an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is proposed to be a newly born radio phoenix: the AGN lobes have been displaced/compressed by shocks formed during the merger event. This scenario explains the source location, morphology, spectral index, and brightness. Finally, we show evidence of a density discontinuity close to the radio phoenix and discuss the consequences of its presence.« less

The reionization of galactic satellite populations

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

Ocvirk, P.; Gillet, N.; Aubert, D.

We use high-resolution simulations of the formation of the local group, post-processed by a radiative transfer code for UV photons, to investigate the reionization of the satellite populations of an isolated Milky Way-M31 galaxy pair in a variety of scenarios. We use an improved version of ATON which includes a simple recipe for radiative feedback. In our baseline models, reionization is initiated by low-mass, radiatively regulated halos at high redshift, until more massive halos appear, which then dominate and complete the reionization process. We investigate the relation between reionization history and present-day positions of the satellite population. We find thatmore » the average reionization redshift (z {sub r}) of satellites is higher near galaxy centers (MW and M31). This is due to the inside out reionization patterns imprinted by massive halos within the progenitor during the epoch of reionization, which end up forming the center of the galaxy. Due to incomplete dynamical mixing during galaxy assembly, these early patterns survive to present day, resulting in a clear radial gradient in the average satellite reionization redshift, up to the virial radius of MW and M31 and beyond. In the lowest emissivity scenario, the outer satellites are reionized about 180 Myr later than the inner satellites. This delay decreases with increasing source model emissivity, or in the case of external reionization by Virgo or M31, because reionization occurs faster overall and becomes spatially quasi-uniform at the highest emissivity.« less

Formation of Offset and Dual Active Galactic Nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrows, Scott; Comerford, Julia M.; Greene, Jenny E.

2018-06-01

Galaxy mergers are effective mechanisms for triggering accretion onto supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and thereby powering active galactic nuclei (AGN). In the merger scenario, when the SMBH from only one galaxy is accreting we observe a spatially offset AGN, and when the SMBHs from both galaxies are accreting we observe a dual AGN. Understanding the merger conditions that lead to the formation of offset AGN versus dual AGN is fundamental to informing models of hierarchical SMBH growth and the physics leading to the accretion of matter onto SMBHs. However, while the role of galaxy mergers for AGN triggering has been well-studied, the efficiency with which these events trigger offset AGN versus dual AGN is currently unclear. One reason for this gap in knowledge can be attributed to the observational difficulties in distinguishing between offset and dual AGN since doing so requires high spatial resolution, especially in the small separation regime where merger-driven AGN triggering is most likely to occur. To overcome this hurdle, we have utilized the spatial resolution of the Chandra X-ray Observatory to develop a unique sample of AGN hosted by late-stage galaxy mergers. Moreover, we have recently acquired Hubble Space Telescope imaging for a subset of these systems to examine the role that their merger morphologies play in SMBH growth and the formation of offset and dual AGN. We find that offset AGN are predominately found in minor mergers, whereas dual AGN are usually hosted by major mergers and galaxies with large morphological asymmetries. Furthermore, in both offset and dual AGN, the rate of SMBH growth increases toward more major mergers and larger morphological asymmetries. These results are in agreement with numerical simulations predicting that merger morphology is a relevant parameter governing SMBH merger-driven growth, and these results are the first to observationally confirm these trends at small pair separations.

The Diffuse Gamma-Ray Background from Type Ia Supernovae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lien, Amy; Fields, Brian D.

2012-01-01

The origin of the diffuse extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB) has been intensively studied but remains unsettled. Current popular source candidates include unresolved star-forming galaxies, starburst galaxies, and blazars. In this paper we calculate the EGB contribution from the interactions of cosmic rays accelerated by Type Ia supernovae, extending earlier work which only included core-collapse supernovae. We consider Type Ia events in star-forming galaxies, but also in quiescent galaxies that lack star formation. In the case of star-forming galaxies, consistently including Type Ia events makes little change to the star-forming EGB prediction, so long as both supernova types have the same cosmic-ray acceleration efficiencies in star-forming galaxies. Thus our updated EGB estimate continues to show that star-forming galaxies can represent a substantial portion of the signal measured by Fermi. In the case of quiescent galaxies, conversely, we find a wide range of possibilities for the EGB contribution. The dominant uncertainty we investigated comes from the mass in hot gas in these objects, which provides targets for cosmic rays: total gas masses are as yet poorly known, particularly at larger radii. Additionally, the EGB estimation is very sensitive to the cosmic-ray acceleration efficiency and confinement, especially in quiescent galaxies. In the most optimistic allowed scenarios, quiescent galaxies can be an important source of the EGB. In this case, star-forming galaxies and quiescent galaxies together will dominate the EGB and leave little room for other contributions. If other sources, such as blazars, are found to have important contributions to the EGB, then either the gas mass or cosmic-ray content of quiescent galaxies must be significantly lower than in their star-forming counterparts. In any case, improved Fermi EGB measurements will provide important constraints on hot gas and cosmic rays in quiescent galaxies.

The formation of galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Efstathiou, G.; Silk, J.

1983-01-01

Current models of galaxy formation are examined in a review of recent observational and theoretical studies. Observational data on elliptical galaxies, disk galaxies, luminosity functions, clustering, and angular fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background are summarized. Theoretical aspects discussed include the origin and early evolution of small fluctuations, matter and radiation fluctuations, the formation of large-scale structure, dissipationless galaxy formation, galaxy mergers, dissipational galaxy formation, and the implications of particle physics (GUTs, massive neutrinos, and gravitinos) for cosmology.

zCOSMOS - 10k-bright spectroscopic sample. The bimodality in the galaxy stellar mass function: exploring its evolution with redshift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pozzetti, L.; Bolzonella, M.; Zucca, E.; Zamorani, G.; Lilly, S.; Renzini, A.; Moresco, M.; Mignoli, M.; Cassata, P.; Tasca, L.; Lamareille, F.; Maier, C.; Meneux, B.; Halliday, C.; Oesch, P.; Vergani, D.; Caputi, K.; Kovač, K.; Cimatti, A.; Cucciati, O.; Iovino, A.; Peng, Y.; Carollo, M.; Contini, T.; Kneib, J.-P.; Le Févre, O.; Mainieri, V.; Scodeggio, M.; Bardelli, S.; Bongiorno, A.; Coppa, G.; de la Torre, S.; de Ravel, L.; Franzetti, P.; Garilli, B.; Kampczyk, P.; Knobel, C.; Le Borgne, J.-F.; Le Brun, V.; Pellò, R.; Perez Montero, E.; Ricciardelli, E.; Silverman, J. D.; Tanaka, M.; Tresse, L.; Abbas, U.; Bottini, D.; Cappi, A.; Guzzo, L.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Leauthaud, A.; Maccagni, D.; Marinoni, C.; McCracken, H. J.; Memeo, P.; Porciani, C.; Scaramella, R.; Scarlata, C.; Scoville, N.

2010-11-01

We present the galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) to redshift z ≃ 1, based on the analysis of about 8500 galaxies with I < 22.5 (AB mag) over 1.4 deg2, which are part of the zCOSMOS-bright 10k spectroscopic sample. We investigate the total GSMF, as well as the contributions of early- and late-type galaxies (ETGs and LTGs, respectively), defined by different criteria (broad-band spectral energy distribution, morphology, spectral properties, or star formation activities). We unveil a galaxy bimodality in the global GSMF, whose shape is more accurately represented by 2 Schechter functions, one linked to the ETG and the other to the LTG populations. For the global population, we confirm a mass-dependent evolution (“mass-assembly downsizing”), i.e., galaxy number density increases with cosmic time by a factor of two between z = 1 and z = 0 for intermediate-to-low mass (log (ℳ/ℳ⊙) ~ 10.5) galaxies but less than 15% for log(ℳ/ℳ⊙) > 11. We find that the GSMF evolution at intermediate-to-low values of ℳ (log (ℳ/ℳ⊙) < 10.6) is mostly explained by the growth in stellar mass driven by smoothly decreasing star formation activities, despite the redder colours predicted in particular at low redshift. The low residual evolution is consistent, on average, with ~0.16 merger per galaxy per Gyr (of which fewer than 0.1 are major), with a hint of a decrease with cosmic time but not a clear dependence on the mass. From the analysis of different galaxy types, we find that ETGs, regardless of the classification method, increase in number density with cosmic time more rapidly with decreasing M, i.e., follow a top-down building history, with a median “building redshift” increasing with mass (z > 1 for log(ℳ/ℳ⊙) > 11), in contrast to hierarchical model predictions. For LTGs, we find that the number density of blue or spiral galaxies with log(ℳ/ℳ⊙) > 10 remains almost constant with cosmic time from z ~ 1. Instead, the most extreme population of star-forming galaxies (with high specific star formation), at intermediate/high-mass, rapidly decreases in number density with cosmic time. Our data can be interpreted as a combination of different effects. Firstly, we suggest a transformation, driven mainly by SFH, from blue, active, spiral galaxies of intermediate mass to blue quiescent and subsequently (1-2 Gyr after) red, passive types of low specific star formation. We find an indication that the complete morphological transformation, probably driven by dynamical processes, into red spheroidal galaxies, occurred on longer timescales or followed after 1-2 Gyr. A continuous replacement of blue galaxies is expected to be accomplished by low-mass active spirals increasing their stellar mass. We estimate the growth rate in number and mass density of the red galaxies at different redshifts and masses. The corresponding fraction of blue galaxies that, at any given time, is transforming into red galaxies per Gyr, due to the quenching of their SFR, is on average ~25% for log(ℳ/ℳ⊙) < 11. We conclude that the build-up of galaxies and in particular of ETGs follows the same downsizing trend with mass (i.e. occurs earlier for high-mass galaxies) as the formation of their stars and follows the converse of the trend predicted by current SAMs. In this scenario, we expect there to be a negligible evolution of the galaxy baryonic mass function (GBMF) for the global population at all masses and a decrease with cosmic time in the GBMF for the blue galaxy population at intermediate-high masses. Based on data obtained with the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope, Paranal, Chile, program 175.A-0839.

Properties of Dwarf Ellipticals in Low-Density Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sur, Debnil; Guhathakurta, P.; Toloba, E.

2013-01-01

Dwarf elliptical galaxies have been studied only in dense cluster environments, where they are the most common type of object. While this suggests that their location affects their formation and evolution, the role of distance is not fully understood. Thus, to investigate the physical processes that shape these galaxies, we have conducted a study of dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs) in low-density environments to compare their properties with those in clusters. Catalogs of such objects have not been created; thus, we have developed a novel objective method to find new dEs through comparing photometric properties with those of galaxies in the Virgo Cluster Catalog. This method utilizes optical colors, surface brightness and ellipticity, and it confirms smoothness through visual classification. In this last step, we found a very low contamination rate, which suggests the procedure’s utility in finding dEs. Through the NSA Sloan Atlas, we have analyzed the spectrophotometric properties of the dE candidates as a function of distance to the nearest massive galaxy, which we refer to as their host. We have found that these dEs are younger and more actively forming stars than dEs in denser regions. This is consistent with a transformation scenario in which low luminosity spiral galaxies are affected by the environment and transformed into quiescent galaxies. This low density regime contains objects in an intermediate state between the spiral galaxy and the classical dE in Virgo, where no star formation is ongoing. The correlation of the studied properties with the distance to the host galaxy provides new evidence that the dEs are created by a process called ram-pressure stripping: the interstellar medium of a host galaxy removes the gas of a smaller star-forming galaxy and provokes its quenching. We are currently analysing Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy of some of the dE candidates from our catalog to explore in more detail their connection to cluster dEs. Possible similarities include their kinematic behaviour, stellar populations and chemical abundances. This research was supported by the Science Internship Program (SIP) at UCSC and the National Science Foundation.

The nature of massive transition galaxies in CANDELS, GAMA and cosmological simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandya, Viraj; Brennan, Ryan; Somerville, Rachel S.; Choi, Ena; Barro, Guillermo; Wuyts, Stijn; Taylor, Edward N.; Behroozi, Peter; Kirkpatrick, Allison; Faber, Sandra M.; Primack, Joel; Koo, David C.; McIntosh, Daniel H.; Kocevski, Dale; Bell, Eric F.; Dekel, Avishai; Fang, Jerome J.; Ferguson, Henry C.; Grogin, Norman; Koekemoer, Anton M.; Lu, Yu; Mantha, Kameswara; Mobasher, Bahram; Newman, Jeffrey; Pacifici, Camilla; Papovich, Casey; van der Wel, Arjen; Yesuf, Hassen M.

2017-12-01

We explore observational and theoretical constraints on how galaxies might transition between the 'star-forming main sequence' (SFMS) and varying 'degrees of quiescence' out to z = 3. Our analysis is focused on galaxies with stellar mass M* > 1010 M⊙, and is enabled by GAMA and CANDELS observations, a semi-analytic model (SAM) of galaxy formation, and a cosmological hydrodynamical 'zoom in' simulation with momentum-driven AGN feedback. In both the observations and the SAM, transition galaxies tend to have intermediate Sérsic indices, half-light radii, and surface stellar mass densities compared to star-forming and quiescent galaxies out to z = 3. We place an observational upper limit on the average population transition time-scale as a function of redshift, finding that the average high-redshift galaxy is on a 'fast track' for quenching whereas the average low-redshift galaxy is on a 'slow track' for quenching. We qualitatively identify four physical origin scenarios for transition galaxies in the SAM: oscillations on the SFMS, slow quenching, fast quenching, and rejuvenation. Quenching time-scales in both the SAM and the hydrodynamical simulation are not fast enough to reproduce the quiescent population that we observe at z ∼ 3. In the SAM, we do not find a clear-cut morphological dependence of quenching time-scales, but we do predict that the mean stellar ages, cold gas fractions, SMBH (supermassive black hole) masses and halo masses of transition galaxies tend to be intermediate relative to those of star-forming and quiescent galaxies at z < 3.

Probing the gas fuelling and outflows in nearby AGN with ALMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audibert, Anelise; Combes, Françoise; García-Burillo, Santiago; Salomé, Philippe

2017-12-01

Feeding and feedback in AGN play a very important role to gain a proper understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. The interaction between activity mechanisms in the nucleus and its influence in the host galaxy are related to the physical processes involved in feedback and the gas fuelling of the black hole. The discovery of many massive molecular outflows in the last few years have been promoting the idea that winds may be major actors in sweeping the gas out of galaxies. Also, the widely observed winds from the central regions of AGN are promising candidates to explain the scaling relations (e.g. the black hole-bulge mass relation, BH accretion rate tracking the star formation history) under the AGN feedback scenario. Out goal is to probe these phenomena through the kinematic and morphology of the gas inside the central kpc in nearby AGN. This has recently been possible due to the unprecedented ALMA spatial resolution and sensitivity. We present results on NGC7213 and NGC1808, the latter is part of a new ALMA follow-up of the NuGa project, a previous high-resolution (0.5-1”) CO survey of low luminosity AGN performed with the IRAM PdBI.

The Structure of Massive Quiescent Galaxies at Z ~ 3 in the CANDELS-COSMOS Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Lulu; Fang, Guanwen; Chen, Yang; Pan, Zhizheng; Lv, Xuanyi; Li, Jinrong; Lin, Lin; Kong, Xu

2013-07-01

In this Letter, we use a two-color (J - L) versus (V - J) selection criterion to search massive quiescent galaxy (QG) candidates at 2.5 <= z <= 4.0 in the CANDELS-COSMOS field. We construct an H F160W-selected catalog and complement it with public auxiliary data. We finally obtain 19 passive VJL-selected (hereafter pVJL) galaxies as the possible massive QG candidates at z ~ 3 by several constrains. We find the sizes of our pVJL galaxies are on average three to four times smaller than those of local early-type galaxies (ETGs) with analogous stellar mass. The compact size of these z ~ 3 galaxies can be modeled by assuming their formation at z form ~ 4-6 according to the dissipative collapse of baryons. Up to z < 4, the mass-normalized size evolution can be described by re vprop(1 + z)-1.0. Low Sérsic index and axis ratio, with median values n ~1.5 and b/a ~ 0.65, respectively, indicate that most of the pVJL galaxies are disk-dominated. Despite large uncertainty, the inner region of the median mass profile of our pVJL galaxies is similar to those of QGs at 0.5 < z < 2.5 and local ETGs. It indicates that local massive ETGs have been formed according to an inside-out scenario: the compact galaxies at high redshift make up the cores of local massive ETGs and then build up the outskirts according to dissipationless minor mergers.

Integral field spectroscopy of local LCBGs: NGC 7673, a case study. Physical properties of star-forming regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castillo-Morales, A.; Gallego, J.; Pérez-Gallego, J.; Guzmán, R.; Muñoz-Mateos, J. C.; Zamorano, J.; Sánchez, S. F.

2011-03-01

Physical properties of the star-forming regions in the local Luminous Compact Blue Galaxy (LCBG) NGC 7673 are studied in detail using 3D spectroscopic data taken with the PMAS fibre pack (PPAK) integral field unit at the 3.5-m telescope in the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA). We derive integrated and spatially resolved properties such as extinction, star formation rate (SFR) and metallicity for this galaxy. Our data show an extinction map with maximum values located at the position of the main clumps of star formation showing small spatial variations [E(B-V)t= 0.12-0.21 mag]. We derive an Hα-based SFR for this galaxy of 6.2 ± 0.8 M⊙ yr-1 in agreement with the SFR derived from infrared and radio continuum fluxes. The star formation is located mainly in clumps A, B, C and F. Different properties measured in clump B make this region peculiar. We find the highest Hα luminosity with an SFR surface density of 0.5 M⊙ yr-1 kpc-2 in this clump. In our previous work, the kinematic analysis for this galaxy shows an asymmetrical ionized gas velocity field with a kinematic decoupled component located at the position of clump B. This region shows the absence of strong absorption features and the presence of a Wolf-Rayet stellar population indicating that this is a young burst of massive stars. Furthermore, we estimate a gas metallicity of 12 + log(O/H) = 8.20 ± 0.15 (0.32 solar) for the integrated galaxy using the R23 index. The values derived for the different clumps with this method show small metallicity variations in this galaxy, with values in the range 8.12 (for clump A) to 8.23 (for clump B) for 12 + log(O/H). The analysis of the emission-line ratios discards the presence of any active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity or shocks as the ionization source in this galaxy. Between the possible mechanisms to explain the starburst activity in this galaxy, our 3D spectroscopic data support the scenario of an on-going interaction with the possibility for clump B to be the dwarf satellite galaxy.

Induced Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennicutt, Robert C., Jr.

Overview: Induced Star Formation and Interactions Introduction Historical Background: First Hints Systematic Studies: Starbursts Interactions and Nuclear activity IRAS and Ultralumious starburst Galaxies The 1990's: HST, Supercomputers, and the Distant Universe Key Questions and Issues Organization of Lectures Star Formation Properties of Normal Galaxies Observational Techniques Results: Star Formation in Normal Galaxies Interpretation: Star Formation Histories Global Star Formation in interacting Galaxies A Gallery of Interactions and Mergers Star Formation Statistics: Guilt By Association Tests SFRs in Interacting vs Noninteracting Galaxies Kinematic Properties and Regulation of SFRs Induced Nuclear Activity and Star Formation Background: Nuclear Spectra and Classification Nuclear Star Formation and Starbursts Nuclear Star Formation and Interactions Induced AGN Activity: Statistics of Seyfert Galaxies Environments of Quasars Kinematic Clues to the Triggering of AGNs Infrared Luminous Galaxies and Starbursts Background: IR Luminous Galaxies and IRAS Infrared Luminosity Function and Spectra Infrared Structure and Morphology Interstellar Gas X-Ray Emission and Superwinds Optical, UV, and Near-Infrared Spectra Radio Continuum Emission Evidence for Interactions and Mergers The Power Source: Starbursts or Dusty AGNs? Spectral Diagnostics of Starbursts Evolutionary Synthesis Models Applications: Integrated Colors of Interacting Galaxies Applications: Hα Emission, Colors, and SFRs Applications: Spectral Modelling of Evolved Starbursts Infrared Starbursts and the IMF in starbursts Triggering and Regulation of Star Formation: The Problem Introduction: Star Formation as a Nonlinear Process The schmidt Law in Normal Galaxies Star Formation Regimes in Interacting Galaxies Summary Triggering and Regulation of Starbusts: Theoretical Ideas Gravitational Star Formation Thresholds Cloud Collision Models Radial Transport of Gas: Clues from Barred Galaxies Simulations of Starbursts in Merging Galaxies The Cosmological Role of Interactions and Starbursts Interactions in Hierarchical Cosmology Interaction-Induced Star Formation Today Interaction-Induced Star Formation in the Past Disk kinematics and the Merger Rate Global Effects of Starbursts and Superwinds Concluding Remarks References

SDSS-IV MaNGA: environmental dependence of stellar age and metallicity gradients in nearby galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Zheng; Wang, Huiyuan; Ge, Junqiang; Mao, Shude; Li, Cheng; Li, Ran; Mo, Houjun; Goddard, Daniel; Bundy, Kevin; Li, Hongyu; Nair, Preethi; Lin, Lihwai; Long, R. J.; Riffel, Rogério; Thomas, Daniel; Masters, Karen; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Brownstein, Joel R.; Zhang, Kai; Law, David R.; Drory, Niv; Roman Lopes, Alexandre; Malanushenko, Olena

2017-03-01

We present a study on the stellar age and metallicity distributions for 1105 galaxies using the STARLIGHT software on MaNGA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO) integral field spectra. We derive age and metallicity gradients by fitting straight lines to the radial profiles, and explore their correlations with total stellar mass M*, NUV - r colour and environments, as identified by both the large-scale structure (LSS) type and the local density. We find that the mean age and metallicity gradients are close to zero but slightly negative, which is consistent with the inside-out formation scenario. Within our sample, we find that both the age and metallicity gradients show weak or no correlation with either the LSS type or local density environment. In addition, we also study the environmental dependence of age and metallicity values at the effective radii. The age and metallicity values are highly correlated with M* and NUV - r and are also dependent on LSS type as well as local density. Low-mass galaxies tend to be younger and have lower metallicity in low-density environments while high-mass galaxies are less affected by environment.

Kinematics and Energetics in Local Luminous Infrared Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

U, Vivian; Sanders, D. B.; GOALS Team

2012-01-01

In the present paradigm of the merger-driven galaxy evolution scenario, gas-rich spirals interact and merge, triggering intense star formation and nuclear activity that can deplete the gas in progenitors of giant ellipticals. Starburst and AGN activities in systems like these cause an infrared-luminous stage associated with enhanced star formation rate and black hole growth. Therefore, the local luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies ((U)LIRGs) provide the ideal nearby, extreme environments in which we study black hole accretion, AGN feeding and feedback, and the nature of star formation in starbursts, the connection among which remains poorly understood due to limitations of previous instrumentation. Our new high-resolution submillimeter and near-infrared integral-field data cube of the nuclei in (U)LIRGs taken with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) and the Keck Telescopes reveal circumnuclear gas kinematics at an unprecedented level of details. At the distances of these local mergers, our SMA long-baseline and Keck laser guide star adaptive optics observations probe the physical conditions of the centers of these systems at the scale of 50-200 pc. For instance, the molecular gas emission in between the two AGNs in NGC 6240 has been resolved into two peaks that may be consistent with a scenario where two pre-coalescence gas disks are interacting at an angle; near-infrared integral-field spectra of the two nuclei in Mrk 273 disclose the temperature and excitation mechanism around an AGN and the nuclear disk of a potential second AGN. These findings give a detailed description of the molecular gas kinematics as well as AGN/starburst activities in the central dusty region of these merging systems, and paint an overall picture of the evolution of the energetics in (U)LIRGs as the merger sequence progresses. VU would like to acknowledge partial funding support from the NASA Harriet G. Jenkins Predoctoral Fellowship Project.

Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of Brightest Cluster Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laine, Seppo; van der Marel, Roeland P.; Lauer, Tod R.; Postman, Marc; O'Dea, Christopher P.; Owen, Frazer N.

2003-02-01

We used the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 to obtain I-band images of the centers of 81 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), drawn from a volume-limited sample of nearby BCGs. The images show a rich variety of morphological features, including multiple or double nuclei, dust, stellar disks, point-source nuclei, and central surface brightness depressions. High-resolution surface brightness profiles could be inferred for 60 galaxies. Of those, 88% have well-resolved cores. The relationship between core size and galaxy luminosity for BCGs is indistinguishable from that of Faber et al. (published in 1997, hereafter F97) for galaxies within the same luminosity range. However, the core sizes of the most luminous BCGs fall below the extrapolation of the F97 relationship rb~L1.15V. A shallower relationship, rb~L0.72V, fits both the BCGs and the core galaxies presented in F97. Twelve percent of the BCG sample lacks a well-resolved core; all but one of these BCGs have ``power law'' profiles. Some of these galaxies have higher luminosities than any power-law galaxy identified by F97 and have physical upper limits on rb well below the values observed for core galaxies of the same luminosity. These results support the idea that the central structure of early-type galaxies is bimodal in its physical properties but also suggest that there exist high-luminosity galaxies with power-law profiles (or unusually small cores). The BCGs in the latter category tend to fall at the low end of the BCG luminosity function and tend to have low values of the quantity α (the logarithmic slope of the metric luminosity as a function of radius, at 10 kpc). Since theoretical calculations have shown that the luminosities and α-values of BCGs grow with time as a result of accretion, this suggests a scenario in which elliptical galaxies evolve from power-law profiles to core profiles through accretion and merging. This is consistent with theoretical scenarios that invoke the formation of massive black hole binaries during merger events. More generally, the prevalence of large cores in the great majority of BCGs, which are likely to have experienced several generations of galaxy merging, underscores the role of a mechanism that creates and preserves cores in such merging events. Based on observations made 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 proposal 8683.

ALMA Resolves the Molecular Gas in a Young Low-metallicity Starburst Galaxy at z = 1.7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-López, Jorge; Barrientos, L. Felipe; Gladders, M. D.; Wuyts, Eva; Rigby, Jane; Sharon, Keren; Aravena, Manuel; Bayliss, Matthew B.; Ibar, Eduardo

2017-09-01

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of CO lines and dust continuum emission of the source RCSGA 032727-132609, a young z = 1.7 low-metallicity starburst galaxy. The CO(3-2) and CO(6-5) lines and continuum at rest-frame 450 μm are detected and show a resolved structure in the image plane. We use the corresponding lensing model to obtain a source plane reconstruction of the detected emissions revealing an intrinsic flux density of {S}450μ {{m}}={23.5}-8.1+26.8 μJy and intrinsic CO luminosities {L}{CO(3-2)}{\\prime }={2.90}-0.23+0.21 × {10}8 {{K}} {km} {{{s}}}-1 {{pc}}2 and {L}{CO(6-5)}{\\prime }={8.0}-1.3+1.4× {10}7 {{K}} {km} {{{s}}}-1 {{pc}}2. We used the resolved properties in the source plane to obtain molecular gas and star formation rate surface densities of {{{Σ }}}{{H}2}={16.2}-3.5+5.8 {M}⊙ {{pc}}-2 and {{{Σ }}}{SFR}={0.54}-0.27+0.89 {M}⊙ {{yr}}-1 {{kpc}}-2, respectively. The intrinsic properties of RCSGA 032727-132609 show an enhanced star formation activity compared to local spiral galaxies with similar molecular gas densities, supporting the ongoing merger-starburst phase scenario. RCSGA 032727-132609 also appears to be a low-density starburst galaxy similar to local blue compact dwarf galaxies, which have been suggested as local analogs to high-redshift low-metallicity starburst systems. Finally, the CO excitation level in the galaxy is consistent with having the peak at J˜ 5, with a higher excitation concentrated in the star-forming clumps.

Coevolution of Supermassive Black Holes and Galaxies across cosmic times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aversa, Rossella

2015-10-01

Understanding how supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and galaxies coevolve within their host dark matter (DM) halos is a fundamental issue in astrophysics. This thesis is aimed to shed light on this topic. As a first step, we employ the recent wide samples of far-infrared (FIR) selected galaxies followed-up in X-rays, and of X-ray/optically selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) followed-up in the FIR band, along with the classic data on AGN and stellar luminosity functions at redshift z & 1.5, to probe different stages in the coevolution of SMBHs and their host galaxies. The results of this analysis indicate the following scenario: (i) the star formation in the host galaxy proceeds within a heavily dust-enshrouded medium, at an almost constant rate, over a timescale . 0.5 - 1 Gyr, and then abruptly declines due to quasar feedback; (ii) part of the interstellar medium loses angular momentum, reaches the circum-nuclear regions, at a rate proportional to the star formation, and is temporarily stored into a massive reservoir/proto-torus, wherefrom it can be promptly accreted; (iii) the black hole (BH) grows by accretion in a self-regulated regime with radiative power that can slightly exceed the Eddington limit (L/LEdd . 4), particularly at the highest redshifts; (iv) the ensuing energy feedback from massive BHs, at its maximum, exceeds the stellar one and removes the interstellar gas, thus stopping the star formation and the fueling of the reservoir; (v) afterwards, if the gas stored in the reservoir is enough, a phase of supply-limited accretion follows, whose rate exponentially declines with a timescale of ∼3 e-folding times. We also discuss how the detailed properties and the specific evolution of the reservoir can be investigated via coordinated, high-resolution observations of starforming, strongly lensed galaxies in the (sub-)mm band with ALMA, and in the X-ray band with Chandra and the next generation of X-ray instruments. According to the scenario described above, we further investigate the coevolution of galaxies and hosted SMBHs throughout the history of the Universe by applying a statistical, model-independent approach, based on the continuity equation and the abundance matching technique. We present analytical solutions of the continuity equation without source term, to reconstruct the SMBH mass function (BHMF) at different redshifts iii from the AGN luminosity function. Such an approach includes the physically-motivated AGN lightcurves we have tested and discussed, which describe the evolution of both the Eddington ratio and the radiative efficiency from slim- to thin-disc conditions. We nicely reproduce the local estimates of the BHMF, the AGN duty cycle as a function of mass and redshift, along with the Eddington ratio function and the fraction of galaxies hosting an AGN with given Eddington ratio. We employ the same approach to reconstruct the observed stellar mass function (SMF) at different redshifts, starting from the ultraviolet (UV) and FIR luminosity functions associated to star formation in galaxies. Our results imply that the buildup of stars and BHs in galaxies occurs via in-situ processes, with dry mergers playing a marginal role, at least for stellar masses . 3×10^11 M⊙ and BH masses . 10^9 M⊙, where the statistical data are more secure and less biased by systematic errors. In addition, we develop an improved abundance matching technique, to link the stellar and BH content of galaxies to the gravitationally dominant DM component. The resulting relationships constitute a testbed for galaxy evolution models, highlighting the complementary role of stellar and AGN feedback in the star formation process. They may also be operationally implemented in numerical simulations to populate DM halos, or to gauge subgrid physics. Moreover, they can be exploited to investigate the galaxy/AGN clustering as a function of redshift, stellar/BH mass, and/or luminosity. The clustering properties of BHs and galaxies are found to be in full agreement with current observations, so further validating our results from the continuity equation. Finally, our analysis highlights that: (i) the fraction of AGNs observed in the slim-disc regime, where anyway most of the BH mass is accreted, increases with redshift; (ii) already at z & 6, a substantial amount of dust must have formed, over timescales . 10^8 yr, in strongly starforming galaxies, making these sources well within the reach of ALMA surveys in (sub-)millimeter bands.

Star Formation in Irregular Galaxies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Deidre; Wolff, Sidney

1985-01-01

Examines mechanisms of how stars are formed in irregular galaxies. Formation in giant irregular galaxies, formation in dwarf irregular galaxies, and comparisons with larger star-forming regions found in spiral galaxies are considered separately. (JN)

Galaxies and Their Host Dark Matter Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahn, ChangHoon

Through their connection with dark matter structures, galaxies act as tracers of the underlying matter distribution in the Universe. Their observed spatial distribution allows us to precisely measure large scale structure and effectively test cosmological models that explain the content, geometry, and history of the Universe. Current observations from galaxy surveys such as the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey have already probed vast cosmic volumes with millions of galaxies and ushered in an era of precision cosmology. The next surveys will probe over an order of magnitude more. With this unprecedented statistical power, the bottleneck of scientific discovery is in the methodology. In this dissertation, I address major methodological challenges in constraining cosmology with the large-scale distribution of galaxies. I develop a robust framework for treating systematic effects, which significantly bias galaxy clustering measurements. I apply new innovative approaches to probabilistic parameter inference that challenge and test the in- correct assumptions of the standard approach. Furthermore, I use precise predictions of structure formation from cosmology and observations of galaxies during the last eight billion years to develop detailed models of how galaxies are impacted by their host dark matter structures. These models provide key insight into the galaxy-halo connection, which bridges the gap between cosmology theory and observations. They also answer crucial questions of how galaxies form and evolve. The developments in this dissertation will help unlock the full potential of future observations and allow us to precisely test cosmological models, General Relativity and modified gravity scenarios, and even particle physics theory beyond the Standard Model.

Globular cluster systems and their host galaxies: comparison of spatial distributions and colors

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

Hargis, Jonathan R.; Rhode, Katherine L., E-mail: jhargis@haverford.edu

2014-11-20

We present a study of the spatial and color distributions of four early-type galaxies and their globular cluster (GC) systems observed as part of our ongoing wide-field imaging survey. We use BVR KPNO 4 m+MOSAIC imaging data to characterize the galaxies' GC populations, perform surface photometry of the galaxies, and compare the projected two-dimensional shape of the host galaxy light to that of the GC population. The GC systems of the ellipticals NGC 4406 and NGC 5813 both show an elliptical distribution consistent with that of the host galaxy light. Our analysis suggests a similar result for the giant ellipticalmore » NGC 4472, but a smaller GC candidate sample precludes a definite conclusion. For the S0 galaxy NGC 4594, the GCs have a circular projected distribution, in contrast to the host galaxy light, which is flattened in the inner regions. For NGC 4406 and NGC 5813, we also examine the projected shapes of the metal-poor and metal-rich GC subpopulations and find that both subpopulations have elliptical shapes that are consistent with those of the host galaxy light. Lastly, we use integrated colors and color profiles to compare the stellar populations of the galaxies to their GC systems. For each galaxy, we explore the possibility of color gradients in the individual metal-rich and metal-poor GC subpopulations. We find statistically significant color gradients in both GC subpopulations of NGC 4594 over the inner ∼5 effective radii (∼20 kpc). We compare our results to scenarios for the formation and evolution of giant galaxies and their GC systems.« less

The Galaxy mass function up to z =4 in the GOODS-MUSIC sample: into the epoch of formation of massive galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontana, A.; Salimbeni, S.; Grazian, A.; Giallongo, E.; Pentericci, L.; Nonino, M.; Fontanot, F.; Menci, N.; Monaco, P.; Cristiani, S.; Vanzella, E.; de Santis, C.; Gallozzi, S.

2006-12-01

Aims.The goal of this work is to measure the evolution of the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function and of the resulting Stellar Mass Density up to redshift ≃4, in order to study the assembly of massive galaxies in the high redshift Universe. Methods: .We have used the GOODS-MUSIC catalog, containing 3000 Ks-selected galaxies with multi-wavelength coverage extending from the U band to the Spitzer 8 μm band, of which 27% have spectroscopic redshifts and the remaining fraction have accurate photometric redshifts. On this sample we have applied a standard fitting procedure to measure stellar masses. We compute the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function and the resulting Stellar Mass Density up to redshift ≃4, taking into proper account the biases and incompleteness effects. Results: .Within the well known trend of global decline of the Stellar Mass Density with redshift, we show that the decline of the more massive galaxies may be described by an exponential timescale of ≃6 Gyr up to z≃ 1.5, and proceeds much faster thereafter, with an exponential timescale of ≃0.6 Gyr. We also show that there is some evidence for a differential evolution of the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function, with low mass galaxies evolving faster than more massive ones up to z≃ 1{-}1.5 and that the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function remains remarkably flat (i.e. with a slope close to the local one) up to z≃ 1{-}1.3. Conclusions: .The observed behaviour of the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function is consistent with a scenario where about 50% of present-day massive galaxies formed at a vigorous rate in the epoch between redshift 4 and 1.5, followed by a milder evolution until the present-day epoch.

Stellar Population Properties of Ultracompact Dwarfs in M87: A Mass–Metallicity Correlation Connecting Low-metallicity Globular Clusters and Compact Ellipticals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hong-Xin; Puzia, Thomas H.; Peng, Eric W.; Liu, Chengze; Côté, Patrick; Ferrarese, Laura; Duc, Pierre-Alain; Eigenthaler, Paul; Lim, Sungsoon; Lançon, Ariane; Muñoz, Roberto P.; Roediger, Joel; Sánchez-Janssen, Ruben; Taylor, Matthew A.; Yu, Jincheng

2018-05-01

We derive stellar population parameters for a representative sample of ultracompact dwarfs (UCDs) and a large sample of massive globular clusters (GCs) with stellar masses ≳ 106 M ⊙ in the central galaxy M87 of the Virgo galaxy cluster, based on model fitting to the Lick-index measurements from both the literature and new observations. After necessary spectral stacking of the relatively faint objects in our initial sample of 40 UCDs and 118 GCs, we obtain 30 sets of Lick-index measurements for UCDs and 80 for GCs. The M87 UCDs have ages ≳ 8 Gyr and [α/Fe] ≃ 0.4 dex, in agreement with previous studies based on smaller samples. The literature UCDs, located in lower-density environments than M87, extend to younger ages and smaller [α/Fe] (at given metallicities) than M87 UCDs, resembling the environmental dependence of the stellar nuclei of dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs) in the Virgo cluster. The UCDs exhibit a positive mass–metallicity relation (MZR), which flattens and connects compact ellipticals at stellar masses ≳ 108 M ⊙. The Virgo dE nuclei largely follow the average MZR of UCDs, whereas most of the M87 GCs are offset toward higher metallicities for given stellar masses. The difference between the mass–metallicity distributions of UCDs and GCs may be qualitatively understood as a result of their different physical sizes at birth in a self-enrichment scenario or of galactic nuclear cluster star formation efficiency being relatively low in a tidal stripping scenario for UCD formation. The existing observations provide the necessary but not sufficient evidence for tidally stripped dE nuclei being the dominant contributors to the M87 UCDs.

Galaxy Environment in the 3D-HST Fields: Witnessing the Onset of Satellite Quenching at z ˜ 1-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fossati, M.; Wilman, D. J.; Mendel, J. T.; Saglia, R. P.; Galametz, A.; Beifiori, A.; Bender, R.; Chan, J. C. C.; Fabricius, M.; Bandara, K.; Brammer, G. B.; Davies, R.; Förster Schreiber, N. M.; Genzel, R.; Hartley, W.; Kulkarni, S. K.; Lang, P.; Momcheva, I. G.; Nelson, E. J.; Skelton, R.; Tacconi, L. J.; Tadaki, K.; Übler, H.; van Dokkum, P. G.; Wisnioski, E.; Whitaker, K. E.; Wuyts, E.; Wuyts, S.

2017-02-01

We make publicly available a catalog of calibrated environmental measures for galaxies in the five 3D-Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/CANDELS deep fields. Leveraging the spectroscopic and grism redshifts from the 3D-HST survey, multiwavelength photometry from CANDELS, and wider field public data for edge corrections, we derive densities in fixed apertures to characterize the environment of galaxies brighter than {{JH}}140< 24 mag in the redshift range 0.5< z< 3.0. By linking observed galaxies to a mock sample, selected to reproduce the 3D-HST sample selection and redshift accuracy, each 3D-HST galaxy is assigned a probability density function of the host halo mass, and a probability that it is a central or a satellite galaxy. The same procedure is applied to a z = 0 sample selected from Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We compute the fraction of passive central and satellite galaxies as a function of stellar and halo mass, and redshift, and then derive the fraction of galaxies that were quenched by environment specific processes. Using the mock sample, we estimate that the timescale for satellite quenching is {t}{quench}˜ 2{--}5 {Gyr}; it is longer at lower stellar mass or lower redshift, but remarkably independent of halo mass. This indicates that, in the range of environments commonly found within the 3D-HST sample ({M}h≲ {10}14 {M}⊙ ), satellites are quenched by exhaustion of their gas reservoir in the absence of cosmological accretion. We find that the quenching times can be separated into a delay phase, during which satellite galaxies behave similarly to centrals at fixed stellar mass, and a phase where the star formation rate drops rapidly ({τ }f˜ 0.4{--}0.6 Gyr), as shown previously at z = 0. We conclude that this scenario requires satellite galaxies to retain a large reservoir of multi-phase gas upon accretion, even at high redshift, and that this gas sustains star formation for the long quenching times observed.

The Multiwavelength Survey by Yale-Chile (MUSYC): Wide K-Band Imaging, Photometric Catalogs, Clustering, and Physical Properties of Galaxies at z {approx} 2

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

Blanc, Guillermo A.; Lira, Paulina; Francke, Harold

2008-07-10

We present K-band imaging of two {approx}30{sup '} x 30{sup '} fields covered by the Multiwavelength Survey by Yale-Chile (MUSYC) Wide NIR Survey. The SDSS 1030+05 and Cast 1255 fields were imaged with the Infrared Side Port Imager (ISPI) on the 4 m Blanco telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) to a 5 {sigma} point-source limiting depth of K {approx} 20 (Vega). Combining these data with the MUSYC optical UBVRIz imaging, we created multiband K-selected source catalogs for both fields. These catalogs, together with the MUSYC K-band catalog of the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDF-S) field, weremore » used to select K < 20 BzK galaxies over an area of 0.71 deg{sup 2}. This is the largest area ever surveyed for BzK galaxies. We present number counts, redshift distributions, and stellar masses for our sample of 3261 BzK galaxies (2502 star-forming [sBzK] and 759 passively evolving [pBzK]), as well as reddening and star formation rate estimates for the star-forming BzK systems. We also present two-point angular correlation functions and spatial correlation lengths for both sBzK and pBzK galaxies and show that previous estimates of the correlation function of these galaxies were affected by cosmic variance due to the small areas surveyed. We have measured correlation lengths r{sub 0} of 8.89 {+-} 2.03 and 10.82 {+-} 1.72 Mpc for sBzK and pBzK galaxies, respectively. This is the first reported measurement of the spatial correlation function of passive BzK galaxies. In the {lambda}CDM scenario of galaxy formation, these correlation lengths at z {approx} 2 translate into minimum masses of {approx}4 x 10{sup 12} and {approx}9 x 10{sup 12} M{sub sun} for the dark matter halos hosting sBzK and pBzK galaxies, respectively. The clustering properties of the galaxies in our sample are consistent with their being the descendants of bright Lyman break galaxies at z {approx} 3, and the progenitors of present-day >1L{sup *} galaxies.« less

The WISSH quasars project. II. Giant star nurseries in hyper-luminous quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duras, F.; Bongiorno, A.; Piconcelli, E.; Bianchi, S.; Pappalardo, C.; Valiante, R.; Bischetti, M.; Feruglio, C.; Martocchia, S.; Schneider, R.; Vietri, G.; Vignali, C.; Zappacosta, L.; La Franca, F.; Fiore, F.

2017-08-01

Context. Studying the coupling between the energy output produced by the central quasar and the host galaxy is fundamental to fully understand galaxy evolution. Quasar feedback is indeed supposed to dramatically affect the galaxy properties by depositing large amounts of energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM). Aims: In order to gain further insights on this process, we study the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of sources at the brightest end of the quasar luminosity function, for which the feedback mechanism is assumed to be at its maximum, given their high efficiency in driving powerful outflows. Methods: We modelled the rest-frame UV-to-far-IR SEDs of 16 WISE-SDSS Selected Hyper-luminous (WISSH) quasars at 1.8 < z < 4.6 based on SDSS, 2MASS, WISE and Herschel/SPIRE data. Through an accurate SED-fitting procedure, we separate the different emission components by deriving physical parameters of both the nuclear component (I.e. bolometric and monochromatic luminosities) and the host galaxy (I.e. star formation rate, mass, and temperature of the cold dust). We also use a radiative transfer code to account for the contribution of the quasar-related emission to the far-IR fluxes. Results: Most SEDs are well described by a standard combination of accretion disc plus torus and cold dust emission. However, about 30% of SEDs require an additional emission component in the near-IR, with temperatures peaking at 750 K, which indicates that a hotter dust component is present in these powerful quasars. We measure extreme values of both AGN bolometric luminosity (LBOL > 1047 erg/s) and star formation rate (up to 2000 M⊙/yr) based on the quasar-corrected, IR luminosity of the host galaxy. A new relation between quasar and star formation luminosity is derived (LSF ∝ L0.73QSO) by combining several Herschel-detected quasar samples from z 0 to 4. WISSH quasars have masses ( 108M⊙) and temperatures ( 50 K) of cold dust in agreement with those found for other high-z IR luminous quasars. Conclusions: Thanks to their extreme nuclear and star formation luminosities, the WISSH quasars are ideal targets to shed light on the feedback mechanism and its effect on the evolution of their host galaxies, as well as on the merger-induced scenario that is commonly assumed to explain these exceptional luminosities. Future observations will be crucial to measure the molecular gas content in these systems, probe the effect between quasar-driven outflows and on-going star formation, and reveal merger signatures in their host galaxies.

Investigating the Environmental Properties of Galaxies in the SDSS-MaNGA Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spindler, Ashley

2018-05-01

This thesis presents a study of galaxy evolution in the local universe. I study how environments shape the structures of galaxies, and how internal and external processes affect star formation. I perform four investigations of galaxy properties: a study of the relations between size, mass and velocity dispersion of 124,524 galaxies from SDSS DR7; I estimate star formation rates using Hα and Dn4000 for galaxies in the MaNGA survey; a study of the spatial distribution of star formation in 1494 MaNGA galaxies; and finally, a study of 215 barred and 402 unbarred galaxies, to investigate how bars affect star formation. I find that environment plays a key role in the evolution of galaxies, both structurally and in terms of their star formation. Using core velocity dispersion to study the effects of minor mergers and tidal/ram pressure stripping, I find that central galaxies are up to 30% larger and more massive than satellites. I suggest that minor mergers play a crucial role in the increase in size and mass of centrals. In addition, I find that satellites have a uniform radial suppression of star formation, compared to centrals, which may be due to the strangulation of their cold gas supplies. I study the internal processes that affect star formation and find that specific star formation rate is suppressed at all radii for high mass galaxies. Massive galaxies are more likely to have suppressed star formation in their cores, which I determined is caused by a combination of morphological quenching and AGN feedback. Finally, I study the role of galaxy bars in regulating the circumnuclear and disk star formation in late-type galaxies. I find that barred galaxies have lower star formation in their disks than unbarred galaxies, and that they are more likely to have enhanced star formation in their cores.

Supermassive black holes and central star clusters: Connection with the host galaxy kinematics and color

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zasov, A. V.; Cherepashchuk, A. M.

2013-11-01

The relationship between the masses of the central, supermassive black holes ( M bh) and of the nuclear star clusters ( M nc) of disk galaxies with various parameters galaxies are considered: the rotational velocity at R = 2 kpc V (2), the maximum rotational velocity V max, the indicative dynamical mass M 25, the integrated mass of the stellar population M *, and the integrated color index B-V. The rotational velocities andmasses of the central objects were taken from the literature. Themass M nc correlatesmore closely with the kinematic parameters and the disk mass than M bh, including with the velocity V max, which is closely related to the virial mass of the dark halo. On average, lenticular galaxies are characterized by higher masses M bh compared to other types of galaxies with similar characteristics. The dependence of the blackhole mass on the color index is bimodal: galaxies of the red group (red-sequence) with B-V >0.6-0.7 which are mostly early-type galaxies with weak star formation, differ appreciably from blue galaxies, which have higher values of M nc and M bh. At the dependences we consider between the masses of the central objects and the parameters of the host galaxies (except for the dependence of M bh on the central velocity dispersion), the red-group galaxies have systematically higher M bh values, even when the host-galaxy parameters are similar. In contrast, in the case of nuclear star clusters, the blue and red galaxies form unified sequences. The results agree with scenarios in which most red-group galaxies form as a result of the partial or complete loss of interstellar gas in a stage of high nuclear activity in galaxies whose central black-hole masses exceed 106-107 M ⊙ (depending on the mass of the galaxy itself). The bulk of disk galaxies with M bh > 107 M ⊙ are lenticular galaxies (types S0, E/S0) whose disks are practically devoid of gas.

The Role of Hot ISM in Galaxy Formation and Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostriker, Jeremiah

2014-08-01

The cooling rate for hot gas in and around galaxies has a critical importance both in physically setting the basic mass scale for these massive, self-gravitating systems and as an observational tool for assessing formation models, by enabling the comparison between predicted and observed X-ray luminosities. Three classic papers in 1977 showed that it would be difficult for galaxies above a certain mass to cool on a dynamical timescale. That mass scale, in terms of fundamental physics is as follows: M ≃ [({Gm_p^2}/{hbar c})^{-2}({e^2}/{hbar c})^5({m_p}/{m_e})^{1/2}]m_{p} or roughly 10^{12} solar masses. Galaxies above this mass tend to be enveloped in the hot, X-ray emitting, gaseous halos familiar to Chandra observers and their predecessors. The outer parts of these gaseous halos are easily kept hot by SNI, dynamical in-fall of satellites and other processes, but the inner parts will repeatedly collapse into cooling flows, starbursts and AGN flare-ups. The thermal X-ray emission will be highly variable with this providing an important diagnostic for these physical processes. Also, normal cosmological inflow of gas onto massive galaxies can be shown to produce (absent feedback) more X-rays emission than is observed - providing yet another argument for feedback processes, which would reduce the ambient hot gas density. Finally, several postulated physical scenarios, such as gas rich ("wet") binary spiral mergers or thermal AGN feedback would produce X-ray emission far in excess of observational limits, again showing the power of X-ray observations as a critical diagnostic tool.

Constraints on the Nature of CID-42: Recoil Kick or Supermassive Black Hole Pair?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blecha, Laura; Civano, Francesca; Elvis, Martin; Loeb, Abraham

2012-01-01

The galaxy CXOC J100043.1+020637, also known as CID-42, is a highly unusual object. An apparent galaxy merger remnant, it displays signatures of both an inspiraling, kiloparsecscale active galactic nucleus (AGN) pair and of a recoiling AGN with a kick velocity approximately greater than 1300 km s(exp -1). Among recoiling AGN candidates, CID-42 alone has both spatial offsets (in optical and X-ray bands) and spectroscopic offsets. In order to constrain the relative likelihood of both scenarios, we develop models using hydrodynamic galaxy merger simulations coupled with radiative transfer calculations. Our gas-rich, major merger models are generally well matched to the galactic morphology and to the inferred stellar mass and star formation rate. We show that a recoiling supermassive black hole (SMBH) in CID-42 should be observable as an AGN at the time of observation. However, in order for the recoiling AGN to produce narrow-line emission, it must be observed shortly after the kick while it still inhabits a dense gaseous region, implying a large total kick velocity (vk approximately greater than 2000 km s(exp -1)). For the dual AGN scenario, an unusually large broad-line offset is required, and the best match to the observed morphology requires a galaxy that is less luminous than CID-42. Further, the lack of X-ray emission from one of the two optical nuclei is not easily attributed to an intrinsically quiescent SMBH or to a Compton-thick galactic environment. While the current data do not allow either the recoiling or the dual AGN scenario for CID-42 to be excluded, our models highlight the most relevant parameters for distinguishing these possibilities with future observations. In particular, high-quality, spatially-resolved spectra that can pinpoint the origin of the broad and narrow line features will be critical for determining the nature of this unique source.

Co-evolution of Massive Black Holes and Their Host Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. M.

2010-07-01

A scenario of co-evolution of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and galaxies has been clearly conducted by the important evidence from observational results of quasar host galaxies and the relation between spheroid and SMBH mass. There are a plenty of unresolved problems and questions, some being basic, to be addressed in this scenario. The main goal of the present thesis is focusing on the mysterious scenario including growth of primordial black holes, cosmological evolution of spins and duty cycle of SMBHs, and interaction between the SMBH activity and star formation in galaxies from low to high redshifts. We review the main progress of this field over the past decade since the discovery of Magorrian relation and present comments on some questions in light of our view of points. The key questions to be addressed in this thesis work are: (1) how does the fast growth of primordial black holes influence their evolution? (2) what is the equation to describe the co-evolution of SMBHs and galaxies? (3) what is the mechanism to control the co-evolution? (4) how to transport the fueling gas from kpc scale to the center? It has been suggested that fast growth of primordial black holes via super-Eddington accretion is a promising way to form SMBHs in high redshift universe. Neutrino cooling has been employed and expedites the growth. We consider the Compton heating of the surroundings of the primordial black holes. We find that the realistic accretion rate is only a few percent of the Eddington rate, and the accretion is episodic. It implies that the fast growth via super-Eddington is not feasible. These conclusions have been confirmed by the detailed numerical simulations of Milosavljevic et al. (2008). The difficulties of the fast growth via accretion of baryon particles make the formation of SMBHs elusive in high redshift universe. We developed a new formulation to calculate the duty cycle of SMBHs based on the Soltan argument. We show it can be expressed by the mass density ratio of active SMBHs to the total. This not only makes the calculation of the duty cycle independent of the assumption of cosmological evolution of Eddington ratios, but also allows us to set a totally new equation - the so-called η-equation to describe the co-evolution of SMBHs and galaxies. Applying the equations to SDSS (Sloan Digital Sky Survey) and other related survey data, we find that: (1) cosmological evolution of the duty cycle tightly follows the history of star formation rate (SFR) density in z<2 universe; (2) they just show opposite trends in higher redshift universe; (3) the radiative efficiency dramatically decreases with z, showing η≈0.3 at z =2 and down to η≈0.05 at z =0. It shows for the first time a history of random accretion of SMBH growth from high to low redshift universe. Chapter 3 is devoted to develop a new method to estimate the specific star formation rates (SSFR) for DEEP2 data. Using the series of Balmer absorption lines in rest-frame 3750~4150 Å, we develop a new method to estimate the SSFR. Applying this new method to both SDSS and DEEP2 data, we find the SSFR derived from Balmer absorption lines is consistent with that from emission lines at local universe, while there is a 100.3~100.4 discrepancy at z&≈1. This result implies the initial mass function changes with redshift, and it tends to form more massive stars at higher redshift. We pay much attention to the interaction between AGN and star formation in Chapter 4 through investigations of the Seyfert galaxies and type II AGNs. We obtain the SFR in about 50 Seyfert galaxies and compare with the SFR predicted by Kennicutt-Schmidt's law. We find that they are lower than the predicted by a factor of 10~100, clearly showing the evidence of suppressing the star formation in the 100 pc region around nuclei. 10848 type II AGNs are selected from SDSS data for the study of starburst and AGN connection. We find the young stars are playing an important role in triggering SMBH activities. A very tight correlation Λ≅SSFR1.5 between the Eddington ratio λ and SSFR has been found in the sample. This nonlinear relation stresses the role of supernova explosion, which could excite strong turbulent viscosity to transport the angular momentum of the fueling gas to the SMBHs. We set up a modified model by including the role of supernova explosion to account for the starburst-AGN connection. Indeed, we find that the model can be nicely consistent with the correlation. In this thesis, we demonstrate a self-adjusted system of galaxies and SMBHs - the SMBHs are triggered via star formation, which would get suppressed by SMBH activities. As a summary of the present thesis, we draw a conclusion that we poorly understand the issues as to formation of SMBHs, evolution of galaxies and SMBHs. There are a plenty of issues to be addressed in future. The solved questions are much less than the bringing out ones.

Formation and evolution of dwarf elliptical galaxies. I. Structural and kinematical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Rijcke, S.; Michielsen, D.; Dejonghe, H.; Zeilinger, W. W.; Hau, G. K. T.

2005-08-01

This paper is the first in a series in which we present the results of an ESO Large Program on the kinematics and internal dynamics of dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs). We obtained deep major and minor axis spectra of 15 dEs and broad-band imaging of 22 dEs. Here, we investigate the relations between the parameters that quantify the structure (B-band luminosity L_B, half-light radius R_e, and mean surface brightness within the half-light radius Ie = LB / 2 π R_e^2) and internal dynamics (velocity dispersion σ) of dEs. We confront predictions of the currently popular theories for dE formation and evolution with the observed position of dEs in log LB vs. log σ, log LB vs. log R_e, log LB vs. log I_e, and log Re vs. log Ie diagrams and in the (log σ,log R_e,log I_e) parameter space in which bright and intermediate-luminosity elliptical galaxies and bulges of spirals define a Fundamental Plane (FP). In order to achieve statistical significance and to cover a parameter interval that is large enough for reliable inferences to be made, we merge the data set presented in this paper with two other recently published, equally large data sets. We show that the dE sequences in the various univariate diagrams are disjunct from those traced by bright and intermediate-luminosity elliptical galaxies and bulges of spirals. It appears that semi-analytical models (SAMs) that incorporate quiescent star formation with an essentially z-independent star-formation efficiency, combined with post-merger starbursts and the dynamical response after supernova-driven gas-loss, are able to reproduce the position of the dEs in the various univariate diagrams. SAMs with star-formation efficiencies that rise as a function of redshift are excluded since they leave the observed sequences traced by dEs virtually unpopulated. dEs tend to lie above the FP and the FP residual declines as a function of luminosity. Again, models that take into account the response after supernova-driven mass-loss correctly predict the position of dEs in the (log σ,log R_e,log I_e) parameter space as well as the trend of the FP residual as a function of luminosity. While these findings are clearly a success for the hierarchical-merging picture of galaxy formation, they do not necessarily invalidate the alternative “harassment” scenario, which posits that dEs stem from perturbed and stripped late-type disk galaxies that entered clusters and groups of galaxies about 5 Gyr ago.

THE STRUCTURE OF MASSIVE QUIESCENT GALAXIES AT Z {approx} 3 IN THE CANDELS-COSMOS FIELD

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

Fan Lulu; Chen Yang; Pan Zhizheng

2013-07-10

In this Letter, we use a two-color (J - L) versus (V - J) selection criterion to search massive quiescent galaxy (QG) candidates at 2.5 {<=} z {<=} 4.0 in the CANDELS-COSMOS field. We construct an H{sub F160W}-selected catalog and complement it with public auxiliary data. We finally obtain 19 passive VJL-selected (hereafter pVJL) galaxies as the possible massive QG candidates at z {approx} 3 by several constrains. We find the sizes of our pVJL galaxies are on average three to four times smaller than those of local early-type galaxies (ETGs) with analogous stellar mass. The compact size of thesemore » z {approx} 3 galaxies can be modeled by assuming their formation at z{sub form} {approx} 4-6 according to the dissipative collapse of baryons. Up to z < 4, the mass-normalized size evolution can be described by r{sub e} {proportional_to}(1 + z){sup -1.0}. Low Sersic index and axis ratio, with median values n {approx}1.5 and b/a {approx} 0.65, respectively, indicate that most of the pVJL galaxies are disk-dominated. Despite large uncertainty, the inner region of the median mass profile of our pVJL galaxies is similar to those of QGs at 0.5 < z < 2.5 and local ETGs. It indicates that local massive ETGs have been formed according to an inside-out scenario: the compact galaxies at high redshift make up the cores of local massive ETGs and then build up the outskirts according to dissipationless minor mergers.« less

THE GAS PHASE MASS METALLICITY RELATION FOR DWARF GALAXIES: DEPENDENCE ON STAR FORMATION RATE AND HI GAS MASS

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

Jimmy; Tran, Kim-Vy; Saintonge, Amélie

Using a sample of dwarf galaxies observed using the VIMOS IFU on the Very Large Telescope, we investigate the mass–metallicity relation (MZR) as a function of star formation rate (FMR{sub SFR}) as well as HI-gas mass (FMR{sub HI}). We combine our IFU data with a subsample of galaxies from the ALFALFA HI survey crossmatched to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to study the FMR{sub SFR} and FMR{sub HI} across the stellar mass range 10{sup 6.6}–10{sup 8.8} M{sub ⊙}, with metallicities as low as 12 + log(O/H) = 7.67. We find the 1σ mean scatter in the MZR to bemore » 0.05 dex. The 1σ mean scatter in the FMR{sub SFR} (0.02 dex) is significantly lower than that of the MZR. The FMR{sub SFR} is not consistent between the IFU observed galaxies and the ALFALFA/SDSS galaxies for SFRs lower than 10{sup −2.4} M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}, however, this could be the result of limitations of our measurements in that regime. The lowest mean scatter (0.01 dex) is found in the FMR{sub HI}. We also find that the FMR{sub HI} is consistent between the IFU observed dwarf galaxies and the ALFALFA/SDSS crossmatched sample. We introduce the fundamental metallicity luminosity counterpart to the FMR, again characterized in terms of SFR (FML{sub SFR}) and HI-gas mass (FML{sub HI}). We find that the FML{sub HI} relation is consistent between the IFU observed dwarf galaxy sample and the larger ALFALFA/SDSS sample. However, the 1σ scatter for the FML{sub HI} relation is not improved over the FMR{sub HI} scenario. This leads us to conclude that the FMR{sub HI} is the best candidate for a physically motivated fundamental metallicity relation.« less

The FMOS-COSMOS Survey of Star-forming Galaxies at Z ˜ 1.6. V: Properties of Dark Matter Halos Containing Hα Emitting Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashino, Daichi; More, Surhud; Silverman, John D.; Daddi, Emanuele; Renzini, Alvio; Sanders, David B.; Rodighiero, Giulia; Puglisi, Annagrazia; Kajisawa, Masaru; Valentino, Francesco; Kartaltepe, Jeyhan S.; Le Fèvre, Olivier; Nagao, Tohru; Arimoto, Nobuo; Sugiyama, Naoshi

2017-07-01

We study the properties of dark matter halos that contain star-forming galaxies at 1.43 ≤ z ≤ 1.74, using the FMOS-COSMOS survey. The sample consists of 516 objects with a detection of the Hα emission line, which represent the star forming population at this epoch, having a stellar mass range of 109.57 ≤ M */M ⊙ ≲ 1011.4 and a star-formation rate range of 15 ≲ SFR/(M ⊙ yr-1) ≲ 600. We measure the projected two-point correlation function while carefully taking into account observational biases, and find a significant clustering amplitude at scales of 0.04-10 h -1 cMpc, with a correlation length {r}0={5.26}-0.62+0.75 {h}-1 {cMpc} and a bias b={2.44}-0.32+0.38. We interpret our clustering measurement using a halo occupation distribution model. The sample galaxies appear to reside in halos with mass {M}{{h}}={4.71}-1.62+1.19× {10}12 {h}-1 {M}⊙ on average, which will likely become present-day halos of mass M h (z = 0) ˜ 2 × 1013 h -1 M ⊙, equivalent to the typical halo mass scale of galaxy groups. We then confirm the decline of the stellar-to-halo mass ratio at M h < 1012 M ⊙, finding M */M h ≈ 5 × 10-3 at M h = 7. 5 × 1011 M ⊙, which is lower by a factor of 2-4 than those measured at higher masses (M h ˜ 1012-13 M ⊙). Finally, we use our results to illustrate the future capabilities of Subaru’s Prime-Focus Spectrograph, a next-generation instrument that will provide strong constraints on the galaxy-formation scenario by obtaining precise measurements of galaxy clustering at z > 1.

Characterizing the stellar population of a sample of star forming galaxies with high emission of both [OIV]25.9um and [NeII]12.8um

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez-Paredes, M.; Bruzual, G.; Meléndez, M.; González-Martín, O.

2017-11-01

The optical diagnostic diagram te{BPT81, VO87} allow us to discriminate between the different excitation mechanism, like that produce by young stars and that produce by the AGN during the accretion of matter onto the super massive black hole. This kind of tool are important because allow us to study the connection between starburst and AGN. However, despite the great success, the identification of the most heavily dust-obscured systems remains a challenge for optical diagrams. Mid-infrared diagnostic are more suitable to study dust-enshrouded systems, where the effect of dust obscuration can hamper the interpretation of traditional optical diagnostics, since in this spectral range we have access to low-ionization lines (as [Ne II]12.8μm) typical of star forming regions and high ionization lines typical of active galaxies ([OIV]25.9μm), while intermediate ionization-lines ([Ne III]15.3μm) provide a unique scenario where the AGN coexist with active star formation in the host galaxy. In a previous work te{Melendez14} we have carried out extensive and detailed photoionization modeling to successfully separate the different excitation mechanism in the mid-infrared diagnostic diagrams proposed by te{Weaver10}. We successfully modelled the AGN and starburst galaxies ratios lines of [NeIII]/[NeII] Vs [OIV]/[NeIII]. However, we failed in modelling the observed ratio lines in galaxies with a normal star formation activity ([NeIII]/[NeII]<1 and [OIV]/[NeIII]<1). These results suggest the presence of a more complex excitation mechanism in these galaxies. In this project we are using the update stellar population models from te{BC17} that include massive stars, and the update photoionization models from CLOUDY from te{Ferland17}, to characterize the properties of the stellar population that produce the high ionization conditions in these galaxies.

ALMA 26 arcmin2 Survey of GOODS-S at One-millimeter (ASAGAO): X-Ray AGN Properties of Millimeter-selected Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueda, Y.; Hatsukade, B.; Kohno, K.; Yamaguchi, Y.; Tamura, Y.; Umehata, H.; Akiyama, M.; Ao, Y.; Aretxaga, I.; Caputi, K.; Dunlop, J. S.; Espada, D.; Fujimoto, S.; Hayatsu, N. H.; Imanishi, M.; Inoue, A. K.; Ivison, R. J.; Kodama, T.; Lee, M. M.; Matsuoka, K.; Miyaji, T.; Morokuma-Matsui, K.; Nagao, T.; Nakanishi, K.; Nyland, K.; Ohta, K.; Ouchi, M.; Rujopakarn, W.; Saito, T.; Tadaki, K.; Tanaka, I.; Taniguchi, Y.; Wang, T.; Wang, W.-H.; Yoshimura, Y.; Yun, M. S.

2018-01-01

We investigate the X-ray active galactic nucleus (AGN) properties of millimeter galaxies in the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey South (GOODS-S) field detected with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), by utilizing the Chandra 7-Ms data, the deepest X-ray survey to date. Our millimeter galaxy sample comes from the ASAGAO survey covering 26 arcmin2 (12 sources at a 1.2 mm flux-density limit of ≈ 0.6 mJy), supplemented by the deeper but narrower 1.3 mm survey of a part of the ASAGAO field by Dunlop et al. Ofthe 25 total millimeter galaxies, 14 have Chandra counterparts. The observed AGN fractions at z=1.5{--}3 are found to be {90}-19+8% and {57}-25+23% for the ultra-luminous and luminous infrared galaxies with log {L}{IR}/{L}ȯ = 12–12.8 and log {L}{IR}/{L}ȯ = 11.5–12, respectively. The majority (∼2/3) of the ALMA and/or Herschel detected X-ray AGNs at z = 1.5‑3 appear to be star-formation-dominant populations, having {L}{{X}}/ {L}{IR} ratios smaller than the “simultaneous evolution” value expected from the local black-hole-mass-to-stellar-mass ({M}{BH}–M *) relation. On the basis of the {L}{{X}} and stellar mass relation, we infer that a large fraction of star-forming galaxies at z=1.5{--}3 have black hole masses that are smaller than those expected from the local {M}{BH}–M * relation. This contrasts previous reports on luminous AGNs at the same redshifts detected in wider and shallower surveys, which are subject to selection biases against lower luminosity AGNs. Our results are consistent with an evolutionary scenario in which star formation occurs first, and an AGN-dominant phase follows later, in objects that finally evolve into galaxies with classical bulges.

The Planck Dusty Gravitationally Enhanced subMillimeter Sources (GEMS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frye, Brenda

2015-10-01

The brightest, strongly lensed high-redshift galaxies are veritable gems to study intense star formation in the early Universe. How do the high and irregular clumpy stellar and gas mass surface densities, strong radiation fields, and high turbulence regulate the rapid growth of these galaxies? We will use HST/WFC3 to investigate the stellar component of 6 of the brightest high-redshift sub-millimeter galaxies on the sky, which were recently discovered with the Planck all-sky survey. All are giant arcs or partial Einstein rings with angular sizes up to 17 in shallow CFHT K-band or Spitzer/IRAC imaging. FIR luminosities are 10^13-14 L_sun, with dust SEDs strongly dominated by intense star formation near the maximum possible rates (maximal starbursts). All have spectroscopic redshifts z=2.2-3.6 and magnification factors >/=20. We already have multiwavelength data sets to characterize their gas and dust column densities and kinematics, and propose here to acquire deep, high-resolution rest-frame optical imaging to study the stellar populations and morphologies. With WFC3 imaging in F110W & F160W we will: (1) constrain the stellar morphologies, ages, and mass-to-light ratios (2) Identify clumps and measure their properties to test several clump formation scenarios(3) Enhance our on-going lens modeling through the most accurate positions, morphologies and colorsOnly the brightest of the arc clumps are visible from the ground in the NIR. To register the flux along the full extent of the arcs, and importantly to probe individual star forming regions of the size of 30 Dor at z 2-3 in the brightest high-z sub-mm galaxies requires HST.

Gravitational wave sources from inspiralling globular clusters in the Galactic Centre and similar environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arca-Sedda, Manuel; Gualandris, Alessia

2018-07-01

We model the inspiral of globular clusters (GCs) towards a galactic nucleus harbouring a supermassive black hole (SMBH), a leading scenario for the formation of nuclear star clusters. We consider the case of GCs containing either an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) or a population of stellar-mass black holes (BHs), and study the formation of gravitational wave (GW) sources. We perform direct summation N-body simulations of the infall of GCs with different orbital eccentricities in the live background of a galaxy with either a shallow or steep density profile. We find that the GC acts as an efficient carrier for the IMBH, facilitating the formation of a bound pair. The hardening and evolution of the binary depends sensitively on the galaxy's density profile. If the host galaxy has a shallow profile, the hardening is too slow to allow for coalescence within a Hubble time, unless the initial cluster orbit is highly eccentric. If the galaxy hosts a nuclear star cluster, the hardening leads to coalescence by emission of GWs within 3-4 Gyr. In this case, we find an IMBH-SMBH merger rate of ΓIMBH-SMBH = 2.8 × 10-3 yr-1 Gpc3. If the GC hosts a population of stellar BHs, these are deposited close enough to the SMBH to form extreme mass ratio inspirals with a merger rate of ΓEMRI = 0.25 yr-1 Gpc3. Finally, the SMBH tidal field can boost the coalescence of stellar black hole binaries delivered from the infalling GCs. The merger rate for this merging channel is ΓBHB = 0.4-4 yr-1 Gpc3.

The Star Formation Main Sequence in the Hubble Space Telescope Frontier Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santini, Paola; Fontana, Adriano; Castellano, Marco; Di Criscienzo, Marcella; Merlin, Emiliano; Amorin, Ricardo; Cullen, Fergus; Daddi, Emanuele; Dickinson, Mark; Dunlop, James S.; Grazian, Andrea; Lamastra, Alessandra; McLure, Ross J.; Michałowski, Michał. J.; Pentericci, Laura; Shu, Xinwen

2017-09-01

We investigate the relation between star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass (M), I.e., the main sequence (MS) relation of star-forming galaxies, at 1.3≤slant z< 6 in the first four Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Frontier Fields, on the basis of rest-frame UV observations. Gravitational lensing combined with deep HST observations allows us to extend the analysis of the MS down to {log} M/{M}⊙ ˜ 7.5 at z≲ 4 and {log} M/{M}⊙ ˜ 8 at higher redshifts, a factor of ˜10 below most previous results. We perform an accurate simulation to take into account the effect of observational uncertainties and correct for the Eddington bias. This step allows us to reliably measure the MS and in particular its slope. While the normalization increases with redshift, we fit an unevolving and approximately linear slope. We nicely extend to lower masses the results of brighter surveys. Thanks to the large dynamic range in mass and by making use of the simulation, we analyzed any possible mass dependence of the dispersion around the MS. We find tentative evidence that the scatter decreases with increasing mass, suggesting a larger variety of star formation histories in low-mass galaxies. This trend agrees with theoretical predictions and is explained as either a consequence of the smaller number of progenitors of low-mass galaxies in a hierarchical scenario and/or of the efficient but intermittent stellar feedback processes in low-mass halos. Finally, we observe an increase in the SFR per unit stellar mass with redshift milder than predicted by theoretical models, implying a still incomplete understanding of the processes responsible for galaxy growth.

HIGH-ENERGY NEUTRINOS FROM SOURCES IN CLUSTERS OF GALAXIES

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

Fang, Ke; Olinto, Angela V.

2016-09-01

High-energy cosmic rays can be accelerated in clusters of galaxies, by mega-parsec scale shocks induced by the accretion of gas during the formation of large-scale structures, or by powerful sources harbored in clusters. Once accelerated, the highest energy particles leave the cluster via almost rectilinear trajectories, while lower energy ones can be confined by the cluster magnetic field up to cosmological time and interact with the intracluster gas. Using a realistic model of the baryon distribution and the turbulent magnetic field in clusters, we studied the propagation and hadronic interaction of high-energy protons in the intracluster medium. We report themore » cumulative cosmic-ray and neutrino spectra generated by galaxy clusters, including embedded sources, and demonstrate that clusters can contribute a significant fraction of the observed IceCube neutrinos above 30 TeV while remaining undetected in high-energy cosmic rays and γ rays for reasonable choices of parameters and source scenarios.« less

The Geometry and Origin of Ultra-diffuse Ghost Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burkert, A.

2017-04-01

The geometry and intrinsic ellipticity distribution of ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDG) is determined from the line-of-sight distribution of axial ratios q of a large sample of UDGs, detected by Koda et al. in the Coma cluster. With high significance, the data rules out an oblate, disk-like geometry, characterized by major axes a = b > c. The data is, however, in good agreement with prolate shapes, corresponding to a = b < c. This indicates that UDGs are not thickened, rotating, axisymmetric disks, puffed up by violent processes. Instead, they are anisotropic elongated cigar- or bar-like structures, similar to the prolate dwarf spheroidal galaxy population of the Local Group. The intrinsic distribution of axial ratios of the Coma UDGs is flat in the range of 0.4 ≤ a/c ≤ 0.9 with a mean value of < a/c> =0.65+/- 0.14. This might provide important constraints for theoretical models of their origin. Formation scenarios that could explain the extended prolate nature of UDGs are discussed.

Stacked Star Formation Rate Profiles of Bursty Galaxies Exhibit “Coherent” Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orr, Matthew E.; Hayward, Christopher C.; Nelson, Erica J.; Hopkins, Philip F.; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Kereš, Dušan; Chan, T. K.; Schmitz, Denise M.; Miller, Tim B.

2017-11-01

In a recent work based on 3200 stacked Hα maps of galaxies at z˜ 1, Nelson et al. find evidence for “coherent star formation”: the stacked star formation rate (SFR) profiles of galaxies above (below) the “star formation main sequence” (MS) are above (below) that of galaxies on the MS at all radii. One might interpret this result as inconsistent with highly bursty star formation and evidence that galaxies evolve smoothly along the MS rather than crossing it many times. We analyze six simulated galaxies at z˜ 1 from the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE) project in a manner analogous to the observations to test whether the above interpretations are correct. The trends in stacked SFR profiles are qualitatively consistent with those observed. However, SFR profiles of individual galaxies are much more complex than the stacked profiles: the former can be flat or even peak at large radii because of the highly clustered nature of star formation in the simulations. Moreover, the SFR profiles of individual galaxies above (below) the MS are not systematically above (below) those of MS galaxies at all radii. We conclude that the time-averaged coherent star formation evident stacks of observed galaxies is consistent with highly bursty, clumpy star formation of individual galaxies and is not evidence that galaxies evolve smoothly along the MS.

Two phase formation of massive elliptical galaxies: study through cross-correlation including spatial effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modak, Soumita; Chattopadhyay, Tanuka; Chattopadhyay, Asis Kumar

2017-11-01

Area of study is the formation mechanism of the present-day population of elliptical galaxies, in the context of hierarchical cosmological models accompanied by accretion and minor mergers. The present work investigates the formation and evolution of several components of the nearby massive early-type galaxies (ETGs) through cross-correlation function (CCF), using the spatial parameters right ascension (RA) and declination (DEC), and the intrinsic parameters mass (M_{*}) and size. According to the astrophysical terminology, here these variables, namely mass, size, RA and DEC are termed as parameters, whereas the unknown constants involved in the kernel function are called hyperparameters. Throughout this paper, the parameter size is used to represent the effective radius (Re). Following Huang et al. (2013a), each nearby ETG is divided into three parts on the basis of its Re value. We study the CCF between each of these three components of nearby massive ETGs and the ETGs in the high redshift range, 0.5< z≤ 2.7. It is found that the innermost components of nearby ETGs are highly correlated with ETGs in the redshift range, 2< z≤ 2.7, known as `red nuggets'. The intermediate and the outermost parts have moderate correlations with ETGs in the redshift range, 0.5< z≤ 0.75. The quantitative measures are highly consistent with the two phase formation scenario of nearby massive ETGs, as suggested by various authors, and resolve the conflict raised in a previous work (De et al. 2014) suggesting other possibilities for the formation of the outermost part. A probable cause of this improvement is the inclusion of the spatial effects in addition to the other parameters in the study.

KINEMATICS OF STELLAR POPULATIONS IN POSTSTARBURST GALAXIES

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

Hiner, Kyle D.; Canalizo, Gabriela, E-mail: gabriela.canalizo@ucr.edu, E-mail: khiner@astro-udec.cl

2015-01-20

Poststarburst galaxies host a population of early-type stars (A or F) but simultaneously lack indicators of ongoing star formation such as [O II] emission. Two distinct stellar populations have been identified in these systems: a young poststarburst population superimposed on an older host population. We present a study of nine poststarburst galaxies with the following objectives: (1) to investigate whether and how kinematical differences between the young and old populations of stars can be measured, and (2) to gain insight into the formation mechanism of the young population in these systems. We fit high signal-to-noise spectra with two independent populationsmore » in distinct spectral regions: the Balmer region, the Mg IB region, and the Ca triplet when available. We show that the kinematics of the two populations largely track one another if measured in the Balmer region with high signal-to-noise data. Results from examining the Faber-Jackson relation and the fundamental plane indicate that these objects are not kinematically disturbed relative to more evolved spheroids. A case study of the internal kinematics of one object in our sample shows it to be pressure supported and not rotationally dominated. Overall our results are consistent with merger-induced starburst scenarios where the young population is observed during the later stages of the merger.« less

AN OPTICAL AND X-RAY STUDY OF THE FOSSIL GROUP RX J1340.6+4018

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

Mendes de Oliveira, Claudia L.; Cypriano, Eduardo S.; Sodre, Laerte

2009-08-15

Fossil groups are systems with one single central elliptical galaxy and an unusual lack of luminous galaxies in the inner regions. The standard explanation for the formation of these systems suggests that the lack of bright galaxies is due to galactic cannibalism. In this study, we show the results of an optical and X-ray analysis of RX J1340.6+4018, the prototype fossil group. The data indicate that RX J1340.6+4018 is similar to clusters in almost every sense (dynamical mass, X-ray luminosity, M/L, and luminosity function) except for the lack of L* galaxies. There are claims in the literature that fossil systemsmore » have a lack of small mass halos, compared to predictions based on the lambda cold dark matter scenario. The observational data gathered on this and other fossil groups so far offer no support for this idea. Analysis of the SN Ia/SN II ejecta ratio in the inner and outer regions shows a marginally significant central dominance of SN Ia material. This suggests that either the merger which originated in the central galaxy was dry or the group has been formed at early epochs, although better data are needed to confirm this result.« less

Probing Reionization at z≥7 with HST's Near-Infrared Grisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borello Schmidt, Kasper

2015-08-01

The epoch of reionization, i.e. the transition of the IGM from neutral to fully ionized, is essential for our understanding of the evolution of the Universe and the formation of the first stars and galaxies. The first results at z≤ 7 suggest that the reionization happened in a patchy, rather than smooth, fashion. It is still unclear whether galaxies at z≥7 prefer a patchy reionization scenario as well. The Grism Lens-Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS) has obtained spectra of ten thousands of objects in and behind 10 massive galaxy clusters, including the six Hubble Frontier Fields. Coaming the Hubble grism spectroscopy from GLASS results in 100s of spectra of z≥7 galaxy candidates. Taking advantage of the lensing magnification from the foreground clusters, the GLASS spectra reaches unprecedented depths in the near-infrared with flux limits below 10-18 erg/s/cm2. This has resulted in several Lyα detections at z˜7, tight limits on the emission line fluxes for non-detections, and the equivalent width distribution of Lyα in the very earlier Universe. Taking advantage of the extensive spectroscopic samples of z≥7 galaxies from GLASS, I will show how these samples can give us and unprecedented view of the cosmic reionization at z≥7.

The early phase of the SMBH-galaxy coevolution in low-z "young" galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagao, Tohru

2014-01-01

It is now widely recognized that most galaxies have a supermassive black hole (SMBH) in their nucleus, and the evolution of SMBHs is closely related with that of their host galaxies (the SMBH-galaxy coevolution). This is suggested by the correlation in the mass of SMBHs and their host galaxies, that has been observed in low redshifts. However, the physics of the coevolution is totally unclear, that prevents us from complete understandings of the galaxy evolution. One possible strategy to tackle this issue is measuring the mass ratio between SMBHs and their host galaxies (M_BH/M_host) at high redshifs, since different scenarios predict different evolution of the ratio ofMBH/Mhost. However it is extremely challenging to measure the mass of the host of high-z quasars, given the faint surface brightness of the host at close to the glaring quasar nucleus. Here we propose a brand-new approach to assess the early phase of the SMBH-galaxy coevolution, by focusing on low-z AGN-hosting "young" galaxies. Specifically, we focus on some very metal-poor galaxies with broadline Balmer lines at z ~ 0.1 - 0.3. By examining the SMBH scaling relations in some low-z metal-poor AGNs through high-resolution IRCS imaging observations, we will discriminate various scenarios for the SMBH-galaxy coevolution.

STELLAR POPULATIONS AND EVOLUTION OF EARLY-TYPE CLUSTER GALAXIES: CONSTRAINTS FROM OPTICAL IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPY OF z = 0.5-0.9 GALAXY CLUSTERS

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

Jorgensen, Inger; Chiboucas, Kristin, E-mail: ijorgensen@gemini.edu, E-mail: kchiboucas@gemini.edu

2013-03-15

We present an analysis of stellar populations and evolutionary history of galaxies in three similarly rich galaxy clusters MS0451.6-0305 (z = 0.54), RXJ0152.7-1357 (z = 0.83), and RXJ1226.9+3332 (z = 0.89). Our analysis is based on high signal-to-noise ground-based optical spectroscopy and Hubble Space Telescope imaging for a total of 17-34 members in each cluster. Using the dynamical masses together with the effective radii and the velocity dispersions, we find no indication of evolution of sizes or velocity dispersions with redshift at a given galaxy mass. We establish the Fundamental Plane (FP) and scaling relations between absorption line indices andmore » velocity dispersions. We confirm that the FP is steeper at z Almost-Equal-To 0.86 compared to the low-redshift FP, indicating that under the assumption of passive evolution the formation redshift, z{sub form}, depends on the galaxy velocity dispersion (or alternatively mass). At a velocity dispersion of {sigma} = 125 km s{sup -1} (Mass = 10{sup 10.55} M{sub Sun }) we find z{sub form} = 1.24 {+-} 0.05, while at {sigma} = 225 km s{sup -1} (Mass = 10{sup 11.36} M{sub Sun }) the formation redshift is z{sub form} = 1.95{sup +0.3}{sub -0.2}, for a Salpeter initial mass function. The three clusters follow similar scaling relations between absorption line indices and velocity dispersions as those found for low-redshift galaxies. The zero point offsets for the Balmer lines depend on cluster redshifts. However, the offsets indicate a slower evolution, and therefore higher formation redshift, than the zero point differences found from the FP, if interpreting the data using a passive evolution model. Specifically, the strength of the higher order Balmer lines H{delta} and H{gamma} implies z{sub form} > 2.8. The scaling relations for the metal indices in general show small and in some cases insignificant zero point offsets, favoring high formation redshifts for a passive evolution model. Based on the absorption line indices and recent stellar population models from Thomas et al., we find that MS0451.6-0305 has a mean metallicity [M/H] approximately 0.2 dex below that of the other clusters and our low-redshift sample. We confirm our previous result that RXJ0152.7-1357 has a mean abundance ratio [{alpha}/Fe] approximately 0.3 dex higher than that of the other clusters. The differences in [M/H] and [{alpha}/Fe] between the high-redshift clusters and the low-redshift sample are inconsistent with a passive evolution scenario for early-type cluster galaxies over the redshift interval studied. Low-level star formation may be able to bring the metallicity of MS0451.6-0305 in agreement with the low-redshift sample, while we speculate whether galaxy mergers can lead to sufficiently large changes in the abundance ratios for the RXJ0152.7-1357 galaxies to allow them to reach the low-redshift sample values in the time available.« less

The red and blue galaxy populations in the GOODS field: evidence for an excess of red dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salimbeni, S.; Giallongo, E.; Menci, N.; Castellano, M.; Fontana, A.; Grazian, A.; Pentericci, L.; Trevese, D.; Cristiani, S.; Nonino, M.; Vanzella, E.

2008-01-01

Aims: We study the evolution of the galaxy population up to z˜ 3 as a function of its colour properties. In particular, luminosity functions and luminosity densities were derived as a function of redshift for the blue/late and red/early populations. Methods: We use data from the GOODS-MUSIC catalogue, which have typical magnitude limits z850≤ 26 and K_s≤ 23.5 for most of the sample. About 8% of the galaxies have spectroscopic redshifts; the remaining have well calibrated photometric redshifts derived from the extremely wide multi-wavelength coverage in 14 bands (from the U band to the Spitzer 8~ μm band). We have derived a catalogue of galaxies complete in the rest-frame B-band, which has been divided into two subsamples according to their rest-frame U-V colour (or derived specific star formation rate) properties. Results: We confirm a bimodality in the U-V colour and specific star formation rate of the galaxy sample up to z˜ 3. This bimodality is used to compute the luminosity functions of the blue/late and red/early subsamples. The luminosity functions of the blue/late and total samples are well represented by steep Schechter functions evolving in luminosity with increasing redshifts. The volume density of the luminosity functions of the red/early populations decreases with increasing redshift. The shape of the red/early luminosity functions shows an excess of faint red dwarfs with respect to the extrapolation of a flat Schechter function and can be represented by the sum of two Schechter functions. Our model for galaxy formation in the hierarchical clustering scenario, which also includes external feedback due to a diffuse UV background, shows a general broad agreement with the luminosity functions of both populations, the larger discrepancies being present at the faint end for the red population. Hints on the nature of the red dwarf population are given on the basis of their stellar mass and spatial distributions.

Molecular gas mass and star formation of 12 Virgo spiral galaxies along the ram pressure time sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Eun Jung; Kim, S.

2014-01-01

The ram pressure stripping is known as one of the most efficient mechanisms to deplete the ISM of a galaxy in the clusters of galaxies. As being affected continuously by ICM pressure, a galaxy may lose their gas that is the fuel of star formation, and consequently star formation rate would be changed. We select twelve Virgo spiral galaxies according to their stage of the ram pressure stripping event to probe possible consequences of star formation of spiral galaxies in the ram pressure and thus the evolution of galaxies in the Virgo cluster. We investigate the molecular gas properties, star formation activity, and gas depletion time along the time from the ram pressure peak. We also discussed the evolution of galaxies in the cluster.

Circumnuclear star formation in Mrk 42 mapped with Gemini Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hennig, Moiré G.; Riffel, Rogemar A.; Dors, O. L.; Riffel, Rogerio; Storchi-Bergmann, Thaisa; Colina, Luis

2018-06-01

We present Gemini Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrograph (NIFS) observations of the inner 1.5 × 1.5 kpc2 of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 42 at a spatial resolution of 60 pc and spectral resolution of 40 km s^{-1}. The emission-line flux and equivalent width maps clearly show a ring of circumnuclear star formation regions surrounding the nucleus with radius of ˜500 pc. The spectra of some of these regions show molecular absorption features which are probably of CN, TiO, or VO, indicating the presence of massive evolved stars in the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch phase. The gas kinematics of the ring is dominated by rotation in the plane of the galaxy, following the large-scale disc geometry, while at the nucleus an additional outflowing component is detected blueshifted by 300-500 km s^{-1}, relative to the systemic velocity of the galaxy. Based on the equivalent width of Br γ we find pieces of evidence of gradients in the age of H II regions along the ring of Mrk 42, favouring the pearls on a string scenario of star formation. The broad component of Pa β emission line presents a Full Width at Half Maximum of ˜1480 km s^{-1}, implying in a mass of ˜2.5 × 106 M⊙ for the central supermassive black hole. Based on emission-line ratios we conclude that besides the active galactic nucleus, Mrk 42 presents nuclear Starburst activity.

The Little Engines That Could? Globular Clusters Contribute Significantly to Reionization-era Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boylan-Kolchin, Michael

2018-06-01

Metal-poor globular clusters (GCs) are both numerous and ancient, which indicates that they may be important contributors to ionizing radiation in the reionization era. Starting from the observed number density and stellar mass function of old GCs at z = 0, I compute the contribution of GCs to ultraviolet luminosity functions (UVLFs) in the high-redshift Universe (10 ≳ z ≳ 4). Even under absolutely minimal assumptions - no disruption of GCs and no reduction in GC stellar mass from early times to the present - GC star formation contributes non-negligibly to the UVLF at luminosities that are accessible to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST; M1500 ≈ -17). If the stellar masses of GCs were significantly higher in the past, as is predicted by most models explaining GC chemical anomalies, then GCs dominate the UV emission from many galaxies in existing deep-field observations. On the other hand, it is difficult to reconcile observed UVLFs with models requiring stellar masses at birth that exceed present-day stellar masses by more than a factor of 5. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be able to directly detect individual GCs at z ˜ 6 in essentially all bright galaxies, and many galaxies below the knee of the UVLF, for most of the scenarios considered here. The properties of a subset of high-redshift sources with -19 ≲ M_{1500} ≲ -14 in HST lensing fields indicate that they may actually be GCs in formation.

Approximations to galaxy star formation rate histories: properties and uses of two examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohn, J. D.

2018-05-01

Galaxies evolve via a complex interaction of numerous different physical processes, scales and components. In spite of this, overall trends often appear. Simplified models for galaxy histories can be used to search for and capture such emergent trends, and thus to interpret and compare results of galaxy formation models to each other and to nature. Here, two approximations are applied to galaxy integrated star formation rate histories, drawn from a semi-analytic model grafted onto a dark matter simulation. Both a lognormal functional form and principal component analysis (PCA) approximate the integrated star formation rate histories fairly well. Machine learning, based upon simplified galaxy halo histories, is somewhat successful at recovering both fits. The fits to the histories give fixed time star formation rates which have notable scatter from their true final time rates, especially for quiescent and "green valley" galaxies, and more so for the PCA fit. For classifying galaxies into subfamilies sharing similar integrated histories, both approximations are better than using final stellar mass or specific star formation rate. Several subsamples from the simulation illustrate how these simple parameterizations provide points of contact for comparisons between different galaxy formation samples, or more generally, models. As a side result, the halo masses of simulated galaxies with early peak star formation rate (according to the lognormal fit) are bimodal. The galaxies with a lower halo mass at peak star formation rate appear to stall in their halo growth, even though they are central in their host halos.

The imprints of bars on the vertical stellar population gradients of galactic bulges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molaeinezhad, A.; Falcón-Barroso, J.; Martínez-Valpuesta, I.; Khosroshahi, H. G.; Vazdekis, A.; La Barbera, F.; Peletier, R. F.; Balcells, M.

2017-05-01

This is the second paper of a series aimed to study the stellar kinematics and population properties of bulges in highly inclined barred galaxies. In this work, we carry out a detailed analysis of the stellar age, metallicity and [Mg/Fe] of 28 highly inclined (I > 65°) disc galaxies, from S0 to S(B)c, observed with the SAURON integral-field spectrograph. The sample is divided into two clean samples of barred and unbarred galaxies, on the basis of the correlation between the stellar velocity and h3 profiles, as well as the level of cylindrical rotation within the bulge region. We find that while the mean stellar age, metallicity and [Mg/Fe] in the bulges of barred and unbarred galaxies are not statistically distinct, the [Mg/Fe] gradients along the minor axis (away from the disc) of barred galaxies are significantly different than those without bars. For barred galaxies, stars that are vertically further away from the mid-plane are in general more [Mg/Fe]-enhanced and thus the vertical gradients in [Mg/Fe] for barred galaxies are mostly positive, while for unbarred bulges the [Mg/Fe] profiles are typically negative or flat. This result, together with the old populations observed in the barred sample, indicates that bars are long-lasting structures, and therefore are not easily destroyed. The marked [Mg/Fe] differences with the bulges of unbarred galaxies indicate that different formation/evolution scenarios are required to explain their build-up, and emphasizes the role of bars in redistributing stellar material in the bulge-dominated regions.

Star Formation in low mass galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehta, Vihang

2018-01-01

Our current hierarchical view of the universe asserts that the large galaxies we see today grew via mergers of numerous smaller galaxies. As evidenced by recent literature, the collective impact of these low mass galaxies on the universe is more substantial than previously thought. Studying the growth and evolution of these low mass galaxies is critical to our understanding of the universe as a whole. Star formation is one of the most important ongoing processes in galaxies. Forming stars is fundamental to the growth of a galaxy. One of the main goals of my thesis is to analyze the star formation in these low mass galaxies at different redshifts.Using the Hubble UltraViolet Ultra Deep Field (UVUDF), I investigate the star formation in galaxies at the peak of the cosmic star formation history using the ultraviolet (UV) light as a star formation indicator. Particularly, I measure the UV luminosity function (LF) to probe the volume-averaged star formation properties of galaxies at these redshifts. The depth of the UVUDF is ideal for a direct measurement of the faint end slope of the UV LF. This redshift range also provides a unique opportunity to directly compare UV to the "gold standard" of star formation indicators, namely the Hα nebular emission line. A joint analysis of the UV and Hα LFs suggests that, on average, the star formation histories in low mass galaxies (~109 M⊙) are more bursty compared to their higher mass counterparts at these redshifts.Complementary to the analysis of the average star formation properties of the bulk galaxy population, I investigate the details of star formation in some very bursty galaxies at lower redshifts selected from Spitzer Large Area Survey with Hyper-Suprime Cam (SPLASH). Using a broadband color-excess selection technique, I identify a sample of low redshift galaxies with bright nebular emission lines in the Subaru-XMM Deep Field (SXDF) from the SPLASH-SXDF catalog. These galaxies are highly star forming and have extremely low masses (105-107 M⊙). They are much fainter equivalents of the "green pea" galaxies found in SDSS. These objects are followed up with HectoSpec on the MMT to confirm their redshift as well as study their star formation properties in detail.

The nuclear activity and central structure of the elliptical galaxy NGC 5322

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dullo, Bililign T.; Knapen, Johan H.; Williams, David R. A.; Beswick, Robert J.; Bendo, George; Baldi, Ranieri D.; Argo, Megan; McHardy, Ian M.; Muxlow, Tom; Westcott, J.

2018-04-01

We have analysed a new high-resolution e-MERLIN 1.5 GHz radio continuum map together with HST and SDSS imaging of NGC 5322, an elliptical galaxy hosting radio jets, aiming to understand the galaxy's central structure and its connection to the nuclear activity. We decomposed the composite HST + SDSS surface brightness profile of the galaxy into an inner stellar disc, a spheroid, and an outer stellar halo. Past works showed that this embedded disc counter-rotates rapidly with respect to the spheroid. The HST images reveal an edge-on nuclear dust disc across the centre, aligned along the major-axis of the galaxy and nearly perpendicular to the radio jets. After careful masking of this dust disc, we find a central stellar mass deficit Mdef in the spheroid, scoured by SMBH binaries with final mass MBH such that Mdef/MBH ˜ 1.3-3.4. We propose a three-phase formation scenario for NGC 5322, where a few (2-7) `dry' major mergers involving SMBHs built the spheroid with a depleted core. The cannibalism of a gas-rich satellite subsequently creates the faint counter-rotating disc and funnels gaseous material directly on to the AGN, powering the radio core with a brightness temperature of TB, core ˜ 4.5 × 107 K and the low-power radio jets (Pjets ˜ 7.04 × 1020 W Hz-1), which extend ˜1.6 kpc. The outer halo can later grow via minor mergers and the accretion of tidal debris. The low-luminosity AGN/jet-driven feedback may have quenched the late-time nuclear star formation promptly, which could otherwise have replenished the depleted core.

Discovery of the X-ray selected galaxy cluster XMMU J0338.8+0021 at z = 1.49. Indications of a young system with a brightest galaxy in formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nastasi, A.; Fassbender, R.; Böhringer, H.; Šuhada, R.; Rosati, P.; Pierini, D.; Verdugo, M.; Santos, J. S.; Schwope, A. D.; de Hoon, A.; Kohnert, J.; Lamer, G.; Mühlegger, M.; Quintana, H.

2011-08-01

We report the discovery of a galaxy cluster at z = 1.490 originally selected as an extended X-ray source in the XMM-Newton Distant Cluster Project. Further observations carried out with the VLT-FORS2 spectrograph allowed the spectroscopic confirmation of seven secure cluster members, providing a median system redshift of z = 1.490 ± 0.009. The color-magnitude diagram of XMMU J0338.8+0021 reveals the presence of a well-populated red sequence with z - H ≈ 3, albeit with an apparent significant scatter in color. Since we do not detect indications of any strong star formation activity in these objects, the color spread could represent the different stellar ages of the member galaxies. In addition, we found the brightest cluster galaxy in a very active dynamical state, with an interacting, merging companion located at a physical projected distance of d ≈ 20 kpc. From the X-ray luminosity, we estimate a cluster mass of M200 ~ 1.2 × 1014 M⊙. The data appear to be consistent with a scenario in which XMMU J0338.8+0021 is a young system, possibly caught in a moment of active ongoing mass assembly. Based on observations under programme ID 084.A-0844 collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile, and observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).Tables 1, 2 and Figs. 3-6 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Diverse Formation Mechanisms for Compact Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jin-Ah; Paudel, Sanjaya; Yoon, Suk-Jin

2018-01-01

Compact, quenched galaxies such as M32 are unusual ones located off the mass - size scaling relation defined by normal galaxies. Still, their formation mechanisms remain unsolved. Here we investigate the evolution of ~100 compact, quenched galaxies at z = 0 identified in the Illustris cosmological simulation. We identify three ways for a galaxy to become a compact one and, often, multiple mechanisms operate in a combined manner. First, stripping is responsible for making about a third of compact galaxies. Stripping removes stars from galaxies, usually while keeping their sizes intact. About one third are galaxies that cease their growth early on after entering into more massive, gigantic halos. Finally, about half of compact galaxies, ~ 35 % of which turn out to undergo stripping, experience the compaction due to the highly centrally concentrated star formation. We discuss the evolutionary path of compact galaxies on the mass – size plane for each mechanism in a broader context of dwarf galaxy formation and evolution.

A study of star formation by Hα emission of galaxies in the galaxy group NGC 4213

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maungkorn, Sakdawoot; Kriwattanawong, Wichean

2017-09-01

This research aims to study hydrogen alpha emission, corresponding to star formation of galaxies in the NGC 4213 group that has an average recession velocity of 6,821 km/s. The imaging observations with broad-band filters (B, V and RC) and narrow-band filters ([S II] and Red-continuum) were carried out from the 2.4-m reflecting telescope at Thai National Observatory (TNO). There are 11 sample galaxies in this study, consisting of 2 elliptical, 2 lenticular and 7 spiral galaxies. It was found that the late-type galaxies tend to be bluer than early-type galaxies, due to these galaxies consist of relatively high proportion of blue stars. Furthermore, the equivalent width of hydrogen alpha (EW(Hα)) tends to increase as a function of morphological type. This indicates that star formation in late-type galaxies taking place more than the early-type galaxies. Furthermore, a ratio of the star formation rate to galaxy mass also increases slightly with the galaxy type. This could be due to the interaction between galaxy-galaxy or tidal interaction occurring within the galaxy group.

Observational hints of radial migration in disc galaxies from CALIFA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz-Lara, T.; Pérez, I.; Florido, E.; Sánchez-Blázquez, P.; Méndez-Abreu, J.; Sánchez-Menguiano, L.; Sánchez, S. F.; Lyubenova, M.; Falcón-Barroso, J.; van de Ven, G.; Marino, R. A.; de Lorenzo-Cáceres, A.; Catalán-Torrecilla, C.; Costantin, L.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Galbany, L.; García-Benito, R.; Husemann, B.; Kehrig, C.; Márquez, I.; Mast, D.; Walcher, C. J.; Zibetti, S.; Ziegler, B.; Califa Team

2017-07-01

Context. According to numerical simulations, stars are not always kept at their birth galactocentric distances but they have a tendency to migrate. The importance of this radial migration in shaping galactic light distributions is still unclear. However, if radial migration is indeed important, galaxies with different surface brightness (SB) profiles must display differences in their stellar population properties. Aims: We investigate the role of radial migration in the light distribution and radial stellar content by comparing the inner colour, age, and metallicity gradients for galaxies with different SB profiles. We define these inner parts, avoiding the bulge and bar regions and up to around three disc scale lengths (type I, pure exponential) or the break radius (type II, downbending; type III, upbending). Methods: We analysed 214 spiral galaxies from the CALIFA survey covering different SB profiles. We made use of GASP2D and SDSS data to characterise the light distribution and obtain colour profiles of these spiral galaxies. The stellar age and metallicity profiles were computed using a methodology based on full-spectrum fitting techniques (pPXF, GANDALF, and STECKMAP) to the Integral Field Spectroscopic CALIFA data. Results: The distributions of the colour, stellar age, and stellar metallicity gradients in the inner parts for galaxies displaying different SB profiles are unalike as suggested by Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Anderson-Darling tests. We find a trend in which type II galaxies show the steepest profiles of all, type III show the shallowest, and type I display an intermediate behaviour. Conclusions: These results are consistent with a scenario in which radial migration is more efficient for type III galaxies than for type I systems, where type II galaxies present the lowest radial migration efficiency. In such a scenario, radial migration mixes the stellar content, thereby flattening the radial stellar properties and shaping different SB profiles. However, in light of these results we cannot further quantify the importance of radial migration in shaping spiral galaxies, and other processes, such as recent star formation or satellite accretion, might play a role. Based on observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).Table 1 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/604/A4

Probing star formation and feedback in dwarf galaxies. Integral field view of the blue compact galaxy Tololo 1937-423

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cairós, L. M.; González-Pérez, J. N.

2017-12-01

Context. Blue compact galaxies (BCG) are gas-rich, low-mass, small systems that form stars at unusually high rates. This makes them excellent laboratories for investigating the process of star-formation (SF) at galactic scales and the effects of massive stellar feedback on the interstellar (and intergalactic) medium. Aims: We analyzed the BCG Tololo 1937-423 using optical integral field spectroscopy to probe its morphology, stellar content, nebular excitation and ionization properties, and the kinematics of its warm ionized gas. Methods: Tololo 1937-423 was observed with the Visible Multi-Object Spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope. We took data in the wavelength range 4150-7400 Å, covering a field of view of 27″× 27″ on the sky with a spatial sampling of 0.̋67. From these data we built maps in the continuum and brighter emission lines, diagnostic line ratio maps, and velocity dispersion fields. We also generated the integrated spectrum of the main H II regions and young stellar clusters to determine reliable physical parameters and oxygen abundances. Results: We found that Tololo 1937-423 is currently undergoing an extended starburst. In the Hα maps we identified nine major clumps, aligned mostly northeast-southwest, and stretching to galactocentric distances ≥2 kpc. The galaxy presents a single continuum peak that is not cospatial with any knot in emission lines, indicating at least two relatively recent episodes of SF. The inhomogeneous dust distribution reachs its maximum (E(B-V) 0.97) roughly at the position of the continuum peak. We found shocked regions in the galaxy outer regions and at the edges of the SF knots. The oxygen abundance, 12 + log(O/H) 8.20 ± 0.1, is similar in all the SF regions, suggesting a chemically homogeneous ionized interstellar medium over spatial scales of several kpc. The ionized gas kinematics displays an overall regular rotation around a northwest-southeast axis, with a maximum velocity of 70 ± 7 km s-1. Conclusions: The morphology of the galaxy and the two different episodes of SF suggest a scenario of triggered (induced by supernova shock waves) SF acting in Tololo 1937-423. The inferred ages for the different SF episodes ( 13-80 Myr for the central post-starburst and 5-7 Myr for the ongoing SF) are consistent with triggered SF, with the most recent SF episode caused by the collective effect of stellar winds and supernova explosions from the central post-starburst. The velocity dispersion pattern, with higher velocity dispersions found at the edges of the SF regions, and shocked regions in the galaxy, also favor this scenario. Based on observations made with ESO Telescopes at Paranal Observatory under programme ID 079.B-0445.

Connecting the Cosmic Star Formation Rate with the Local Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gribel, Carolina; Miranda, Oswaldo D.; Williams Vilas-Boas, José

2017-11-01

We present a model that unifies the cosmic star formation rate (CSFR), obtained through the hierarchical structure formation scenario, with the (Galactic) local star formation rate (SFR). It is possible to use the SFR to generate a CSFR mapping through the density probability distribution functions commonly used to study the role of turbulence in the star-forming regions of the Galaxy. We obtain a consistent mapping from redshift z˜ 20 up to the present (z = 0). Our results show that the turbulence exhibits a dual character, providing high values for the star formation efficiency (< \\varepsilon > ˜ 0.32) in the redshift interval z˜ 3.5{--}20 and reducing its value to < \\varepsilon > =0.021 at z = 0. The value of the Mach number ({{ M }}{crit}), from which < \\varepsilon > rapidly decreases, is dependent on both the polytropic index (Γ) and the minimum density contrast of the gas. We also derive Larson’s first law associated with the velocity dispersion (< {V}{rms}> ) in the local star formation regions. Our model shows good agreement with Larson’s law in the ˜ 10{--}50 {pc} range, providing typical temperatures {T}0˜ 10{--}80 {{K}} for the gas associated with star formation. As a consequence, dark matter halos of great mass could contain a number of halos of much smaller mass, and be able to form structures similar to globular clusters. Thus, Larson’s law emerges as a result of the very formation of large-scale structures, which in turn would allow the formation of galactic systems, including our Galaxy.

Bar quenching in gas-rich galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khoperskov, S.; Haywood, M.; Di Matteo, P.; Lehnert, M. D.; Combes, F.

2018-01-01

Galaxy surveys have suggested that rapid and sustained decrease in the star-formation rate (SFR), "quenching", in massive disk galaxies is frequently related to the presence of a bar. Optical and near-IR observations reveal that nearly 60% of disk galaxies in the local universe are barred, thus it is important to understand the relationship between bars and star formation in disk galaxies. Recent observational results imply that the Milky Way quenched about 9-10 Gyr ago, at the transition between the cessation of the growth of the kinematically hot, old, metal-poor thick disk and the kinematically colder, younger, and more metal-rich thin disk. Although perhaps coincidental, the quenching episode could also be related to the formation of the bar. Indeed the transfer of energy from the large-scale shear induced by the bar to increasing turbulent energy could stabilize the gaseous disk against wide-spread star formation and quench the galaxy. To explore the relation between bar formation and star formation in gas rich galaxies quantitatively, we simulated gas-rich disk isolated galaxies. Our simulations include prescriptions for star formation, stellar feedback, and for regulating the multi-phase interstellar medium. We find that the action of stellar bar efficiently quenches star formation, reducing the star-formation rate by a factor of ten in less than 1 Gyr. Analytical and self-consistent galaxy simulations with bars suggest that the action of the stellar bar increases the gas random motions within the co-rotation radius of the bar. Indeed, we detect an increase in the gas velocity dispersion up to 20-35 km s-1 at the end of the bar formation phase. The star-formation efficiency decreases rapidly, and in all of our models, the bar quenches the star formation in the galaxy. The star-formation efficiency is much lower in simulated barred compared to unbarred galaxies and more rapid bar formation implies more rapid quenching.

Prospects of the "WSO-UV" Project for Star Formation Study in Nearby Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makarova, L. N.; Makarov, D. I.

2017-12-01

In the present work we consider the questions of star formation and evolution of nearby dwarf galaxies. We describe the method of star formation history determination based on multicolor photometry of resolved stars and models of color-magnitude diagrams of the galaxies. We present the results of star formation rate determination and its dependence on age and metallicity for dwarf irregular and dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the two nearby galaxy groups M81 and Cen A. Similar age of the last episode of star formation in the central part of the M81 group and also unusually high level of metal enrichment in the several galaxies of the Cen A group are mentioned. We pay special attention to the consideration of perspectives of star formation study in nearby dwarf galaxies with he new WSO-UV observatory.

Galaxy mergers and gravitational lens statistics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rix, Hans-Walter; Maoz, Dan; Turner, Edwin L.; Fukugita, Masataka

1994-01-01

We investigate the impact of hierarchical galaxy merging on the statistics of gravitational lensing of distant sources. Since no definite theoretical predictions for the merging history of luminous galaxies exist, we adopt a parameterized prescription, which allows us to adjust the expected number of pieces comprising a typical present galaxy at z approximately 0.65. The existence of global parameter relations for elliptical galaxies and constraints on the evolution of the phase space density in dissipationless mergers, allow us to limit the possible evolution of galaxy lens properties under merging. We draw two lessons from implementing this lens evolution into statistical lens calculations: (1) The total optical depth to multiple imaging (e.g., of quasars) is quite insensitive to merging. (2) Merging leads to a smaller mean separation of observed multiple images. Because merging does not reduce drastically the expected lensing frequency, it cannot make lambda-dominated cosmologies compatible with the existing lensing observations. A comparison with the data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Snapshot Survey shows that models with little or no evolution of the lens population are statistically favored over strong merging scenarios. A specific merging scenario proposed to Toomre can be rejected (95% level) by such a comparison. Some versions of the scenario proposed by Broadhurst, Ellis, & Glazebrook are statistically acceptable.

Hunting a wandering supermassive black hole in the M31 halo hermitage

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

Miki, Yohei; Mori, Masao; Kawaguchi, Toshihiro

2014-03-10

In the hierarchical structure formation scenario, galaxies enlarge through multiple merging events with less massive galaxies. In addition, the Magorrian relation indicates that almost all galaxies are occupied by a central supermassive black hole (SMBH) of mass 10{sup –3} times the mass of its spheroidal component. Consequently, SMBHs are expected to wander in the halos of their host galaxies following a galaxy collision, although evidence of this activity is currently lacking. We investigate a current plausible location of an SMBH wandering in the halo of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). According to theoretical studies of N-body simulations, some of the manymore » substructures in the M31 halo are remnants of a minor merger occurring about 1 Gyr ago. First, to evaluate the possible parameter space of the infalling orbit of the progenitor, we perform numerous parameter studies using a graphics processing unit cluster. To reduce uncertainties in the predicted position of the expected SMBH, we then calculate the time evolution of the SMBH in the progenitor dwarf galaxy from N-body simulations using the plausible parameter sets. Our results show that the SMBH lies within the halo (∼20-50 kpc from the M31 center), closer to the Milky Way than the M31 disk. Furthermore, the predicted current positions of the SMBH were restricted to an observational field of 0.°6 × 0.°7 in the northeast region of the M31 halo. We also discuss the origin of the infalling orbit of the satellite galaxy and its relationships with the recently discovered vast thin disk plane of satellite galaxies around M31.« less

A model for the origin of bursty star formation in galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André

2018-01-01

We propose a simple analytic model to understand when star formation is time steady versus bursty in galaxies. Recent models explain the observed Kennicutt-Schmidt relation between star formation rate and gas surface densities in galaxies as resulting from a balance between stellar feedback and gravity. We argue that bursty star formation occurs when such an equilibrium cannot be stably sustained, and identify two regimes in which galaxy-scale star formation should be bursty: (i) at high redshift (z ≳ 1) for galaxies of all masses, and (ii) at low masses (depending on gas fraction) for galaxies at any redshift. At high redshift, characteristic galactic dynamical time-scales become too short for supernova feedback to effectively respond to gravitational collapse in galactic discs (an effect recently identified for galactic nuclei), whereas in dwarf galaxies star formation occurs in too few bright star-forming regions to effectively average out. Burstiness is also enhanced at high redshift owing to elevated gas fractions in the early Universe. Our model can thus explain the bursty star formation rates predicted in these regimes by recent high-resolution galaxy formation simulations, as well as the bursty star formation histories observationally inferred in both local dwarf and high-redshift galaxies. In our model, bursty star formation is associated with particularly strong spatiotemporal clustering of supernovae. Such clustering can promote the formation of galactic winds and our model may thus also explain the much higher wind mass loading factors inferred in high-redshift massive galaxies relative to their z ∼ 0 counterparts.

Quenching of Star-formation Activity of High-redshift Galaxies in Cluster and Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Seong-Kook; Im, Myungshin; Kim, Jae-Woo; Lotz, Jennifer; McPartland, Conor; Peth, Michael; Koekemoer, Anton M.

2015-08-01

How the galaxy evolution differs at different environment is one of intriguing questions in the study of structure formation. At local, galaxy properties are well known to be clearly different in different environments. However, it is still an open question how this environment-dependent trend has been shaped.In this presentation, we will present the results of our investigation about the evolution of star-formation properties of galaxies over a wide redshift range, from z~ 2 to z~0.5, focusing its dependence on their stellar mass and environment. In the UKIDSS/UDS region, covering ~2800 arcmin2, we estimated photometric redshifts and stellar population properties, such as stellar masses and star-formation rates, using the deep optical and near-infrared data available in this field. Then, we identified galaxy cluster candidates within the given redshift range.Through the analysis and comparison of star-formation (SF) properties of galaxies in clusters and in field, we found interesting results regarding the evolution of SF properties of galaxies: (1) regardless of redshifts, stellar mass is a key parameter controlling quenching of star formation in galaxies; (2) At z<1, environmental effects become important at quenching star formation regardless of stellar mass of galaxies; and (3) However, the result of the environmental quenching is prominent only for low mass galaxies (M* < 1010 M⊙) since the star formation in most of high mass galaxies are already quenched at z > 1.

Quenching of Star-formation Activity of High-redshift Galaxies in Clusters and Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Seong-Kook; Im, Myungshin; Kim, Jae-Woo; Lotz, Jennifer; McPartland, Conor; Peth, Michael; Koekemoer, Anton

At local, galaxy properties are well known to be clearly different in different environments. However, it is still an open question how this environment-dependent trend has been shaped. We present the results of our investigation about the evolution of star-formation properties of galaxies over a wide redshift range, from z ~ 2 to z ~ 0.5, focusing its dependence on their stellar mass and environment (Lee et al. 2015). In the UKIDSS/UDS region, covering ~2800 square arcmin, we estimated photometric redshifts and stellar population properties, such as stellar masses and star-formation rates, using the deep optical and near-infrared data available in this field. Then, we identified galaxy cluster candidates within the given redshift range. Through the analysis and comparison of star-formation (SF) properties of galaxies in clusters and in field, we found interesting results regarding the evolution of SF properties of galaxies: (1) regardless of redshifts, stellar mass is a key parameter controlling quenching of star formation in galaxies; (2) At z < 1, environmental effects become important at quenching star formation regardless of stellar mass of galaxies; and (3) However, the result of the environmental quenching is prominent only for low mass galaxies (M* < 1010 M⊙) since the star formation in most of high mass galaxies are already quenched at z > 1.

CHARACTERIZING THE STAR FORMATION OF THE LOW-MASS SHIELD GALAXIES FROM HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE IMAGING

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

McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Simones, Jacob E.

The Survey of Hi in Extremely Low-mass Dwarfs is an on-going multi-wavelength program to characterize the gas, star formation, and evolution in gas-rich, very low-mass galaxies that populate the faint end of the galaxy luminosity function. The galaxies were selected from the first ∼10% of the Hi Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA survey based on their low Hi mass and low baryonic mass. Here, we measure the star formation properties from optically resolved stellar populations for 12 galaxies using a color–magnitude diagram fitting technique. We derive lifetime average star formation rates (SFRs), recent SFRs, stellar masses, and gas fractions. Overall, themore » recent SFRs are comparable to the lifetime SFRs with mean birthrate parameter of 1.4, with a surprisingly narrow standard deviation of 0.7. Two galaxies are classified as dwarf transition galaxies (dTrans). These dTrans systems have star formation and gas properties consistent with the rest of the sample, in agreement with previous results that some dTrans galaxies may simply be low-luminosity dwarf irregulars. We do not find a correlation between the recent star formation activity and the distance to the nearest neighboring galaxy, suggesting that the star formation process is not driven by gravitational interactions, but regulated internally. Further, we find a broadening in the star formation and gas properties (i.e., specific SFRs, stellar masses, and gas fractions) compared to the generally tight correlation found in more massive galaxies. Overall, the star formation and gas properties indicate these very low-mass galaxies host a fluctuating, non-deterministic, and inefficient star formation process.« less

Star formation in simulated galaxies: understanding the transition to quiescence at 3 × 1010 M⊙

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Philip; Federrath, Christoph; Kobayashi, Chiaki

2017-08-01

Star formation in galaxies relies on the availability of cold, dense gas, which, in turn, relies on factors internal and external to the galaxies. In order to provide a simple model for how star formation is regulated by various physical processes in galaxies, we analyse data at redshift z = 0 from a hydrodynamical cosmological simulation that includes prescriptions for star formation and stellar evolution, active galactic nuclei, and their associated feedback processes. This model can determine the star formation rate (SFR) as a function of galaxy stellar mass, gas mass, black hole mass, and environment. We find that gas mass is the most important quantity controlling star formation in low-mass galaxies, and star-forming galaxies in dense environments have higher SFR than their counterparts in the field. In high-mass galaxies, we find that black holes more massive than ˜ 107.5 M⊙ can be triggered to quench star formation in their host; this mass scale is emergent in our simulations. Furthermore, this black hole mass corresponds to a galaxy bulge mass ˜ 2 × 1010 M⊙, consistent with the mass at which galaxies start to become dominated by early types ( ˜ 3 × 1010 M⊙, as previously shown in observations by Kauffmann et al.). Finally, we demonstrate that our model can reproduce well the SFR measured from observations of galaxies in the Galaxy And Mass Assembly and Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA surveys.

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

Hidalgo, Sebastian L.; Aparicio, Antonio; MartInez-Delgado, David

We present the star formation history (SFH) and its variations with galactocentric distance for the Local Group dwarf galaxy of Phoenix. They have been derived from a (F555W, F814W) color-magnitude diagram obtained from WFPC2-HST data, which reaches the oldest main-sequence turnoffs. The IAC-star and IAC-pop codes and the MinnIAC suite have been used to obtain the star formation rate as a function of time and metallicity, psi(t, z). We find that Phoenix has had ongoing but gradually decreasing star formation over nearly a Hubble time. The highest level of star formation occurred from the formation of the galaxy till 10.5more » Gyr ago, when 50% of the total star formation had already taken place. From that moment, star formation continues at a significant level until 6 Gyr ago (an additional 35% of the stars are formed in this time interval), and at a very low level till the present time. The chemical enrichment law shows a trend of slowly increasing metallicity as a function of time until 6-8 Gyr ago, when metallicity starts to increase steeply to the current value. We have paid particular attention to the study of the variations of the SFH as a function of radius. Young stars are found in the inner region of the galaxy only, but intermediate-age and old stars can be found at all galactocentric distances. The distribution of mass density in alive stars and its evolution with time has been studied. This study shows that star formation started at all galactocentric distances in Phoenix at an early epoch. If stars form in situ in Phoenix, the star formation onset took place all over the galaxy (up to a distance of about 400 pc from the center), but preferentially out of center regions. After that, our results are compatible with a scenario in which the star formation region envelope slowly shrinks as time goes on, possibly as a natural result of pressure support reduction as gas supply diminishes. As a consequence, the star formation stopped first (about 7-8 Gyr ago) in outer regions and the scale length of the stellar mass density distribution decreased with time. Finally, no traces of a true, old halo are apparent in Phoenix either in its stellar age distribution or in the stellar mass density distribution, at least out to 0.5 kpc (about 2.5 scale length) from the center.« less

Galaxy Morphology Revealed By SDSS: Blue Elliptical Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ann, Hong Bae

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) reveals many new features of galaxy morphologies. Among others, the discovery of blue elliptical galaxies provides some insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies. There seems to be two types of blue elliptical galaxies. One type shows globally blue colors suggesting star formations over the entire galaxy whereas the other type shows blue core that indicates enhanced star formation in the nuclear regions. The former seems to be currently forming galaxies, while the latter is thought to be in transition stage from the blue cloud to the red sequence due to AGN feedback.

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.

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

GRB 980425 host: [C II], [O I], and CO lines reveal recent enhancement of star formation due to atomic gas inflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michałowski, M. J.; Castro Cerón, J. M.; Wardlow, J. L.; Karska, A.; Messias, H.; van der Werf, P.; Hunt, L. K.; Baes, M.; Castro-Tirado, A. J.; Gentile, G.; Hjorth, J.; Le Floc'h, E.; Pérez-Martínez, R.; Nicuesa Guelbenzu, A.; Rasmussen, J.; Rizzo, J. R.; Rossi, A.; Sánchez-Portal, M.; Schady, P.; Sollerman, J.; Xu, D.

2016-11-01

Context. Accretion of gas from the intergalactic medium is required to fuel star formation in galaxies. We have recently suggested that this process can be studied using host galaxies of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Aims: Our aim is to test this possibility by studying in detail the properties of gas in the closest galaxy hosting a GRB (980425). Methods: We obtained the first ever far-infrared (FIR) line observations of a GRB host, namely Herschel/PACS resolved [C II] 158 μm and [O I] 63 μm spectroscopy, and an APEX/SHeFI CO(2-1) line detection and ALMA CO(1-0) observations of the GRB 980425 host. Results: The GRB 980425 host has elevated [C II]/FIR and [O I]/FIR ratios and higher values of star formation rates (SFR) derived from line ([C II], [O I], Hα) than from continuum (UV, IR, radio) indicators. [C II] emission exhibits a normal morphology, peaking at the galaxy centre, whereas [O I] is concentrated close to the GRB position and the nearby Wolf-Rayet region. The high [O I] flux indicates that there is high radiation field and high gas density at these positions, as derived from modelling of photo-dissociation regions. The [C II]/CO luminosity ratio of the GRB 980425 host is close to the highest values found for local star-forming galaxies. Indeed, its CO-derived molecular gas mass is low given its SFR and metallicity, but the [C II]-derived molecular gas mass is close to the expected value. Conclusions: The [O I] and H I concentrations and the high radiation field and density close to the GRB position are consistent with the hypothesis of a very recent (at most a few tens of Myr ago) inflow of atomic gas triggering star formation. In this scenario dust has not had time to build up (explaining high line-to-continuum ratios). Such a recent enhancement of star formation activity would indeed manifest itself in high SFRline/SFRcontinuum ratios because the line indicators are sensitive only to recent (≲10 Myr) activity, whereas the continuum indicators measure the SFR averaged over much longer periods ( 100 Myr). Within a sample of 32 other GRB hosts, 20 exhibit SFRline/SFRcontinuum> 1 with a mean ratio of 1.74 ± 0.32. This is consistent with a very recent enhancement of star formation that is common among GRB hosts, so galaxies that have recently experienced inflow of gas may preferentially host stars exploding as GRBs. Therefore GRBs may be used to select a unique sample of galaxies that is suitable for the investigation of recent gas accretion. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.

Star-Formation Histories of MUSCEL Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Jason; Kuzio de Naray, Rachel; Xuesong Wang, Sharon

2018-01-01

The MUSCEL program (MUltiwavelength observations of the Structure, Chemistry and Evolution of LSB galaxies) uses combined ground-based/space-based data to determine the spatially resolved star-formation histories of low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies. LSB galaxies are paradoxical in that they are gas rich but have low star-formation rates. Here we present our observations and fitting technique, and the derived histories for select MUSCEL galaxies. It is our aim to use these histories in tandem with velocity fields and metallicity profiles to determine the physical mechanism(s) that give these faint galaxies low star-formation rates despite ample gas supplies.

The dark nemesis of galaxy formation: why hot haloes trigger black hole growth and bring star formation to an end

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bower, Richard G.; Schaye, Joop; Frenk, Carlos S.; Theuns, Tom; Schaller, Matthieu; Crain, Robert A.; McAlpine, Stuart

2017-02-01

Galaxies fall into two clearly distinct types: `blue-sequence' galaxies which are rapidly forming young stars, and `red-sequence' galaxies in which star formation has almost completely ceased. Most galaxies more massive than 3 × 1010 M⊙ follow the red sequence, while less massive central galaxies lie on the blue sequence. We show that these sequences are created by a competition between star formation-driven outflows and gas accretion on to the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's centre. We develop a simple analytic model for this interaction. In galaxies less massive than 3 × 1010 M⊙, young stars and supernovae drive a high-entropy outflow which is more buoyant than any tenuous corona. The outflow balances the rate of gas inflow, preventing high gas densities building up in the central regions. More massive galaxies, however, are surrounded by an increasingly hot corona. Above a halo mass of ˜1012 M⊙, the outflow ceases to be buoyant and star formation is unable to prevent the build-up of gas in the central regions. This triggers a strongly non-linear response from the black hole. Its accretion rate rises rapidly, heating the galaxy's corona, disrupting the incoming supply of cool gas and starving the galaxy of the fuel for star formation. The host galaxy makes a transition to the red sequence, and further growth predominantly occurs through galaxy mergers. We show that the analytic model provides a good description of galaxy evolution in the EAGLE hydrodynamic simulations. So long as star formation-driven outflows are present, the transition mass scale is almost independent of subgrid parameter choice.

Dusty Star Forming Galaxies and Supermassive Black Holes at High Redshifts: In- Situ Coevolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancuso, Claudia

2016-10-01

We have exploited the continuity equation approach and the star-formation timescales derived from the observed 'main sequence' relation (Star Formation Rate vs Stellar Mass), to show that the observed high abundance of galaxies with stellar masses ≥ a few 10^10 M⊙ at redshift z ≥ 4 implies the existence of a galaxy population featuring large star formation rates (SFRs) ψ ≥ 10^2 M⊙ yr^-1 in heavily dust-obscured conditions. These galaxies constitute the high-redshift counterparts of the dusty star-forming population already surveyed for z ≤ 3 in the Far-InfraRed (FIR) band by the Herschel space observatory. We work out specific predictions for the evolution of the corresponding stellar mass and SFR functions out to z ∼10, elucidating that the number density at z ≤ 8 for SFRs ψ ≥ 30 M⊙ yr^-1 cannot be estimated relying on the UltraViolet (UV) luminosity function alone, even when standard corrections for dust extinction based on the UV slope are applied. We compute the number counts and redshift distributions (including galaxy-scale gravitational lensing) of this galaxy population, and show that current data from AzTEC-LABOCA, SCUBA-2 and ALMA-SPT surveys are already digging into it. We substantiate how an observational strategy based on a color preselection in the far-IR or (sub-)mm band with Herschel and SCUBA-2, supplemented by photometric data via on-source observations with ALMA, can allow to reconstruct the bright end of the SFR functions out to z ≤ 8. In parallel, such a challenging task can be managed by exploiting current UV surveys in combination with (sub-)mm observations by ALMA and NIKA2. The same could be done with radio observations by SKA and its precursors. In particular we have worked out predictions for the radio counts of star-forming galaxies down to nJy levels, along with redshift distributions down to the detection limits of the phase 1 Square Kilometer Array MID telescope (SKA1-MID) and of its precursors. To do that we exploited our SFR functions with relations between SFR and radio (synchrotron and free-free) emission. Our results show that the deepest SKA1- MID surveys will detect high-z galaxies with SFRs two orders of magnitude lower compared to Herschel surveys. The highest redshift tails of the distributions at the detection limits of planned SKA1-MID surveys comprise a substantial fraction of strongly lensed galaxies. The SKA1-MID will thus provide a comprehensive view of the star formation history throughout the re-ionization epoch, unaffected by dust extinction. We have also provided specific predictions for the EMU/ASKAP and MIGHTEE/MeerKAT surveys. We finally provide a novel, unifying physical interpretation on the origin, the average shape, the scatter, and the cosmic evolution for the main sequences (MS) of star-forming galaxies and active galactic nuclei at high redshift z ≥ 1. We achieve this goal in a model-independent way by exploiting the redshift-dependent SFR functions, and the deterministic evolutionary tracks for the history of star formation and black hole accretion, gauged on a wealth of multiwavelength observations including the observed Eddington ratio distribution. We further validate these ingredients by showing their consistency with the observed galaxy stellar mass functions and active galactic nucleus (AGN) bolometric luminosity functions at different redshifts via, again, the continuity equation approach. Our analysis of the main sequence for high-redshift galaxies and AGNs highlights that the present data strongly support a scenario of in situ coevolution for star formation and black hole accretion, envisaging these as local, time coordinated processes.

Extragalactic gamma-ray background from AGN winds and star-forming galaxies in cosmological galaxy-formation models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamastra, A.; Menci, N.; Fiore, F.; Antonelli, L. A.; Colafrancesco, S.; Guetta, D.; Stamerra, A.

2017-10-01

We derive the contribution to the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB) from active galactic nuclei (AGN) winds and star-forming galaxies by including a physical model for the γ-ray emission produced by relativistic protons accelerated by AGN-driven and supernova-driven shocks into a state-of-the-art semi-analytic model of galaxy formation. This is based on galaxy interactions as triggers of AGN accretion and starburst activity and on expanding blast waves as the mechanism to communicate outwards the energy injected into the interstellar medium by the active nucleus. We compare the model predictions with the latest measurement of the EGB spectrum performed by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (Fermi) in the range between 100 MeV and 820 GeV. We find that AGN winds can provide 35 ± 15% of the observed EGB in the energy interval Eγ = 0.1-1 GeV, for 73 ± 15% at Eγ = 1-10 GeV, and for 60 ± 20% at Eγ ≳10 GeV. The AGN wind contribution to the EGB is predicted to be larger by a factor of 3-5 than that provided by star-forming galaxies (quiescent plus starburst) in the hierarchical clustering scenario. The cumulative γ-ray emission from AGN winds and blazars can account for the amplitude and spectral shape of the EGB, assuming the standard acceleration theory, and AGN wind parameters that agree with observations. We also compare the model prediction for the cumulative neutrino background from AGN winds with the most recent IceCube data. We find that for AGN winds with accelerated proton spectral index p = 2.2-2.3, and taking into account internal absorption of γ-rays, the Fermi-LAT and IceCube data could be reproduced simultaneously.

The Origin of Stellar Species: constraining stellar evolution scenarios with Local Group galaxy surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarbadhicary, Sumit; Badenes, Carles; Chomiuk, Laura; Maldonado, Jessica; Caprioli, Damiano; Heger, Mairead; Huizenga, Daniel

2018-01-01

Our understanding of the progenitors of many stellar species, such as supernovae, massive and low-mass He-burning stars, is limited because of many poorly constrained aspects of stellar evolution theory. For my dissertation, I have focused on using Local Group galaxy surveys to constrain stellar evolution scenarios by measuring delay-time distributions (DTD). The DTD is the hypothetical occurrence rate of a stellar object per elapsed time after a brief burst of star formation. It is the measured distribution of timescales on which stars evolve, and therefore serves as a powerful observational constraint on theoretical progenitor models. The DTD can be measured from a survey of stellar objects and a set of star-formation histories of the host galaxy, and is particularly effective in the Local Group, where high-quality star-formation histories are available from resolved stellar populations. I am currently calculating a SN DTD with supernova remnants (SNRs) in order to provide the strongest constraints on the progenitors of thermonuclear and core-collapse supernovae. However, most SNRs do not have reliable age measurements and their evolution depends on the ambient environment. For this reason, I wrote a radio light curve model of an SNR population to extract the visibility times and rates of supernovae - crucial ingredients for the DTD - from an SNR survey. The model uses observational constraints on the local environments from multi-wavelength surveys, accounts for missing SNRs and employs the latest models of shock-driven particle acceleration. The final calculation of the SN DTD in the Local Group is awaiting completion of a systematic SNR catalog from deep radio-continuum images, now in preparation by a group led by Dr. Laura Chomiuk. I have also calculated DTDs for the LMC population of RR Lyrae and Cepheid variables, which serve as important distance calibrators and stellar population tracers. We find that Cepheids can have delay-times between 10 Myrs - 1 Gyr, while RR Lyrae can have delay-times < 10 Gyrs. These observations cannot be explained by models using mass and metallicity alone. In future projects, I will apply the DTD technique to constrain the supergiant and pre-supernova evolutionary models.

The Star Formation Histories of Disk Galaxies: The Live, the Dead, and the Undead

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

Oemler, Augustus Jr; Dressler, Alan; Abramson, Louis E.

We reexamine the properties of local galaxy populations using published surveys of star formation, structure, and gas content. After recalibrating star formation measures, we are able to reliably measure specific star formation rates well below that of the so-called “main sequence” of star formation versus mass. We find an unexpectedly large population of quiescent galaxies with star formation rates intermediate between the main sequence and passive populations and with disproportionately high star formation rates. We demonstrate that a tight main sequence is a natural outcome of most histories of star formation and has little astrophysical significance but that the quiescentmore » population requires additional astrophysics to explain its properties. Using a simple model for disk evolution based on the observed dependence of star formation on gas content in local galaxies, and assuming simple histories of cold gas inflow, we show that the evolution of galaxies away from the main sequence can be attributed to the depletion of gas due to star formation after a cutoff of gas inflow. The quiescent population is composed of galaxies in which the density of disk gas has fallen below a threshold for star formation probably set by disk stability. The evolution of galaxies beyond the quiescent state to gas exhaustion and the end of star formation requires another process, probably wind-driven mass loss. The environmental dependence of the three galaxy populations is consistent with recent numerical modeling, which indicates that cold gas inflows into galaxies are truncated at earlier epochs in denser environments.« less

The Cosmological Impact of Luminous TeV Blazars. III. Implications for Galaxy Clusters and the Formation of Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfrommer, Christoph; Chang, Philip; Broderick, Avery E.

2012-06-01

A subset of blazars are powerful TeV emitters, dominating the extragalactic component of the very high energy gamma-ray universe (E >~ 100 GeV). These TeV gamma rays generate ultrarelativistic electron-positron pairs via pair production with the extragalactic background light. While it has generally been assumed that the kinetic energy of these pairs cascades to GeV gamma rays via inverse Compton scattering, we have argued in Broderick et al. (Paper I in this series) that plasma beam instabilities are capable of dissipating the pairs' energy locally on timescales short in comparison to the inverse Compton cooling time, heating the intergalactic medium (IGM) with a rate that is independent of density. This dramatically increases the entropy of the IGM after redshift z ~ 2, with a number of important implications for structure formation: (1) this suggests a scenario for the origin of the cool core (CC)/non-cool core (NCC) bimodality in galaxy clusters and groups. Early-forming galaxy groups are unaffected because they can efficiently radiate the additional entropy, developing a CC. However, late-forming groups do not have sufficient time to cool before the entropy is gravitationally reprocessed through successive mergers—counteracting cooling and potentially raising the core entropy further. This may result in a population of X-ray dim groups/clusters, consistent with X-ray stacking analyses of optically selected samples. Hence, blazar heating works differently than feedback by active galactic nuclei, which we show can balance radiative cooling but is unable to transform CC into NCC clusters on the buoyancy timescale due to the weak coupling between the mechanical energy to the cluster gas. (2) We predict a suppression of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) power spectrum template on angular scales smaller than 5' due to the globally reduced central pressure of groups and clusters forming after z ~ 1. This allows for a larger rms amplitude of the density power spectrum, σ8, and may reconcile SZ-inferred values with those by other cosmological probes even after allowing for a contribution due to patchy reionization. (3) Our redshift-dependent entropy floor increases the characteristic halo mass below which dwarf galaxies cannot form by a factor of approximately 10 (50) at mean density (in voids) over that found in models that include photoionization alone. This prevents the formation of late-forming dwarf galaxies (z <~ 2) with masses ranging from 1010 to 1011 M ⊙ for redshifts z ~ 2 to 0, respectively. This may help resolve the "missing satellite problem" in the Milky Way of the low observed abundances of dwarf satellites compared to cold dark matter simulations and may bring the observed early star formation histories into agreement with galaxy formation models. At the same time, it explains the "void phenomenon" by suppressing the formation of galaxies within existing dwarf halos of masses <3 × 1010 M ⊙ with a maximum circular velocity <60 km s-1 for z <~ 2, hence reconciling the number of dwarfs in low-density regions in simulations and the paucity of those in observations.

Inflow, Outflow, Yields, and Stellar Population Mixing in Chemical Evolution Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, Brett H.; Weinberg, David H.; Schönrich, Ralph; Johnson, Jennifer A.

2017-02-01

Chemical evolution models are powerful tools for interpreting stellar abundance surveys and understanding galaxy evolution. However, their predictions depend heavily on the treatment of inflow, outflow, star formation efficiency (SFE), the stellar initial mass function, the SN Ia delay time distribution, stellar yields, and stellar population mixing. Using flexCE, a flexible one-zone chemical evolution code, we investigate the effects of and trade-offs between parameters. Two critical parameters are SFE and the outflow mass-loading parameter, which shift the knee in [O/Fe]-[Fe/H] and the equilibrium abundances that the simulations asymptotically approach, respectively. One-zone models with simple star formation histories follow narrow tracks in [O/Fe]-[Fe/H] unlike the observed bimodality (separate high-α and low-α sequences) in this plane. A mix of one-zone models with inflow timescale and outflow mass-loading parameter variations, motivated by the inside-out galaxy formation scenario with radial mixing, reproduces the two sequences better than a one-zone model with two infall epochs. We present [X/Fe]-[Fe/H] tracks for 20 elements assuming three different supernova yield models and find some significant discrepancies with solar neighborhood observations, especially for elements with strongly metallicity-dependent yields. We apply principal component abundance analysis to the simulations and existing data to reveal the main correlations among abundances and quantify their contributions to variation in abundance space. For the stellar population mixing scenario, the abundances of α-elements and elements with metallicity-dependent yields dominate the first and second principal components, respectively, and collectively explain 99% of the variance in the model. flexCE is a python package available at https://github.com/bretthandrews/flexCE.

Inflow, Outflow, Yields, and Stellar Population Mixing in Chemical Evolution Models

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

Andrews, Brett H.; Weinberg, David H.; Schönrich, Ralph

Chemical evolution models are powerful tools for interpreting stellar abundance surveys and understanding galaxy evolution. However, their predictions depend heavily on the treatment of inflow, outflow, star formation efficiency (SFE), the stellar initial mass function, the SN Ia delay time distribution, stellar yields, and stellar population mixing. Using flexCE, a flexible one-zone chemical evolution code, we investigate the effects of and trade-offs between parameters. Two critical parameters are SFE and the outflow mass-loading parameter, which shift the knee in [O/Fe]–[Fe/H] and the equilibrium abundances that the simulations asymptotically approach, respectively. One-zone models with simple star formation histories follow narrow tracksmore » in [O/Fe]–[Fe/H] unlike the observed bimodality (separate high- α and low- α sequences) in this plane. A mix of one-zone models with inflow timescale and outflow mass-loading parameter variations, motivated by the inside-out galaxy formation scenario with radial mixing, reproduces the two sequences better than a one-zone model with two infall epochs. We present [X/Fe]–[Fe/H] tracks for 20 elements assuming three different supernova yield models and find some significant discrepancies with solar neighborhood observations, especially for elements with strongly metallicity-dependent yields. We apply principal component abundance analysis to the simulations and existing data to reveal the main correlations among abundances and quantify their contributions to variation in abundance space. For the stellar population mixing scenario, the abundances of α -elements and elements with metallicity-dependent yields dominate the first and second principal components, respectively, and collectively explain 99% of the variance in the model. flexCE is a python package available at https://github.com/bretthandrews/flexCE.« less

The magnetic universe through vector potential SPMHD simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stasyszyn, F. A.

2017-10-01

The use of Smoothed Particle Magneto Hydrodynamics (SPMHD) is getting nowadays more and more common in Astrophysics. From galaxy clusters to neutron starts, there are multiple applications already existing in the literature. I will review some of the common methods used and highlight the successful approach of using vector potentials to describe the evolution of the magnetic fields. The latter have some interesting advantages, and their results challenge previous findings, being the magnetic divergence problem naturally vanished. We select a few examples to discuss some areas of interest. First, we show some Galaxy Clusters from the MUSIC project. These cosmological simulations are done with the usual sub-grid recipes, as radiative cooling and star formation, being the first ones obtained with an SPH code in a self consistent way. This demonstrates the robustness of the new method in a variety of astrophysical scenarios.

Inclination Dependence of Estimated Galaxy Masses and Star Formation Rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, Betsy; Maller, Ariyeh; McKernan, Barry; Ford, Saavik

2016-01-01

We examine the inclination dependence of inferred star formation rates and galaxy mass estimates in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey by combining the disk/bulge de-convolved catalog of Simard et al 2011 with stellar mass estimates catalog of Mendel et al 2014 and star formation rates measured from spectra by Brinchmann et al 2004. We know that optical star formation indicators are reddened by dust, but calculated star formation rates and stellar mass estimates should account for this. However, we find that face-on galaxies have a higher calculated average star formation rates than edge-on galaxies. We also find edge-on galaxies have ,on average, slightly smaller but similar estimated masses to face-on galaxies, suggesting that there are issues with the applied dust corrections for both models.

Constraining the Nature of Dark Matter with the Star-formation History of the Faintest Local Group Dwarf Galaxy Satellites

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

Chau, Alice; Mayer, Lucio; Governato, Fabio

Λ warm dark matter (ΛWDM), realized by collisionless particles of 1–3 keV, has been proposed as an alternative scenario to Λ-Cold-Dark Matter (ΛCDM) for the dwarf galaxy scale discrepancies. We present an approach to test the viability of such WDM models using star-formation histories (SFHs) of the dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) in the Local Group. We compare their high-time-resolution SFHs with the collapse redshift of their dark halos in CDM and WDM. Collapse redshift is inferred after determining the subhalo infall mass. This is based on the dwarf current mass inferred from stellar kinematics, combined with cosmological simulation results onmore » subhalo evolution. WDM subhalos close to the filtering mass scale, forming significantly later than CDM, are the most difficult to reconcile with early truncation of star formation ( z ≥ 3). The ultra-faint dwarfs (UFDs) provide the most stringent constraints. Using six UFDs and eight classical dSphs, we show that a 1 keV particle is strongly disfavored, consistently with other reported methods. Excluding other models is only hinted for a few UFDs. Other UFDs for which the lack of robust constraints on halo mass prevents us from carrying out our analysis rigorously, show a very early onset of star formation that will strengthen the constraints delivered by our method in the future. We discuss the various caveats, notably the low number of dwarfs with accurately determined SFHs and the uncertainties when determining the subhalo infall mass, most notably the baryonic physics. Our preliminary analysis may serve as a pathfinder for future investigations that will combine accurate SFHs for local dwarfs with direct analysis of WDM simulations with baryons.« less

General polytropic self-gravitating cylinder free-fall and accreting mass string with a chain of collapsed objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lou, Yu-Qing; Hu, Xu-Yao

2016-06-01

We present a theoretical model framework for general polytropic (GP) hydrodynamic cylinder under self-gravity of infinite length with axial uniformity and axisymmetry. For self-similar dynamic solutions, we derive valuable integrals, analytic asymptotic solutions, sonic critical curves, shock conditions, and global numerical solutions with or without expansion shocks. Among others, we investigate various dynamic solutions featured with central free-fall asymptotic behaviours, corresponding to a collapsed mass string with a sustained dynamic accretion from a surrounding mass reservoir. Depending on the allowed ranges of a scaling index a < -1, such cylindrical dynamic mass accretion rate could be steady, increasing with time and decreasing with time. Physically, such a collapsed mass string or filament would break up into a sequence of sub-clumps and segments as induced by gravitational Jeans instabilities. Depending on the scales involved, such sub-clumps would evolve into collapsed objects or gravitationally bound systems. In diverse astrophysical and cosmological contexts, such a scenario can be adapted on various temporal, spatial and mass scales to form a chain of collapsed clumps and/or compact objects. Examples include the formation of chains of proto-stars, brown dwarfs and gaseous planets along molecular filaments; the formation of luminous massive stars along magnetized spiral arms and circum-nuclear starburst rings in barred spiral galaxies; the formation of chains of compact stellar objects such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes along a highly condensed mass string. On cosmological scales, one can perceive the formation of chains of galaxies, chains of galaxy clusters or even chains of supermassive and hypermassive black holes in the Universe including the early Universe. All these chains referred to above include possible binaries.

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.

OMEGA - OSIRIS Mapping of Emission-line Galaxies in A901/2 - II. Environmental influence on integrated star formation properties and AGN activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez del Pino, Bruno; Aragón-Salamanca, Alfonso; Chies-Santos, Ana L.; Weinzirl, Tim; Bamford, Steven P.; Gray, Meghan E.; Böhm, Asmus; Wolf, Christian; Maltby, David T.

2017-06-01

We present a study of the star formation and AGN activity for galaxies in CP 15051 the Abell 901/2 multicluster system at z ˜ 0.167 as part of the OSIRIS Mapping of Emission-line Galaxies in A901/2 (OMEGA) survey. Using Tuneable Filter data obtained with the OSIRIS instrument at the Gran Telescopio Canarias, we produce spectra covering the Hα and [N II] spectral lines for more than 400 galaxies. Using optical emission-line diagnostics, we identify a significant number of galaxies hosting AGN, which tend to have high masses and a broad range of morphologies. Moreover, within the environmental densities probed by our study, we find no environmental dependence on the fraction of galaxies hosting AGN. The analysis of the integrated Hα emission shows that the specific star formation rates of a majority of the cluster galaxies are below the field values for a given stellar mass. We interpret this result as evidence for a slow decrease in the star formation activity of star-forming galaxies as they fall into higher density regions, contrary to some previous studies that suggested a rapid truncation of star formation. We find that most of the intermediate- and high-mass spiral galaxies go through a phase in which their star formation is suppressed but still retain significant star formation activity. During this phase, these galaxies tend to retain their spiral morphology while their colours become redder. The presence of this type of galaxies in high-density regions indicates that the physical mechanism responsible for suppressing star formation affects mainly the gas component of the galaxies, suggesting that ram-pressure stripping or starvation is potentially responsible.

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.

Evolutionary paths among different red galaxy types at 0.3 < z < 1.5 and the build-up of massive E-S0's

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallego, Jesús; Prieto, Mercedes; Eliche-Moral, M. Carmen; Balcells, Marc; Cristóbal-Hornillos, David; Erwin, Peter; Abreu, David; Domínguez-Palmero, Lilian; Hempel, Angela; López-Sanjuan, Carlos; Guzmán, Rafael; Pérez-González, Pablo G.; Barro, Guillermo; Zamorano, Jaime

2013-07-01

Some recent observations seem to disagree with hierarchical theories of galaxy formation on the role of major mergers in a late build-up of massive early-type galaxies. We re-address this question by analysing the morphology, structural distortion level, and star formation enhancement of a sample of massive galaxies (M* > 5 × 1010M⊙) lying on the Red Sequence and its surroundings at 0.3 < z < 1.5. We have used an initial sample of ~1800 sources with Ks < 20.5 mag over an area ~155 arcmin2 on the Groth Strip, combining data from the Rainbow Extragalactic Database and the GOYA Survey. Red galaxy classes that can be directly associated to intermediate stages of major mergers and to their final products have been defined. For the first time we report observationally the existence of a dominant evolutionary path among massive red galaxies at 0.6 < z < 1.5, consisting in the conversion of irregular disks into irregular spheroids, and of these ones into regular spheroids. This result points to: 1) the massive red regular galaxies at low redshifts derive from the irregular ones populating the Red Sequence and its neighbourhood at earlier epochs up to z ~ 1.5; 2) the progenitors of the bulk of present-day massive red regular galaxies have been blue disks that have migrated to the Red Sequence majoritarily through major mergers at 0.6 < z < 1.2 (these mergers thus starting at z ~ 1.5); 3) the formation of E-S0's that end up with M* > 1011M⊙ at z = 0 through gas-rich major mergers has frozen since z ~ 0.6. Our results support that major mergers have played the dominant role in the definitive build-up of present-day E-S0's with M* > 1011M⊙ at 0.6 < z < 1.2, in good agreement with the hierarchical scenario proposed in the Eliche-Moral et al. (2010a) model (see also Eliche-Moral et al. 2010b). This study is published in Prieto et al. (2012). Supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) under projects AYA2009-10368, AYA2006-12955, AYA2010-21887-C04-04, and AYA2009-11137, by the Madrid Regional Government through the AstroMadrid Project (CAM S2009/ESP-1496), and by the Spanish MICINN under the Consolider-Ingenio 2010 Program grant CSD2006-00070: ``First Science with the GTC'' (http://www.iac.es/consolider-ingenio-gtc/). S. D. H. & G.

Star formation and galaxy evolution in different environments, from the field to massive clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyler, Krystal

This thesis focuses on how a galaxy's environment affects its star formation, from the galactic environment of the most luminous IR galaxies in the universe to groups and massive clusters of galaxies. Initially, we studied a class of high-redshift galaxies with extremely red optical-to-mid-IR colors. We used Spitzer spectra and photometry to identify whether the IR outputs of these objects are dominated by AGNs or star formation. In accordance with the expectation that the AGN contribution should increase with IR luminosity, we find most of our very red IR-luminous galaxies to be dominated by an AGN, though a few appear to be star-formation dominated. We then observed how the density of the extraglactic environment plays a role in galaxy evolution. We begin with Spitzer and HST observations of intermediate-redshift groups. Although the environment has clearly changed some properties of its members, group galaxies at a given mass and morphology have comparable amounts of star formation as field galaxies. We conclude the main difference between the two environments is the higher fraction of massive early-type galaxies in groups. Clusters show even more distinct trends. Using three different star-formation indicators, we found the mass-SFR relation for cluster galaxies can look similar to the field (A2029) or have a population of low-star-forming galaxies in addition to the field-like galaxies (Coma). We contribute this to differing merger histories: recently-accreted galaxies would not have time for their star formation to be quenched by the cluster environment (A2029), while an accretion event in the past few Gyr would give galaxies enough time to have their star formation suppressed by the cluster environment. Since these two main quenching mechanisms depend on the density of the intracluster gas, we turn to a group of X-ray underluminous clusters to study how star-forming galaxies have been affected in clusters with lower than expected X-ray emission. We find the distribution of star-forming galaxies with respect to stellar mass varies from cluster to cluster, echoing what we found for Coma and A2029. In other words, while some preprocessing occurs in groups, the cluster environment still contributes to the quenching of star formation.

Star formation quenching in green valley galaxies at 0.5 ≲ z ≲ 1.0 and constraints with galaxy morphologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nogueira-Cavalcante, J. P.; Gonçalves, T. S.; Menéndez-Delmestre, K.; Sheth, K.

2018-01-01

We calculate the star formation quenching time-scales in green valley galaxies at intermediate redshifts (z ∼ 0.5-1) using stacked zCOSMOS spectra of different galaxy morphological types: spheroidal, disc-like, irregular and merger, dividing disc-like galaxies further into unbarred, weakly barred and strongly barred, assuming a simple exponentially decaying star formation history model and based on the H δ absorption feature and the 4000 Å break. We find that different morphological types present different star formation quenching time-scales, reinforcing the idea that the galaxy morphology is strongly correlated with the physical processes responsible for quenching star formation. Our quantification of the star formation quenching time-scale indicates that discs have typical time-scales 60 per cent to five times longer than that of galaxies presenting spheroidal, irregular or merger morphologies. Barred galaxies, in particular, present the slowest transition time-scales through the green valley. This suggests that although secular evolution may ultimately lead to gas exhaustion in the host galaxy via bar-induced gas inflows that trigger star formation activity, secular agents are not major contributors in the rapid quenching of galaxies at these redshifts. Galaxy interaction, associated with the elliptical, irregular and merger morphologies, contributes, to a more significant degree, to the fast transition through the green valley at these redshifts. In light of previous works suggesting that both secular and merger processes are responsible for the star formation quenching at low redshifts, our results provide an explanation to the recent findings that star formation quenching happened at a faster pace at z ∼ 0.8.

Ultraluminous X-ray Sources in NGC 6946.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez Cruces, Mónica; Rosado, Margarita; Fuentes-Carrera, Isaura L.

2016-07-01

Ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are the most X-ray luminous off-nucleus objects in nearby galaxies with X-ray luminosities between 10^{39} - 10^{41} erg s^{-1} in the 0.5-10 keV band. Since these luminosities cannot be explained by the standard accretion of a stellar mass black hole, these sources are often associated with intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs, 10^{2}-10^{4} solar masses). However significantly beamed stellar binary systems could also explain these luminosities. Observational knowledge of the angular distribution of the source emission is essential to decide between these two scenarios. In this work, we present the X-ray analysis of five ULXs in the spiral galaxy NGC 6949, along with the kinematical analysis of the ionized gas surrounding each of these sources. For all sources, X-ray observations reveal a typical ULX spectral shape (with a soft excess below 2 keV and a hard curvature above 2 keV) which can be fit with a power-law + multi-color disk model. However, even if ULXs are classified as point-like objects, one of the sources in this galaxy displays an elongated shape in the Chandra images. Regarding the analysis of the emission lines of the surrounding ˜300 pc around each ULX, scanning Fabry-Perot observations show composite profiles for three of the five ULXs. The main component of these profiles follows the global rotation of the galaxy, while the faint secondary component seems to be associated with asymmetrical gas expansion. These sources have also been located in archive images of NGC 6946 in different wavelengths in order to relate them to different physical processes occurring in this galaxy. Though ULXs are usually located in star formation regions, we find that two of the sources lie a few tenths of parsecs away from different HII regions. Based on the X-ray morphology of each ULX, the velocities and distribution of the surrounding gas, as well as the location of the source in the context of the whole galaxy, we give the most favorable scenario in each case in order to describe the multiwavelength properties of these sources.

Luminous quasars do not live in the most overdense regions of galaxies at z ˜ 4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchiyama, Hisakazu; Toshikawa, Jun; Kashikawa, Nobunari; Overzier, Roderik; Chiang, Yi-Kuan; Marinello, Murilo; Tanaka, Masayuki; Niino, Yuu; Ishikawa, Shogo; Onoue, Masafusa; Ichikawa, Kohei; Akiyama, Masayuki; Coupon, Jean; Harikane, Yuichi; Imanishi, Masatoshi; Kodama, Tadayuki; Komiyama, Yutaka; Lee, Chien-Hsiu; Lin, Yen-Ting; Miyazaki, Satoshi; Nagao, Tohru; Nishizawa, Atsushi J.; Ono, Yoshiaki; Ouchi, Masami; Wang, Shiang-Yu

2018-01-01

We present the cross-correlation between 151 luminous quasars (MUV < -26) and 179 protocluster candidates at z ˜ 3.8, extracted from the Wide imaging survey (˜121 deg2) performed as part of the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP). We find that only two out of 151 quasars reside in regions that are more overdense compared to the average field at >4 σ. The distributions of the distances between quasars and the nearest protoclusters and the significance of the overdensity at the positions of quasars are statistically identical to those found for g-dropout galaxies, suggesting that quasars tend to reside in almost the same environment as star-forming galaxies at this redshift. Using stacking analysis, we find that the average density of g-dropout galaxies around quasars is slightly higher than that around g-dropout galaxies on 1.0-2.5 pMpc scales, while at <0.5 pMpc that around quasars tends to be lower. We also find that quasars with higher UV luminosity or with more massive black holes tend to avoid the most overdense regions, and that the quasar near-zone sizes are anti-correlated with overdensity. These findings are consistent with a scenario in which luminous quasars at z ˜ 4 reside in structures that are less massive than those expected for the progenitors of today's rich clusters of galaxies, and possibly that luminous quasars may be suppressing star formation in their close vicinity.

GASP. VII. Signs of Gas Inflow onto a Lopsided Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vulcani, Benedetta; Poggianti, Bianca M.; Moretti, Alessia; Mapelli, Michela; Fasano, Giovanni; Fritz, Jacopo; Jaffé, Yara; Bettoni, Daniela; Gullieuszik, Marco; Bellhouse, Callum

2018-01-01

Theoretically, inflowing filaments of gas are one of the main causes of growth for a galaxy. Nonetheless, observationally, probing ongoing gas accretion is challenging. As part of the Gas Stripping Phenomena in galaxies with MUSE (GASP) program, we present the analysis of a spiral galaxy at z = 0.04648 whose characteristics indeed are consistent with a scenario in which gas accretion plays a major role. The most salient indirect parts of evidence that support this picture are as follows: (1) The galaxy is isolated, and its position rules out the mechanisms expected in dense environments. (2) It shows a pronounced lopsidedness extending toward the west. According to the spatially resolved star formation history, this component was formed < 6× {10}8 {years} ago. (3) It has many large and elongated H II regions that are an indication of a fragmentation due to disk instability. (4) The stellar and gas kinematics are quite symmetric around the same axis, but in the gas the locus of negative velocities shows a convexity toward the east, as if new gas has been infalling with different orientation and velocity. (5) The metallicity distribution is inhomogeneous and shows exceptionally steep gradients from the center toward the outskirts, especially in the southwest side. (6) The luminosity-weighted age is generally low (∼8 Gyr) and particularly low (<7 Gyr) along a trail crossing the galaxy from southwest toward the north. It might trace the path of the accreted gas. These findings point to an inflow of gas probably proceeding from the southwest side of the galaxy.

ON THE STAR FORMATION PROPERTIES OF VOID GALAXIES

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

Moorman, Crystal M.; Moreno, Jackeline; White, Amanda

2016-11-10

We measure the star formation properties of two large samples of galaxies from the SDSS in large-scale cosmic voids on timescales of 10 and 100 Myr, using H α emission line strengths and GALEX FUV fluxes, respectively. The first sample consists of 109,818 optically selected galaxies. We find that void galaxies in this sample have higher specific star formation rates (SSFRs; star formation rates per unit stellar mass) than similar stellar mass galaxies in denser regions. The second sample is a subset of the optically selected sample containing 8070 galaxies with reliable H i detections from ALFALFA. For the fullmore » H i detected sample, SSFRs do not vary systematically with large-scale environment. However, investigating only the H i detected dwarf galaxies reveals a trend toward higher SSFRs in voids. Furthermore, we estimate the star formation rate per unit H i mass (known as the star formation efficiency; SFE) of a galaxy, as a function of environment. For the overall H i detected population, we notice no environmental dependence. Limiting the sample to dwarf galaxies still does not reveal a statistically significant difference between SFEs in voids versus walls. These results suggest that void environments, on average, provide a nurturing environment for dwarf galaxy evolution allowing for higher specific star formation rates while forming stars with similar efficiencies to those in walls.« less

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.

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

Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Charlton, J. C.; Gronwall, C.

The environment where galaxies are found heavily influences their evolution. Close groupings, like the ones in the cores of galaxy clusters or compact groups, evolve in ways far more dramatic than their isolated counterparts. We have conducted a multi-wavelength study of Hickson Compact Group 7 (HCG 7), consisting of four giant galaxies: three spirals and one lenticular. We use Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging to identify and characterize the young and old star cluster populations. We find young massive clusters (YMCs) mostly in the three spirals, while the lenticular features a large, unimodal population of globular clusters (GCs) but nomore » detectable clusters with ages less than a few Gyr. The spatial and approximate age distributions of the {approx}300 YMCs and {approx}150 GCs thus hint at a regular star formation history in the group over a Hubble time. While at first glance the HST data show the galaxies as undisturbed, our deep ground-based, wide-field imaging that extends the HST coverage reveals faint signatures of stellar material in the intragroup medium (IGM). We do not, however, detect the IGM in H I or Chandra X-ray observations, signatures that would be expected to arise from major mergers. Despite this fact, we find that the H I gas content of the individual galaxies and the group as a whole are a third of the expected abundance. The appearance of quiescence is challenged by spectroscopy that reveals an intense ionization continuum in one galaxy nucleus, and post-burst characteristics in another. Our spectroscopic survey of dwarf galaxy members yields a single dwarf elliptical galaxy in an apparent stellar tidal feature. Based on all this information, we suggest an evolutionary scenario for HCG 7, whereby the galaxies convert most of their available gas into stars without the influence of major mergers and ultimately result in a dry merger. As the conditions governing compact groups are reminiscent of galaxies at intermediate redshift, we propose that HCGs are appropriate for studying galaxy evolution at z {approx} 1-2.« less

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

Janowiecki, Steven; Salzer, John J.; Zee, Liese van

We discuss and test possible evolutionary connections between blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs) and other types of dwarf galaxies. BCDs provide ideal laboratories to study intense star formation episodes in low-mass dwarf galaxies, and have sometimes been considered a short-lived evolutionary stage between types of dwarf galaxies. To test these connections, we consider a sample of BCDs as well as a comparison sample of nearby galaxies from the Local Volume Legacy (LVL) survey for context. We fit the multi-wavelength spectral energy distributions (SED, far-ultra-violet to far-infrared) of each galaxy with a grid of theoretical models to determine their stellar massesmore » and star formation properties. We compare our results for BCDs with the LVL galaxies to put BCDs in the context of normal galaxy evolution. The SED fits demonstrate that the star formation events currently underway in BCDs are at the extreme of the continuum of normal dwarf galaxies, both in terms of the relative mass involved and in the relative increase over previous star formation rates. Today’s BCDs are distinctive objects in a state of extreme star formation that is rapidly transforming them. This study also suggests ways to identify former BCDs whose star formation episodes have since faded.« less

The Nature of LSB galaxies revealed by their Globular Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kissler-Patig, Markus

2005-07-01

Low Surface Brightness {LSB} galaxies encompass many of the extremes in galaxy properties. Their understanding is essential to complete our picture of galaxy formation and evolution. Due to their historical under-representation on galaxy surveys, their importance to many areas of astronomy has only recently began to be realized. Globular clusters are superb tracers of the formation histories of galaxies and have been extensively used as such in high surface brightness galaxies. We propose to investigate the nature of massive LSB galaxies by studying their globular cluster systems. No globular cluster study has been reported for LSB galaxies to date. Yet, both the presence or absence of globular clusters set very strong constraints on the conditions prevailing during LSB galaxy formation and evolution. Both in dwarf and giant high surface brightness {HSB} galaxies, globular clusters are known to form as a constant fraction of baryonic mass. Their presence/absence immediately indicates similarities or discrepancies in the formation and evolution conditions of LSB and HSB galaxies. In particular, the presence/absence of metal-poor halo globular clusters infers similarities/differences in the halo formation and assembly processes of LSB vs. HSB galaxies, while the presence/absence of metal-rich globular clusters can be used to derive the occurrence and frequency of violent events {such as mergers} in the LSB galaxy assembly history. Two band imaging with ACS will allow us to identify the globular clusters {just resolved at the selected distance} and to determine their metallicity {potentially their rough age}. The composition of the systems will be compared to the extensive census built up on HSB galaxies. Our representative sample of six LSB galaxies {cz < 2700 km/s} are selected such, that a large system of globular clusters is expected. Globular clusters will constrain phases of LSB galaxy formation and evolution that can currently not be probed by other means. HST/ACS imaging is the only facility capable of studying the globular cluster systems of LSB galaxies given their distance and relative scarcity.

Characterization of Omega-WINGS galaxy clusters. I. Stellar light and mass profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cariddi, S.; D'Onofrio, M.; Fasano, G.; Poggianti, B. M.; Moretti, A.; Gullieuszik, M.; Bettoni, D.; Sciarratta, M.

2018-02-01

Context. Galaxy clusters are the largest virialized structures in the observable Universe. Knowledge of their properties provides many useful astrophysical and cosmological information. Aims: Our aim is to derive the luminosity and stellar mass profiles of the nearby galaxy clusters of the Omega-WINGS survey and to study the main scaling relations valid for such systems. Methods: We merged data from the WINGS and Omega-WINGS databases, sorted the sources according to the distance from the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG), and calculated the integrated luminosity profiles in the B and V bands, taking into account extinction, photometric and spatial completeness, K correction, and background contribution. Then, by exploiting the spectroscopic sample we derived the stellar mass profiles of the clusters. Results: We obtained the luminosity profiles of 46 galaxy clusters, reaching r200 in 30 cases, and the stellar mass profiles of 42 of our objects. We successfully fitted all the integrated luminosity growth profiles with one or two embedded Sérsic components, deriving the main clusters parameters. Finally, we checked the main scaling relation among the clusters parameters in comparison with those obtained for a selected sample of early-type galaxies (ETGs) of the same clusters. Conclusions: We found that the nearby galaxy clusters are non-homologous structures such as ETGs and exhibit a color-magnitude (CM) red-sequence relation very similar to that observed for galaxies in clusters. These properties are not expected in the current cluster formation scenarios. In particular the existence of a CM relation for clusters, shown here for the first time, suggests that the baryonic structures grow and evolve in a similar way at all scales.

Star Formation in Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Topics addressed include: star formation; galactic infrared emission; molecular clouds; OB star luminosity; dust grains; IRAS observations; galactic disks; stellar formation in Magellanic clouds; irregular galaxies; spiral galaxies; starbursts; morphology of galactic centers; and far-infrared observations.

Correlating The Star Formation Histories Of MaNGA Galaxies With Their Past AGN Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez Ortiz, Andrea

2017-01-01

We investigate active galactic nuclei (AGN) as a primary mechanism affecting star formation in MaNGA galaxies. Using the Pipe3D code, we modeled the stellar population from MaNGA spectra and derived the star formation histories of 53 AGN host galaxies. We seek to compare the star formation histories of the host galaxies of AGN with the ages of their radio lobes to better understand the role of AGN feedback in the star formation histories of MaNGA galaxies. MaNGA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO) is one of the three core programs in the fourth generation Sloan Digital Sky Survey(SDSS). MaNGA will investigate the internal kinematics of nearly 10,000 local galaxies through dithered observations using fiber integral field units (IFUs) that vary in diameter from 12" (19 fibers) to 32" (127 fibers). In this poster, we present initial results on the star formation histories of MaNGA AGN host galaxies. This work was supported by the SDSS Research Experience for Undergraduates program, which is funded by a grant from Sloan Foundation to the Astrophysical Research Consortium.

Black-hole-regulated star formation in massive galaxies.

PubMed

Martín-Navarro, Ignacio; Brodie, Jean P; Romanowsky, Aaron J; Ruiz-Lara, Tomás; van de Ven, Glenn

2018-01-18

Supermassive black holes, with masses more than a million times that of the Sun, seem to inhabit the centres of all massive galaxies. Cosmologically motivated theories of galaxy formation require feedback from these supermassive black holes to regulate star formation. In the absence of such feedback, state-of-the-art numerical simulations fail to reproduce the number density and properties of massive galaxies in the local Universe. There is, however, no observational evidence of this strongly coupled coevolution between supermassive black holes and star formation, impeding our understanding of baryonic processes within galaxies. Here we report that the star formation histories of nearby massive galaxies, as measured from their integrated optical spectra, depend on the mass of the central supermassive black hole. Our results indicate that the black-hole mass scales with the gas cooling rate in the early Universe. The subsequent quenching of star formation takes place earlier and more efficiently in galaxies that host higher-mass central black holes. The observed relation between black-hole mass and star formation efficiency applies to all generations of stars formed throughout the life of a galaxy, revealing a continuous interplay between black-hole activity and baryon cooling.

Black-hole-regulated star formation in massive galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martín-Navarro, Ignacio; Brodie, Jean P.; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Ruiz-Lara, Tomás; van de Ven, Glenn

2018-01-01

Supermassive black holes, with masses more than a million times that of the Sun, seem to inhabit the centres of all massive galaxies. Cosmologically motivated theories of galaxy formation require feedback from these supermassive black holes to regulate star formation. In the absence of such feedback, state-of-the-art numerical simulations fail to reproduce the number density and properties of massive galaxies in the local Universe. There is, however, no observational evidence of this strongly coupled coevolution between supermassive black holes and star formation, impeding our understanding of baryonic processes within galaxies. Here we report that the star formation histories of nearby massive galaxies, as measured from their integrated optical spectra, depend on the mass of the central supermassive black hole. Our results indicate that the black-hole mass scales with the gas cooling rate in the early Universe. The subsequent quenching of star formation takes place earlier and more efficiently in galaxies that host higher-mass central black holes. The observed relation between black-hole mass and star formation efficiency applies to all generations of stars formed throughout the life of a galaxy, revealing a continuous interplay between black-hole activity and baryon cooling.

Origins of ultra-diffuse galaxies in the Coma cluster - II. Constraints from their stellar populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferré-Mateu, Anna; Alabi, Adebusola; Forbes, Duncan A.; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Brodie, Jean; Pandya, Viraj; Martín-Navarro, Ignacio; Bellstedt, Sabine; Wasserman, Asher; Stone, Maria B.; Okabe, Nobuhiro

2018-06-01

In this second paper of the series we study, with new Keck/DEIMOS spectra, the stellar populations of seven spectroscopically confirmed ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in the Coma cluster. We find intermediate to old ages (˜ 7 Gyr), low metallicities ([Z/H]˜ - 0.7 dex) and mostly super-solar abundance patterns ([Mg/Fe] ˜ 0.13 dex). These properties are similar to those of low-luminosity (dwarf) galaxies inhabiting the same area in the cluster and are mostly consistent with being the continuity of the stellar mass scaling relations of more massive galaxies. These UDGs' star formation histories imply a relatively recent infall into the Coma cluster, consistent with the theoretical predictions for a dwarf-like origin. However, considering the scatter in the resulting properties and including other UDGs in Coma, together with the results from the velocity phase-space study of the Paper I in this series, a mixed-bag of origins is needed to explain the nature of all UDGs. Our results thus reinforce a scenario in which many UDGs are field dwarfs that become quenched through their later infall onto cluster environments, whereas some UDGs could be be genuine primordial galaxies that failed to develop due to an early quenching phase. The unknown proportion of dwarf-like to primordial-like UDGs leaves the enigma of the nature of UDGs still open.

Significant Enhancement of H2 Formation in Disk Galaxies under Strong Ram Pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henderson, Benjamin; Bekki, Kenji

2016-05-01

We show for the first time that H2 formation on dust grains can be enhanced in disk galaxies under strong ram pressure (RP). We numerically investigate how the time evolution of H I and H2 components in disk galaxies orbiting a group/cluster of galaxies can be influenced by the hydrodynamical interaction between the gaseous components of the galaxies and the hot intracluster medium. We find that compression of H I caused by RP increases H2 formation in disk galaxies before RP rapidly strips H I, cutting off the fuel supply and causing a drop in H2 density. We also find that the level of this H2 formation enhancement in a disk galaxy under RP depends on the mass of its host cluster dark matter halo, the initial positions and velocities of the disk galaxy, and the disk inclination angle with respect to the orbital plane. We demonstrate that dust growth is a key factor in the evolution of the H I and H2 mass in disk galaxies under strong RP. We discuss how the correlation between H2 fractions and surface gas densities of disk galaxies evolves with time in the galaxies under RP. We also discuss whether galaxy-wide star formation rates (SFRs) in cluster disk galaxies can be enhanced by RP if the SFRs depend on H2 densities.

Abundance ratios in dwarf elliptical galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Şen, Ş.; Peletier, R. F.; Boselli, A.; den Brok, M.; Falcón-Barroso, J.; Hensler, G.; Janz, J.; Laurikainen, E.; Lisker, T.; Mentz, J. J.; Paudel, S.; Salo, H.; Sybilska, A.; Toloba, E.; van de Ven, G.; Vazdekis, A.; Yesilyaprak, C.

2018-04-01

We determine abundance ratios of 37 dwarf ellipticals (dEs) in the nearby Virgo cluster. This sample is representative of the early-type population of galaxies in the absolute magnitude range -19.0 < Mr < -16.0. We analyse their absorption line-strength indices by means of index-index diagrams and scaling relations and use the stellar population models to interpret them. We present ages, metallicities, and abundance ratios obtained from these dEs within an aperture size of Re/8. We calculate [Na/Fe] from NaD, [Ca/Fe] from Ca4227, and [Mg/Fe] from Mgb. We find that [Na/Fe] is underabundant with respect to solar, whereas [Mg/Fe] is around solar. This is exactly opposite to what is found for giant ellipticals, but follows the trend with metallicity found previously for the Fornax dwarf NGC 1396. We discuss possible formation scenarios that can result in such elemental abundance patterns, and we speculate that dEs have disc-like star formation history (SFH) favouring them to originate from late-type dwarfs or small spirals. Na-yields appear to be very metal-dependent, in agreement with studies of giant ellipticals, probably due to the large dependence on the neutron-excess in stars. We conclude that dEs have undergone a considerable amount of chemical evolution, they are therefore not uniformly old, but have extended SFH, similar to many of the Local Group galaxies.

Galaxy Zoo: star formation versus spiral arm number

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, Ross E.; Bamford, Steven P.; Casteels, Kevin R. V.; Kruk, Sandor J.; Lintott, Chris J.; Masters, Karen L.

2017-06-01

Spiral arms are common features in low-redshift disc galaxies, and are prominent sites of star formation and dust obscuration. However, spiral structure can take many forms: from galaxies displaying two strong 'grand design' arms to those with many 'flocculent' arms. We investigate how these different arm types are related to a galaxy's star formation and gas properties by making use of visual spiral arm number measurements from Galaxy Zoo 2. We combine ultraviolet and mid-infrared (MIR) photometry from GALEX and WISE to measure the rates and relative fractions of obscured and unobscured star formation in a sample of low-redshift SDSS spirals. Total star formation rate has little dependence on spiral arm multiplicity, but two-armed spirals convert their gas to stars more efficiently. We find significant differences in the fraction of obscured star formation: an additional ˜10 per cent of star formation in two-armed galaxies is identified via MIR dust emission, compared to that in many-armed galaxies. The latter are also significantly offset below the IRX-β relation for low-redshift star-forming galaxies. We present several explanations for these differences versus arm number: variations in the spatial distribution, sizes or clearing time-scales of star-forming regions (I.e. molecular clouds), or contrasting recent star formation histories.

Triggering active galactic nuclei in galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Madeline A.; Shabala, Stanislav S.; Krause, Martin G. H.; Pimbblet, Kevin A.; Croton, Darren J.; Owers, Matt S.

2018-03-01

We model the triggering of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in galaxy clusters using the semi-analytic galaxy formation model SAGE. We prescribe triggering methods based on the ram pressure galaxies experience as they move throughout the intracluster medium, which is hypothesized to trigger star formation and AGN activity. The clustercentric radius and velocity distribution of the simulated active galaxies produced by these models are compared with those of AGN and galaxies with intense star formation from a sample of low-redshift relaxed clusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The ram pressure triggering model that best explains the clustercentric radius and velocity distribution of these observed galaxies has AGN and star formation triggered if 2.5 × 10-14 Pa < Pram < 2.5 × 10-13 Pa and Pram > 2Pinternal; this is consistent with expectations from hydrodynamical simulations of ram-pressure-induced star formation. Our results show that ram pressure is likely to be an important mechanism for triggering star formation and AGN activity in clusters.

A Study of Two Dwarf Irregular Galaxies with Asymmetrical Star Formation Distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunter, Deidre A.; Gallardo, Samavarti; Zhang, Hong-Xin; Adamo, Angela; Cook, David O.; Oh, Se-Heon; Elmegreen, Bruce G.; Kim, Hwihyun; Kahre, Lauren; Ubeda, Leonardo; Bright, Stacey N.; Ryon, Jenna E.; Fumagalli, Michele; Sacchi, Elena; Kennicutt, R. C.; Tosi, Monica; Dale, Daniel A.; Cignoni, Michele; Messa, Matteo; Grebel, Eva K.; Gouliermis, Dimitrios A.; Sabbi, Elena; Grasha, Kathryn; Gallagher, John S., III; Calzetti, Daniela; Lee, Janice C.

2018-03-01

Two dwarf irregular galaxies, DDO 187 and NGC 3738, exhibit a striking pattern of star formation: intense star formation is taking place in a large region occupying roughly half of the inner part of the optical galaxy. We use data on the H I distribution and kinematics and stellar images and colors to examine the properties of the environment in the high star formation rate (HSF) halves of the galaxies in comparison with the low star formation rate halves. We find that the pressure and gas density are higher on the HSF sides by 30%–70%. In addition we find in both galaxies that the H I velocity fields exhibit significant deviations from ordered rotation and there are large regions of high-velocity dispersion and multiple velocity components in the gas beyond the inner regions of the galaxies. The conditions in the HSF regions are likely the result of large-scale external processes affecting the internal environment of the galaxies and enabling the current star formation there.

The critical density for star formation in HII galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Christopher L.; Brinks, Elias; Skillman, Evan D.

1993-01-01

The star formation rate (SFR) in galaxies is believed to obey a power law relation with local gas density, first proposed by Schmidt (1959). Kennicutt (1989) has shown that there is a threshold density above which star formation occurs, and for densities at or near the threshold density, the DFR is highly non-linear, leading to bursts of star formation. Skillman (1987) empirically determined this threshold for dwarf galaxies to be approximately 1 x 10(exp 21) cm(exp -2), at a linear resolution of 500pc. During the course of our survey for HI companion clouds to HII galaxies, we obtained high resolution HI observations of five nearby HII galaxies. HII galaxies are low surface brightness, rich in HI, and contain one or a few high surface brightness knots whose optical spectra resemble those of HII regions. These knots are currently experiencing a burst of star formation. After Kennicutt (1989) we determine the critical density for star formation in the galaxies, and compare the predictions with radio and optical data.

Herschel observations of Hickson compact groups of galaxies: Unveiling the properties of cold dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitsakis, T.; Charmandaris, V.; Appleton, P. N.; Díaz-Santos, T.; Le Floc'h, E.; da Cunha, E.; Alatalo, K.; Cluver, M.

2014-05-01

We present a Herschel far-infrared and sub-millimetre (sub-mm) study of a sample of 120 galaxies in 28 Hickson compact groups (HCGs). Fitting their UV to sub-mm spectral energy distributions with the model of da Cunha et al. (2008), we accurately estimate the dust masses, luminosities, and temperatures of the individual galaxies. We find that nearly half of the late-type galaxies in dynamically "old" groups, those with more than 25% of early-type members and redder UV-optical colours, also have significantly lower dust-to-stellar mass ratios compared to those of actively star-forming galaxies of the same mass found both in HCGs and in the field. Examining their dust-to-gas mass ratios, we conclude that dust was stripped out of these systems as a result of the gravitational and hydrodynamic interactions, experienced owing to previous encounters with other group members. About 40% of the early-type galaxies (mostly lenticulars), in dynamically "old" groups, display dust properties similar to those of the UV-optical red late-type galaxies. Given their stellar masses, star formation rates, and UV-optical colours, we suggest that red late-type and dusty lenticular galaxies represent transition populations between blue star-forming disk galaxies and quiescent early-type ellipticals. On the other hand, both the complete absence of any correlation between the dust and stellar masses of the dusty ellipticals and their enhanced star formation activity, suggest the increase in their gas and dust content due to accretion and merging. Our deep Herschel observations also allow us to detect the presence of diffuse cold intragroup dust in 4 HCGs. We also find that the fraction of 250 μm emission that is located outside of the main bodies of both the red late-type galaxies and the dusty lenticulars is 15-20% of their integrated emission at this band. All these findings are consistent with an evolutionary scenario in which gas dissipation, shocks, and turbulence, in addition to tidal interactions, shape the evolution of galaxies in compact groups. Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgFull Table 2 and reduced spectra as FITS files are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/565/A25

The Alignment effect of brightest cluster galaxies in the SDSS

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

Kim, R. S. J.; Annis, J.; Strauss, M. A.

2001-10-01

One of the most vital observational clues for unraveling the origin of Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCG) is the observed alignment of the BCGs with their host cluster and its surroundings. We have examined the BCG-cluster alignment effect, using clusters of galaxies detected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We find that the BCGs are preferentially aligned with the principal axis of their hosts, to a much higher redshift (z >~ 0.3) than probed by previous studies (z <~ 0.1). The alignment effect strongly depends on the magnitude difference of the BCG and the second and third brightest cluster members:more » we find a strong alignment effect for the dominant BCGs, while less dominant BCGs do not show any departure from random alignment with respect to the cluster. We therefore claim that the alignment process originates from the same process that makes the BCG grow dominant, be it direct mergers in the early stage of cluster formation, or a later process that resembles the galactic cannibalism scenario. We do not find strong evidence for (or against) redshift evolution between 0« less

The globular cluster-dark matter halo connection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boylan-Kolchin, Michael

2017-12-01

I present a simple phenomenological model for the observed linear scaling of the stellar mass in old globular clusters (GCs) with z = 0 halo mass in which the stellar mass in GCs scales linearly with progenitor halo mass at z = 6 above a minimum halo mass for GC formation. This model reproduces the observed MGCs-Mhalo relation at z = 0 and results in a prediction for the minimum halo mass at z = 6 required for hosting one GC: Mmin(z = 6) = 1.07 × 109 M⊙. Translated to z = 0, the mean threshold mass is Mhalo(z = 0) ≈ 2 × 1010 M⊙. I explore the observability of GCs in the reionization era and their contribution to cosmic reionization, both of which depend sensitively on the (unknown) ratio of GC birth mass to present-day stellar mass, ξ. Based on current detections of z ≳ 6 objects with M1500<-17, values of ξ > 10 are strongly disfavoured; this, in turn, has potentially important implications for GC formation scenarios. Even for low values of ξ, some observed high-z galaxies may actually be GCs, complicating estimates of reionization-era galaxy ultraviolet luminosity functions and constraints on dark matter models. GCs are likely important reionization sources if 5 ≲ ξ ≲ 10. I also explore predictions for the fraction of accreted versus in situ GCs in the local Universe and for descendants of systems at the halo mass threshold of GC formation (dwarf galaxies). An appealing feature of the model presented here is the ability to make predictions for GC properties based solely on dark matter halo merger trees.

SDSS-IV MaNGA: the spatial distribution of star formation and its dependence on mass, structure, and environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spindler, Ashley; Wake, David; Belfiore, Francesco; Bershady, Matthew; Bundy, Kevin; Drory, Niv; Masters, Karen; Thomas, Daniel; Westfall, Kyle; Wild, Vivienne

2018-05-01

We study the spatially resolved star formation of 1494 galaxies in the SDSS-IV MaNGA Survey. Star formation rates (SFRs) are calculated using a two-step process, using H α in star-forming regions and Dn4000 in regions identified as active galactic nucleus/low-ionization (nuclear) emission region [AGN/LI(N)ER] or lineless. The roles of secular and environmental quenching processes are investigated by studying the dependence of the radial profiles of specific star formation rate on stellar mass, galaxy structure, and environment. We report on the existence of `centrally suppressed' galaxies, which have suppressed Specific Star Formation Rate (SSFR) in their cores compared to their discs. The profiles of centrally suppressed and unsuppressed galaxies are distributed in a bimodal way. Galaxies with high stellar mass and core velocity dispersion are found to be much more likely to be centrally suppressed than low-mass galaxies, and we show that this is related to morphology and the presence of AGN/LI(N)ER like emission. Centrally suppressed galaxies also display lower star formation at all radii compared to unsuppressed galaxies. The profiles of central and satellite galaxies are also compared, and we find that satellite galaxies experience lower specific star formation rates at all radii than central galaxies. This uniform suppression could be a signal of the stripping of hot halo gas in the process known as strangulation. We find that satellites are not more likely to be suppressed in their cores than centrals, indicating that the core suppression is an entirely internal process. We find no correlation between the local environment density and the profiles of star formation rate surface density.

Star formation rates in isolated galaxies selected from the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnyk, O.; Karachentseva, V.; Karachentsev, I.

2015-08-01

We have considered the star formation properties of 1616 isolated galaxies from the 2MASS XSC (Extended Source Catalog) selected sample (2MIG) with the far-ultraviolet GALEX magnitudes. This sample was then compared with corresponding properties of isolated galaxies from the Local Orphan Galaxies (LOG) catalogue and paired galaxies. We found that different selection algorithms define different populations of isolated galaxies. The population of the LOG catalogue, selected from non-clustered galaxies in the Local Supercluster volume, mostly consists of low-mass spiral and late-type galaxies. The specific star formation rate (SSFR) upper limit in isolated and paired galaxies does not exceed the value of ˜dex(-9.4). This is probably common for galaxies of differing activity and environment (at least at z < 0.06). The fractions of quenched galaxies are nearly twice as high in the paired galaxy sample as in the 2MIG isolated galaxy sample. From the behaviour of (S)SFR versus M* relations we deduced that the characteristic value influencing evolutionary processes is the galaxy mass. However, the environmental influence is notable: paired massive galaxies with logM* > 11.5 have higher (S)SFR than isolated galaxies. Our results suggest that the environment helps to trigger the star formation in the highest mass galaxies. We found that the fraction of AGN in the paired sample is only a little higher than in our isolated galaxy sample. We assume that AGN phenomenon is probably defined by secular galaxy evolution.

Dark-ages reionization and galaxy formation simulation V: morphology and statistical signatures of reionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geil, Paul M.; Mutch, Simon J.; Poole, Gregory B.; Angel, Paul W.; Duffy, Alan R.; Mesinger, Andrei; Wyithe, J. Stuart B.

2016-10-01

We use the Dark-ages, Reionization And Galaxy formation Observables from Numerical Simulations (DRAGONS) framework to investigate the effect of galaxy formation physics on the morphology and statistics of ionized hydrogen (H II) regions during the Epoch of Reioinization (EoR). DRAGONS self-consistently couples a semi-analytic galaxy formation model with the inhomogeneous ionizing UV background, and can therefore be used to study the dependence of morphology and statistics of reionization on feedback phenomena of the ionizing source galaxy population. Changes in galaxy formation physics modify the sizes of H II regions and the amplitude and shape of 21-cm power spectra. Of the galaxy physics investigated, we find that supernova feedback plays the most important role in reionization, with H II regions up to ≈20 per cent smaller and a fractional difference in the amplitude of power spectra of up to ≈17 per cent at fixed ionized fraction in the absence of this feedback. We compare our galaxy formation-based reionization models with past calculations that assume constant stellar-to-halo mass ratios and find that with the correct choice of minimum halo mass, such models can mimic the predicted reionization morphology. Reionization morphology at fixed neutral fraction is therefore not uniquely determined by the details of galaxy formation, but is sensitive to the mass of the haloes hosting the bulk of the ionizing sources. Simple EoR parametrizations are therefore accurate predictors of reionization statistics. However, a complete understanding of reionization using future 21-cm observations will require interpretation with realistic galaxy formation models, in combination with other observations.

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.

Recent progress in simulating galaxy formation from the largest to the smallest scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André

2018-05-01

Galaxy formation simulations are an essential part of the modern toolkit of astrophysicists and cosmologists alike. Astrophysicists use the simulations to study the emergence of galaxy populations from the Big Bang, as well as the formation of stars and supermassive black holes. For cosmologists, galaxy formation simulations are needed to understand how baryonic processes affect measurements of dark matter and dark energy. Owing to the extreme dynamic range of galaxy formation, advances are driven by novel approaches using simulations with different tradeoffs between volume and resolution. Large-volume but low-resolution simulations provide the best statistics, while higher-resolution simulations of smaller cosmic volumes can be evolved with self-consistent physics and reveal important emergent phenomena. I summarize recent progress in galaxy formation simulations, including major developments in the past five years, and highlight some key areas likely to drive further advances over the next decade.

UV, optical and infrared properties of star forming galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huchra, John P.

1987-01-01

The UVOIR properties of galaxies with extreme star formation rates are examined. These objects seem to fall into three distinct classes which can be called (1) extragalactic H II regions, (2) clumpy irregulars, and (3) starburst galaxies. Extragalactic H II regions are dominated by recently formed stars and may be considered 'young' galaxies if the definition of young is having the majority of total integrated star formation occurring in the last billion years. Clumpy irregulars are bursts of star formation superposed on an old population and are probably good examples of stochastic star formation. It is possible that star formation in these galaxies is triggered by the infall of gas clouds or dwarf companions. Starburst galaxies are much more luminous, dustier and more metal rich than the other classes. These objects show evidence for shock induced star formation where shocks may be caused by interaction with massive companions or are the result of an extremely strong density wave.

Star Formation Driven Galactic Winds at z~1.4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiner, Benjamin J.

2009-12-01

Galactic winds are a prime suspect for driving metals out of galaxies, creating the mass-metallicity relation, probably enriching the IGM, and explaining the low baryon fraction in galaxies. They may also be related to the quenching of star formation in red galaxies. However, it is unclear how efficiently winds couple to the ISM, and which types and masses of galaxies drove winds in the past. Spectroscopy of blueshifted Mg II absorption in galaxies at z~1.4 in the DEEP2 survey shows that winds are ubiquitous at that redshift (where the SFR in the bulk of galaxies is higher than today), and that they are driven by star formation. Many of these galaxies will become spirals rather than ellipticals, showing that SF-driven winds are part of the past history of many galaxies, but that such winds do not directly lead to quenching or deterrence of subsequent star formation.

The three phases of galaxy formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clauwens, Bart; Schaye, Joop; Franx, Marijn; Bower, Richard G.

2018-05-01

We investigate the origin of the Hubble sequence by analysing the evolution of the kinematic morphologies of central galaxies in the EAGLE cosmological simulation. By separating each galaxy into disc and spheroidal stellar components and tracing their evolution along the merger tree, we find that the morphology of galaxies follows a common evolutionary trend. We distinguish three phases of galaxy formation. These phases are determined primarily by mass, rather than redshift. For M* ≲ 109.5M⊙ galaxies grow in a disorganised way, resulting in a morphology that is dominated by random stellar motions. This phase is dominated by in-situ star formation, partly triggered by mergers. In the mass range 109.5M⊙ ≲ M* ≲ 1010.5M⊙ galaxies evolve towards a disc-dominated morphology, driven by in-situ star formation. The central spheroid (i.e. the bulge) at z = 0 consists mostly of stars that formed in-situ, yet the formation of the bulge is to a large degree associated with mergers. Finally, at M* ≳ 1010.5M⊙ growth through in-situ star formation slows down considerably and galaxies transform towards a more spheroidal morphology. This transformation is driven more by the buildup of spheroids than by the destruction of discs. Spheroid formation in these galaxies happens mostly by accretion at large radii of stars formed ex-situ (i.e. the halo rather than the bulge).

The Hydra I cluster core. I. Stellar populations in the cD galaxy NGC 3311

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbosa, C. E.; Arnaboldi, M.; Coccato, L.; Hilker, M.; Mendes de Oliveira, C.; Richtler, T.

2016-05-01

Context. The history of the mass assembly of brightest cluster galaxies may be studied by mapping the stellar populations at large radial distances from the galaxy centre, where the dynamical times are long and preserve the chemodynamical signatures of the accretion events. Aims: We provide extended and robust measurements of the stellar population parameters in NGC 3311, the cD galaxy at the centre of the Hydra I cluster, and out to three effective radii. We wish to characterize the processes that drove the build-up of the stellar light at all these radii. Methods: We obtained the spectra from several regions in NGC 3311 covering an area of ~3 arcmin2 in the wavelength range 4800 ≲ λ(Å) ≲ 5800, using the FORS2 spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope in the MXU mode. We measured the equivalent widths of seven absorption-features defined in the Lick/IDS system, which were modelled by single stellar populations, to provide luminosity-weighted ages, metallicities, and alpha element abundances. Results: The trends in the Lick indices and the distribution of the stellar population parameters indicate that the stars of NGC 3311 may be divided in two radial regimes, one within and the another beyond one effective radius, Re = 8.4 kpc, similar to the distinction between the inner galaxy and the external halo derived from the NGC 3311 velocity dispersion profile. The inner galaxy (R ≤ Re) is old (age ~14 Gyr), has negative metallicity gradients and positive alpha element gradients. The external halo is also very old, but has a negative age gradient. The metal and element abundances of the external halo both have a large scatter, indicating that stars from a variety of satellites with different masses have been accreted. The region in the extended halo associated with the off-centred envelope at 0°< PA < 90° has higher metallicity with respect to the symmetric external halo. Conclusions: The different stellar populations in the inner galaxy and extended halo reflect the dominance of in situ stars in the former and the accreted origin for the large majority of the stars in the latter. The low value of the velocity dispersion in the inner galaxy indicates that its stars are bound to the galaxy's gravitational potential, and the abundances and gradients suggest that the inner galaxy is formed in an outside-in scenario of merging gas-rich lumps, reminiscent of the first phase of galaxy formation. The external halo has a higher velocity dispersion, it is dynamically hotter than the galaxy and its stars are gravitationally driven by the cluster's gravitational potential. The stars in the external halo were removed from their parent galaxies, either disks with truncated star formation, or the outer regions of early-type galaxies. Late mass accretion at large radii is now coming from the tidal stripping of stars from dwarfs and S0 galaxies. These results provide supporting evidence for the recent theoretical models of formation of massive ellipticals as a two-phase process. Based on observations made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory under programme ID 088.B-0448(B) PI Richtler.Table 1 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/589/A139

Suppression of star formation in dwarf galaxies by photoelectric grain heating feedback.

PubMed

Forbes, John C; Krumholz, Mark R; Goldbaum, Nathan J; Dekel, Avishai

2016-07-28

Photoelectric heating--heating of dust grains by far-ultraviolet photons--has long been recognized as the primary source of heating for the neutral interstellar medium. Simulations of spiral galaxies have shown some indication that photoelectric heating could suppress star formation; however, simulations that include photoelectric heating have typically shown that it has little effect on the rate of star formation in either spiral galaxies or dwarf galaxies, which suggests that supernovae are responsible for setting the gas depletion time in galaxies. This result is in contrast with recent work indicating that a star formation law that depends on galaxy metallicity--as is expected with photoelectric heating,but not with supernovae--reproduces the present-day galaxy population better than does a metallicity-independent one. Here we report a series of simulations of dwarf galaxies, the class of galaxy in which the effects of both photoelectric heating and supernovae are expected to be strongest. We simultaneously include space and time-dependent photoelectric heating in our simulations, and we resolve the energy-conserving phase of every supernova blast wave, which allows us to directly measure the relative importance of feedback by supernovae and photoelectric heating in suppressing star formation. We find that supernovae are unable to account for the observed large gas depletion times in dwarf galaxies. Instead, photoelectric heating is the dominant means by which dwarf galaxies regulate their star formation rate at any given time,suppressing the rate by more than an order of magnitude relative to simulations with only supernovae.

Heavy Element Abundances in NGC 5846

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Christine

2000-01-01

In this paper we analyze the diffuse X-ray coronae surrounding the elliptical galaxy NGC 5846, combining measurements from two observatories, ROSAT and the Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics. We map the gas temperature distribution and find a central cool region within an approximately isothermal gas halo extending to a radius of about 50 kpc and evidence for a temperature decrease at larger radii. With a radially falling temperature profile, the total mass converges to (9.6 +/- 1.0) x 10(exp 12) solar mass at 230 kpc radius. This corresponds to a total mass to blue light ratio of 53 +/- 5 solar mass/solar luminosity. As in other early type galaxies, the gas mass is only a few percent of the total mass. Using the spectroscopic measurements, we also derive radial distributions for the heavy elements silicon and iron and find that the abundances of both decrease with galaxy radius. The mass ratio of Si to Fe lies between the theoretical predictions for element production in SN Ia and SN II, suggesting an important role for SN Ia, as well as SN II, for gas enrichment in ellipticals. Using the 2 SN la yield of Si, we set an upper limit of 0.012 h(sup 2, sub 50) solar neutrino units (SNU) for the SN Ia rate at radii >50 kpc, which is independent of possible uncertainties in the iron L-shell modeling. We compare our observations with the theoretical predictions for the chemical evolution of ellipticals. We conclude that the metal content in stars, if explained by the star formation duration, requires a significant decline in the duration of star formation with galaxy radius, ranging from 1 Gyr at the center to 0.01 Gyr at 100 kpc radius. Alternatively, the decline in metallicity with galaxy radius may be caused by a similar drop with radius in the efficiency of star formation. Based on the Si and Fe measurements presented in this paper, we conclude that the latter scenario is preferred unless a dependence of the SN Ia rate on stellar metallicity is invoked.

Cosmic evolution of star formation properties of galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sungeun

2014-01-01

Development of bolometer array and camera at submillimeter wavelength has played an important role in detecting submillimeter bright galaxies, so called submillimeter galaxies. These galaxies seem to be progenitors of present-day massive galaxies and account for their considerable contributions to the light from the early universe and their expected high star formation rates if there is a close link between the submillimeter galaxies and the star formation activities, and the interstellar dust in galaxies is mainly heated by the star light. We review assembly of submillimeter galaxies chosen from the AzTEC and the Herschel SPIRE/PACS data archives, and investigate their spectral energy distribution fits including the data at other wavelengths to deduce details about stellar parameters including star formation rates and parameters yielding the metallicity, composition and abundance in dust, and disc structure of these galaxies. This work has been supported in part by Mid-career Researcher Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology 2011-0028001.

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.

SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENT OF H{sub 2} FORMATION IN DISK GALAXIES UNDER STRONG RAM PRESSURE

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

Henderson, Benjamin; Bekki, Kenji

We show for the first time that H{sub 2} formation on dust grains can be enhanced in disk galaxies under strong ram pressure (RP). We numerically investigate how the time evolution of H i and H{sub 2} components in disk galaxies orbiting a group/cluster of galaxies can be influenced by the hydrodynamical interaction between the gaseous components of the galaxies and the hot intracluster medium. We find that compression of H i caused by RP increases H{sub 2} formation in disk galaxies before RP rapidly strips H i, cutting off the fuel supply and causing a drop in H{sub 2}more » density. We also find that the level of this H{sub 2} formation enhancement in a disk galaxy under RP depends on the mass of its host cluster dark matter halo, the initial positions and velocities of the disk galaxy, and the disk inclination angle with respect to the orbital plane. We demonstrate that dust growth is a key factor in the evolution of the H i and H{sub 2} mass in disk galaxies under strong RP. We discuss how the correlation between H{sub 2} fractions and surface gas densities of disk galaxies evolves with time in the galaxies under RP. We also discuss whether galaxy-wide star formation rates (SFRs) in cluster disk galaxies can be enhanced by RP if the SFRs depend on H{sub 2} densities.« less

Confusion-limited galaxy fields. I - Simulated optical and near-infrared images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chokshi, Arati; Wright, Edward L.

1988-01-01

Techniques for simulating images of galaxy fields are presented that extend to high redshifts and a surface density of galaxies high enough to produce overlapping images. The observed properties of galaxies and galaxy-ensembles in the 'local' universe are extrapolated to high redshifts using reasonable scenarios for the evolution of galaxies and their spatial distribution. This theoretical framework is then employed with Monte Carlo techniques to create fairly realistic two-dimensional distributions of galaxies plus optical and near-infrared sky images in a variety of model universes, using the appropriate density, luminosity, and angular size versus redshift relations.

Gas Stripping in the Simulated Pegasus Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercado, Francisco Javier; Samaniego, Alejandro; Wheeler, Coral; Bullock, James

2017-01-01

We utilize the hydrodynamic simulation code GIZMO to construct a non-cosmological idealized dwarf galaxy built to match the parameters of the observed Pegasus dwarf galaxy. This simulated galaxy will be used in a series of tests in which we will implement different methods of removing the dwarf’s gas in order to emulate the ram pressure stripping mechanism encountered by dwarf galaxies as they fall into more massive companion galaxies. These scenarios will be analyzed in order to determine the role that the removal of gas plays in rotational vs. dispersion support (Vrot/σ) of our galaxy.

Host Galaxy Spectra of Stripped SN from the Palomar Transient Factory: SN Progenitor Diagnostics and the SN-GRB Connection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modjaz, Maryam; Gal-Yam, Avishay; Arcavi, Iair

2012-02-01

Stripped core-collapse supernovae (Stripped SNe) are powerful cosmic engines that energize and enrich the ISM and that sometimes accompany GRBs, but the exact mass and metallicity range of their massive progenitors is not known, nor the detailed physics of the explosion. We propose to continue conducting the first uniform and statistically significant study of host galaxies of 60 stripped SNe from the same innovative, homogeneous and galaxy-unbiased survey Palomar Transient Factory in order to determine the environmental conditions that influence the various kinds of massive stellar deaths. By obtaining spectra of the immediate host environments of our sample of stripped SN, we will (1) measure local abundances in order to differentiate between the two progenitor scenarios for stripped SN and (2) derive stellar population ages, masses and star formation histories via detailed stellar population synthesis models. Moreover, we will test if natal chemical abundance has effects on basic SN characteristics, such as peak luminosity. Any observed trends will have ramifications on SN and GRB explosion models and imply important demographic SN considerations. Our dataset will provide a crucial complimentary set to host galaxy studies of long-duration GRBs and pave the way for host studies of transients and SN found via upcoming surveys such as LSST.

Validity of strong lensing statistics for constraints on the galaxy evolution model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Akiko; Futamase, Toshifumi

2008-02-01

We examine the usefulness of the strong lensing statistics to constrain the evolution of the number density of lensing galaxies by adopting the values of the cosmological parameters determined by recent Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe observation. For this purpose, we employ the lens-redshift test proposed by Kochanek and constrain the parameters in two evolution models, simple power-law model characterized by the power-law indexes νn and νv, and the evolution model by Mitchell et al. based on cold dark matter structure formation scenario. We use the well-defined lens sample from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and this is similarly sized samples used in the previous studies. Furthermore, we adopt the velocity dispersion function of early-type galaxies based on SDSS DR1 and DR5. It turns out that the indexes of power-law model are consistent with the previous studies, thus our results indicate the mild evolution in the number and velocity dispersion of early-type galaxies out to z = 1. However, we found that the values for p and q used by Mitchell et al. are inconsistent with the presently available observational data. More complete sample is necessary to withdraw more realistic determination on these parameters.

The Leoncino Dwarf: The Lowest Metallicity Star-Forming Galaxy in the Nearby Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McQuinn, Kristen

2017-08-01

Extremely metal-poor (XMP) galaxies are dwarf irregular galaxies with very low metallicities, traced by their gas-phase oxygen abundance. Galaxy evolution scenarios suggest three pathways to form an XMP: (1) secular evolution at low galaxy masses, (2) slow evolution in voids, or (3) dilution of measured abundances from infall of pristine gas. These scenarios have proven challenging to test because, despite concerted efforts, XMP galaxies in the nearby universe have proven hard to find. A notable exception is the recently discovered dwarf galaxy Leoncino. Leoncino has the lowest gas-phase oxygen abundance ever measured in a galaxy in the local Universe. From optical spectroscopy, the oxygen abundance is 12+log(O/H)=7.02+/-0.03, more than 40% lower than the iconic low-metallicity galaxy I Zw 18 and less than 2% Z_sun. Despite a precision oxygen abundance measurement, the evolutionary context of Leoncino remains uncertain without a secure distance. We propose HST WFC3 high-resolution optical imaging of Leoncino to accurately measure the distance to the galaxy using the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method. The distance will determine whether Leoncino is located in a typical field environment or in a void, and whether the galaxy is consistent with the luminosity-metallicity relation at low galaxy masses. The detailed study of Leoncino will provide benchmark results for future XMP discoveries in the nearby Universe, and an exceptionally timely comparison for studies of chemically primitive, high-redshift galaxies that will be observable in the JWST era.

Star Formation in a Complete Spectroscopic Survey of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, B. J.; Fabricant, D. G.; Geller, M. J.; Kurtz, M. J.; McLean, B.

2001-10-01

The 15R-North galaxy redshift survey is a uniform spectroscopic survey (S/N~10) covering the range 3650-7400 Å for 3149 galaxies with median redshift 0.05. The sample is 90% complete to R=15.4. The median slit covering fraction is 24% of the galaxy, apparently sufficient to minimize the effects of aperture bias on the EW(Hα). Forty-nine percent of the galaxies in the survey have one or more emission lines detected at >=2 σ. In agreement with previous surveys, the fraction of absorption-line galaxies increases steeply with galaxy luminosity. We use Hβ, [O III], Hα, and [N II] to discriminate between star-forming galaxies and AGNs. At least 20% of the galaxies are star-forming, at least 17% have AGN-like emission, and 12% have unclassifiable emission. The unclassified 12% may include a ``hybrid'' population of galaxies with both star formation and AGN activity. The AGN fraction increases steeply with luminosity; the fraction of star-forming galaxies decreases. We use the EW(Hα+[N II]) to estimate the Scalo birthrate parameter, b, the ratio of the current star formation rate to the time averaged star formation rate. The median birthrate parameter is inversely correlated with luminosity in agreement with the conclusions based on smaller samples (Kennicutt, Tamblyn, & Congdon). Because our survey is large, we identify 33 vigorously star-forming galaxies with b>3. We confirm the conclusion of Jansen, Franx, & Fabricant that EW([O II]) must be used with caution as a measure of current star formation. Finally, we examine the way galaxies of different spectroscopic type trace the large-scale galaxy distribution. As expected the absorption-line fraction decreases and the star-forming emission-line fraction increases as the galaxy density decreases. The AGN fraction is insensitive to the surrounding galaxy density; the unclassified fraction declines slowly as the density increases. For the star-forming galaxies, the EW(Hα) increases very slowly as the galaxy number density decreases. Whether a galaxy forms stars or not is strongly correlated with the surrounding galaxy density averaged over a scale of a few Mpc. This dependence reflects, in large part, the morphology-density relation. However, for galaxies forming stars, the stellar birthrate parameter is remarkably insensitive to the galaxy density. This conclusion suggests that the triggering of star formation occurs on a smaller spatial scale.

CHEMICAL ENRICHMENT OF DAMPED Ly{alpha} SYSTEMS AS A DIRECT CONSTRAINT ON POPULATION III STAR FORMATION

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

Kulkarni, Girish; Hennawi, Joseph F.; Rollinde, Emmanuel

2013-08-01

Observations of damped Ly{alpha} absorbers (DLAs) can be used to measure gas-phase metallicities at large cosmological look-back times with high precision. Furthermore, relative abundances can still be measured accurately deep into the reionization epoch (z > 6) using transitions redward of Ly{alpha}, even though Gunn-Peterson absorption precludes measurement of neutral hydrogen. In this paper, we study the chemical evolution of DLAs using a model for the coupled evolution of galaxies and the intergalactic medium (IGM), which is constrained by a variety of observations. Our goal is to explore the influence of Population III stars on the abundance patterns of DLAsmore » to determine the degree to which abundance measurements can discriminate between different Population III stellar initial mass functions (IMFs). We include effects, such as inflows onto galaxies due to cosmological accretion and outflows from galaxies due to supernova feedback. A distinct feature of our model is that it self-consistently calculates the effect of Population III star formation on the reionization of an inhomogeneous IGM, thus allowing us to calculate the thermal evolution of the IGM and implement photoionization feedback on low-mass galaxy formation. We find that if the critical metallicity of Population III to II/I transition is {approx}< 10{sup -4} Z{sub Sun }, then the cosmic Population III star formation rate drops to zero for z < 8. Nevertheless, at high redshift (z {approx} 6), chemical signatures of Population III stars remain in low-mass galaxies (halo mass {approx}< 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun }). This is because photoionization feedback suppresses star formation in these galaxies until relatively low redshift (z {approx} 10), and the chemical record of their initial generation of Population III stars is retained. We model DLAs as these low-mass galaxies, and assign to them a mass-dependent H I absorption cross-section in order to predict the expected distribution of DLA abundance ratios. We find that these distributions are anchored toward abundance ratios set by Population II supernova yields, but they exhibit a tail which depends significantly on the Population III IMF for z > 5. Thus, a sample of DLA metallicity and relative abundance measurements at high redshift holds the promise to constrain Population III enrichment and the Population III IMF. We find that a sample of just 10 DLAs with relative abundances measured to an accuracy of 0.1 dex is sufficient to constrain the Population III IMF at 4{sigma}. These constraints may prove stronger than other probes of Population III enrichment, such as metal-poor stars and individual metal-poor DLAs. Our results provide a global picture of the thermal, ionization, and chemical evolution of the universe, and have the potential to rule out certain Population III scenarios.« less

Mapping the properties of blue compact dwarf galaxies: integral field spectroscopy with PMAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cairós, L. M.; Caon, N.; Zurita, C.; Kehrig, C.; Roth, M.; Weilbacher, P.

2010-09-01

Context. Blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies are low-luminosity, low-metal content dwarf systems undergoing violent bursts of star formation. They present a unique opportunity to probe galaxy formation and evolution and to investigate the process of star formation in a relatively simple scenario. Spectrophotometric studies of BCDs are essential to disentangle and characterize their stellar populations. Aims: We perform integral field spectroscopy of a sample of BCDs with the aim of analyzing their morphology, the spatial distribution of some of their physical properties (excitation, extinction, and electron density) and their relationship with the distribution and evolutionary state of the stellar populations. Methods: Integral field spectroscopy observations of the sample galaxies were carried out with the Potsdam Multi-Aperture Spectrophotometer (PMAS) at the 3.5 m telescope at Calar Alto Observatory. An area 16 arcsec × 16 arcsec in size was mapped with a spatial sampling of 1 arcsec × 1 arcsec. We obtained data in the 3590-6996 Å spectral range, with a linear dispersion of 3.2 Å per pixel. From these data we built two-dimensional maps of the flux of the most prominent emission lines, of two continuum bands, of the most relevant line ratios, and of the gas velocity field. Integrated spectra of the most prominent star-forming regions and of whole objects within the FOV were used to derive their physical parameters and the gas metal abundances. Results: Six galaxies display the same morphology both in emission line and in continuum maps; only in two objects, Mrk 32 and Tololo 1434+032, the distributions of the ionized gas and of the stars differ considerably. In general the different excitation maps for a same object display the same pattern and trace the star-forming regions, as expected for objects ionized by hot stars; only the outer regions of Mrk 32, I Zw 123 and I Zw 159 display higher [S II]/Hα values, suggestive of shocks. Six galaxies display an inhomogeneous dust distribution. Regarding the kinematics, Mrk 750, Mrk 206 and I Zw 159 display a clear rotation pattern, while in Mrk 32, Mrk 475 and I Zw 123 the velocity fields are flat. Tables 3-6 and Figs. 3-9 are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Carbon monoxide emission from small galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thronson, Harley A., Jr.; Bally, John

1987-01-01

A search was conducted for J = 1 yields 0 CO emission from 22 galaxies, detecting half, as part of a survey to study star formation in small to medium size galaxies. Although substantial variation was found in the star formation efficiencies of the sample galaxies, there is no apparent systematic trend with galaxy size.

Effects of scale-dependent non-Gaussianity on cosmological structures

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

LoVerde, Marilena; Miller, Amber; Shandera, Sarah

2008-04-15

The detection of primordial non-Gaussianity could provide a powerful means to test various inflationary scenarios. Although scale-invariant non-Gaussianity (often described by the f{sub NL} formalism) is currently best constrained by the CMB, single-field models with changing sound speed can have strongly scale-dependent non-Gaussianity. Such models could evade the CMB constraints but still have important effects at scales responsible for the formation of cosmological objects such as clusters and galaxies. We compute the effect of scale-dependent primordial non-Gaussianity on cluster number counts as a function of redshift, using a simple ansatz to model scale-dependent features. We forecast constraints on these modelsmore » achievable with forthcoming datasets. We also examine consequences for the galaxy bispectrum. Our results are relevant for the Dirac-Born-Infeld model of brane inflation, where the scale dependence of the non-Gaussianity is directly related to the geometry of the extra dimensions.« less

RR Lyrae Variables in Stellar Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Horace A.; Catelan, Márcio; Clementini, Gisella

2009-09-01

The pioneering studies of RR Lyrae stars in globular clusters by Oosterhoff and by Sawyer Hogg in the 1930s and 1940s called attention to interesting systematic differences among RR Lyrae populations in different systems. When such studies were extended to the dwarf spheroidal companions of the Milky Way in the 1960s, it was found that the average properties of their RR Lyrae stars were often different from those that had previously been observed in globular clusters. Observations of RR Lyrae stars have now extended to the Andromeda Galaxy and other Local Group systems, with still greater variety being apparent. Our understanding of the reasons for these differences among the RR Lyrae populations in different systems is by no means complete, but properties of RR Lyrae stars within these different systems are tied to differing horizontal branch morphologies and also shed light upon scenarios for the formation of the Galaxy.

AMI SZ observation of galaxy-cluster merger CIZA J2242+5301: perpendicular flows of gas and dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rumsey, Clare; Perrott, Yvette C.; Olamaie, Malak; Saunders, Richard D. E.; Hobson, Michael P.; Stroe, Andra; Schammel, Michel P.; Grainge, Keith J. B.

2017-10-01

Arcminute Microkelvin Imager observations towards CIZA J2242+5301, in comparison with observations of weak gravitational lensing and X-ray emission from the literature, are used to investigate the behaviour of non-baryonic dark matter (NBDM) and gas during the merger. Analysis of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) signal indicates the presence of high pressure gas elongated perpendicularly to the X-ray and weak-lensing morphologies, which, given the merger-axis constraints in the literature, implies that high pressure gas is pushed out into a linear structure during core passing. Simulations in the literature closely matching the inferred merger scenario show the formation of gas density and temperature structures perpendicular to the merger axis. These SZ observations are challenging for modified gravity theories in which NBDM is not the dominant contributor to galaxy-cluster gravity.

Problems with the sources of the observed gravitational waves and their resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolgov, A. D.

2017-04-01

Recent direct registration of gravitational waves by LIGO and astronomical observations of the universe at redshifts 5-10 demonstrate that the standard astrophysics and cosmology are in tension with the data. The origin of the source of the GW150914 event, which presumably is a binary of coalescing black holes with masses about 30 solar masses, each with zero spin, as well as the densely populated universe at z= 5-10 by superheavy black holes, blight galaxies, supernovae, and dust does not fit the standard astrophysical picture. It is shown here that the model of primordial black hole (PBH) formation, suggested in 1993, nicely explains all these and more puzzles, including those in contemporary universe, such as MACHOs and the mass spectrum of the observed solar mass black holes.. The mass spectrum and density of PBH is predicted. The scenario may possibly lead to abundant antimatter in the universe and even in the Galaxy.

THE DETECTION OF ULTRA-FAINT LOW SURFACE BRIGHTNESS DWARF GALAXIES IN THE VIRGO CLUSTER: A PROBE OF DARK MATTER AND BARYONIC PHYSICS

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

Giallongo, E.; Menci, N.; Grazian, A.

2015-11-01

We have discovered 11 ultra-faint (r ≲ 22.1) low surface brightness (LSB, central surface brightness 23 ≲ μ{sub r} ≲ 26) dwarf galaxy candidates in one deep Virgo field of just 576 arcmin{sup 2} obtained by the Large Binocular Camera at the Large Binocular Telescope. Their association with the Virgo cluster is supported by their distinct position in the central surface brightness—total magnitude plane with respect to the background galaxies of similar total magnitude. They have typical absolute magnitudes and scale sizes, if at the distance of Virgo, in the range −13 ≲ M{sub r} ≲ −9 and 250 ≲more » r{sub s} ≲ 850 pc, respectively. Their colors are consistent with a gradually declining star formation history with a specific star formation rate of the order of 10{sup −11} yr{sup −1}, i.e., 10 times lower than that of main sequence star-forming galaxies. They are older than the cluster formation age and appear to be regular in morphology. They represent the faintest extremes of the population of low luminosity LSB dwarfs that has recently been detected in wider surveys of the Virgo cluster. Thanks to the depth of our observations, we are able to extend the Virgo luminosity function down to M{sub r} ∼ −9.3 (corresponding to total masses M ∼ 10{sup 7} M{sub ⊙}), finding an average faint-end slope α ≃ −1.4. This relatively steep slope puts interesting constraints on the nature of the dark matter and, in particular, on warm dark matter (WDM) often invoked to solve the overprediction of the dwarf number density by the standard cold dark matter scenario. We derive a lower limit on the WDM particle mass >1.5 keV.« less

The Formation And Evolution Of Milky Way Sized Galaxies In High-Resolution Cosmological Zoom Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grand, Robert

2016-09-01

Simulations are playing an increasingly important role in probing the formation history of the Milky Way, including the formation of the thick/thin disc and origin of the metal distribution and chemo-dynamical relations. We introduce the Auriga project, a suite of high resolution cosmological-zoom simulations of Milky Way-sized galaxies simulated with the state-of-the-art cosmological magneto-hydrodynamical code AREPO, and present an analysis of the formation and evolution of the stellar disc(s) from early times to present day. In particular, we show that 'thickened discs' are mainly driven by a bar (if present) and interactions with satellites of masses log10 (M/ Mo ) >= 10, whereas other potential heating mechanisms such as spiral arms, radial migration, and adiabatic heating from mid-plane density growth are all sub-dominant. Interestingly, we find that even in cases of violent satellite interactions the disc reforms quickly (within a few giga years), producing a well-defined disc-bulge system. In nearly all simulations the overall structure of the disc becomes gradually more radially extended and vertically thinner with time, in support of the inside-out, upside-down formation scenario, and without the presence of a thin/thick disc dichotomy. In addition, we comment on the mass distribution of mono-abundance populations and their relation to the bulge and disc components, which are readily comparable to observations from surveys such as APOGEE and Gaia.

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 may be more massive than a million million Suns. Presently, more than half of the stars in the Universe are located in massive spheroidal galaxies. One of the main open questions of modern astrophysics and cosmology is how and when galaxies formed and evolved starting from the primordial gas that filled the early Universe. In the most popular current theory, galaxies in the local Universe are the result of a relatively slow process where small and less massive galaxies merge to gradually build up bigger and more massive galaxies. In this scenario, dubbed "hierarchical merging", the young Universe was populated by small galaxies with little mass, whereas the present Universe contains large, old and massive galaxies - the very last to form in the final stage of a slow assembling process. If this scenario were true, then one should not be able to find massive elliptical galaxies in the young universe. Or, in other words, due to the finite speed of light, there should be no such massive galaxies very far from us. And indeed, until now no old elliptical galaxy was known beyond a radio-galaxy at redshift 1.55 [3] that was discovered almost ten years ago. The K20 survey ESO PR Photo 21a/04 ESO PR Photo 21a/04 Part of the K20 Field, centred on the z=1.9 galaxy (ACS/HST) [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 424 pix - 45k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 847 pix - 712k] [Hires - JPEG: 1334 x 1413 pix - 1.3M] Caption: ESO PR Photo 21a/04 shows a small region in the K20 field surveyed by the astronomers. This region is centred on the newly discovered z=1.9 redshift galaxy. The image is based on frames acquired by the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope in the framework of the GOODS Public HST Treasury Program (P.I. M. Giavalisco, STScI, Baltimore, USA). They show the real colours of the galaxies. The four old massive spheroidal galaxies discovered in this survey appear very red compared to the other faint galaxies. (Image courtesy of Piero Rosati and Bob Fosbury, ESO Garching). In order to better understand the formation process of galaxies and to verify if the hierarchical merging scenario is valid, a team of Italian and ESO astronomers [2] used ESO's Very Large Telescope as a "time machine" to do a search for very remote elliptical galaxies. However, this is not trivial. Distant elliptical galaxies, with their content of old and red stars, must be very faint objects indeed at optical wavelengths as the bulk of their light is redshifted into the infrared part of the spectrum. Remote elliptical galaxies are thus among the most difficult observational targets even for the largest telescopes; this is also why the 1.55 redshift record has persisted for so long. But this challenge did not stop the researchers. They obtained deep optical spectroscopy with the multi-mode FORS2 instrument on the VLT for a sample of 546 faint objects found in a sky area of 52 arcmin2 (or about one tenth of the area of the Full Moon) known as the K20 field, and which partly overlaps with the GOODS-South area. Their perseverance paid off and they were rewarded by the discovery of four old, massive galaxies with redshifts between 1.6 and 1.9. These galaxies are seen when the Universe was only about 25% of its present age of 13,700 million years. For one of the galaxies, the K20 team benefited also from the database of publicly available spectra in the GOODS-South area taken by the ESO/GOODS team. A new population of galaxies ESO PR Photo 21b/04 ESO PR Photo 21b/04 Averaged Spectrum of Old Galaxies (FORS2/VLT). [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 496 pix - 58k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 992 pix - 366k] [Hires - JPEG: 1700 x 2108 pix - 928k] Caption: ESO PR Photo 21b/04 shows the averaged spectrum (blue) of the four newly discovered old massive galaxies compared to a set of template spectra. The bottom compares it with the spectrum of a star having a surface temperature of 7200 degrees (green) and 6800 degrees (red), respectively. The upper graph makes a comparison with synthetic spectra of simulated simple stellar populations with ages of 500, 1100 and 3000 million years. This figure demonstrates that the newly found galaxies mostly contain old low-mass stars and must have formed between 1,000 and 2,000 million years earlier than the epoch at which they are now seen. The newly discovered galaxies are thus seen when the Universe was about 3,500 million years old, i.e. 10,000 million years ago. But from the spectra taken, it appears that these galaxies contain stars with ages between 1,000 and 2,000 million years. This implies that the galaxies must have formed accordingly earlier, and that they must have essentially completed their assembly at a moment when the Universe was only 1,500 to 2,500 million years old. The galaxies appear to have masses in excess of one hundred thousand million solar masses and they are therefore of sizes similar to the most massive galaxies in the present-day Universe. Complementary images taken within the GOODS ("The Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey") survey by the Hubble Space Telescope show that these galaxies have structures and shapes more or less identical to those of the present-day massive elliptical galaxies. The new observations have therefore revealed a new population of very old and massive galaxies. The existence of such massive and old spheroidal galaxies in the early Universe shows that the assembly of the present-day massive elliptical galaxies started much earlier and was much faster than predicted by the hierarchical merging theory. Says Andrea Cimatti (INAF, Firenze, Italy), leader of the team: "Our new study now raises fundamental questions about our understanding and knowledge of the processes that regulated the genesis and the evolutionary history of the Universe and its structures."

The Herschel Virgo Cluster Survey. XIX. Physical properties of low luminosity FIR sources at z < 0.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pappalardo, Ciro; Bizzocchi, Luca; Fritz, Jacopo; Boselli, Alessandro; Boquien, Mederic; Boissier, Samuel; Baes, Maarten; Ciesla, Laure; Bianchi, Simone; Clemens, Marcel; Viaene, Sebastien; Bendo, George J.; De Looze, Ilse; Smith, Matthew W. L.; Davies, Jonathan

2016-05-01

Context. The star formation rate is a crucial parameter for the investigation galaxy evolution. At low redshift the cosmic star formation rate density declines smoothly, and massive active galaxies become passive, reducing their star formation activity. This implies that the bulk of the star formation rate density at low redshift is mainly driven by low mass objects. Aims: We investigate the properties of a sample of low luminosity far-infrared sources selected at 250 μm. We have collected data from ultraviolet to far-infrared in order to perform a multiwavelengths analysis. The main goal is to investigate the correlation between star formation rate, stellar mass, and dust mass for a galaxy population with a wide range in dust content and stellar mass, including the low mass regime that most probably dominates the star formation rate density at low redshift. Methods: We define a main sample of ~800 sources with full spectral energy distribution coverage between 0.15 <λ< 500 μm and an extended sample with ~5000 sources in which we remove the constraints on the ultraviolet and near-infrared bands. We analyze both samples with two different spectral energy distribution fitting methods: MAGPHYS and CIGALE, which interpret a galaxy spectral energy distribution as a combination of different simple stellar population libraries and dust emission templates. Results: In the star formation rate versus stellar mass plane our samples occupy a region included between local spirals and higher redshift star forming galaxies. These galaxies represent the population that at z< 0.5 quenches their star formation activity and reduces their contribution to the cosmic star formation rate density. The subsample of galaxies with the higher masses (M∗> 3 × 1010 M⊙) do not lie on the main sequence, but show a small offset as a consequence of the decreased star formation. Low mass galaxies (M∗< 1 × 1010 M⊙) settle in the main sequence with star formation rate and stellar mass consistent with local spirals. Conclusions: Deep Herschel data allow the identification of a mixed galaxy population with galaxies still in an assembly phase or galaxies at the beginning of their passive evolution. We find that the dust luminosity is the parameter that allow us to discriminate between these two galaxy populations. The median spectral energy distribution shows that even at low star formation rate our galaxy sample has a higher mid-infrared emission than previously predicted. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by a European-led principal investigator consortia and with an important participation from NASA.

The role of black holes in galaxy formation and evolution.

PubMed

Cattaneo, A; Faber, S M; Binney, J; Dekel, A; Kormendy, J; Mushotzky, R; Babul, A; Best, P N; Brüggen, M; Fabian, A C; Frenk, C S; Khalatyan, A; Netzer, H; Mahdavi, A; Silk, J; Steinmetz, M; Wisotzki, L

2009-07-09

Virtually all massive galaxies, including our own, host central black holes ranging in mass from millions to billions of solar masses. The growth of these black holes releases vast amounts of energy that powers quasars and other weaker active galactic nuclei. A tiny fraction of this energy, if absorbed by the host galaxy, could halt star formation by heating and ejecting ambient gas. A central question in galaxy evolution is the degree to which this process has caused the decline of star formation in large elliptical galaxies, which typically have little cold gas and few young stars, unlike spiral galaxies.

Dark-ages reionization and galaxy formation simulation - III. Modelling galaxy formation and the epoch of reionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutch, Simon J.; Geil, Paul M.; Poole, Gregory B.; Angel, Paul W.; Duffy, Alan R.; Mesinger, Andrei; Wyithe, J. Stuart B.

2016-10-01

We introduce MERAXES, a new, purpose-built semi-analytic galaxy formation model designed for studying galaxy growth during reionization. MERAXES is the first model of its type to include a temporally and spatially coupled treatment of reionization and is built upon a custom (100 Mpc)3 N-body simulation with high temporal and mass resolution, allowing us to resolve the galaxy and star formation physics relevant to early galaxy formation. Our fiducial model with supernova feedback reproduces the observed optical depth to electron scattering and evolution of the galaxy stellar mass function between z = 5 and 7, predicting that a broad range of halo masses contribute to reionization. Using a constant escape fraction and global recombination rate, our model is unable to simultaneously match the observed ionizing emissivity at z ≲ 6. However, the use of an evolving escape fraction of 0.05-0.1 at z ˜ 6, increasing towards higher redshift, is able to satisfy these three constraints. We also demonstrate that photoionization suppression of low-mass galaxy formation during reionization has only a small effect on the ionization history of the intergalactic medium. This lack of `self-regulation' arises due to the already efficient quenching of star formation by supernova feedback. It is only in models with gas supply-limited star formation that reionization feedback is effective at regulating galaxy growth. We similarly find that reionization has only a small effect on the stellar mass function, with no observationally detectable imprint at M* > 107.5 M⊙. However, patchy reionization has significant effects on individual galaxy masses, with variations of factors of 2-3 at z = 5 that correlate with environment.

Feedback in low-mass galaxies in the early Universe.

PubMed

Erb, Dawn K

2015-07-09

The formation, evolution and death of massive stars release large quantities of energy and momentum into the gas surrounding the sites of star formation. This process, generically termed 'feedback', inhibits further star formation either by removing gas from the galaxy, or by heating it to temperatures that are too high to form new stars. Observations reveal feedback in the form of galactic-scale outflows of gas in galaxies with high rates of star formation, especially in the early Universe. Feedback in faint, low-mass galaxies probably facilitated the escape of ionizing radiation from galaxies when the Universe was about 500 million years old, so that the hydrogen between galaxies changed from neutral to ionized-the last major phase transition in the Universe.

Big Black Holes Mean Bad News for Stars (diagram)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Poster Version Suppression of Star Formation from Supermassive Black Holes

This diagram illustrates research from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer showing that black holes -- once they reach a critical size -- can put the brakes on new star formation in elliptical galaxies.

In this graph, galaxies and their supermassive black holes are indicated by the drawings (the black circle at the center of each galaxy represents the black hole). The relative masses of the galaxies and their black holes are reflected in the sizes of the drawings. Blue indicates that the galaxy has new stars, while red means the galaxy does not have any detectable new stars.

The Galaxy Evolution Explorer observed the following trend: the biggest galaxies and black holes (shown in upper right corner) are more likely to have no observable star formation (red) than the smaller galaxies with smaller black holes. This is evidence that black holes can create environments unsuitable for stellar birth.

The white line in the diagram illustrates that, for any galaxy no matter what the mass, its black hole must reach a critical size before it can shut down star formation.

The rapid assembly of an elliptical galaxy of 400 billion solar masses at a redshift of 2.3.

PubMed

Fu, Hai; Cooray, Asantha; Feruglio, C; Ivison, R J; Riechers, D A; Gurwell, M; Bussmann, R S; Harris, A I; Altieri, B; Aussel, H; Baker, A J; Bock, J; Boylan-Kolchin, M; Bridge, C; Calanog, J A; Casey, C M; Cava, A; Chapman, S C; Clements, D L; Conley, A; Cox, P; Farrah, D; Frayer, D; Hopwood, R; Jia, J; Magdis, G; Marsden, G; Martínez-Navajas, P; Negrello, M; Neri, R; Oliver, S J; Omont, A; Page, M J; Pérez-Fournon, I; Schulz, B; Scott, D; Smith, A; Vaccari, M; Valtchanov, I; Vieira, J D; Viero, M; Wang, L; Wardlow, J L; Zemcov, M

2013-06-20

Stellar archaeology shows that massive elliptical galaxies formed rapidly about ten billion years ago with star-formation rates of above several hundred solar masses per year. Their progenitors are probably the submillimetre bright galaxies at redshifts z greater than 2. Although the mean molecular gas mass (5 × 10(10) solar masses) of the submillimetre bright galaxies can explain the formation of typical elliptical galaxies, it is inadequate to form elliptical galaxies that already have stellar masses above 2 × 10(11) solar masses at z ≈ 2. Here we report multi-wavelength high-resolution observations of a rare merger of two massive submillimetre bright galaxies at z = 2.3. The system is seen to be forming stars at a rate of 2,000 solar masses per year. The star-formation efficiency is an order of magnitude greater than that of normal galaxies, so the gas reservoir will be exhausted and star formation will be quenched in only around 200 million years. At a projected separation of 19 kiloparsecs, the two massive starbursts are about to merge and form a passive elliptical galaxy with a stellar mass of about 4 × 10(11) solar masses. We conclude that gas-rich major galaxy mergers with intense star formation can form the most massive elliptical galaxies by z ≈ 1.5.

Morphology Is a Link to the Past: Examining Formative and Secular Galactic Evolution through Morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galloway, Melanie A.

Galaxy morphology is one of the primary keys to understanding a galaxy's evolutionary history. External mechanisms (environment/clustering, mergers) have a strong impact on the formative evolution of the major galactic components (disk, bulge, Hubble type), while internal instabilities created by bars, spiral arms, or other substructures drive secular evolution via the rearrangement of material within the disk. This thesis will explore several ways in which morphology impacts the dynamics and evolution of a galaxy using visual classifications from several Galaxy Zoo projects. The first half of this work will detail the motivations of using morphology to study galaxy evolution, and describe how morphology is measured, debiased, and interpreted using crowdsourced classification data via Galaxy Zoo. The second half will present scientific studies which make use of these classifications; first by focusing on the morphology of galaxies in the local Universe (z < 0.2) using data from Galaxy Zoo 2 and Galaxy Zoo UKIDSS. Last, the high-redshift Universe will be explored by examining populations of morphologies at various lookback times, from z = 0 out to z = 1 using data from Galaxy Zoo Hubble. The investigation of the physical implications of morphology in the local Universe will first be presented in Chapter 4, in a study of the impact of bars on the fueling of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Using a sample of 19,756 disk galaxies at 0.01 < z < 0.05 imaged by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and morphologically classified by Galaxy Zoo 2 (GZ2), the difference in AGN fraction in barred and unbarred disks was measured. A weak, but statistically significant, effect was found in that the population of AGN hosts exhibited a 16.0% increase in bar fraction as compared to their unbarred counterparts at fixed mass and color. These results are consistent with a cosmological model in which bar-driven fueling contributes to the growth of black holes, but other dynamical mechanisms must also play a significant role. Next, the morphological dependence on wavelength is studied in Chapter 5 by comparing the optical morphological classifications from GZ2 to classifications done on infrared images in GZ:UKIDSS. Consistent morphologies were found in both sets and similar bar fractions, which confirms that for most galaxies, both old and young stellar populations follow similar spatial distributions. Last, the morphological changes in galaxy populations are computed as a function of their age using classifications from Galaxy Zoo: Hubble (Chapter 6). The evolution of the passive disc population from z = 1 to z = 0.3 was studied in a sample of 20,000 galaxies from the COSMOS field and morphologically classified by the Galaxy Zoo: Hubble project. It was found that the fraction of disc galaxies that are red, as well as the fraction of red sequence galaxies that are discs, decreases for the most massive galaxies (log(M/M solar masses) > 11) but increases for lower masses. The observations are consistent with a physical scenario in which more massive galaxies are more likely to enter a red disc phase, and more massive red discs are more likely to morphologically transform into ellipticals than their less massive counterparts. Additionally, the challenges of visual classification that are particular to galaxies at high redshift were investigated. To address these biases, a new correction technique is presented using simulated images of nearby SDSS galaxies which were artificially redshifted using the FERENGI code and classified in GZH.

THE COSMOLOGICAL IMPACT OF LUMINOUS TeV BLAZARS. III. IMPLICATIONS FOR GALAXY CLUSTERS AND THE FORMATION OF DWARF GALAXIES

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

Pfrommer, Christoph; Chang, Philip; Broderick, Avery E., E-mail: christoph.pfrommer@h-its.org, E-mail: aeb@cita.utoronto.ca, E-mail: pchang@cita.utoronto.ca

2012-06-10

A subset of blazars are powerful TeV emitters, dominating the extragalactic component of the very high energy gamma-ray universe (E {approx}> 100 GeV). These TeV gamma rays generate ultrarelativistic electron-positron pairs via pair production with the extragalactic background light. While it has generally been assumed that the kinetic energy of these pairs cascades to GeV gamma rays via inverse Compton scattering, we have argued in Broderick et al. (Paper I in this series) that plasma beam instabilities are capable of dissipating the pairs' energy locally on timescales short in comparison to the inverse Compton cooling time, heating the intergalactic mediummore » (IGM) with a rate that is independent of density. This dramatically increases the entropy of the IGM after redshift z {approx} 2, with a number of important implications for structure formation: (1) this suggests a scenario for the origin of the cool core (CC)/non-cool core (NCC) bimodality in galaxy clusters and groups. Early-forming galaxy groups are unaffected because they can efficiently radiate the additional entropy, developing a CC. However, late-forming groups do not have sufficient time to cool before the entropy is gravitationally reprocessed through successive mergers-counteracting cooling and potentially raising the core entropy further. This may result in a population of X-ray dim groups/clusters, consistent with X-ray stacking analyses of optically selected samples. Hence, blazar heating works differently than feedback by active galactic nuclei, which we show can balance radiative cooling but is unable to transform CC into NCC clusters on the buoyancy timescale due to the weak coupling between the mechanical energy to the cluster gas. (2) We predict a suppression of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) power spectrum template on angular scales smaller than 5' due to the globally reduced central pressure of groups and clusters forming after z {approx} 1. This allows for a larger rms amplitude of the density power spectrum, {sigma}{sub 8}, and may reconcile SZ-inferred values with those by other cosmological probes even after allowing for a contribution due to patchy reionization. (3) Our redshift-dependent entropy floor increases the characteristic halo mass below which dwarf galaxies cannot form by a factor of approximately 10 (50) at mean density (in voids) over that found in models that include photoionization alone. This prevents the formation of late-forming dwarf galaxies (z {approx}< 2) with masses ranging from 10{sup 10} to 10{sup 11} M{sub Sun} for redshifts z {approx} 2 to 0, respectively. This may help resolve the 'missing satellite problem' in the Milky Way of the low observed abundances of dwarf satellites compared to cold dark matter simulations and may bring the observed early star formation histories into agreement with galaxy formation models. At the same time, it explains the 'void phenomenon' by suppressing the formation of galaxies within existing dwarf halos of masses <3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun} with a maximum circular velocity <60 km s{sup -1} for z {approx}< 2, hence reconciling the number of dwarfs in low-density regions in simulations and the paucity of those in observations.« less

Evidence for AGN feedback in low-mass galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masters, Karen; Penny, Sam; Smethurst, Rebecca; Krawczyk, Coleman; Nichol, Bob; SDSS-IV MaNGA

2018-01-01

Despite being the dominant galaxy population by number in groups and clusters, the formation and quenching mechanism of dwarf galaxies remains unknown. We present evidence for AGN feedback in a subset of 69 quenched low-mass galaxies (M* less than 5e9 Msun, fainter than Mr = -19) selected from the first two years of the MaNGA survey. The majority (85 per cent) of these quenched galaxies appear to reside in a group environment. We find 6 galaxies in our sample that appear to have an active AGN that is preventing on-going star-formation; this is the first time such a feedback mechanism has been observed in this mass range. Interestingly, five of these six galaxies have an ionised gas component that is kinematically offset from their stellar component, suggesting the gas is either recently accreted or outflowing. We hypothesise these six galaxies are low-mass equivalents to the “red geysers” observed in more massive galaxies. Of the other 62 galaxies in the sample, we find 8 do appear to have some low-level, residual star formation, or emission from hot, evolved stars. The remaining galaxies in our sample have no detectable ionised gas emission throughout their structures, consistent with them being quenched. I will show that despite being the "simplest" galaxies in our current models of galaxy formation, these quenched dwarf galaxies are a diverse population.

Star formation across galactic environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Jason

I present here parallel investigations of star formation in typical and extreme galaxies. The typical galaxies are selected to be free of active galactic nuclei (AGN), while the extreme galaxies host quasars (the most luminous class of AGN). These two environments are each insightful in their own way; quasars are among the most violent objects in the universe, literally reshaping their host galaxies, while my sample of AGN-free star-forming galaxies ranges from systems larger than the Milky Way to small galaxies which are forming stars at unsustainably high rates. The current paradigm of galaxy formation and evolution suggests that extreme circumstances are key stepping stones in the assembly of galaxies like our Milky Way. To test this paradigm and fully explore its ramifications, this dual approach is needed. My sample of AGN-free galaxies is drawn from the KPNO International Spectroscopic Survey. This Halpha-selected, volume-limited survey was designed to detect star-forming galaxies without a bias toward continuum luminosity. This type of selection ensures that this sample is not biased toward galaxies that are large or nearby. My work studies the KISS galaxies in the mid- and far-infrared using photometry from the IRAC and MIPS instruments aboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. These infrared bands are particularly interesting for star formation studies because the ultraviolet light from young stars is reprocessed into thermal emission in the far-infrared (24mum MIPS) by dust and into vibrational transitions features in the mid-infrared (8.0mum IRAC) by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The work I present here examines the efficiencies of PAH and thermal dust emission as tracers of star-formation rates over a wide range of galactic stellar masses. I find that the efficiency of PAH as a star-formation tracer varies with galactic stellar mass, while thermal dust has a highly variable efficiency that does not systematically depend on galactic stellar mass. Complementing this study of normal star-forming galaxies, my study of quasar host galaxies utilizes narrow- and medium-band images of eight Palomar-Green (PG) quasars from the WFPC2 and NICMOS instruments aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. Using images of a point-spread function (PSF) star in the same filters, I subtract the PSF of the quasar from each of the target images. The residual light images clearly show the host galaxies of the respective quasars. The narrow-band images were chosen to be centered on the Hbeta, [O II ], [O III], and Paalpha emission lines, allowing the use of line ratios and luminosities to create extinction and star formation maps. Additionally, I utilize the line-ratio maps to distinguish AGN-powered line emission from star formation powered line emission with line-diagnostic diagrams. I find star formation in each of the eight quasar host galaxies in my study. The bulk star-formation rates are lower than expected, suggesting that quasar host galaxies may be dynamically more advanced than previously believed. Seven of the eight quasar host galaxies in this study have higher-than-typical mass-specific star-formation rates. Additionally, I see evidence of shocked gas, supporting the hypotheses presented in earlier works that suggest that AGN activity quenches star formation in its host galaxy by disrupting its gas reservoir.

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?

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.

The Mass, Color, and Structural Evolution of Today’s Massive Galaxies Since z ˜ 5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, Allison R.; Muzzin, Adam; Franx, Marijn; Clauwens, Bart; Schreiber, Corentin; Marchesini, Danilo; Stefanon, Mauro; Labbe, Ivo; Brammer, Gabriel; Caputi, Karina; Fynbo, Johan; Milvang-Jensen, Bo; Skelton, Rosalind E.; van Dokkum, Pieter; Whitaker, Katherine E.

2017-03-01

In this paper, we use stacking analysis to trace the mass growth, color evolution, and structural evolution of present-day massive galaxies ({log}({M}* /{M}⊙ )=11.5) out to z = 5. We utilize the exceptional depth and area of the latest UltraVISTA data release, combined with the depth and unparalleled seeing of CANDELS to gather a large, mass-selected sample of galaxies in the NIR (rest-frame optical to UV). Progenitors of present-day massive galaxies are identified via an evolving cumulative number density selection, which accounts for the effects of merging to correct for the systematic biases introduced using a fixed cumulative number density selection, and find progenitors grow in stellar mass by ≈ 1.5 {dex} since z = 5. Using stacking, we analyze the structural parameters of the progenitors and find that most of the stellar mass content in the central regions was in place by z˜ 2, and while galaxies continue to assemble mass at all radii, the outskirts experience the largest fractional increase in stellar mass. However, we find evidence of significant stellar mass build-up at r< 3 {kpc} beyond z> 4 probing an era of significant mass assembly in the interiors of present-day massive galaxies. We also compare mass assembly from progenitors in this study to the EAGLE simulation and find qualitatively similar assembly with z at r< 3 {kpc}. We identify z˜ 1.5 as a distinct epoch in the evolution of massive galaxies where progenitors transitioned from growing in mass and size primarily through in situ star formation in disks to a period of efficient growth in r e consistent with the minor merger scenario.

The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS). XXXII. A Search for Globular Cluster Substructures in the Virgo Galaxy Cluster Core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powalka, Mathieu; Puzia, Thomas H.; Lançon, Ariane; Longobardi, Alessia; Peng, Eric W.; Duc, Pierre-Alain; Alamo-Martínez, Karla; Blakeslee, John P.; Côté, Patrick; Cuillandre, Jean-Charles; Durrell, Patrick; Eigenthaler, Paul; Ferrarese, Laura; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Gwyn, S. D. J.; Hudelot, Patrick; Liu, Chengze; Mei, Simona; Muñoz, Roberto P.; Roediger, Joel; Sánchez-Janssen, Rubén; Toloba, Elisa; Zhang, Hongxin

2018-03-01

Substructure in globular cluster (GC) populations around large galaxies is expected in galaxy formation scenarios that involve accretion or merger events, and it has been searched for using direct associations between GCs and structure in the diffuse galaxy light, or with GC kinematics. Here, we present a search for candidate substructures in the GC population around the Virgo cD galaxy M87 through the analysis of the spatial distribution of the GC colors. The study is based on a sample of ∼1800 bright GCs with high-quality u, g, r, i, z, K s photometry, selected to ensure a low contamination by foreground stars or background galaxies. The spectral energy distributions of the GCs are associated with formal estimates of age and metallicity, which are representative of its position in a 4D color space relative to standard single stellar population models. Dividing the sample into broad bins based on the relative formal ages, we observe inhomogeneities that reveal signatures of GC substructures. The most significant of these is a spatial overdensity of GCs with relatively young age labels, of diameter ∼0.°1 (∼30 kpc), located to the south of M87. The significance of this detection is larger than about 5σ after accounting for estimates of random and systematic errors. Surprisingly, no large Virgo galaxy is present in this area that could potentially host these GCs. But candidate substructures in the M87 halo with equally elusive hosts have been described based on kinematic studies in the past. The number of GC spectra available around M87 is currently insufficient to clarify the nature of the new candidate substructure.

Purely Dry Mergers do not Explain the Observed Evolution of Massive Early-type Galaxies since z ~ 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonnenfeld, Alessandro; Nipoti, Carlo; Treu, Tommaso

2014-05-01

Several studies have suggested that the observed size evolution of massive early-type galaxies (ETGs) can be explained as a combination of dry mergers and progenitor bias, at least since z ~ 1. In this paper we carry out a new test of the dry-merger scenario based on recent lensing measurements of the evolution of the mass density profile of ETGs. We construct a theoretical model for the joint evolution of the size and mass density profile slope γ' driven by dry mergers occurring at rates given by cosmological simulations. Such dry-merger model predicts a strong decrease of γ' with cosmic time, inconsistent with the almost constant γ' inferred from observations in the redshift range 0 < z < 1. We then show with a simple toy model that a modest amount of cold gas in the mergers—consistent with the upper limits on recent star formation in ETGs—is sufficient to reconcile the model with measurements of γ'. By fitting for the amount of gas accreted during mergers, we find that models with dissipation are consistent with observations of the evolution in both size and density slope, if ~4% of the total final stellar mass arises from the gas accreted since z ~ 1. Purely dry merger models are ruled out at >99% CL. We thus suggest a scenario where the outer regions of massive ETGs grow by accretion of stars and dark matter, while small amounts of dissipation and nuclear star formation conspire to keep the mass density profile constant and approximately isothermal.

Merger driven star-formation activity in Cl J1449+0856 at z=1.99 as seen by ALMA and JVLA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coogan, R. T.; Daddi, E.; Sargent, M. T.; Strazzullo, V.; Valentino, F.; Gobat, R.; Magdis, G.; Bethermin, M.; Pannella, M.; Onodera, M.; Liu, D.; Cimatti, A.; Dannerbauer, H.; Carollo, M.; Renzini, A.; Tremou, E.

2018-06-01

We use ALMA and JVLA observations of the galaxy cluster Cl J1449+0856 at z=1.99, in order to study how dust-obscured star-formation, ISM content and AGN activity are linked to environment and galaxy interactions during the crucial phase of high-z cluster assembly. We present detections of multiple transitions of 12CO, as well as dust continuum emission detections from 11 galaxies in the core of Cl J1449+0856. We measure the gas excitation properties, star-formation rates, gas consumption timescales and gas-to-stellar mass ratios for the galaxies. We find evidence for a large fraction of galaxies with highly-excited molecular gas, contributing >50% to the total SFR in the cluster core. We compare these results with expectations for field galaxies, and conclude that environmental influences have strongly enhanced the fraction of excited galaxies in this cluster. We find a dearth of molecular gas in the galaxies' gas reservoirs, implying a high star-formation efficiency (SFE) in the cluster core, and find short gas depletion timescales τdep<0.1-0.4 Gyrs for all galaxies. Interestingly, we do not see evidence for increased specific star-formation rates (sSFRs) in the cluster galaxies, despite their high SFEs and gas excitations. We find evidence for a large number of mergers in the cluster core, contributing a large fraction of the core's total star-formation compared with expectations in the field. We conclude that the environmental impact on the galaxy excitations is linked to the high rate of galaxy mergers, interactions and active galactic nuclei in the cluster core.

Aperture Effects in the Long Slit Spectrophotometry of the Polar Ring Galaxy IIZw71

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez-Montero, E.; García-Benito, R.; Díaz, Á. I.; Pérez, E.; Kehrig, C.

2008-10-01

Polar ring galaxies are composed by an early type galaxy and a polar ring rotating around it and which is rich in gas, dust and star formation. IIZw71 is catalogued as a blue compact dwarf galaxy and as a probable polar ring galaxy (Whitmore et al. 1990). The formation of the polar ring and the very luminous bursts of star formation along it, is a consequence of the interaction with a close companion, IIZw70, situated at 18.1 kpc (Cox et al. 2001). We have carried out spectrophotometric observations of the bursts of star formation along the polar ring in order to study differences in the physical properties or the star formation histories between the knots

STAR Formation Histories Across the Interacting Galaxy NGC 6872, the Largest-Known Spiral

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eufrasio, Rafael T.; Dwek, E.; Arendt, RIchard G.; deMello, Duilia F.; Gadotti, DImitri A.; Urrutia-Viscarra, Fernanda; deOliveira, CLaudia Mendes; Benford, Dominic J.

2014-01-01

NGC6872, hereafter the Condor, is a large spiral galaxy that is interacting with its closest companion, the S0 galaxy IC 4970. The extent of the Condor provides an opportunity for detailed investigation of the impact of the interaction on the current star formation rate and its history across the galaxy, on the age and spatial distribution of its stellar population, and on the mechanism that drives the star formation activity. To address these issues we analyzed the far-ultraviolet (FUV) to near-infrared (near-IR) spectral energy distribution of seventeen 10 kpc diameter regions across the galaxy, and derived their star formation history, current star formation rate, and stellar population and mass. We find that most of the star formation takes place in the extended arms, with very little star formation in the central 5 kpc of the galaxy, in contrast to what was predicted from previous numerical simulations. There is a trend of increasing star formation activity with distance from the nucleus of the galaxy, and no evidence for a recent increase in the current star formation rate due to the interaction. The nucleus itself shows no significant current star formation activity. The extent of the Condor also provides an opportunity to test the applicability of a single standard prescription for conversion of the FUV + IR (22 micrometer) intensities to a star formation rate for all regions. We find that the conversion factor differs from region to region, arising from regional differences in the stellar populations.

Stellar populations in the bulges of isolated galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morelli, L.; Parmiggiani, M.; Corsini, E. M.; Costantin, L.; Dalla Bontà, E.; Méndez-Abreu, J.; Pizzella, A.

2016-12-01

We present photometry and long-slit spectroscopy for 12 S0 and spiral galaxies selected from the Catalogue of Isolated Galaxies. The structural parameters of the sample galaxies are derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey I-band images by performing a two-dimensional photometric decomposition of the surface brightness distribution. This is assumed to be the sum of the contribution of a Sérsic bulge, an exponential disc, and a Ferrers bar characterized by elliptical and concentric isophotes with constant ellipticity and position angles. The rotation curves and velocity dispersion profiles of the stellar component are measured from the spectra obtained along the major axis of galaxies. The radial profiles of the Hβ, Mg and Fe line-strength indices are derived too. Correlations between the central values of the Mg2 and line-strength indices and the velocity dispersion are found. The mean age, total metallicity and total α/Fe enhancement of the stellar population in the centre and at the radius, where the bulge gives the same contribution to the total surface brightness as the remaining components, are obtained using stellar population models with variable element abundance ratios. We identify intermediate-age bulges with solar metallicity and old bulges with a large spread in metallicity. Most of the sample bulges display supersolar α/Fe enhancement, no gradient in age and negative gradients of metallicity and α/Fe enhancement. These findings support a formation scenario via dissipative collapse where environmental effects are remarkably less important than in the assembly of bulges of galaxies in groups and clusters.

How Does Dense Molecular Gas Contribute to Star Formation in the Starburst Galaxy NGC 2146?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wofford, Alia

2017-01-01

The starburst galaxy NGC 2146 is believed to have been formed approximately 800 Myr ago, when two galaxies collided with each other possibly leading to a burst of star formation. NGC 2146 is known as a starburst galaxy for the high frequency of star formation going on in its molecular clouds. These clouds serve as nurseries for star formation to occur. Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) and Carbon monoxide (CO) are molecules found in molecular gas clouds. HCN molecules are tracers for high density star forming gas. Whereas, CO molecules are tracers for low density star forming gas. In this project, we are observing these two molecules and their proximity to where the stars are forming in the galaxy to determine if the star formation is occurring in the same area as the high and low density molecular gas areas in starburst galaxy NGC 2146.

Black Hole Caught Zapping Galaxy into Existence?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-11-01

Which come first, the supermassive black holes that frantically devour matter or the enormous galaxies where they reside? A brand new scenario has emerged from a recent set of outstanding observations of a black hole without a home: black holes may be "building" their own host galaxy. This could be the long-sought missing link to understanding why the masses of black holes are larger in galaxies that contain more stars. "The 'chicken and egg' question of whether a galaxy or its black hole comes first is one of the most debated subjects in astrophysics today," says lead author David Elbaz. "Our study suggests that supermassive black holes can trigger the formation of stars, thus 'building' their own host galaxies. This link could also explain why galaxies hosting larger black holes have more stars." To reach such an extraordinary conclusion, the team of astronomers conducted extensive observations of a peculiar object, the nearby quasar HE0450-2958 (see eso0523 for a previous study of this object), which is the only one for which a host galaxy has not yet been detected [1]. HE0450-2958 is located some 5 billion light-years away. Until now, it was speculated that the quasar's host galaxy was hidden behind large amounts of dust, and so the astronomers used a mid-infrared instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope for the observations [2]. At such wavelengths, dust clouds shine very brightly, and are readily detected. "Observing at these wavelengths would allow us to trace dust that might hide the host galaxy," says Knud Jahnke, who led the observations performed at the VLT. "However, we did not find any. Instead we discovered that an apparently unrelated galaxy in the quasar's immediate neighbourhood is producing stars at a frantic rate." These observations have provided a surprising new take on the system. While no trace of stars is revealed around the black hole, its companion galaxy is extremely rich in bright and very young stars. It is forming stars at a rate equivalent to about 350 Suns per year, one hundred times more than rates for typical galaxies in the local Universe. Earlier observations had shown that the companion galaxy is, in fact, under fire: the quasar is spewing a jet of highly energetic particles towards its companion, accompanied by a stream of fast-moving gas. The injection of matter and energy into the galaxy indicates that the quasar itself might be inducing the formation of stars and thereby creating its own host galaxy; in such a scenario, galaxies would have evolved from clouds of gas hit by the energetic jets emerging from quasars. "The two objects are bound to merge in the future: the quasar is moving at a speed of only a few tens of thousands of km/h with respect to the companion galaxy and their separation is only about 22 000 light-years," says Elbaz. "Although the quasar is still 'naked', it will eventually be 'dressed' when it merges with its star-rich companion. It will then finally reside inside a host galaxy like all other quasars." Hence, the team have identified black hole jets as a possible driver of galaxy formation, which may also represent the long-sought missing link to understanding why the mass of black holes is larger in galaxies that contain more stars [3]. "A natural extension of our work is to search for similar objects in other systems," says Jahnke. Future instruments, such as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, the European Extremely Large Telescope and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope will be able to search for such objects at even larger distances from us, probing the connection between black holes and the formation of galaxies in the more distant Universe. Notes [1] Supermassive black holes are found in the cores of most large galaxies; unlike the inactive and starving one sitting at the centre of the Milky Way, a fraction of them are said to be active, as they eat up enormous amounts of material. These frantic actions produce a copious release of energy across the whole electromagnetic spectrum; particularly spectacular is the case of quasars, where the active core is so overwhelmingly bright that it outshines the luminosity of the host galaxy. [2] This part of the study is based on observations performed at mid-infrared wavelengths, with the powerful VLT spectrometer and imager for the mid-infrared (VISIR) instrument at the VLT, combined with additional data including: spectra acquired using VLT-FORS, optical and infrared images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, and radio observations from the Australia Telescope National Facility. [3] Most galaxies in the local Universe contain a supermassive black hole with a mass about 1/700th the mass of the stellar bulge. The origin of this black hole mass versus stellar mass relation is one of the most debated subjects in modern astrophysics. More information This research was presented in papers published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics: "Quasar induced galaxy formation: a new paradigm?" by Elbaz et al., and in the Astrophysical Journal "The QSO HE0450-2958: Scantily dressed or heavily robed? A normal quasar as part of an unusual ULIRG" by Jahnke et al. The team is composed of David Elbaz (Service d'Astrophysique, CEA Saclay, France), Knud Jahnke (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany), Eric Pantin (Service d'Astrophysique, CEA Saclay, France), Damien Le Borgne (Paris University 6 and CNRS, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, France) and Géraldine Letawe (Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique, Université de Liège, Belgium). ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive astronomical observatory. It is supported by 14 countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory. ESO is the European partner of a revolutionary astronomical telescope ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. ESO is currently planning a 42-metre European Extremely Large optical/near-infrared Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

A Radio Study of the Seyfert Galaxy Markarian 6: Implications for Seyfert Life Cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kharb, P.; O'Dea, C. P.; Baum, S. A.; Colbert, E. J. M.; Xu, C.

2006-11-01

We have carried out an extensive radio study with the Very Large Array on the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy Mrk 6 and imaged a spectacular radio structure in the source. The radio emission occurs on three different spatial scales: ~7.5 kpc bubbles, ~1.5 kpc bubbles lying nearly orthogonal to them, and a ~1 kpc radio jet lying orthogonal to the kiloparsec-scale bubble. To explain the complex morphology, we first consider a scenario in which the radio structures are the result of superwinds ejected by a nuclear starburst. However, recent Spitzer observations of Mrk 6 provide an upper limit to the star formation rate (SFR) of ~5.5 Msolar yr-1, an estimate much lower than the SFR of ~33 Msolar yr-1 derived assuming that the bubbles are a result of starburst winds energized by supernova explosions. Thus, a starburst alone cannot meet the energy requirements for the creation of the bubbles in Mrk 6. We then present an energetically plausible model wherein the bubbles are a result of energy deposited by the kiloparsec-scale jet as it plows into the interstellar medium. Finally, we consider a model in which the complex radio structure is a result of an episodically powered precessing jet that changes its orientation. This model is the most attractive as it can naturally explain the complex radio morphology and is consistent with the energetics, the spectral index, and the polarization structure. Radio emission in this scenario is a short-lived phenomenon in the lifetime of a Seyfert galaxy, which results from an accretion event.

STAR FORMATION AT Z = 2.481 IN THE LENSED GALAXY SDSS J1110+6459: STAR FORMATION DOWN TO 30 PARSEC SCALES.

PubMed

Johnson, Traci L; Rigby, Jane R; Sharon, Keren; Gladders, Michael D; Florian, Michael; Bayliss, Matthew B; Wuyts, Eva; Whitaker, Katherine E; Livermore, Rachael; Murray, Katherine T

2017-07-10

We present measurements of the surface density of star formation, the star-forming clump luminosity function, and the clump size distribution function, for the lensed galaxy SGAS J111020.0+645950.8 at a redshift of z =2.481. The physical size scales that we probe, radii r = 30-50 pc, are considerably smaller scales than have yet been studied at these redshifts. The star formation surface density we find within these small clumps is consistent with surface densities measured previously for other lensed galaxies at similar redshift. Twenty-two percent of the rest-frame ultraviolet light in this lensed galaxy arises from small clumps, with r <100 pc. Within the range of overlap, the clump luminosity function measured for this lensed galaxy is remarkably similar to those of z ∼ 0 galaxies. In this galaxy, star-forming regions smaller than 100 pc-physical scales not usually resolved at these redshifts by current telescopes-are important locations of star formation in the distant universe. If this galaxy is representative, this may contradict the theoretical picture in which the critical size scale for star formation in the distant universe is of order 1 kiloparsec. Instead, our results suggest that current telescopes have not yet resolved the critical size scales of star-forming activity in galaxies over most of cosmic time.

Undergraduate ALFALFA Team: Star Formation in the NGC 5846 Group of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viani, Lucas; Koopmann, R. A.; Darling, H.; ALFALFA Team

2013-01-01

We examine gas and star formation properties of galaxies in the NGC 5846 group. Narrowband Halpha and broadband R images for a sample of galaxies were obtained at the KPNO WIYN 0.9m with MOSAIC and the SMARTS 0.9m telescope at CTIO. Neutral hydrogen data from the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) survey trace the cold neutral gas content. The amounts and extents of star formation in a subsample of galaxies are compared as a function of cold gas content and position in the group. The typical star formation rates and extents of NGC 5846 galaxies are less than those of isolated galaxies and similar to those of galaxies located in the Virgo Cluster and other group environments. This work is part of the Undergraduate ALFALFA (Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA) Team Groups Project, a collaborative undertaking of faculty and undergraduates at 11 institutions, aimed at investigating properties of galaxy groups surveyed by the ALFALFA blind HI survey.

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.

A Mass Census of the Nearby Universe with RESOLVE and ECO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckert, Kathleen D.; Kannappan, Sheila; Stark, David; Moffett, Amanda J.; Norris, Mark A.; Berlind, Andreas A.; Hall, Kirsten; Baker, Ashley; Snyder, Elaine M.; Bittner, Ashley; Hoversten, Erik A.; Lagos, Claudia; Nasipak, Zachary; RESOVE Team

2017-01-01

The low-mass slope of the galaxy stellar mass function is significantly shallower than that of the theoretical dark matter halo mass function, leading to several possible interpretations including: 1) stellar mass does not fully represent galaxy mass, 2) galaxy formation becomes increasingly inefficient in lower mass halos, and 3) environmental effects, such as stripping and merging, may change the mass function. To investigate these possible scenarios, we present the census of stellar, baryonic (stars + cold gas), and dynamical masses of galaxies and galaxy groups for the RESOLVE and ECO surveys. RESOLVE is a highly complete volume-limited survey of ~1500 galaxies, enabling direct measurement of galaxy mass functions without statistical completeness corrections down to baryonic mass Mb ~ 10^9 Msun. ECO provides a larger data set (~10,000 galaxies) complete down to Mb ~ 10^9.4 Msun. We show that the baryonic mass function has a steeper low-mass slope than the stellar mass function due to the large population of low-mass, gas-rich galaxies. The baryonic mass function’s low-mass slope, however, is still significantly shallower than that of the dark matter halo mass function. A more direct probe of total galaxy mass is its characteristic velocity, and we present RESOLVE’s preliminary galaxy velocity function, which combines ionized-gas rotation curves, stellar velocity dispersions, and estimates from scaling relations. The velocity function also diverges from the dark matter halo velocity function at low masses. To study the effect of environment, we break the mass functions into different group halo mass bins, finding complex substructure, including a depressed and flat low-mass slope for groups with halo masses ~10^11.4-12 Msun, which we refer to as the nascent group regime, with typical membership of 2-4 galaxies. This substructure is suggestive of efficient merging or gas stripping in nascent groups, which we find also have large scatter in their cold-baryon fractions, possibly pointing to diversity in hot halo gas content in this regime. This work is supported by NSF grant AST-0955368, the NC Space Grant Graduate Research Fellowship Program, and a UNC Royster Society Dissertation Completion Fellowship.

The assembly histories of quiescent galaxies since z = 0.7 from absorption line spectroscopy

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

Choi, Jieun; Conroy, Charlie; Moustakas, John

2014-09-10

We present results from modeling the optical spectra of a large sample of quiescent galaxies between 0.1 < z < 0.7 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the AGN and Galaxy Evolution Survey (AGES). We examine how the stellar ages and abundance patterns of galaxies evolve over time as a function of stellar mass from 10{sup 9.6}-10{sup 11.8} M {sub ☉}. Galaxy spectra are stacked in bins of mass and redshift and modeled over a wavelength range from 4000 Å to 5500 Å. Full spectrum stellar population synthesis modeling provides estimates of the age and the abundances ofmore » the elements Fe, Mg, C, N, and Ca. We find negligible evolution in elemental abundances at fixed stellar mass over roughly 7 Gyr of cosmic time. In addition, the increase in stellar ages with time for massive galaxies is consistent with passive evolution since z = 0.7. Taken together, these results favor a scenario in which the inner ∼0.3-3 R {sub e} of massive quiescent galaxies have been passively evolving over the last half of cosmic time. Interestingly, the derived stellar ages are considerably younger than the age of the universe at all epochs, consistent with an equivalent single-burst star formation epoch of z ≲ 1.5. These young stellar population ages coupled with the existence of massive quiescent galaxies at z > 1 indicate the inhomogeneous nature of the z ≲ 0.7 quiescent population. The data also permit the addition of newly quenched galaxies at masses below ∼10{sup 10.5} M {sub ☉} at z < 0.7. Additionally, we analyze very deep Keck DEIMOS spectra of the two brightest quiescent galaxies in a cluster at z = 0.83. There is tentative evidence that these galaxies are older than their counterparts in low-density environments. In the Appendix, we demonstrate that our full spectrum modeling technique allows for accurate and reliable modeling of galaxy spectra to low S/N (∼20 Å{sup –1}) and/or low spectral resolution (R ∼ 500).« 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.

Spiral galaxy HI models, rotation curves and kinematic classifications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiegert, Theresa B. V.

Although galaxy interactions cause dramatic changes, galaxies also continue to form stars and evolve when they are isolated. The dark matter (DM) halo may influence this evolution since it generates the rotational behaviour of galactic disks which could affect local conditions in the gas. Therefore we study neutral hydrogen kinematics of non-interacting, nearby spiral galaxies, characterising their rotation curves (RC) which probe the DM halo; delineating kinematic classes of galaxies; and investigating relations between these classes and galaxy properties such as disk size and star formation rate (SFR). To generate the RCs, we use GalAPAGOS (by J. Fiege). My role was to test and help drive the development of this software, which employs a powerful genetic algorithm, constraining 23 parameters while using the full 3D data cube as input. The RC is here simply described by a tanh-based function which adequately traces the global RC behaviour. Extensive testing on artificial galaxies show that the kinematic properties of galaxies with inclination >40 degrees, including edge-on galaxies, are found reliably. Using a hierarchical clustering algorithm on parametrised RCs from 79 galaxies culled from literature generates a preliminary scheme consisting of five classes. These are based on three parameters: maximum rotational velocity, turnover radius and outer slope of the RC. To assess the relationship between DM content and the kinematic classes, we generate mass models for 10 galaxies from the THINGS and WHISP surveys, and J. Irwin's sample. In most cases mass models using GalAPAGOS RCs were similar to those using traditional "tilted-ring'' method RCs. The kinematic classes are mainly distinguished by their rotational velocity. We confirm correlations between increasing velocity and B-magnitude, optical disk size, and find earlier type galaxies among the strong rotators. SFR also increases with maximum rotational velocity. Given our limited subsample, we cannot discern a trend of velocity with DM halo properties such as Mhalo/Mbaryon. Using this strategy on upcoming large databases should reveal relationships between the DM halo and our kinematic classification scheme. If NGC 2841, NGC 3521 and NGC 5055 are understood to have declining RC after further investigation, this cannot be explained by the usual morphology scenarios.

Jellyfish: Observational Properties of Extreme Ram-Pressure Stripping Events in Massive Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conor, McPartland; Ebeling, Harald; Roediger, Elke

2015-08-01

We investigate the physical origin and observational signatures of extreme ram-pressure stripping (RPS) in 63 massive galaxy clusters at z=0.3-0.7, based on data in the F606W passband obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. Using a training set of a dozen ``jellyfish" galaxies identified earlier in the same imaging data, we define quantitative morphological criteria to select candidate galaxies which are similar to known cases of RPS. Considering a sample of 16 ``jellyfish" galaxies (10 of which we present for the first time), we visually derive estimates of the projected direction of motion based on dynamical features such as apparent compression shocks and debris trails. Our findings suggest that the observed events occur primarily at large distances from the cluster core and involve infall trajectories featuring high impact parameters. Simple models of cluster growth show that such trajectories are consistent with two scenarios: 1) galaxy infall along filaments; and 2) infall at high velocities (≥1000 km/s) characteristic of cluster mergers. The observed distribution of events is best described by timescales of ˜few Myr in agreement with recent numerical simulations of RPS. The broader areal coverage of the Hubble Frontier Fields should provide an even larger sample of RPS events to determine the relative contributions of infall and cluster mergers. Prompted by the discovery of several jellyfish galaxies whose brightness in the F606W passband rivals or exceeds that of the respective brightest cluster galaxy, we attempt to constrain the luminosity function of galaxies undergoing RPS. The observed significant excess at the bright end compared to the luminosity functions of blue cluster members strongly suggests enhanced star formation, thus challenging theoretical and numerical studies according to which RPS merely displaces existing star-forming regions. In-depth studies of individual objects will help test our conclusions and allow a quantitative comparison with predictions of theoretical and numerical models of ram-pressure stripping.

The colour-magnitude relation as a constraint on the formation of rich cluster galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bower, Richard G.; Kodama, Tadayuki; Terlevich, Ale

1998-10-01

The colours and magnitudes of early-type galaxies in galaxy clusters are strongly correlated. The existence of such a correlation has been used to infer that early-type galaxies must be old passively evolving systems. Given the dominance of early-type galaxies in the cores of rich clusters, this view sits uncomfortably with the increasing fraction of blue galaxies found in clusters at intermediate redshifts, and with the late formation of galaxies favoured by cold dark matter type cosmologies. In this paper, we make a detailed investigation of these issues and examine the role that the colour-magnitude relation can play in constraining the formation history of galaxies currently found in the cores of rich clusters. We start by considering the colour evolution of galaxies after star formation ceases. We show that the scatter of the colour-magnitude relation places a strong constraint on the spread in age that is allowed for the bulk of the stellar population. In the extreme case that the stars are formed in a single event, the spread in age cannot be more than 4 Gyr. Although the bulk of stars must be formed in a short period, continuing formation of stars in a fraction of the galaxies is not so strongly constrained. We examine a model in which star formation occurs over an extended period of time in most galaxies with star formation being truncated randomly. This model is consistent with the formation of stars in a few systems until look-back times of ~5Gyr. An extension of this type of star formation history allows us to reconcile the small present-day scatter of the colour-magnitude relation with the observed blue galaxy fractions of intermediate redshift galaxy clusters. In addition to setting a limit on the variations in luminosity-weighted age between the stellar populations of cluster galaxies, the colour-magnitude relation can also be used to constrain the degree of merging between pre-existing stellar systems. This test relies on the slope of the colour-magnitude relation: mergers between galaxies of unequal mass tend to reduce the slope of the relation and to increase its scatter. We show that random mergers between galaxies very rapidly remove any well-defined colour-magnitude correlation. This model is not physically motivated, however, and we prefer to examine the merger process using a self-consistent merger tree. In such a model there are two effects. First, massive galaxies preferentially merge with systems of similar mass. Secondly, the rate of mass growth is considerably smaller than for the random merger case. As a result of both of these effects, the colour-magnitude correlation persists through a larger number of merger steps. The passive evolution of galaxy colours and their averaging in dissipationless mergers provide opposing constraints on the formation of cluster galaxies in a hierarchical model. At the level of current constraints, a compromise solution appears possible. The bulk of the stellar population must have formed before z=1, but cannot have formed in mass units much less than about half the mass of a present-day L_* galaxy. In this case, the galaxies are on average old enough that stellar population evolution is weak, yet formed recently enough that mass growth resulting from mergers is small.

THE NUMBER OF TIDAL DWARF SATELLITE GALAXIES IN DEPENDENCE OF BULGE INDEX

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

López-Corredoira, Martín; Kroupa, Pavel, E-mail: martinlc@iac.es, E-mail: pavel@astro.uni-bonn.de

We show that a significant correlation (up to 5σ) emerges between the bulge index, defined to be larger for a larger bulge/disk ratio, in spiral galaxies with similar luminosities in the Galaxy Zoo 2 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the number of tidal-dwarf galaxies in the catalog by Kaviraj et al. In the standard cold or warm dark matter cosmological models, the number of satellite galaxies correlates with the circular velocity of the dark matter host halo. In generalized gravity models without cold or warm dark matter, such a correlation does not exist, because host galaxies cannot capture infalling dwarfmore » galaxies due to the absence of dark-matter-induced dynamical friction. However, in such models, a correlation is expected to exist between the bulge mass and the number of satellite galaxies because bulges and tidal-dwarf satellite galaxies form in encounters between host galaxies. This is not predicted by dark matter models in which bulge mass and the number of satellites are a priori uncorrelated because higher bulge/disk ratios do not imply higher dark/luminous ratios. Hence, our correlation reproduces the prediction of scenarios without dark matter, whereas an explanation is not found readily from the a priori predictions of the standard scenario with dark matter. Further research is needed to explore whether some application of the standard theory may explain this correlation.« less

Measuring star formation rates in blue galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallagher, John S., III; Hunter, Deidre A.

1987-01-01

The problems associated with measurements of star formation rates in galaxies are briefly reviewed, and specific models are presented for determinations of current star formation rates from H alpha and Far Infrared (FIR) luminosities. The models are applied to a sample of optically blue irregular galaxies, and the results are discussed in terms of star forming histories. It appears likely that typical irregular galaxies are forming stars at nearly constant rates, although a few examples of systems with enhanced star forming activity are found among HII regions and luminous irregular galaxies.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ASYMMETRY ORIGIN OF GALAXIES IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS. II. NEAR-INFRARED OBSERVATIONS

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

Plauchu-Frayn, I.; Coziol, R., E-mail: plauchuf@astro.ugto.m, E-mail: rcoziol@astro.ugto.m

2010-08-15

In this second paper of two analyses, we present near-infrared (NIR) morphological and asymmetry studies performed in a sample of 92 galaxies found in different density environments: galaxies in compact groups (CGs; HCGs in the Hickson Catalog of Compact Groups of Galaxies), isolated pairs of galaxies (KPGs in Karachentsev's list of isolated pairs of galaxies), and isolated galaxies (KIGs in Karachentseva's Catalog of Isolated Galaxies). Both studies have proved useful for identifying the effect of interactions on galaxies. In the NIR, the properties of the galaxies in HCGs, KPGs, and KIGs are more similar than they are in the optical.more » This is because the NIR band traces the older stellar populations, which formed earlier and are more relaxed than the younger populations. However, we found asymmetries related to interactions in both KPG and HCG samples. In HCGs, the fraction of asymmetric galaxies is even higher than what we found in the optical. In the KPGs the interactions look like very recent events, while in the HCGs galaxies are more morphologically evolved and show properties suggesting they suffered more frequent interactions. The key difference seems to be the absence of star formation in the HCGs; while interactions produce intense star formation in the KPGs, we do not see this effect in the HCGs. This is consistent with the dry merger hypothesis; the interaction between galaxies in CGs is happening without the presence of gas. If the gas was spent in stellar formation (to build the bulge of the numerous early-type galaxies), then the HCGs possibly started interacting sometime before the KPGs. On the other hand, the dry interaction condition in CGs suggests that the galaxies are on merging orbits, and consequently such system cannot be that much older either. Cosmologically speaking, the difference in formation time between pairs of galaxies and CGs may be relatively small. The two phenomena are typical of the formation of structures in low-density environments. Their formation represents relatively recent events.« less

Relationships between HI Gas Mass, Stellar Mass and Star Formation Rate of HICAT+WISE Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parkash, Vaishali; Brown, Michael J. I.

2018-01-01

Galaxies grow via a combination of star formation and mergers. In this thesis, I have studied what drives star formation in nearby galaxies. Using archival WISE, Galex, 21-cm data and new IFU observations, I examine the HI content, Hα emission, stellar kinematics, and gas kinematics of three sub-classes of galaxies: spiral galaxies, shell galaxies and HI galaxies with unusually low star formation rates (SFR). In this dissertation talk, I will focus on the scaling relations between atomic (HI) gas, stellar mass and SFR of spiral galaxies. Star formation is fuelled by HI and molecular hydrogen, therefore we expect correlations between HI mass, stellar mass and SFR. However, the measured scaling relationships vary in the prior literature due to sample selection or low completeness. I will discuss new scaling relationships determined using HI Parkes All Sky-Survey Catalogue (HICAT) and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The combination of the local HICAT survey with sensitive WISE mid-infrared imaging improves the stellar masses, SFRs and completeness relative to previous literature. Of the 3,513 HICAT sources, we find 3.4 μm counterparts for 2,824 sources (80%), and provide new WISE matched aperture photometry for these galaxies. For a stellar mass selected sample of z ≤ 0.01 spiral galaxies, we find HI detections for 94% of the galaxies, enabling us to accurately measure HI mass as a function of stellar mass. In contrast to HI-selected galaxy samples, we find that star formation efficiency of spiral galaxies is constant at 10-9.5 yr‑1 with a scatter of 0.5 dex for stellar masses above 109.5 solar masses. We find HI mass increases with stellar mass for spiral galaxies, but the scatter is 1.7 dex for all spiral galaxies and 0.6 dex for galaxies with the T-type 5 to 7. We find an upper limit on HI mass that depends on stellar mass, which is consistent with this limit being dictated by the halo spin parameter.

The Influence Of Environment On The Star Formation Properties Of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez Del Pino, Bruno

2015-10-01

This thesis explores the properties of galaxies that reside in regions of high density and the influence of the environment in their evolution. n particular, it aims to shed more light on the understanding of how galaxies stop forming stars, becoming passive objects, and the role played by environment in this process. The work presented here includes the study of the properties of galaxies in clusters at two different stages of their evolution: we first look at cluster galaxies that have recently stopped forming stars, and then we investigate the influence of environment on galaxies while they are still forming stars. The first study is based on Integral Field Spectroscopic (IFS) observations of a sample of disk `k+a' galaxies in a cluster at z 0.3. The `k+a' spectral feature imply a recent suppression of star formation in the galaxies, and therefore the study of their properties is crucial to understanding how the suppression happened. We study the kinematics and spatial distributions of the different stellar populations inhabiting these galaxies. We found that the last stars that were formed (i.e., younger stars) are rotationally-supported and behave similar to the older stars. Moreover, the spatial distribution of the young stars also resembles that of the older stellar populations, although the young stars tend to be more concentrated towards the central regions of the galaxies. These findings indicate that the process responsible for the suppression of the star formation in the cluster disk galaxies had to be gentle, withouth perturbing significantly the old stellar disks. However, a significant number of galaxies with centrally-concentrated young populations were found to have close companions, therefore implying that galaxy-galaxy interactions might also contribute to the cessation of the star formation. These results provide very valuable information on the putative transformation of star-forming galaxies into passive S0s. We then move to the study of the 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-forming regions shows that the star-forming regions of cluster galaxies are generally more concentrated than the underlying stellar populations. However, we find no differences in the spatial distribution of the star formation between galaxies in the infall and in the core regions, but the star formation is more concentrated than in the field galaxies studied in previous works. These results imply that the process responsible for the concentration or truncation of the star formation in the galaxies took place before entering the multi-cluster system of our study.

Dark Influences at the Threshold of Galaxy Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boylan-Kolchin, Michael

As the faintest, lowest-luminosity, and most dark-matter-dominated extremes of the galaxy population, dwarf galaxies present unique opportunities for studying galaxy formation and the properties of dark matter. Accordingly, they have been observed in detail from the ground and (by NASA missions) from space with the hopes of unraveling how dwarf galaxies form, the effects of reionization on galaxy formation, and whether signatures of the particle nature of dark matter (DM) interactions can be observed. Such work has gained in importance as efforts to directly detect DM have so far yielded only upper limits to the interaction between DM and normal matter, leaving astrophysical tests as the primary means of investigating the nature of DM. We propose to undertake an extensive yet focused program of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations aimed at understanding the formation of dwarf galaxies. We will focus on the interplay between galaxy formation and dark matter in these galaxies, pointing toward specific observables to disentangle the effects of galaxy formation physics from the effects of DM physics. Our simulation suite will explore collisionless Cold Dark Matter (CDM) and broad classes of alternatives, where DM has a nonnegligible free-streaming length and / or self-scattering cross section. The novel aspects of the proposed work will include: (1) a modern treatment of baryonic physics using GIZMO, a new code that uses accurate meshless methods for hydrodynamics; (2) Feedback In Realistic Environments (FIRE), a suite of galaxy formation parametrizations with well-tested, explicit implementations of stellar feedback; (3) an exploration of realistic models of DM beyond CDM based on an effective theory of structure formation, with full baryonic physics; and (4) detailed mock observations of the simulations in order to identify specific, distinguishing tests for CDM and its alternatives. Our research will provide a framework within which astrophysical inferences about the nature of DM can be fairly and self-consistently tested. Crucially, we will explore uncertain aspects of galaxy formation and DM physics in a controlled manner, focusing on the halo mass range - 9.5 < log10(M/M_sun) < 10.5 - where current models are most uncertain. This will mark a major effort to systematically study different DM models combined with realistic treatments of galaxy formation physics that are implemented in an identical way for the various DM models. The results of the proposed research will be dramatic improvements in the understanding of how baryonic versus DM physics affect astrophysical observables. Such a study is very timely, as observations of dwarf galaxies in and beyond the Local Group have progressed substantially in recent years, with new revelations about dwarfs' DM content, star formation histories, and stellar metallicities challenging previous interpretations.

Primeval galaxies and cold dark matter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silk, Joseph; Szalay, Alexander S.

1987-01-01

In the context of the cold dark matter theory for the large-scale matter distribution, the onset of galaxy formation is a gradual process, with star formation being initiated at z = about 10 and reaching a peak for luminous galaxies at z = about 1. The mass function of galaxy cores matches the observed quasar luminosity function at z = 2-3. Primeval galaxies are envisaged as a collection of many interacting and merging clumps, attaining a peak luminosity that is an order of magnitude below that achieved in models in which galaxy formation is initiated abruptly. Hence, ongoing searches for primeval galaxies would not necessarily have been successful unless they are designed to find moderately low-luminosity, low-surface-brigtness extended objects at low redshift.

Astronomers Discover Most Distant Galaxy Showing Key Evidence For Furious Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-12-01

Astronomers have discovered a key signpost of rapid star formation in a galaxy 11 billion light-years from Earth, seen as it was when the Universe was only 20 percent of its current age. Using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope, the scientists found a huge quantity of dense interstellar gas -- the environment required for active star formation -- at the greatest distance yet detected. A furious spawning of the equivalent of 1,000 Suns per year in a distant galaxy dubbed the Cloverleaf may be typical of galaxies in the early Universe, the scientists say. Cloverleaf galaxy VLA image (green) of radio emission from HCN gas, superimposed on Hubble Space Telescope image of the Cloverleaf galaxy. The four images of the Cloverleaf are the result of gravitational lensing. CREDIT: NRAO/AUI/NSF, STScI (Click on Image for Larger Version) "This is a rate of star formation more than 300 times greater than that in our own Milky Way and similar spiral galaxies, and our discovery may provide important information about the formation and evolution of galaxies throughout the Universe," said Philip Solomon, of Stony Brook University in New York. While the raw material for star formation has been found in galaxies at even greater distances, the Cloverleaf is by far the most distant galaxy showing this essential signature of star formation. That essential signature comes in the form of a specific frequency of radio waves emitted by molecules of the gas hydrogen cyanide (HCN). "If you see HCN, you are seeing gas with the high density required to form stars," said Paul Vanden Bout of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). Solomon and Vanden Bout worked with Chris Carilli of NRAO and Michel Guelin of the Institute for Millimeter Astronomy in France. They reported their results in the December 11 issue of the scientific journal Nature. In galaxies like the Milky Way, dense gas traced by HCN but composed mainly of hydrogen molecules is always associated with regions of active star formation. What is different about the Cloverleaf is the huge quantity of dense gas along with very powerful infrared radiation from the star formation. Ten billion times the mass of the Sun is contained in dense, star-forming gas clouds. "At the rate this galaxy is seen to be forming stars, that dense gas will be used up in only about 10 million years," Solomon said. In addition to giving astronomers a fascinating glimpse of a huge burst of star formation in the early Universe, the new information about the Cloverleaf helps answer a longstanding question about bright galaxies of that era. Many distant galaxies have supermassive black holes at their cores, and those black holes power "central engines" that produce bright emission. Astronomers have wondered specifically about those distant galaxies that emit large amounts of infrared light, galaxies like the Cloverleaf which has a black hole and central engine. "Is this bright infrared light caused by the black-hole-powered core of the galaxy or by a huge burst of star formation? That has been the question. Now we know that, in at least one case, much of the infrared light is produced by intense star formation," Carilli said. The rapid star formation, called a starburst, and the black hole are both generating the bright infrared light in the Cloverleaf. The starburst is a major event in the formation and evolution of this galaxy. "This detection of HCN gives us a unique new window through which we can study star formation in the early Universe," Carilli said. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

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 (r2, allowing for strong new constraints on their formation and evolutionary path

The JCMT nearby galaxies legacy survey - X. Environmental effects on the molecular gas and star formation properties of spiral galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mok, Angus; Wilson, C. D.; Golding, J.; Warren, B. E.; Israel, F. P.; Serjeant, S.; Knapen, J. H.; Sánchez-Gallego, J. R.; Barmby, P.; Bendo, G. J.; Rosolowsky, E.; van der Werf, P.

2016-03-01

We present a study of the molecular gas properties in a sample of 98 H I - flux selected spiral galaxies within ˜25 Mpc, using the CO J = 3 - 2 line observed with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. We use the technique of survival analysis to incorporate galaxies with CO upper limits into our results. Comparing the group and Virgo samples, we find a larger mean H2 mass in the Virgo galaxies, despite their lower mean H I mass. This leads to a significantly higher H2 to H I ratio for Virgo galaxies. Combining our data with complementary Hα star formation rate measurements, Virgo galaxies have longer molecular gas depletion times compared to group galaxies, due to their higher H2 masses and lower star formation rates. We suggest that the longer depletion times may be a result of heating processes in the cluster environment or differences in the turbulent pressure. From the full sample, we find that the molecular gas depletion time has a positive correlation with the stellar mass, indicative of differences in the star formation process between low- and high-mass galaxies, and a negative correlation between the molecular gas depletion time and the specific star formation rate.

NGC 1275: an outlier of the black hole-host scaling relations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sani, Eleonora; Ricci, Federica; La Franca, Fabio; Bianchi, Stefano; Bongiorno, Angela; Brusa, Marcella; Marconi, Alessandro; Onori, Francesca; Shankar, Francesco; Vignali, Cristian

2018-02-01

The active galaxy NGC 1275 lies at the center of the Perseus cluster of galaxies, being an archetypal BH-galaxy system that is supposed to fit well with the M_{BH}-host scaling relations obtained for quiescent galaxies. Since it harbours an obscured AGN, only recently our group has been able to estimate its black hole mass. Here our aim is to pinpoint NGC 1275 on the less dispersed scaling relations, namely the M_{BH}-σ_\\star and M_{BH}-L_{bul} planes. Starting from our previous work tep{ricci17b}, we estimate that NGC 1275 falls well outside the intrinsic dispersion of the M_{BH}-σ_\\star plane being 1.2 dex (in black hole mass) displaced with respect to the scaling relations. We then perform a 2D morphological decomposition analysis on Spitzer/IRAC images at 3.6 μm and find that, beyond the bright compact nucleus that dominates the central emission, NGC 1275 follows a de Vaucouleurs profile with no sign of significant star formation nor clear merger remnants. Nonetheless, its displacement on the M_{BH}-L_{bul,3.6} plane with respect to the scaling relation is as high as observed in the M_{BH}-σ_\\star. We explore various scenarios to interpret such behaviors, of which the most realistic one is the evolutionary pattern followed by NGC 1275 to approach the scaling relation. We indeed speculate that NGC 1275 might be a specimen for those galaxies in which the black holes adjusted to its host.

Is LambdaCDM consistent with the Tully-Fisher relation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes, Reinabelle; Gunn, J. E.; Mandelbaum, R.

2013-07-01

We consider the question of the origin of the Tully-Fisher relation in LambdaCDM cosmology. Reproducing the observed tight relation between stellar masses and rotation velocities of disk galaxies presents a challenge for semi-analytical models and hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy formation. Here, our goal is to construct a suite of galaxy mass models that is fully consistent with observations, and that also reproduces the observed Tully-Fisher relation. We take advantage of a well-defined sample of disk galaxies in SDSS with measured rotation velocities (from long-slit spectroscopy of H-alpha), stellar bulge and disk profiles (from fits to SDSS images), and average dark matter halo masses (from stacked weak lensing of a larger, similarly-selected sample). The primary remaining freedom in the mass models come from the final dark matter halo profile (after contraction from baryon infall and, possibly, feedback) and the stellar IMF. We find that the observed velocities are reproduced by models with Kroupa IMF and NFW (i.e., unmodified) dark matter haloes for galaxies with stellar masses 10^9-10^10 M_sun. For higher stellar masses, models with contracted NFW haloes are favored. A scenario in which the amount of halo contraction varies with stellar mass is able to reproduce the observed Tully-Fisher relation over the full stellar mass range of our sample from 10^9 to 10^11 M_sun. We present this as a proof-of-concept for consistency between LambdaCDM and the Tully-Fisher relation.

EMERGE - an empirical model for the formation of galaxies since z ˜ 10

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moster, Benjamin P.; Naab, Thorsten; White, Simon D. M.

2018-06-01

We present EMERGE, an Empirical ModEl for the foRmation of GalaxiEs, describing the evolution of individual galaxies in large volumes from z ˜ 10 to the present day. We assign a star formation rate to each dark matter halo based on its growth rate, which specifies how much baryonic material becomes available, and the instantaneous baryon conversion efficiency, which determines how efficiently this material is converted to stars, thereby capturing the baryonic physics. Satellites are quenched following the delayed-then-rapid model, and they are tidally disrupted once their subhalo has lost a significant fraction of its mass. The model is constrained with observed data extending out to high redshift. The empirical relations are very flexible, and the model complexity is increased only if required by the data, assessed by several model selection statistics. We find that for the same final halo mass galaxies can have very different star formation histories. Galaxies that are quenched at z = 0 typically have a higher peak star formation rate compared to their star-forming counterparts. EMERGE predicts stellar-to-halo mass ratios for individual galaxies and introduces scatter self-consistently. We find that at fixed halo mass, passive galaxies have a higher stellar mass on average. The intracluster mass in massive haloes can be up to eight times larger than the mass of the central galaxy. Clustering for star-forming and quenched galaxies is in good agreement with observational constraints, indicating a realistic assignment of galaxies to haloes.

Elevation or Suppression? The Resolved Star Formation Main Sequence of Galaxies with Two Different Assembly Modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Qing; Wang, Enci; Lin, Zesen; Gao, Yulong; Liu, Haiyang; Berhane Teklu, Berzaf; Kong, Xu

2018-04-01

We investigate the spatially resolved star formation main sequence in star-forming galaxies using Integral Field Spectroscopic observations from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at the Apache Point Observatory survey. We demonstrate that the correlation between the stellar mass surface density (Σ*) and star formation rate surface density (ΣSFR) holds down to the sub-galactic scale, leading to the sub-galactic main sequence (SGMS). By dividing galaxies into two populations based on their recent mass assembly modes, we find the resolved main sequence in galaxies with the “outside-in” mode is steeper than that in galaxies with the “inside-out” mode. This is also confirmed on a galaxy-by-galaxy level, where we find the distributions of SGMS slopes for individual galaxies are clearly separated for the two populations. When normalizing and stacking the SGMS of individual galaxies on one panel for the two populations, we find that the inner regions of galaxies with the “inside-out” mode statistically exhibit a suppression in star formation, with a less significant trend in the outer regions of galaxies with the “outside-in” mode. In contrast, the inner regions of galaxies with “outside-in” mode and the outer regions of galaxies with “inside-out” mode follow a slightly sublinear scaling relation with a slope ∼0.9, which is in good agreement with previous findings, suggesting that they are experiencing a universal regulation without influences of additional physical processes.

The Epoch of Disk Formation: z is Approximately l to Today

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kassin, Susan; Gardner, Jonathan; Weiner, Ben; Faber, Sandra

2012-01-01

We present data on galaxy kinematics, morphologies, and star-formation rates over 0.1 less than z less than 1.2 for approximately 500 blue galaxies. These data show how systems like our own Milky-Way have come into being. At redshifts around 1, about half the age of the Universe ago, Milky-Way mass galaxies were different beasts than today. They had a significant amount of disturbed motions, disturbed morphologies, shallower potential wells, higher specific star-formation rates, and likely higher gas fractions. Since redshift approximately 1, galaxies have decreased in disturbed motions, increased in rotation velocity and potential well depth, become more well-ordered morphologically, and decreased in specific star-formation rate. We find interrelationships between these measurements. Galaxy kinematics are correlated with morphology and specific star-formation rate such that galaxies with the fastest rotation velocities and the least amounts of disturbed motions have the most well-ordered morphologies and the lowest specific star-formation rates. The converse is true. Moreover, we find that the rate at which galaxies become more well-ordered kinematically (i.e., increased rotation velocity, decreased disturbed motions) and morphologically is directly proportional to their stellar mass.

The edge of galaxy formation - I. Formation and evolution of MW-satellite analogues before accretion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macciò, Andrea V.; Frings, Jonas; Buck, Tobias; Penzo, Camilla; Dutton, Aaron A.; Blank, Marvin; Obreja, Aura

2017-12-01

The satellites of the Milky Way and Andromeda represent the smallest galaxies we can observe in our Universe. In this series of papers, we aim to shed light on their formation and evolution using cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. In this first paper, we focus on the galaxy properties before accretion, by simulating 27 haloes with masses between 5 × 108 and 1010 M⊙. Out of this set 19 haloes successfully form stars, while 8 remain dark. The simulated galaxies match quite well present day observed scaling relations between stellar mass, size and metallicity, showing that such relations are in place before accretion. Our galaxies show a large variety of star formation histories, from extended star formation periods to single bursts. As in more massive galaxies, large star formation bursts are connected with major mergers events, which greatly contribute to the overall stellar mass build up. The intrinsic stochasticity of mergers induces a large scatter in the stellar mass-halo mass relation, up to two orders of magnitude. Despite the bursty star formation history, on these mass scales baryons are very ineffective in modifying the dark matter profiles, and galaxies with a stellar mass below ≈106 M⊙ retain their cuspy central dark matter distribution, very similar to results from pure N-body simulations.

The influence of the cluster environment on the star formation efficiency of 12 Virgo spiral galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vollmer, B.; Wong, O. I.; Braine, J.; Chung, A.; Kenney, J. D. P.

2012-07-01

The influence of the environment on gas surface density and star formation efficiency of cluster spiral galaxies is investigated. We extend previous work on radial profiles by a pixel-to pixel analysis looking for asymmetries due to environmental interactions. The star formation rate is derived from GALEX UV and Spitzer total infrared data based on the 8, 24, 70, and 160 μm data. As in field galaxies, the star formation rate for most Virgo galaxies is approximately proportional to the molecular gas mass. Except for NGC 4438, the cluster environment does not affect the star formation efficiency with respect to the molecular gas. Gas truncation is not associated with major changes in the total gas surface density distribution of the inner disk of Virgo spiral galaxies. In three galaxies (NGC 4430, NGC 4501, and NGC 4522), possible increases in the molecular fraction and the star formation efficiency with respect to the total gas, of factors of 1.5 to 2, are observed on the windward side of the galactic disk. A significant increase of the star formation efficiency with respect to the molecular gas content on the windward side of ram pressure-stripped galaxies is not observed. The ram-pressure stripped extraplanar gas of 3 highly inclined spiral galaxies (NGC 4330, NGC 4438, and NGC 4522) shows a depressed star formation efficiency with respect to the total gas, and one of them (NGC 4438) shows a depressed rate even with respect to the molecular gas. The interpretation is that stripped gas loses the gravitational confinement and associated pressure of the galactic disk, and the gas flow is diverging, so the gas density decreases and the star formation rate drops. We found two such regions of low star formation efficiency in the more face-on galaxies NGC 4501 and NGC 4654 which are both undergoing ram pressure stripping. These regions show low radio continuum emission or unusually steep radio spectral index. However, the stripped extraplanar gas in one highly inclined galaxy (NGC 4569) shows a normal star formation efficiency with respect to the total gas. We propose this galaxy is different because it is observed long after peak pressure, and its extraplanar gas is now in a converging flow as it resettles back into the disk. Appendices are available in electronic form http://www.aanda.org

Star formation trends in high-redshift galaxy surveys: the elephant or the tail?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stringer, Martin; Cole, Shaun; Frenk, Carlos S.; Stark, Daniel P.

2011-07-01

Star formation rate and accumulated stellar mass are two fundamental physical quantities that describe the evolutionary state of a forming galaxy. Two recent attempts to determine the relationship between these quantities, by interpreting a sample of star-forming galaxies at redshift of z˜ 4, have led to opposite conclusions. Using a model galaxy population, we investigate possible causes for this discrepancy and conclude that minor errors in the conversion from observables to physical quantities can lead to a major misrepresentation when applied without awareness of sample selection. We also investigate, in a general way, the physical origin of the correlation between star formation rate and stellar mass within the hierarchical galaxy formation theory.

Killing Star Formation in Satellite Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2015-08-01

When a dwarf galaxy falls into the halo of a large galaxy like the Milky Way, how is star formation in the dwarf affected? A collaboration led by Andrew Wetzel (California Institute of Technology and Carnegie Observatories) recently set out to answer this question using observations of nearby galaxies and simulations of the infall process. Observed Quenching: Isolated dwarf galaxies tend to be gas-rich and very actively star-forming. In contrast, most dwarf galaxies within 300 kpc of us (the Milky Way's virial radius) contain little or no cold gas, and they're quiescent: there's not much star formation happening. And this isn't just true of the Milky Way; we observe the same difference in the satellite galaxies surrounding Andromeda galaxy. Once a dwarf galaxy has moved into the gravitational realm of a larger galaxy, the satellite's gas vanishes rapidly and its star formation is shut off — but how, and on what timescale? The known dwarf galaxies in the Local Group (out to 1.6 Mpc) are plotted by their distance from their host vs. their stellar mass. Blue stars indicate actively star-forming dwarfs and red circles indicate quiescent ones. Credit: Wetzel et al. 2015. Timescales for Quiescence: To answer these questions, the authors explored the process of galaxy infall using Exploring the Local Volume in Simulations (ELVIS), a suite of cosmological N-body simulations intended to explore the Local Group. They combined the infall times from the simulations with observational knowledge of the fraction of nearby galaxies that are currently quiescent, in order to determine what timescales are required for different processes to deplete the gas in the dwarf galaxies and quench star formation. Based on their results, two types of quenching culprits are at work: gas consumption (where a galaxy simply uses up its immediate gas supply and doesn't have access to more) and gas stripping (where external forces like ram pressure remove gas from the galaxy). These processes operate at different rates for different sizes of galaxies. The authors argue that for galaxies with stellar mass larger than 109 solar masses, the primary means of quenching is gas consumption. The timescale for this mechanism to quench the largest galaxies is roughly 5 Gyr. For galaxies with stellar mass smaller than 109 solar masses, gas stripping takes over, and star-formation is quenched within 1 Gyr for the smallest galaxies. Neither quenching mechanisms operates efficiently for galaxies with stellar mass right around 109 solar masses, though, so these galaxies can sustain star formation for much longer. This could explain why the Magellanic clouds (which both have stellar mass of roughly 109 solar masses) are still star-forming despite being within the Milky Way's halo! Citation: Andrew R. Wetzel et al. 2015, ApJ, 808, L27. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/808/1/L27

The Cold Side of Galaxy Formation: Dense Gas Through Cosmic Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riechers, Dominik A.; ngVLA Galaxy Assembly through Cosmic Time Science Working Group, ngVLA Galaxy Ecosystems Science Working Group

2018-01-01

The processes that lead to the formation and evolution of galaxies throughout the history of the Universe involve the complex interplay between hierarchical merging of dark matter halos, accretion of primordial and recycled gas, transport of gas within galaxy disks, accretion onto central super-massive black holes, and the formation of molecular clouds which subsequently collapse and fragment. The resulting star formation and black hole accretion provide large sources of energy and momentum that light up galaxies and lead to feedback. The ngVLA will be key to further understand how gas is accreted onto galaxies, and the processes that regulate the growth of galaxies through cosmic history. It will reveal how and on which timescales star formation and black hole accretion impact the gas in galaxies, and how the physical properties and chemical state of the gas change as gas cycles between different phases for different galaxy populations over a broad range in redshifts. The ngVLA will have the capability to carry out unbiased, large cosmic volume surveys at virtually any redshift down to an order of magnitude lower gas masses than currently possible in the critical low-level CO lines, thus exposing the evolution of gaseous reservoirs from the earliest epochs to the peak of the cosmic history of star formation. It will also image routinely and systematically the sub-kiloparsec scale distribution and kinematic structure of molecular gas in both normal main-sequence galaxies and large starbursts. The ngVLA thus is poised to revolutionize our understanding of galaxy evolution through cosmic time.

The Relation between Luminous AGNs and Star Formation in Their Host Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lei; Rieke, G. H.; Egami, E.; Haines, C. P.; Pereira, M. J.; Smith, G. P.

2015-08-01

We study the relation of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) to star formation in their host galaxies. Our sample includes 205 Type-1 and 85 Type-2 AGNs, 162 detected with Herschel, from fields surrounding 30 galaxy clusters in the Local Cluster Substructure Survey. The sample is identified by optical line widths and ratios after selection to be brighter than 1 mJy at 24 μm. We show that Type-2 AGN [O iii]λ5007 line fluxes at high z can be contaminated by their host galaxies with typical spectrograph entrance apertures (but our sample is not compromised in this way). We use spectral energy distribution (SED) templates to decompose the galaxy SEDs and estimate star formation rates (SFRs), AGN luminosities, and host galaxy stellar masses (described in an accompanying paper). The AGNs arise from massive black holes (˜ 3× {10}8{M}⊙ ) accreting at ˜10% of the Eddington rate and residing in galaxies with stellar mass \\gt 3× {10}10{M}⊙ ; those detected with Herschel have IR luminosity from star formation in the range of {L}{SF,{IR}}˜ {10}10-{10}12{L}⊙ . We find that (1) the specific SFRs in the host galaxies are generally consistent with those of normal star-forming (main sequence) galaxies; (2) there is a strong correlation between the luminosities from star formation and the AGN; and (3) the correlation may not result from a causal connection, but could arise because the black hole mass (and hence AGN Eddington luminosity) and star formation are both correlated with the galaxy mass.

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.

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.

MASSIVE GALAXIES IN COSMOS: EVOLUTION OF BLACK HOLE VERSUS BULGE MASS BUT NOT VERSUS TOTAL STELLAR MASS OVER THE LAST 9 Gyr?

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

Jahnke, Knud; Cisternas, Mauricio; Inskip, Katherine

2009-12-01

We constrain the ratio of black hole (BH) mass to total stellar mass of type-1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the COSMOS survey at 1 < z < 2. For 10 AGNs at mean redshift z approx 1.4 with both Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/ACS and HST/NICMOS imaging data, we are able to compute the total stellar mass M {sub *,total}, based on rest-frame UV-to-optical host galaxy colors which constrain mass-to-light ratios. All objects have virial M {sub BH} estimates available from the COSMOS Magellan/IMACS and zCOSMOS surveys. We find within errors zero difference between the M {sub BH}-M {sub *,total}more » relation at z approx 1.4 and the M {sub BH}-M {sub *,bulge} relation in the local universe. Our interpretation is (1) if our objects were purely bulge-dominated, the M {sub BH}-M {sub *,bulge} relation has not evolved since z approx 1.4. However, (2) since we have evidence for substantial disk components, the bulges of massive galaxies (M {sub *,total} = 11.1 +- 0.3 or log M {sub BH} approx 8.3 +- 0.2) must have grown over the last 9 Gyr predominantly by redistribution of the disk into the bulge mass. Since all necessary stellar mass exists in galaxies at z = 1.4, no star formation or addition of external stellar material is required, but only a redistribution, e.g., induced by minor and major merging or through disk instabilities. Merging, in addition to redistributing mass in the galaxy, will add both BH and stellar/bulge mass, but does not change the overall final M {sub BH}/M {sub *,bulge} ratio. Since the overall cosmic stellar and BH mass buildup trace each other tightly over time, our scenario of bulge formation in massive galaxies is independent of any strong BH feedback and means that the mechanism coupling BH and bulge mass until the present is very indirect.« less

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.;

TEMPORAL SELF-ORGANIZATION IN GALAXY FORMATION

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

Cen, Renyue, E-mail: cen@astro.princeton.edu

We report on the discovery of a relation between the number of star formation (SF) peaks per unit time, ν{sub peak}, and the size of the temporal smoothing window function, Δt, used to define the peaks: ν{sub peak}∝Δt {sup 1} {sup –} {sup φ} (φ ∼ 1.618). This relation holds over the range of Δt = 10-1000 Myr that can be reliably computed here, using a large sample of galaxies obtained from a state-of-the-art cosmological hydrodynamic simulation. This means that the temporal distribution of SF peaks in galaxies as a population is fractal with a Hausdorff fractal dimension equal to φmore » – 1. This finding reveals, for the first time, that the superficially chaotic process of galaxy formation is underlined by temporal self-organization up to at least one gigayear. It is tempting to suggest that, given the known existence of spatial fractals (such as the power-law two-point function of galaxies), there is a joint spatio-temporal self-organization in galaxy formation. From an observational perspective, it will be urgent to devise diagnostics to probe the SF histories of galaxies with good temporal resolution to facilitate a test of this prediction. If confirmed, it would provide unambiguous evidence for a new picture of galaxy formation that is interaction driven, cooperative, and coherent in and between time and space. Unravelling its origin may hold the key to understanding galaxy formation.« less

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.

Mass-metallicity relation for AKARI-FMOS infrared luminous galaxies at z ~ 0.9

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oi, Nagisa; Matsuhara, Hideo; Goto, Tomotsugu; Pearson, Chris; Buat, Véronique; Malkan, Matthew A.

We study the mass-metallicity relation and fundamental relation (FMR) for infrared bright galaxies (IR galaxies) at z ~ 0.9 discovered by AKARI NEP-Deep survey. The main result of this work is that metallicity of IR galaxies surprisingly match optical selected galaxies at a given mass even their star formation rates are different, which may imply that optical and IR selected galaxies follow similar star formation histories, and the starbursts in the IR galaxies do not give a strong impact in changing metallicity because of the short duration time.

The Hubble Space Telescope Cluster Supernova Survey. II. The Type la Supernova rate in high-redshift galaxy clusters

DOE PAGES

Barbary, K.; Aldering, G.; Amanullah, R.; ...

2011-12-28

Here we report a measurement of the Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) rate in galaxy clusters at 0.9 < z < 1.46 from the Hubble Space Telescope Cluster Supernova Survey. This is the first cluster SN Ia rate measurement with detected z > 0.9 SNe. Finding 8 ± 1 cluster SNe Ia, we determine an SN Ia rate of 0.50 +0.23 -0.19 (stat) +0.10 -0.09 (sys) h 2 70 SNuB (SNuB ≡ 10 -12 SNe L -1 ⊙,B yr -1). In units of stellar mass, this translates to 0.36 + 0.16 -0.13 (stat) +0.07 -0.06 (sys) h 2 70 SNuMmore » (SNuM ≡ 10 -12 SNe M –1 ⊙ yr –1). This represents a factor of ≈ 5 ± 2 increase over measurements of the cluster rate at z < 0.2. We parameterize the late-time SN Ia delay time distribution (DTD) with a power law: Ψ(t)∝t s . Under the approximation of a single-burst cluster formation redshift of zf = 3, our rate measurement in combination with lower-redshift cluster SN Ia rates constrains s = –1.41 +0.47 –0.40, consistent with measurements of the DTD in the field. This measurement is generally consistent with expectations for the "double degenerate" scenario and inconsistent with some models for the "single degenerate" scenario predicting a steeper DTD at large delay times. We check for environmental dependence and the influence of younger stellar populations by calculating the rate specifically in cluster red-sequence galaxies and in morphologically early-type galaxies, finding results similar to the full cluster rate. Finally, the upper limit of one hostless cluster SN Ia detected in the survey implies that the fraction of stars in the intra-cluster medium is less than 0.47 (95% confidence), consistent with measurements at lower redshifts.« less

Dry minor mergers and size evolution of high-z compact massive early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oogi, Taira; Habe, Asao

2013-01-01

Recent observations show evidence that high-z (z ˜ 2-3) early-type galaxies (ETGs) are more compact than those with comparable mass at z ˜ 0. Such size evolution is most likely explained by the `dry merger sceanario'. However, previous studies based on this scenario cannot consistently explain the properties of both high-z compact massive ETGs and local ETGs. We investigate the effect of multiple sequential dry minor mergers on the size evolution of compact massive ETGs. From an analysis of the Millennium Simulation Data Base, we show that such minor (stellar mass ratio M2/M1 < 1/4) mergers are extremely common during hierarchical structure formation. We perform N-body simulations of sequential minor mergers with parabolic and head-on orbits, including a dark matter component and a stellar component. Typical mass ratios of these minor mergers are 1/20 < M2/M1 ≤q 1/10. We show that sequential minor mergers of compact satellite galaxies are the most efficient at promoting size growth and decreasing the velocity dispersion of compact massive ETGs in our simulations. The change of stellar size and density of the merger remnants is consistent with recent observations. Furthermore, we construct the merger histories of candidates for high-z compact massive ETGs using the Millennium Simulation Data Base and estimate the size growth of the galaxies through the dry minor merger scenario. We can reproduce the mean size growth factor between z = 2 and z = 0, assuming the most efficient size growth obtained during sequential minor mergers in our simulations. However, we note that our numerical result is only valid for merger histories with typical mass ratios between 1/20 and 1/10 with parabolic and head-on orbits and that our most efficient size-growth efficiency is likely an upper limit.

The evolution of structure in the universe from axions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.; Shafi, Q.

1982-01-01

A scenario where axions provide the dark matter in the universe is considered. Fluctuations in the axion field density produced by domain walls and strings cause the appearance of axion clumps of masses of order 10 to the 6th power solar mass which most likely collapse to black holes by or at the time that the universe becomes axion dominated at T is approximately 10 eV. These objects form the building blocks for a clustering hierarchy theory of galaxy and supercluster formation on scales up to approximately 10 Mpc and approximately 10 to the 15th power solar mass.

Analysis of the star formation histories of galaxies in different environments: from low to high density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortega-Minakata, René A.

2015-11-01

In this thesis, a value-added cataloge of 403,372 SDSS-DR7 galaxies is presented. This catalogue incorporates information on their stellar populations, including their star formation histories, their dominant emission-line activity type, inferred morphology and a measurement of their environmental density. The sample that formed this catalogue was selected from the SDSS-DR7 (Legacy) spectroscopic catalogue of galaxies in the Northern Galactic Cap, selecting only galaxies with high-quality spectra and redshift determination, and photometric measurements with small errors. Also, galaxies near the edge of the photometric survey footprint were excluded to avoid errors in the determination of their environment. Only galaxies in the 0.03-0.30 redshift range were considered. Starlight fits of the spectra of these galaxies were used to obtain information on their star formation history and stellar mass, velocity dispersion and mean age. From the fit residuals, emission-line fluxes were measured and used to obtain the dominant activity type of these galaxies using the BPT diagnostic diagram. A neighbour search code was written and applied to the catalogue to measure the local environmental density of these galaxies. This code counts the number of neighbours within a fixed search radius and a radial velocity range centered at each galaxy's radial velocity. A projected radius of 1.5 Mpc and a range of ± 2,500 km/s, both centered at the redshift of the target galaxy, were used to search and count all the neighbours of each galaxy in the catalogue. The neighbours were counted from the photometric catalogue of the SDSS-DR7 using photometric redshifts, to avoid incompleteness of the spectroscopic catalogue. The morphology of the galaxies in the catalogue was inferred by inverting previously found relations between subsamples of galaxies with visual morphology classification and their optical colours and concentration of light. The galaxies in the catalogue were matched to six other catalogues, creating six subsamples from these matches used to characterize these new value-added catalogue. These catalogues are: the 2MIG catalogue of isolated galaxies with visual morphology; a catalogue of galaxies with visual morphology; a catalogue of galaxies with automated morphology; the first Galaxy Zoo catalogue of galaxies with visual morphology based on general public participation (citizen science); the MaxBCG catalogue of Brightest Cluster Galaxies found with an automatic method; and a compilation of galaxies in rich clusters maintained by H. Andernach. Using the information from the catalogue presented here, strong evidence of a downsizing effect in the formation of galaxies was found, with high mass galaxies showing older stellar populations and mean stellar ages at any redshift in the 0.03-0.30 range than low mass galaxies, which show increasing stellar ages with decreasing redshifts. A strong relation between the dominant activity type and the inferred morphologies of galaxies was also found, with star-forming galaxies having the latest morphologies, Sy2-dominated galaxies being of intermediate types, LINER-like galaxies having earlier morphologies, and passive galaxies showing the earliest morphologies. This relation is observed regardless of the environment of the galaxies and for both high and low stellar mass galaxies. This implies that the morphology and emission-line activity of galaxies are tightly linked to their evolution, and mostly determined by their stellar mass. Also, the morphology-density relation was recovered for galaxies in clusters, but was only observed weakly for the general galaxy population. This confirms that the processes that may change the morphology of individual galaxies are more common in the cluster environment but are mostly absent in other environments, and also implies that secular evolution may change the morphology of galaxies only for less massive galaxies that are still building up their mass. The star formation histories of galaxies in our catalogue were found to be strongly dependent on their morphology, and consequently on their emission-line activity. Star-forming galaxies are late types that have the youngest populations; Sy2-dominated galaxies show a mixture of young and old populations, while LINER-likes have older populations; and passive, early-type galaxies have the oldest populations and have no current star formation. This is consistent with the idea that the processes that fix or change the morphology of galaxies are more internal and modulated by their mass, and are tightly related to how much gas is available to stimulate or stop star formation or AGN activity. In contrast, the star formation histories of galaxies were found to be only weakly dependent on their environmental density, with isolated galaxies showing somewhat younger populations than galaxies in high-density environments. This is consistent with the weak morphology-density relation found for the general population of galaxies, and supports the idea that morphology and formation history are tightly related and, while the processes that change the morphology are more common in the cluster environment, the environmental density itself does not directly affect much the formation history of galaxies. The stellar mass of galaxies seems to modulate their activity and morphology: massive galaxies formed more rapidly in the past, efficiently converting their gas into stars, leaving little or no gas to form stars or fuel AGN activity later on, thus making them low-intensity active galaxies or passive galaxies. The formation of these massive galaxies would then only depend on the local density of protogalaxies, so a high merger rate in environments similar to compact groups of galaxies in the past would result in an early-type galaxy, effectively explaining the relation between mass, activity, morphology, stellar mean age and velocity dispersion of galaxies. The catalogue presented here is useful and relevant because it is a publicly available catalogue of galaxies with consistent, homogeneous information that allows for direct comparisons between samples defined from galaxies in the catalogue, thus providing less biased results, and the large number of galaxies within it allows for statistically significant results, increasing their reliability.

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 universe.

Galactic Pairs in the Early Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2018-02-01

In the spirit of Valentines Day, today well be exploring apparent pairs of galaxies in the distant, early universe. How can we tell whether these duos are actually paired galaxies, as opposed to disguised singles?Real Pair, or Trick of the Light?In the schematic timeline of the universe, the epoch of reionization is when the first galaxies and quasars began to form and evolve. [NASA]The statistics of merging galaxies throughout the universe reveal not only direct information about how galaxies interact, but also cosmological information about the structure of the universe. While weve observed many merging galaxy pairs at low redshift, however, its much more challenging to identify these duos in the early universe.A merging pair of galaxies at high redshift appears to us as a pair of unresolved blobs that lie close to each other in the sky. But spotting such a set of objects doesnt necessarily mean were looking at a merger! There are three possible scenarios to explain an observed apparent duo:Its a pair of galaxies in a stage of merger.Its a projection coincidence; the two galaxies arent truly near each other.Its a single galaxy being gravitationally lensed by a foreground object. This strong lensing produces the appearance of multiple galaxies.Hubble photometry of one of the three galaxy groups identified at z 8, with the galaxies in the image labeled with their corresponding approximate photometric redshifts. [Adapted from Chaikin et al. 2018]Hunting for Distant DuosIn a recent study led by Evgenii Chaikin (Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia), a team of scientists has explored the Hubble Ultra Deep Field in search ofhigh-redshift galaxies merging during the epoch of reionization, when the first galaxies formed and evolved.Using an approach called the dropout technique, which leverages the visibility of the galaxies in different wavelength filters, Chaikin and collaborators obtain approximate redshifts for an initial sample of 7,000 objects. They find that roughly 50 have a redshift of z 7, and 22 have a redshift of z 8. None of the galaxies at z 7 are in pairs, but the sample at z 8 includes three groups for which the distance between galaxies is less than 1 arcsecond.But are these three pairs actual merging galaxies?Conclusions from StatisticsTop: Gas density at z 7.7 in the authors simulation output. Bottom: Mock observations of this output withHubbles WFC3 (left) and JWSTs NIRCam (right). [Adapted from Chaikin et al. 2018]To answer this question, the authors next perform numerical simulations of galaxy formation and produce mock observations showing what the simulatedfield would look like in an equivalent deep Hubble exposure.Based on their simulation statistics, Chaikin and collaborators argue that the three pairs at z 8 do represent an unusually high merger fraction but projection coincidences or lensing are far less likely scenarios to account for all three pairs. If the three pairs are indeed all merging galaxies, it could indicate that this Hubble field corresponds to a local overdensity at a redshift of z 8.Looking AheadThe best way to improve on these measurements is to repeat this study with more advanced telescopes. Chaikin and collaborators demonstrate the superiority of the observations that the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will provide. They also point out the potential power of the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) currently under threat under the proposed 2019 federal budget to extend the observational horizon well into the epoch of reionization.Continued studies backed by the power of these future telescopes are sure to discover a wealth of additional distant galactic duos, helping us to characterize the universe in its early stages.CitationEvgenii A. Chaikin et al 2018 ApJ 853 81. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aaa196

Formation of Globular Clusters with Internal Abundance Spreads in r-Process Elements: Strong Evidence for Prolonged Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bekki, Kenji; Tsujimoto, Takuji

2017-07-01

Several globular clusters (GCs) in the Galaxy are observed to show internal abundance spreads in r-process elements (e.g., Eu). We propose a new scenario that explains the origin of these GCs (e.g., M5 and M15). In this scenario, stars with no/little abundance variations first form from a massive molecular cloud (MC). After all of the remaining gas of the MC is expelled by numerous supernovae, gas ejected from asymptotic giant branch stars can be accumulated in the central region of the GC to form a high-density intracluster medium (ICM). Merging of neutron stars then occurs to eject r-process elements, which can be efficiently trapped in and subsequently mixed with the ICM. New stars formed from the ICM can have r-process abundances that are quite different from those of earlier generations of stars within the GC. This scenario can explain both (I) why r-process elements can be trapped within GCs and (II) why GCs with internal abundance spreads in r-process elements do not show [Fe/H] spreads. Our model shows (I) that a large fraction of Eu-rich stars can be seen in Na-enhanced stellar populations of GCs, as observed in M15, and (II) why most of the Galactic GCs do not exhibit such internal abundance spreads. Our model demonstrates that the observed internal spreads of r-process elements in GCs provide strong evidence for prolonged star formation (˜108 yr).

SUSTAINING STAR FORMATION RATES IN SPIRAL GALAXIES: SUPERNOVA-DRIVEN TURBULENT ACCRETION DISK MODELS APPLIED TO THINGS GALAXIES

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

Vollmer, Bernd; Leroy, Adam K., E-mail: bvollmer@astro.u-strasbg.fr

2011-01-15

Gas disks of spiral galaxies can be described as clumpy accretion disks without a coupling of viscosity to the actual thermal state of the gas. The model description of a turbulent disk consisting of emerging and spreading clumps contains free parameters, which can be constrained by observations of molecular gas, atomic gas, and the star formation rate for individual galaxies. Radial profiles of 18 nearby spiral galaxies from THINGS, HERACLES, SINGS, and GALEX data are used to compare the observed star formation efficiency, molecular fraction, and velocity dispersion to the model. The observed radially decreasing velocity dispersion can be reproducedmore » by the model. In the framework of this model, the decrease in the inner disk is due to the stellar mass distribution which dominates the gravitational potential. Introducing a radial break in the star formation efficiency into the model improves the fits significantly. This change in the star formation regime is realized by replacing the free-fall time in the prescription of the star formation rate with the molecule formation timescale. Depending on the star formation prescription, the break radius is located near the transition region between the molecular-gas-dominated and atomic-gas-dominated parts of the galactic disk or closer to the optical radius. It is found that only less massive galaxies (log M(M{sub sun}) {approx}< 10) can balance gas loss via star formation by radial gas accretion within the disk. These galaxies can thus access their gas reservoirs with large angular momentum. On the other hand, the star formation of massive galaxies is determined by the external gas mass accretion rate from a putative spherical halo of ionized gas or from satellite accretion. In the absence of this external accretion, star formation slowly exhausts the gas within the optical disk within the star formation timescale.« less

Sustaining Star Formation Rates in Spiral Galaxies Supernova-driven Turbulent Accretion Disk Models Applied to THINGS Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vollmer, Bernd; Leroy, Adam K.

2011-01-01

Gas disks of spiral galaxies can be described as clumpy accretion disks without a coupling of viscosity to the actual thermal state of the gas. The model description of a turbulent disk consisting of emerging and spreading clumps contains free parameters, which can be constrained by observations of molecular gas, atomic gas, and the star formation rate for individual galaxies. Radial profiles of 18 nearby spiral galaxies from THINGS, HERACLES, SINGS, and GALEX data are used to compare the observed star formation efficiency, molecular fraction, and velocity dispersion to the model. The observed radially decreasing velocity dispersion can be reproduced by the model. In the framework of this model, the decrease in the inner disk is due to the stellar mass distribution which dominates the gravitational potential. Introducing a radial break in the star formation efficiency into the model improves the fits significantly. This change in the star formation regime is realized by replacing the free-fall time in the prescription of the star formation rate with the molecule formation timescale. Depending on the star formation prescription, the break radius is located near the transition region between the molecular-gas-dominated and atomic-gas-dominated parts of the galactic disk or closer to the optical radius. It is found that only less massive galaxies (log M(M ⊙) <~ 10) can balance gas loss via star formation by radial gas accretion within the disk. These galaxies can thus access their gas reservoirs with large angular momentum. On the other hand, the star formation of massive galaxies is determined by the external gas mass accretion rate from a putative spherical halo of ionized gas or from satellite accretion. In the absence of this external accretion, star formation slowly exhausts the gas within the optical disk within the star formation timescale.

Green valley galaxies as a transition population in different environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coenda, Valeria; Martínez, Héctor J.; Muriel, Hernán

2018-02-01

We present a comparative analysis of the properties of passive, star-forming and transition (green valley) galaxies in four discrete environments: field, groups, the outskirts and the core of X-ray clusters. We construct samples of galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey in these environments so that they are bound to have similar redshift distributions. The classification of galaxies into the three sequences is based on the UV-optical colour NUV - r. We study a number of galaxy properties: stellar mass, morphology, specific star formation rate and the history of star formation. The analysis of green valley (GV) galaxies reveals that the physical mechanisms responsible for external quenching become more efficient moving from the field to denser environments. We confirm previous findings that GV galaxies have intermediate morphologies; moreover, we find that this appears to be independent of the environment. Regarding the stellar mass of GV galaxies, we find that they tend to be more massive in the field than in denser environments. On average, GV galaxies account for ∼ 20 per cent of all galaxies in groups and X-ray clusters. We find evidence that the field environment is inefficient in transforming low-mass galaxies. GV galaxies have average star formation histories intermediate between passive and star-forming galaxies, and have a clear and consistent dependence on the environment: both, the quenching time and the amplitude of the star formation rate, decrease towards higher density environments.

Primordial random motions and angular momenta of galaxies and galaxy clusters.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silk, J.; Lea, S.

1973-01-01

We study the decay of primordial random motions of galaxies and galaxy clusters in an expanding universe by solving a kinetic equation for the relaxation of differential energy spectra N(E, t). Systematic dissipative energy losses are included, involving gravitational drag by, and accretion of, intergalactic matter, as well as the effect of collisions with other systems. Formal and numerical solutions are described for two distinct modes of galaxy formation in a turbulent medium, corresponding to formation at a distinct epoch and to continuous formation of galaxies. We show that any primordial random motions of galaxies at the present epoch can amount to at most a few km/sec, and that collisions at early epochs can lead to the acquisition of significant amounts of primordial angular momentum.

Chemical Evolution and the Formation of Dwarf Galaxies in the Early Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cote, Benoit; JINA-CEE, NuGrid, ChETEC

2018-06-01

Stellar abundances in local dwarf galaxies offer a unique window into the nature and nucleosynthesis of the first stars. They also contain clues regarding how galaxies formed and assembled in the early stages of the universe. In this talk, I will present our effort to connect nuclear astrophysics with the field of galaxy formation in order to define what can be learned about galaxy evolution using stellar abundances. In particular, I will describe the current state of our numerical chemical evolution pipeline which accounts for the mass assembly history of galaxies, present how we use high-redshift cosmological hydrodynamic simulations to calibrate our models and to learn about the formation of dwarf galaxies, and address the challenge of identifying the dominant r-process site(s) using stellar abundances.

Galaxy population properties of the massive X-ray luminous galaxy cluster XDCP J0044.0-2033 at z = 1.58. Red-sequence formation, massive galaxy assembly, and central star formation activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fassbender, R.; Nastasi, A.; Santos, J. S.; Lidman, C.; Verdugo, M.; Koyama, Y.; Rosati, P.; Pierini, D.; Padilla, N.; Romeo, A. D.; Menci, N.; Bongiorno, A.; Castellano, M.; Cerulo, P.; Fontana, A.; Galametz, A.; Grazian, A.; Lamastra, A.; Pentericci, L.; Sommariva, V.; Strazzullo, V.; Šuhada, R.; Tozzi, P.

2014-08-01

Context. Recent observational progress has enabled the detection of galaxy clusters and groups out to very high redshifts and for the first time allows detailed studies of galaxy population properties in these densest environments in what was formerly known as the "redshift desert" at z> 1.5. Aims: We aim to investigate various galaxy population properties of the massive X-ray luminous galaxy cluster XDCP J0044.0-2033 at z = 1.58, which constitutes the most extreme currently known matter-density peak at this redshift. Methods: We analyzed deep VLT/HAWK-I near-infrared data with an image quality of 0.5'' and limiting Vega magnitudes (50% completeness) of 24.2 in J- and 22.8 in the Ks band, complemented by similarly deep Subaru imaging in i and V, Spitzer observations at 4.5 μm, and new spectroscopic observations with VLT/FORS 2. Results: We detect a cluster-associated excess population of about 90 galaxies, most of them located within the inner 30'' (250 kpc) of the X-ray centroid, which follows a centrally peaked, compact NFW galaxy surface-density profile with a concentration of c200 ≃ 10. Based on the Spitzer 4.5 μm imaging data, we measure a total enclosed stellar mass of M∗500 ≃ (6.3 ± 1.6) × 1012 M⊙ and a resulting stellar mass fraction of f∗,500 = M∗,500/M500 = (3.3 ± 1.4)%, consistent with local values. The total J- and Ks-band galaxy luminosity functions of the core region yield characteristic magnitudes J* and Ks* consistent with expectations from simple zf = 3 burst models. However, a detailed look at the morphologies and color distributions of the spectroscopically confirmed members reveals that the most massive galaxies are undergoing a very active mass-assembly epoch through merging processes. Consequently, the bright end of the cluster red sequence is not in place, while a red-locus population is present at intermediate magnitudes [Ks*, Ks* + 1.6], which is then sharply truncated at magnitudes fainter than Ks* + 1.6. The dominant cluster-core population comprises post-quenched galaxies transitioning toward the red sequence at intermediate magnitudes, while additionally a significant blue-cloud population of faint star-forming galaxies is present even in the densest central regions. Based on a color-color selection performed to separate different cluster galaxy types, we find that the blue star-forming population is concentrated in clumpy structures and dominates in particular at and beyond the R500 radius. On the other hand, the fraction of post-starburst galaxies steadily increases toward the center, while the red-locus population and red-sequence transition galaxies seem to reach their peak fractions already at intermediate cluster-centric radii of about r ~ 200 kpc. Conclusions: Our observations support the scenario in which the dominant effect of the dense z ≃ 1.6 cluster environment is an accelerated mass-assembly timescale (~1 Gyr or shorter) through merging activity that is responsible for driving core galaxies across the mass-quenching threshold of log (M∗/M⊙) ≃ 10.4. Beyond this mass limit, star formation is suppressed on timescales of ~1 Gyr, while the direct environmental quenching process seems to be subdominant and is acting on significantly longer timescales (~2-3 Gyr). Based on observations under programme ID 084.A-0844, 087.A-0351, and 089.A-0419 collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile.J- and Ks-band FITS files are available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/568/A5

Progress and Challenges in SPH Simulations of Disk Galaxy Formation: The Combined Role of Resolution and the Star Formation Density Threshold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, L.

2012-07-01

We review progress in cosmological SPH simulations of disk galaxy formation. We discuss the role of numerical resolution and sub-grid recipes of star formation and feedback from supernovae, higlighting the important role of a high star formation density threshold comparable to that of star forming molecular gas phase. Two recent succesfull examples, in simulations of the formation of gas-rich bulgeless dwarf galaxies and in simulations of late-type spirals (the ERIS simulations), are presented and discussed. In the ERIS simulations, already in the progenitors at z = 3 the resolution is above the threshold indicated by previous idealized numerical experiments as necessary to minimize numerical angular momentum loss (Kaufmann et al. 2007). A high star formation density threshold maintains an inhomogeneous interstellar medium, where star formation is clustered, and thus the local effect of supernovae feedback is enhanced. As a result, outflows are naturally generated removing 2/3 of the baryons in galaxies with Vvir˜50 km/s and ˜ 30% of the baryons in galaxies with (Vvir ˜ 150 km/s). Low angular momentum baryons are preferentially removed since the strongest bursts of star formation occur predominantly near the center, especially after a merger event. This produces pure exponential disks or small bulges depending on galaxy mass, and, correspondingly, slowly rising or nearly flat rotation curves that match those of observed disk galaxies. In dwarfs the rapid mass removal by outflows generates a core-like distribution in the dark matter. Furthermore, contrary to the common picture, in the ERIS spiral galaxies a bar/pseudobulge forms rapidly, and not secularly, as a result of mergers and interactions at high-z.

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.

Constraints on galaxy formation theories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Szalay, A. S.

1986-01-01

The present theories of galaxy formation are reviewed. The relation between peculiar velocities, temperature fluctuations of the microwave background and the correlation function of galaxies point to the possibility that galaxies do not form uniformly everywhere. The velocity data provide strong constraints on the theories even in the case when light does not follow mass of the universe.

The Evolution of Galaxies and Their Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hollenbach, David (Editor); Thronson, Harley A. (Editor); Shull, J. Michael (Editor)

1993-01-01

The Third Teton Summer School on Astrophysics discussed the formation of galaxies, star formation in galaxies, galaxies and quasars at high red shift, and the intergalactic and intercluster medium and cooling flows. Observation and theoretical research on these topics was presented at the meeting and summaries of the contributed papers are included in this volume.

A Stellar Mass Threshold for Quenching of Field Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geha, M.; Blanton, M. R.; Yan, R.; Tinker, J. L.

2012-09-01

We demonstrate that dwarf galaxies (107 < M stellar < 109 M ⊙, -12 > Mr > -18) with no active star formation are extremely rare (<0.06%) in the field. Our sample is based on the NASA-Sloan Atlas which is a reanalysis of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 8. We examine the relative number of quenched versus star-forming dwarf galaxies, defining quenched galaxies as having no Hα emission (EWHα < 2 Å) and a strong 4000 Å break. The fraction of quenched dwarf galaxies decreases rapidly with increasing distance from a massive host, leveling off for distances beyond 1.5 Mpc. We define galaxies beyond 1.5 Mpc of a massive host galaxy to be in the field. We demonstrate that there is a stellar mass threshold of M stellar < 1.0 × 109 M ⊙ below which quenched galaxies do not exist in the field. Below this threshold, we find that none of the 2951 field dwarf galaxies are quenched; all field dwarf galaxies show evidence for recent star formation. Correcting for volume effects, this corresponds to a 1σ upper limit on the quenched fraction of 0.06%. In more dense environments, quenched galaxies account for 23% of the dwarf population over the same stellar mass range. The majority of quenched dwarf galaxies (often classified as dwarf elliptical galaxies) are within 2 virial radii of a massive galaxy, and only a few percent of quenched dwarf galaxies exist beyond 4 virial radii. Thus, for galaxies with stellar mass less than 1.0 × 109 M ⊙, ending star formation requires the presence of a more massive neighbor, providing a stringent constraint on models of star formation feedback.

Star Formation-Driven Winds in the Early Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peek, Matthew; Lundgren, Britt; Brammer, Gabriel

2018-01-01

Measuring the extent of star formation-driven winds from galaxies in the early universe is crucial for understanding of how galaxies evolve over cosmic time. Using WFC3/IR grism data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we have measured the star formation rates and star formation rate surface densities of several hundred galaxies at redshift (z) = 1, when the universe was roughly half its present age. The galaxies we examine are also probed by background quasars, whose spectra provide information about the extent of metal-enriched gas in their halos. We use a computational pipeline to measure the density of the star formation in each galaxy and correlate these measurements with detections of Mg II absorption in nearby quasar spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Our preliminary results support a model in which galaxies with high SFR surface densities drive metal-enriched gas out of the disk and into these galaxies’ extended halos, where that gas is detected in the spectra of more distant quasars.

Galaxy evolution. Evidence for mature bulges and an inside-out quenching phase 3 billion years after the Big Bang.

PubMed

Tacchella, S; Carollo, C M; Renzini, A; Förster Schreiber, N M; Lang, P; Wuyts, S; Cresci, G; Dekel, A; Genzel, R; Lilly, S J; Mancini, C; Newman, S; Onodera, M; Shapley, A; Tacconi, L; Woo, J; Zamorani, G

2015-04-17

Most present-day galaxies with stellar masses ≥10(11) solar masses show no ongoing star formation and are dense spheroids. Ten billion years ago, similarly massive galaxies were typically forming stars at rates of hundreds solar masses per year. It is debated how star formation ceased, on which time scales, and how this "quenching" relates to the emergence of dense spheroids. We measured stellar mass and star-formation rate surface density distributions in star-forming galaxies at redshift 2.2 with ~1-kiloparsec resolution. We find that, in the most massive galaxies, star formation is quenched from the inside out, on time scales less than 1 billion years in the inner regions, up to a few billion years in the outer disks. These galaxies sustain high star-formation activity at large radii, while hosting fully grown and already quenched bulges in their cores. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Properties of Massive Stars in Primitive Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heap, Sara

2012-01-01

According to R. Dave, the phases of galaxy formation are distinguished by their halo mass and governing feedback mechanism. Galaxies in the birth phase (our "primitive galaxies") have a low halo mass (M<10(exp 9) Msun); and star formation is affected by photoionizing radiation of massive stars. In contrast, galaxies in the growth phase (e.g. Lyman Break galaxies) are more massive (M=10(exp 9)-10(exp 12) Msun); star formation is fueled by cold accretion but modulated by strong outflows from massive stars. I Zw 18 is a local blue, compact dwarf galaxy that meets the requirements for a birth-phase galaxy: halo mass <10(exp 9) Msun, strong photo ionizing radiation, no galactic outflow, and very low metallicity, log(O/H)=7.2. We will describe the properties of massive stars in I Zw 18 based on analysis of ultraviolet spectra obtained with HST.

The Contribution of TP-AGB Stars to the Mid-infrared Colors of Nearby Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chisari, Nora E.; Kelson, Daniel D.

2012-07-01

We study the mid-infrared color space of 30 galaxies from the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS) survey for which Sloan Digital Sky Survey data are also available. We construct two-color maps for each galaxy and compare them to results obtained from combining Maraston evolutionary synthesis models, galactic thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) colors, and smooth star formation histories. For most of the SINGS sample, the spatially extended mid-IR emission seen by Spitzer in normal galaxies is consistent with our simple model in which circumstellar dust from TP-AGB stars dominates at 8 and 24 μm. There is a handful of exceptions that we identify as galaxies that have high star formation rates presumably with star formation histories that cannot be assumed to be smooth, or anemic galaxies, which were depleted of their H I at some point during their evolution and have very low ongoing star formation rates.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF TP-AGB STARS TO THE MID-INFRARED COLORS OF NEARBY GALAXIES

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

Chisari, Nora E.; Kelson, Daniel D., E-mail: nchisari@astro.princeton.edu

2012-07-10

We study the mid-infrared color space of 30 galaxies from the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS) survey for which Sloan Digital Sky Survey data are also available. We construct two-color maps for each galaxy and compare them to results obtained from combining Maraston evolutionary synthesis models, galactic thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) colors, and smooth star formation histories. For most of the SINGS sample, the spatially extended mid-IR emission seen by Spitzer in normal galaxies is consistent with our simple model in which circumstellar dust from TP-AGB stars dominates at 8 and 24 {mu}m. There is a handfulmore » of exceptions that we identify as galaxies that have high star formation rates presumably with star formation histories that cannot be assumed to be smooth, or anemic galaxies, which were depleted of their H I at some point during their evolution and have very low ongoing star formation rates.« less

Physics and evolution of obscured X-ray sources: a multiwavelength approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brusa, Marcella

2004-06-01

Observations at high energies yield important information on the structure and nature of AGN; when coupled with deep optical and near-infrared (photometric and spectroscopic) follow-up, they provide constraints on the mass of the growing black holes and, therefore, are essential to better understand the nature of the various components of the X-ray background light and can be used as test for the accretion paradigm. Conversely, optical and near-infrared surveys of galaxies are crucial to discriminate between different cosmological scenarios (e.g. hierarchical or monolithic growth of the structures) and, thus, to recover the galaxy evolution path. In this framework, in the first part of the thesis, I will discuss the main results from an extensive program of multiwavelength observations of hard X-ray selected sources serendipitously discovered in XMM-Newton fields over ~1 deg^2 (the HELLAS2XMM survey). With a complementary approach to that of hard X-ray surveys, in order to investigate the link between nuclear activity and the galaxy formation, in the second part of the thesis I will present XMM-Newton and Chandra observations of photometric and spectroscopically selected Extremely Red Objects (EROs).

Effects of secular evolution on the star formation history of galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenzo, M. Fernández; Sulentic, J.; Verdes-Montenegro, L.; Argudo-Fernández, M.; Ruiz, J. E.; Sabater, J.; Sánchez-Expósito, S.

2015-03-01

We report the study performed as part of the AMIGA (Analysis of the interstellar Medium of Isolated GAlaxies; http://www.amiga.iaa.es) project, focused on the SDSS (g-r) colors of the sample. Assuming that color is an indicator of star formation history, this work better records the signature of passive star formation via pure secular evolution. Median values for each morphological type in AMIGA were compared with equivalent measures for galaxies in denser environments. We found a tendency for AMIGA spiral galaxies to be redder than galaxies in close pairs, but no clear difference when we compare with galaxies in other (e.g. group) environments. The (g-r) color of isolated galaxies presents a Gaussian distribution, as indicative of pure secular evolution, and a smaller median absolute deviation (almost half) compared to both wide and close pairs. This redder color and lower color dispersion of AMIGA spirals compared with close pairs is likely due to a more passive star formation in very isolated galaxies. In Fig. 1, we represent the size versus stellar mass for early and late-type galaxies of our sample, compared with the local relations of Shen et al. (2003). The late-type isolated galaxies are ~1.2 times larger or have less stellar mass than local spirals in other environments. The latter would be in agreement with the passive star formation found in the previous part. We acknowledge Grant AYA2011-30491-C02-01, P08-FQM-4205 and TIC-114.

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

Aykutalp, Aycin; Wise, John H.; Spaans, Marco

In the last decade, the growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) has been intricately linked to galaxy formation and evolution and is a key ingredient in the assembly of galaxies. To investigate the origin of SMBHs, we perform cosmological simulations that target the direct collapse black hole seed formation scenario in the presence of two different strong Lyman-Werner (LW) background fields. These simulations include the X-ray irradiation from a central massive black hole (MBH), H{sub 2} self-shielding, and stellar feedback from metal-free and metal-enriched stars. We find in both simulations that local X-ray feedback induces metal-free star formation ∼0.5 Myrmore » after the MBH forms. The MBH accretion rate reaches a maximum of 10{sup –3} M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} in both simulations. However, the duty cycle differs and is derived to be 6% and 50% for the high and low LW cases, respectively. The MBH in the high LW case grows only ∼6% in 100 Myr compared to 16% in the low LW case. We find that the maximum accretion rate is determined by the local gas thermodynamics, whereas the duty cycle is determined by the large-scale gas dynamics and gas reservoir. We conclude that radiative feedback from the central MBH plays an important role in star formation in the nuclear regions and stifling initial MBH growth relative to the typical Eddington rate argument, and that initial MBH growth might be affected by the local LW radiation field.« less

Secular Evolution of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falcón-Barroso, Jesús; Knapen, Johan H.

2013-10-01

Preface; 1. Secular evolution in disk galaxies John Kormendy; 2. Galaxy morphology Ronald J. Buta; 3. Dynamics of secular evolution James Binney; 4. Bars and secular evolution in disk galaxies: theoretical input E. Athanassoula; 5. Stellar populations Reynier F. Peletier; 6. Star formation rate indicators Daniela Calzetti; 7. The evolving interstellar medium Jacqueline van Gorkom; 8. Evolution of star formation and gas Nick Z. Scoville; 9. Cosmological evolution of galaxies Isaac Shlosman.

A chronicle of galaxy mass assembly in the EAGLE simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Yan; Helly, John C.; Bower, Richard G.; Theuns, Tom; Crain, Robert A.; Frenk, Carlos S.; Furlong, Michelle; McAlpine, Stuart; Schaller, Matthieu; Schaye, Joop; White, Simon D. M.

2017-01-01

We analyse the mass assembly of central galaxies in the Evolution and Assembly of Galaxies and their Environments (EAGLE) hydrodynamical simulations. We build merger trees to connect galaxies to their progenitors at different redshifts and characterize their assembly histories by focusing on the time when half of the galaxy stellar mass was assembled into the main progenitor. We show that galaxies with stellar mass M* < 1010.5 M⊙ assemble most of their stellar mass through star formation in the main progenitor (`in situ' star formation). This can be understood as a consequence of the steep rise in star formation efficiency with halo mass for these galaxies. For more massive galaxies, however, an increasing fraction of their stellar mass is formed outside the main progenitor and subsequently accreted. Consequently, while for low-mass galaxies, the assembly time is close to the stellar formation time, the stars in high-mass galaxies typically formed long before half of the present-day stellar mass was assembled into a single object, giving rise to the observed antihierarchical downsizing trend. In a typical present-day M* ≥ 1011 M⊙ galaxy, around 20 per cent of the stellar mass has an external origin. This fraction decreases with increasing redshift. Bearing in mind that mergers only make an important contribution to the stellar mass growth of massive galaxies, we find that the dominant contribution comes from mergers with galaxies of mass greater than one-tenth of the main progenitor's mass. The galaxy merger fraction derived from our simulations agrees with recent observational estimates.

A Simple Non-equilibrium Model of Star Formation and Scatter in the Kennicutt-Schmidt Relation and Star Formation Efficiencies in Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orr, Matthew; Hopkins, Philip F.

2018-06-01

I will present a simple model of non-equilibrium star formation and its relation to the scatter in the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation and large-scale star formation efficiencies in galaxies. I will highlight the importance of a hierarchy of timescales, between the galaxy dynamical time, local free-fall time, the delay time of stellar feedback, and temporal overlap in observables, in setting the scatter of the observed star formation rates for a given gas mass. Further, I will talk about how these timescales (and their associated duty-cycles of star formation) influence interpretations of the large-scale star formation efficiency in reasonably star-forming galaxies. Lastly, the connection with galactic centers and out-of-equilibrium feedback conditions will be mentioned.

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.

An intriguing young-looking dwarf galaxy

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-03-16

The bright streak of glowing gas and stars in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image is known as PGC 51017, or SBSG 1415+437. It is type of galaxy known as a blue compact dwarf. This particular dwarf is well studied and has an interesting star formation history. Astronomers initially thought that SBS 1415+437 was a very young galaxy currently undergoing its very first burst of star formation, but more recent studies have suggested that the galaxy is in fact a little older, containing stars over 1.3 billion years old. Starbursts are an area of ongoing research for astronomers — short-lived and intense periods of star formation, during which huge amounts of gas within a galaxy are hungrily used up to form newborn stars. They have been seen in gas-rich disc galaxies, and in some lower-mass dwarfs. However, it is still unclear whether all dwarf galaxies experience starbursts as part of their evolution. It is possible that dwarf galaxies undergo a star formation cycle, with bursts occurring repeatedly over time. SBS 1415+437 is an interesting target for another reason. Dwarf galaxies like this are thought to have formed early in the Universe, producing some of the very first stars before merging together to create more massive galaxies. Dwarf galaxies which contain very few of the heavier elements formed from having several generations of stars, like SBS 1415+437, remain some of the best places to study star-forming processes similar to those thought to occur in the early Universe. However, it seems that our nearby patch of the Universe may not contain any galaxies that are currently undergoing their first burst of star formation. A version of this image was entered into the Hubble’s Hidden Treasures image processing competition by contestant Nick Rose.

The H I chronicles of LITTLE THINGS blue compact dwarf galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashley, Trisha Lynn

Star formation occurs when the gas (mostly atomic hydrogen; H I) in a galaxy becomes disturbed, forming regions of high density gas, which then collapses to form stars. In dwarf galaxies it is still uncertain which processes contribute to star formation and how much they contribute to star formation. Blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies are low mass, low shear, gas rich galaxies that have high star formation rates when compared to other dwarf galaxies. What triggers the dense burst of star formation in BCDs but not other dwarfs is not well understood. It is often suggested that BCDs may have their starburst triggered by gravitational interactions with other galaxies, dwarf-dwarf galaxy mergers, or consumption of intergalactic gas. However, there are BCDs that appear isolated with respect to other galaxies, making an external disturbance unlikely. Here, I study six apparently isolated BCDs from the LITTLE THINGS sample in an attempt to understand what has triggered their burst of star formation. LITTLE THINGS is an H I survey of 41 dwarf galaxies. Each galaxy has high angular and velocity resolution H I data from the Very Large Array (VLA) telescope and ancillary stellar data. I use these data to study the detailed morphology and kinematics of each galaxy, looking for signatures of starburst triggers. In addition to the VLA data, I have collected Green Bank Telescope data for the six BCDs. These high sensitivity, low resolution data are used to search the surrounding area of each galaxy for extended emission and possible nearby companion galaxies. The VLA data show evidence that each BCD has likely experienced some form of external disturbance despite their apparent isolation. These external disturbances potentially seen in the sample include: ongoing/advanced dwarf-dwarf mergers, an interaction with an unknown external object, and external gas consumption. The GBT data result in no nearby, separate H I companions at the sensitivity of the data. These data therefore suggest that even though these BCDs appear isolated, they have not been evolving in isolation. It is possible that these external disturbances may have triggered the starbursts that defines them as BCDs.

The Star Formation Rate Density of the Universe at z = 0.24 and 0.4 from Halpha

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pascual, S.

2005-01-01

Knowledge of both the global star formation history of the universe and the nature of individual star-forming galaxies at different look-back times is essential to our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. Deep redshift surveys suggest star-formation activity increases by an order of magnitude from z = 0 to ~1. As a direct test of whether substantial evolution in star-formation activity has occurred, we need to measure the star formation rate (SFR) density and the properties of the corresponding star-forming galaxy populations at different redshifts, using similar techniques. The main goal of this work is to extend the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) survey of emission-line galaxies to higher redshifts. (continues)

RX J0848.6+4453: The evolution of galaxy sizes and stellar populations in A z = 1.27 cluster

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

Jørgensen, Inger; Chiboucas, Kristin; Schiavon, Ricardo P.

2014-12-01

RX J0848.6+4453 (Lynx W) at redshift 1.27 is part of the Lynx Supercluster of galaxies. We present an analysis of the stellar populations and star formation history for a sample of 24 members of the cluster. Our study is based on deep optical spectroscopy obtained with Gemini North combined with imaging data from Hubble Space Telescope. Focusing on the 13 bulge-dominated galaxies for which we can determine central velocity dispersions, we find that these show a smaller evolution with redshift of sizes and velocity dispersions than reported for field galaxies and galaxies in poorer clusters. Our data show that themore » galaxies in RX J0848.6+4453 populate the fundamental plane (FP) similar to that found for lower-redshift clusters. The zero-point offset for the FP is smaller than expected if the cluster's galaxies are to evolve passively through the location of the FP we established in our previous work for z = 0.8-0.9 cluster galaxies and then to the present-day FP. The FP zero point for RX J0848.6+4453 corresponds to an epoch of last star formation at z{sub form}=1.95{sub −0.15}{sup +0.22}. Further, we find that the spectra of the galaxies in RX J0848.6+4453 are dominated by young stellar populations at all galaxy masses and in many cases show emission indicating low-level ongoing star formation. The average age of the young stellar populations as estimated from the strength of the high-order Balmer line Hζ is consistent with a major star formation episode 1-2 Gyr prior, which in turn agrees with z {sub form} = 1.95. These galaxies dominated by young stellar populations are distributed throughout the cluster. We speculate that low-level star formation has not yet been fully quenched in the center of this cluster, possibly because the cluster is significantly poorer than other clusters previously studied at similar redshifts, which appear to have very little ongoing star formation in their centers. The mixture in RX J0848.6+4453 of passive galaxies with young stellar populations and massive galaxies still experiencing some star formation appears similar to the galaxy populations recently identified in two z ≈ 2 clusters.« less

SPECTROSCOPY OF LUMINOUS COMPACT BLUE GALAXIES IN DISTANT CLUSTERS. II. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF dE PROGENITOR CANDIDATES

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

Crawford, S. M.; Wirth, Gregory D.; Bershady, M. A.

2016-02-01

Luminous Compact Blue Galaxies (LCBGs) are an extreme star-bursting population of galaxies that were far more common at earlier epochs than today. Based on spectroscopic and photometric measurements of LCBGs in massive (M > 10{sup 15} M{sub ⊙}), intermediate redshift (0.5 < z < 0.9) galaxy clusters, we present their rest-frame properties including star formation rate, dynamical mass, size, luminosity, and metallicity. The appearance of these small, compact galaxies in clusters at intermediate redshift helps explain the observed redshift evolution in the size–luminosity relationship among cluster galaxies. In addition, we find the rest-frame properties of LCBGs appearing in galaxy clusters are indistinguishable from field LCBGs atmore » the same redshift. Up to 35% of the LCBGs show significant discrepancies between optical and infrared indicators of star formation, suggesting that star formation occurs in obscured regions. Nonetheless, the star formation for LCBGs shows a decrease toward the center of the galaxy clusters. Based on their position and velocity, we estimate that up to 10% of cluster LCBGs are likely to merge with another cluster galaxy. Finally, the observed properties and distributions of the LCBGs in these clusters lead us to conclude that we are witnessing the quenching of the progenitors of dwarf elliptical galaxies that dominate the number density of present-epoch galaxy clusters.« less

Young, metal-enriched cores in early-type dwarf galaxies in the Virgo cluster based on colour gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urich, Linda; Lisker, Thorsten; Janz, Joachim; van de Ven, Glenn; Leaman, Ryan; Boselli, Alessandro; Paudel, Sanjaya; Sybilska, Agnieszka; Peletier, Reynier F.; den Brok, Mark; Hensler, Gerhard; Toloba, Elisa; Falcón-Barroso, Jesús; Niemi, Sami-Matias

2017-10-01

Early-type dwarf galaxies are not simply featureless, old objects, but were found to be much more diverse, hosting substructures and a variety of stellar population properties. To explore the stellar content of faint early-type galaxies, and to investigate in particular those with recent central star formation, we study colours and colour gradients within one effective radius in optical (g - r) and near-infrared (I - H) bands for 120 Virgo cluster early-type galaxies with - 19 mag

Drivers of Turbulence in the Neutral Interstellar Medium of Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stilp, Adrienne M.

The cause of HI velocity dispersions in the interstellar medium (ISM) of galaxies is often attributed to star formation, but recent evidence has shown these two quantities are not connected in regions of low star formation. This lack of connection is most apparent in dwarf galaxies and the outer disks of spiral galaxies. However, unique data sets have recently been collected that can help address this discrepancy. The ACS Nearby Survey Treasury Project (ANGST) has measured time-resolved star formation histories (SFHs) in ˜ 70 nearby galaxies. The followup Very Large Array-ANGST survey (VLA-ANGST) provides complementary HI observations of a subset of ANGST galaxies. In this thesis, I explore the connection between star formation and HI kinematics in a number of nearby dwarf galaxies. I first present the Very Large Array-ACS Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury Project (ANGST). VLA-ANGST was designed to provide high spatial and velocity resolution observations of the HI component of the interstellar medium (ISM) in ANGST galaxies. I describe the data calibration and imaging procedures, and then present the publicly-available data products. The observations from this survey and from The HI Nearby Galaxy Survey (THINGS) comprise the majority of data in my thesis. Using VLA-ANGST and THINGS data, I present a method to measure the average HI kinematics in a number of nearby dwarf galaxies by co-adding individual line-of-sight profiles. These "superprofiles" are composed of a central narrow peak (˜ 6-10 km s-1) with higher velocity wings to either side. When scaled to the same half-width half-maximum, the shapes of the superprofiles are very similar. I interpret the central peak as representative of the average turbulent motion; the wings are then due to HI moving faster than expected compared to the average kinematics. I then compare the superprofile parameters to physical properties such as mass surface density and star formation intensity. The average velocity dispersion correlate most strongly with HI surface density, and do not show correlations with star formation intensity unless higher mass galaxies were included. The properties of the wings are more connected with star formation. By applying energy arguments, I determine that star formation can provide enough energy to drive the HI kinematics over ˜ 10 Myr timescales, while a gravitational instability cannot. I then extend this analysis to spatially-resolved scales in these galaxies, and generated superprofiles in regions determined by radius or by star formation intensity. These superprofiles provide a more direct comparison between H I kinematics and local ISM properties compared to the analysis on global scales. The spatially-resolved superprofiles indicate that star formation does not uniquely determine the HI velocity dispersion, but it does appear to provide a lower floor below which velocity dispersions cannot fall. I also find that the coupling efficiency between star formation and HI kinematics decreases with increasing star formation surface density, which may indicate that star formation energy couples more consistently to other phases of the ISM. I finally explore the timescale over which HI responds to star formation using a combination of VLA-ANGST, THINGS, and ANGST data. Using time-resolved SFHs from ANGST, I measure the average star formation rate as a function of time and compared it to present-day HI kinematics. I find that the HI kinematics are most strongly correlated with star formation that occurred ˜ 30 -- 40 Myr ago, which supports the idea that supernova explosions are one driver of HI kinematics even in low star formation systems.

Automatic Approach to Morphological Classification of Galaxies With Analysis of Galaxy Populations in Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sultanova, Madina; Barkhouse, Wayne; Rude, Cody

2018-01-01

The classification of galaxies based on their morphology is a field in astrophysics that aims to understand galaxy formation and evolution based on their physical differences. Whether structural differences are due to internal factors or a result of local environment, the dominate mechanism that determines galaxy type needs to be robustly quantified in order to have a thorough grasp of the origin of the different types of galaxies. The main subject of my Ph.D. dissertation is to explore the use of computers to automatically classify and analyze large numbers of galaxies according to their morphology, and to analyze sub-samples of galaxies selected by type to understand galaxy formation in various environments. I have developed a computer code to classify galaxies by measuring five parameters from their images in FITS format. The code was trained and tested using visually classified SDSS galaxies from Galaxy Zoo and the EFIGI data set. I apply my morphology software to numerous galaxies from diverse data sets. Among the data analyzed are the 15 Abell galaxy clusters (0.03 < z < 0.184) from Rude et al. 2017 (in preparation), which were observed by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Additionally, I studied 57 galaxy clusters from Barkhouse et al. (2007), 77 clusters from the WINGS survey (Fasano et al. 2006), and the six Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Frontier Field galaxy clusters. The high resolution of HST allows me to compare distant clusters with those nearby to look for evolutionary changes in the galaxy cluster population. I use the results from the software to examine the properties (e.g. luminosity functions, radial dependencies, star formation rates) of selected galaxies. Due to the large amount of data that will be available from wide-area surveys in the future, the use of computer software to classify and analyze the morphology of galaxies will be extremely important in terms of efficiency. This research aims to contribute to the solution of this problem.

Environmental Variations in the Atomic and Molecular Gas Radial Profiles of Nearby Spiral Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mok, Angus; Wilson, Christine; JCMT Nearby Galaxies Legacy Survey

2017-01-01

We present an analysis of the radial profiles of a sample of 43 HI-flux selected spiral galaxies from the Nearby Galaxies Legacy Survey (NGLS) with resolved James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) CO J= 3-2 and/or Very Large Array (VLA) HI maps. Comparing the Virgo and non-Virgo populations, we confirm that the HI disks are truncated in the Virgo sample, even for these relatively HI-rich galaxies. On the other hand, the H2 distribution is enhanced for Virgo galaxies near their centres, resulting in higher H2 to HI ratios and steeper H2 and total gas radial profiles. This is likely due to the effects of moderate ram pressure stripping in the cluster environment, which would preferentially remove low density gas in the outskirts while enhancing higher density gas near the centre. Combined with Hα star formation rate data, we find that the star formation efficiency (SFR/H2) is relatively constant with radius for both samples, but Virgo galaxies have a ˜40% lower star formation efficiency than non-Virgo galaxies. These results suggest that the environment of spiral galaxies can play an important role in the formation of molecular gas and the star formation process.

TEMPLATES: Targeting Extremely Magnified Panchromatic Lensed Arcs and Their Extended Star formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spilker, Justin; Rigby, Jane R.; Vieira, Joaquin D.; TEMPLATES Team

2018-06-01

TEMPLATES is a JWST Early Release Science program designed to produce high signal-to-noise imaging and IFU spectroscopic data cubes for four gravitationally lensed galaxies at high redshift. The program will spatially resolve the star formation in galaxies across the peak of cosmic star formation in an extinction-robust manner. Lensing magnification pushes JWST to the highest spatial resolutions possible at these redshifts, to map the key spectral diagnostics of star formation and dust extinction: H-alpha, Pa-alpha, and 3.3um PAH emission within individual distant galaxies. Our targets are among the brightest, best-characterized lensed systems known, and include both UV-bright 'normal' galaxies and heavily dust-obscured submillimeter galaxies, at a range of stellar masses and luminosities. I will describe the scientific motivation for this program, detail the targeted galaxies, and describe the planned data products to be delivered to the community in advance of JWST Cycle 2.

Formation of a Malin 1 analogue in IllustrisTNG by stimulated accretion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Qirong; Xu, Dandan; Gaspari, Massimo; Rodriguez-Gomez, Vicente; Nelson, Dylan; Vogelsberger, Mark; Torrey, Paul; Pillepich, Annalisa; Zjupa, Jolanta; Weinberger, Rainer; Marinacci, Federico; Pakmor, Rüdiger; Genel, Shy; Li, Yuexing; Springel, Volker; Hernquist, Lars

2018-06-01

The galaxy Malin 1 contains the largest stellar disk known but the formation mechanism of this structure has been elusive. In this paper, we report a Malin 1 analogue in the 100 Mpc IllustrisTNG simulation and describe its formation history. At redshift zero, this massive galaxy, having a maximum circular velocity Vmax of 430 km s-1, contains a 100 kpc gas/stellar disk with morphology similar to Malin 1. The simulated galaxy reproduces well many observed features of Malin 1's vast disk, including its stellar ages, metallicities, and gas rotation curve. We trace the extended disk back in time and find that a large fraction of the cold gas at redshift zero originated from the cooling of hot halo gas, triggered by the merger of a pair of intruding galaxies. Our finding provides a novel way to form large galaxy disks as extreme as Malin 1 within the current galaxy formation framework.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF KNOTS OF STAR FORMATION IN INTERACTING VERSUS SPIRAL GALAXIES

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

Smith, Beverly J.; Olmsted, Susan; Jones, Keith

2016-03-15

Interacting galaxies are known to have higher global rates of star formation on average than normal galaxies, relative to their stellar masses. Using UV and IR photometry combined with new and published Hα images, we have compared the star formation rates (SFRs) of ∼700 star forming complexes in 46 nearby interacting galaxy pairs with those of regions in 39 normal spiral galaxies. The interacting galaxies have proportionally more regions with high SFRs than the spirals. The most extreme regions in the interacting systems lie at the intersections of spiral/tidal structures, where gas is expected to pile up and trigger starmore » formation. Published Hubble Space Telescope images show unusually large and luminous star clusters in the highest luminosity regions. The SFRs of the clumps correlate with measures of the dust attenuation, consistent with the idea that regions with more interstellar gas have more star formation. For the clumps with the highest SFRs, the apparent dust attenuation is consistent with the Calzetti starburst dust attenuation law. This suggests that the high luminosity regions are dominated by a central group of young stars surrounded by a shell of clumpy interstellar gas. In contrast, the lower luminosity clumps are bright in the UV relative to Hα, suggesting either a high differential attenuation between the ionized gas and the stars, or a post-starburst population bright in the UV but faded in Hα. The fraction of the global light of the galaxies in the clumps is higher on average for the interacting galaxies than for the spirals. Thus either star formation in interacting galaxies is “clumpier” on average, or the star forming regions in interacting galaxies are more luminous, dustier, or younger on average.« less

Halo histories versus Galaxy properties at z = 0 - I. The quenching of star formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tinker, Jeremy L.; Wetzel, Andrew R.; Conroy, Charlie; Mao, Yao-Yuan

2017-12-01

We test whether halo age and galaxy age are correlated at fixed halo and galaxy mass. The formation histories, and thus ages, of dark matter haloes correlate with their large-scale density ρ, an effect known as assembly bias. We test whether this correlation extends to galaxies by measuring the dependence of galaxy stellar age on ρ. To clarify the comparison between theory and observation, and to remove the strong environmental effects on satellites, we use galaxy group catalogues to identify central galaxies and measure their quenched fraction, fQ, as a function of large-scale environment. Models that match halo age to central galaxy age predict a strong positive correlation between fQ and ρ. However, we show that the amplitude of this effect depends on the definition of halo age: assembly bias is significantly reduced when removing the effects of splashback haloes - those haloes that are central but have passed through a larger halo or experienced strong tidal encounters. Defining age using halo mass at its peak value rather than current mass removes these effects. In Sloan Digital Sky Survey data, at M* ≳ 1010 M⊙ h-2, there is a ∼5 per cent increase in fQ from low-to-high densities, which is in agreement with predictions of dark matter haloes using peak halo mass. At lower stellar mass there is little to no correlation of fQ with ρ. For these galaxies, age matching is inconsistent with the data across the range of halo formation metrics that we tested. This implies that halo formation history has a small but statistically significant impact on quenching of star formation at high masses, while the quenching process in low-mass central galaxies is uncorrelated with halo formation 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.

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.

Gas and galaxies in filaments between clusters of galaxies. The study of A399-A401

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonjean, V.; Aghanim, N.; Salomé, P.; Douspis, M.; Beelen, A.

2018-01-01

We have performed a multi-wavelength analysis of two galaxy cluster systems selected with the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ) effect and composed of cluster pairs and an inter-cluster filament. We have focused on one pair of particular interest: A399-A401 at redshift z 0.073 seperated by 3 Mpc. We have also performed the first analysis of one lower-significance newly associated pair: A21-PSZ2 G114.09-34.34 at z 0.094, separated by 4.2 Mpc. We have characterised the intra-cluster gas using the tSZ signal from Planck and, when possible, the galaxy optical and infrared (IR) properties based on two photometric redshift catalogues: 2MPZ and WISExSCOS. From the tSZ data, we measured the gas pressure in the clusters and in the inter-cluster filaments. In the case of A399-A401, the results are in perfect agreement with previous studies and, using the temperature measured from the X-rays, we further estimate the gas density in the filament and find n0 = (4.3 ± 0.7) × 10-4 cm-3. The optical and IR colour-colour and colour-magnitude analyses of the galaxies selected in the cluster system, together with their star formation rate, show no segregation between galaxy populations, both in the clusters and in the filament of A399-A401. Galaxies are all passive, early type, and red and dead. The gas and galaxy properties of this system suggest that the whole system formed at the same time and corresponds to a pre-merger, with a cosmic filament gas heated by the collapse. For the other cluster system, the tSZ analysis was performed and the pressure in the clusters and in the inter-cluster filament was constrained. However, the limited or nonexistent optical and IR data prevent us from concluding on the presence of an actual cosmic filament or from proposing a scenario.

Physical and morphological properties of z ~ 3 Lyman break galaxies: dependence on Lyα line emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pentericci, L.; Grazian, A.; Scarlata, C.; Fontana, A.; Castellano, M.; Giallongo, E.; Vanzella, E.

2010-05-01

Aims: We investigate the physical and morphological properties of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at redshift ~2.5 to ~3.5, to determine if and how they depend on the nature and strength of the Lyα emission. Methods: We selected U-dropout galaxies from the z-detected GOODS-MUSIC catalog by adapting the classical Lyman break criteria on the GOODS filter set. We kept only those galaxies with spectroscopic confirmation, mainly from VIMOS and FORS public observations. Using the full multi-wavelength 14-bands information (U to IRAC), we determined the physical properties of the galaxies through a standard spectral energy distribution fitting procedure with the updated Charlot & Bruzual (2009) templates. We also added other relevant observations of the GOODS field, i.e. the 24 μm observations from Spitzer/MIPS and the 2 MSec Chandra X-ray observations. Finally, using non parametric diagnostics (Gini, Concentration, Asymmetry, M20 and ellipticity), we characterized the rest-frame UV morphologies of the galaxies. We then analyzed how these physical and morphological properties correlate with the presence of the Lyα emission line in the optical spectra. Results: We find that unlike at higher redshift, the dependence of physical properties on the Lyα line is milder: galaxies without Lyα in emission tend to be more massive and dustier than the rest of the sample, but all other parameters, ages, star formation rates (SFR), X-ray emission and UV morphology do not depend strongly on the presence of the Lyα emission. A simple scenario where all LBGs have intrinsically high Lyα emission, but where the dust and neutral hydrogen content (which shapes the final appearance of the Lyα) depend on the mass of the galaxies, is able to reproduce the majority of the observed properties at z˜3. Some modification might be needed to account for the observed evolution of these properties with cosmic epoch, which is also discussed.

Spatially resolved star formation and dust attenuation in Mrk 848: Comparison of the integral field spectra and the UV-to-IR SED

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Fang-Ting; Argudo-Fernández, María; Shen, Shiyin; Hao, Lei; Jiang, Chunyan; Yin, Jun; Boquien, Médéric; Lin, Lihwai

2018-05-01

We investigate the star formation history and the dust attenuation in the galaxy merger Mrk 848. Thanks to the multiwavelength photometry from the ultraviolet (UV) to the infrared (IR), and MaNGA's integral field spectroscopy, we are able to study this merger in a detailed way. We divide the whole merger into the core and tail regions, and fit both the optical spectrum and the multi-band spectral energy distribution (SED) to models to obtain the star formation properties for each region respectively. We find that the color excess of stars in the galaxy E(B-V)sSED measured with the multi-band SED fitting is consistent with that estimated both from the infrared excess (the ratio of IR to UV flux) and from the slope of the UV continuum. Furthermore, the reliability of the E(B-V)sSED is examined with a set of mock SEDs, showing that the dust attenuation of the stars can be well constrained by the UV-to-IR broadband SED fitting. The dust attenuation obtained from optical continuum E(B-V)sspec is only about half of E(B-V)sSED. The ratio of the E(B-V)sspec to the E(B-V)g obtained from the Balmer decrement is consistent with the local value (around 0.5). The difference between the results from the UV-to-IR data and the optical data is consistent with the picture that younger stellar populations are attenuated by an extra dust component from the birth clouds compared to older stellar populations which are only attenuated by the diffuse dust. Both with the UV-to-IR SED fitting and the spectral fitting, we find that there is a starburst younger than 100 Myr in one of the two core regions, consistent with the scenario that the interaction-induced gas inflow can enhance the star formation in the center of galaxies.

The star formation history of low-mass disk galaxies: A case study of NGC 300

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Fenghui; Chang, Ruixiang; Wang, Lang; Cheng, Liantao

2016-01-01

Context. Since NGC 300 is a bulgeless, isolated low-mass galaxy and it has not experienced radial migration during its evolution history, it can be treated as an ideal laboratory to test the simple galactic chemical evolution model. Aims: Our main aim is to investigate the main properties of the star formation history (SFH) of NGC 300 and compare its SFH with that of M 33 to explore the common properties and differences between these two nearby low-mass systems. Methods: We construct a simple chemical evolution model for NGC 300, assuming its disk forms gradually from continuous accretion of primordial gas and including the gas-outflow process. The model allows us to build a bridge between the SFH and observed data of NGC 300, in particular, the present-day radial profiles and global observed properties (e.g., cold gas mass, star formation rate, and metallicity). By means of comparing the model predictions with the corresponding observations, we adopt the classical χ2 methodology to find out the best combination of free parameters a, b, and bout. Results: Our results show that by assuming an inside-out formation scenario and an appropriate outflow rate, our model reproduces well most of the present-day observational values. The model not only reproduces well the radial profiles, but also the global observational data for the NGC 300 disk. Our results suggest that NGC 300 may experience a rapid growth of its disk. Through comparing the best-fitting, model-predicted SFH of NGC 300 with that of M 33, we find that the mean stellar age of NGC 300 is older than that of M 33 and there is a recent lack of primordial gas infall onto the disk of NGC 300. Our results also imply that the local environment may play a key role in the secular evolution of galaxy disks.

The Dependence of Galactic Outflows on the Properties and Orientation of zCOSMOS Galaxies at z ~ 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordoloi, R.; Lilly, S. J.; Hardmeier, E.; Contini, T.; Kneib, J.-P.; Le Fevre, O.; Mainieri, V.; Renzini, A.; Scodeggio, M.; Zamorani, G.; Bardelli, S.; Bolzonella, M.; Bongiorno, A.; Caputi, K.; Carollo, C. M.; Cucciati, O.; de la Torre, S.; de Ravel, L.; Garilli, B.; Iovino, A.; Kampczyk, P.; Kovač, K.; Knobel, C.; Lamareille, F.; Le Borgne, J.-F.; Le Brun, V.; Maier, C.; Mignoli, M.; Oesch, P.; Pello, R.; Peng, Y.; Perez Montero, E.; Presotto, V.; Silverman, J.; Tanaka, M.; Tasca, L.; Tresse, L.; Vergani, D.; Zucca, E.; Cappi, A.; Cimatti, A.; Coppa, G.; Franzetti, P.; Koekemoer, A.; Moresco, M.; Nair, P.; Pozzetti, L.

2014-10-01

We present an analysis of cool outflowing gas around galaxies, traced by Mg II absorption lines in the coadded spectra of a sample of 486 zCOSMOS galaxies at 1 <= z <= 1.5. These galaxies span a range of stellar masses (9.45 <= log10[M */M ⊙] <= 10.7) and star formation rates (0.14 <= log10[SFR/M ⊙ yr-1] <= 2.35). We identify the cool outflowing component in the Mg II absorption and find that the equivalent width of the outflowing component increases with stellar mass. The outflow equivalent width also increases steadily with the increasing star formation rate of the galaxies. At similar stellar masses, the blue galaxies exhibit a significantly higher outflow equivalent width as compared to red galaxies. The outflow equivalent width shows strong correlation with the star formation surface density (ΣSFR) of the sample. For the disk galaxies, the outflow equivalent width is higher for the face-on systems as compared to the edge-on ones, indicating that for the disk galaxies, the outflowing gas is primarily bipolar in geometry. Galaxies typically exhibit outflow velocities ranging from -150 km s-1 ~-200 km s-1 and, on average, the face-on galaxies exhibit higher outflow velocity as compared to the edge-on ones. Galaxies with irregular morphologies exhibit outflow equivalent width as well as outflow velocities comparable to face on disk galaxies. These galaxies exhibit mass outflow rates >5-7 M ⊙ yr-1 and a mass loading factor ({ η = \\dot{M}out /SFR}) comparable to the star formation rates of the galaxies. Based on observations undertaken at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) under Large Program 175.A-0839.

A Wide Area Survey for High-Redshift Massive Galaxies. II. Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of BzK-Selected Massive Star-Forming Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onodera, Masato; Arimoto, Nobuo; Daddi, Emanuele; Renzini, Alvio; Kong, Xu; Cimatti, Andrea; Broadhurst, Tom; Alexander, Dave M.

2010-05-01

Results are presented from near-infrared spectroscopic observations of a sample of BzK-selected, massive star-forming galaxies (sBzKs) at 1.5 < z < 2.3 that were obtained with OHS/CISCO at the Subaru telescope and with SINFONI at the Very Large Telescope. Among the 28 sBzKs observed, Hα emission was detected in 14 objects, and for 11 of them the [N II] λ6583 flux was also measured. Multiwavelength photometry was also used to derive stellar masses and extinction parameters, whereas Hα and [N II] emissions have allowed us to estimate star formation rates (SFRs), metallicities, ionization mechanisms, and dynamical masses. In order to enforce agreement between SFRs from Hα with those derived from rest-frame UV and mid-infrared, additional obscuration for the emission lines (that originate in H II regions) was required compared to the extinction derived from the slope of the UV continuum. We have also derived the stellar mass-metallicity relation, as well as the relation between stellar mass and specific SFR (SSFR), and compared them to the results in other studies. At a given stellar mass, the sBzKs appear to have been already enriched to metallicities close to those of local star-forming galaxies of similar mass. The sBzKs presented here tend to have higher metallicities compared to those of UV-selected galaxies, indicating that near-infrared selected galaxies tend to be a chemically more evolved population. The sBzKs show SSFRs that are systematically higher, by up to ~2 orders of magnitude, compared to those of local galaxies of the same mass. The empirical correlations between stellar mass and metallicity, and stellar mass and SSFR are then compared with those of evolutionary population synthesis models constructed either with the simple closed-box assumption, or within an infall scenario. Within the assumptions that are built-in such models, it appears that a short timescale for the star formation (sime100 Myr) and large initial gas mass appear to be required if one wants to reproduce both relations simultaneously. Based on data collected at the Subaru telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (S04A-081, S05A-098), and on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Paranal, Chile (075.A-0439).

A Disk Origin for S-Stars in the Galactic Center?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haislip, G.; Youdin, A. N.

2005-12-01

Young massive stars in the central 0.5" of our Galaxy probe dynamics around supermassive black holes, and challenge our understanding of star formation in extreme environments. Recent observations (Ghez et al. 2005, Eisenhauer et al. 2005) show large eccentricities and a seemingly random distribution of inclinations, which seems to contradict formation in a disk. We investigate scenarios in which the massive S-stars are born with circular, coplanar orbits and perturbed to their current relaxed state. John Chambers' MERCURY code is modified to include post-Newtonian corrections to the gravitational central force of a Schwarzchild hole and Lense-Thirring precession about a Kerr black hole. The role of resonant relaxation (Rauch & Tremaine, 1996) of angular momentum between S-stars and a background stellar halo is studied in this context.

Dark-ages Reionization and Galaxy Formation Simulation - XIV. Gas accretion, cooling, and star formation in dwarf galaxies at high redshift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Yuxiang; Duffy, Alan R.; Mutch, Simon J.; Poole, Gregory B.; Geil, Paul M.; Mesinger, Andrei; Wyithe, J. Stuart B.

2018-06-01

We study dwarf galaxy formation at high redshift (z ≥ 5) using a suite of high-resolution, cosmological hydrodynamic simulations and a semi-analytic model (SAM). We focus on gas accretion, cooling, and star formation in this work by isolating the relevant process from reionization and supernova feedback, which will be further discussed in a companion paper. We apply the SAM to halo merger trees constructed from a collisionless N-body simulation sharing identical initial conditions to the hydrodynamic suite, and calibrate the free parameters against the stellar mass function predicted by the hydrodynamic simulations at z = 5. By making comparisons of the star formation history and gas components calculated by the two modelling techniques, we find that semi-analytic prescriptions that are commonly adopted in the literature of low-redshift galaxy formation do not accurately represent dwarf galaxy properties in the hydrodynamic simulation at earlier times. We propose three modifications to SAMs that will provide more accurate high-redshift simulations. These include (1) the halo mass and baryon fraction which are overestimated by collisionless N-body simulations; (2) the star formation efficiency which follows a different cosmic evolutionary path from the hydrodynamic simulation; and (3) the cooling rate which is not well defined for dwarf galaxies at high redshift. Accurate semi-analytic modelling of dwarf galaxy formation informed by detailed hydrodynamical modelling will facilitate reliable semi-analytic predictions over the large volumes needed for the study of reionization.

Dark-Matter Halos of Tenuous Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-03-01

A series of recent deep-imaging surveys has revealed dozens of lurking ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in nearby galaxy clusters. A new study provides key information to help us understand the origins of these faint giants.What are UDGs?There are three main possibilities for how UDGs galaxies with the sizes of giants, but luminosities no brighter than those of dwarfs formed:They are tidal dwarfs, created in galactic collisions when streams of matter were pulled away from the parent galaxies and halos to form dwarfs.They are descended from normal galaxies and were then altered by tidal interactions with the galaxy cluster.They are ancient remnant systems large galaxies whose gas was swept away, putting an early halt to star formation. The gas removal did not, however, affect their large dark matter halos, which permitted them to survive in the cluster environment.The key to differentiating between these options is to obtain mass measurements for the UDGs how large are their dark matter halos? In a recent study led by Michael Beasley (Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna), a team of astronomers has determined a clever approach for measuring these galaxies masses: examine their globular clusters.Masses from Globular ClustersVCC 1287s mass measurements put it outside of the usual halo-mass vs. stellar-mass relationships for nearby galaxies: it has a significantly higher halo mass than is normal, given its stellar mass. [Adapted from Beasley et al. 2016]Beasley and collaborators selected one UDG, VCC 1287, from the Virgo galaxy cluster, and they obtained spectra of the globular clusters around it using the OSIRIS spectrograph on the Great Canary Telescope. They then determined VCC 1287s total halo mass in two ways: first by using the dynamics of the globular clusters, and then by relying on a relation between total globular cluster mass and halo mass.The two masses they found are in good agreement with each other; both are around 80 billion solar masses. This is an unprecedented factor of 3,000 larger than the stellar mass for the galaxy (obtained from the galaxys luminosity) which means that VCC 1287 has an unusually large dark matter halo given its stellar population.Clues to OriginsThis result makes it unlikely that VCC 1287 is a tidal-dwarf system, since these usually have dark-matter fractions of less than 10%. The authors also dont believe it is a tidally stripped system, since no obvious tidal features were revealed in their imaging. Instead, they think the most probable scenario is that VCC 1287 is a massive dwarf galaxy that had its star formation quenched by gas starvation as it fell into the Virgo cluster long ago.To learn whether VCC 1287 is typical of UDGs, the authors encourage finding additional UDG masses using the same techniques outlined in this study. Additional observations of the globular-cluster populations for UDGs will significantly help understand these unusual galaxies.CitationMichael A. Beasley et al 2016 ApJ 819 L20. doi:10.3847/2041-8205/819/2/L20

The Co-evolution of QSOs and Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coziol, R.; Torres-Papaqui, J. P.; Andernach, H.

2015-07-01

Using two large samples of QSOs detected in the mid-infrared (MIR) with WISE, we find that the change of W2-W3 colors with redshift suggests that star formation in their host galaxies increases by a factor of 3 from z = 0 to 2.7, then stays constant up to z = 4, and decreases above z=4. This behavior is slightly different from the best fits for the star formation history of field galaxies as deduced from the Optical-UV and IR, but is consistent with what is observed for sub-mm galaxies at high z. Our results constitute the clearest evidence, so far, that QSO host galaxies form their stars before field galaxies, and are in good agreement with the hierarchical biased structure formation paradigm.

A Multi-Faceted Study of Three Forms of Galactic Formation in the Early Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Gareth Christopher

While observations of the early universe have focused on bright, highly starbursting galaxies, star formation activity in the early universe was dominated by main sequence galaxies. Observations of the former group have been accumulating for decades, but the latter are only recently observable using modern instruments. In this work, we apply the Very Large Array (VLA) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to observe specific examples of each galactic class, in order to explore three modes of galaxy formation: smooth accretion, satellite accretion, and massive mergers. Using the molecular gas tracer CO and a broad set of continuum measurements, we characterize the gas mass and distribution, star formation, and dust temperature of the two archetypal massively merging Hyper-Luminous IR Galaxies (HyLIRGs) BRI1202-0725 & BRI1335-0417. We then examine the [C II] emission of the Lyman-Break Galaxy (LBG) WMH5, which shows two infalling gas clouds, implying ongoing formation via filamentary accretion. Finally, we apply a classical suite of dynamical characterization tools to [C II] observations of three MS galaxies and three starbursts, resulting in rotation curves and dynamical masses for each. By examining each of these sources in detail, we find that galaxies in the early (i.e., z > 4) universe formed via a broad range of interactions, ranging from cold-mode accretion to major mergers. As these instruments continue observing, and with the future advent of JWST and perhaps the ngVLA, stronger constraints may be placed on the behavior of the galaxies in the epoch of initial galaxy formation.

The Lesser Role of Starbursts in Star Formation at z = 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodighiero, G.; Daddi, E.; Baronchelli, I.; Cimatti, A.; Renzini, A.; Aussel, H.; Popesso, P.; Lutz, D.; Andreani, P.; Berta, S.; Cava, A.; Elbaz, D.; Feltre, A.; Fontana, A.; Förster Schreiber, N. M.; Franceschini, A.; Genzel, R.; Grazian, A.; Gruppioni, C.; Ilbert, O.; Le Floch, E.; Magdis, G.; Magliocchetti, M.; Magnelli, B.; Maiolino, R.; McCracken, H.; Nordon, R.; Poglitsch, A.; Santini, P.; Pozzi, F.; Riguccini, L.; Tacconi, L. J.; Wuyts, S.; Zamorani, G.

2011-10-01

Two main modes of star formation are know to control the growth of galaxies: a relatively steady one in disk-like galaxies, defining a tight star formation rate (SFR)-stellar mass sequence, and a starburst mode in outliers to such a sequence which is generally interpreted as driven by merging. Such starburst galaxies are rare but have much higher SFRs, and it is of interest to establish the relative importance of these two modes. PACS/Herschel observations over the whole COSMOS and GOODS-South fields, in conjunction with previous optical/near-IR data, have allowed us to accurately quantify for the first time the relative contribution of the two modes to the global SFR density in the redshift interval 1.5 < z < 2.5, i.e., at the cosmic peak of the star formation activity. The logarithmic distributions of galaxy SFRs at fixed stellar mass are well described by Gaussians, with starburst galaxies representing only a relatively minor deviation that becomes apparent for SFRs more than four times higher than on the main sequence. Such starburst galaxies represent only 2% of mass-selected star-forming galaxies and account for only 10% of the cosmic SFR density at z ~ 2. Only when limited to SFR > 1000 M sun yr-1, off-sequence sources significantly contribute to the SFR density (46% ± 20%). We conclude that merger-driven starbursts play a relatively minor role in the formation of stars in galaxies, whereas they may represent a critical phase toward the quenching of star formation and morphological transformation in galaxies.

Can galaxy growth be sustained through HI-rich minor mergers?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehnert, M. D.; van Driel, W.; Minchin, R.

2016-05-01

Local galaxies with specific star-formation rates (star-formation rate per unit mass; sSFR ~ 0.2-10 Gyr-1) that are as high as distant galaxies (z ≈ 1-3), are very rich in Hi. Those with low stellar masses, M⋆ = 108-9 M⊙, for example, have MHI/M⋆ ≈ 5-30. Using continuity arguments, whereby the specific merger rate is hypothesized to be proportional to the specific star-formation rate, along with Hi gas mass measurements for local galaxies with high sSFR, we estimate that moderate-mass galaxies, M⋆ = 109-10.5 M⊙, can acquire enough gas through minor mergers (stellar mass ratios ~4-100) to sustain their star formation rates at z ~ 2. The relative fraction of the gas accreted through minor mergers declines with increasing stellar mass, and for the most massive galaxies considered, M⋆ = 1010.5-11 M⊙, this accretion rate is insufficient to sustain their star formation. We checked our minor merger hypothesis at z = 0 using the same methodology, but now with relations for local normal galaxies, and find that minor mergers cannot account for their specific growth rates, in agreement with observations of Hi-rich satellites around nearby spirals. We discuss a number of attractive features, such as a natural downsizing effect, in using minor mergers with extended Hi disks to support star formation at high redshift. The answer to the question posed by the title, "Can galaxy growth be sustained through Hi-rich minor mergers?", is "maybe", but only for relatively low-mass galaxies and at high redshift.

On the statistics of proto-cluster candidates detected in the Planck all-sky survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Negrello, M.; Gonzalez-Nuevo, J.; De Zotti, G.; Bonato, M.; Cai, Z.-Y.; Clements, D.; Danese, L.; Dole, H.; Greenslade, J.; Lapi, A.; Montier, L.

2017-09-01

Observational investigations of the abundance of massive precursors of local galaxy clusters ('proto-clusters') allow us to test the growth of density perturbations, to constrain cosmological parameters that control it, to test the theory of non-linear collapse and how the galaxy formation takes place in dense environments. The Planck collaboration has recently published a catalogue of ≳2000 cold extragalactic sub-millimeter sources, I.e. with colours indicative of z ≳ 2, almost all of which appear to be overdensities of star-forming galaxies. They are thus considered as proto-cluster candidates. Their number densities (or their flux densities) are far in excess of expectations from the standard scenario for the evolution of large-scale structure. Simulations based on a physically motivated galaxy evolution model show that essentially all cold peaks brighter than S545GHz = 500 mJy found in Planck maps after having removed the Galactic dust emission can be interpreted as positive Poisson fluctuations of the number of high-z dusty proto-clusters within the same Planck beam, rather then being individual clumps of physically bound galaxies. This conclusion does not change if an empirical fit to the luminosity function of dusty galaxies is used instead of the physical model. The simulations accurately reproduce the statistic of the Planck detections and yield distributions of sizes and ellipticities in qualitative agreement with observations. The redshift distribution of the brightest proto-clusters contributing to the cold peaks has a broad maximum at 1.5 ≤ z ≤ 3. Therefore follow-up of Planck proto-cluster candidates will provide key information on the high-z evolution of large scale structure.

Spectra of galaxies in the Case Low-Dispersion Sky Survey in the direction of the Bootes void

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weistrop, Donna; Downes, Ronald A.

1988-01-01

A sample of 34 galaxies selected from the Case Low-Dispersion Northern Sky Survey in the direction of the Bootes void. Emission-line redshifts were obtained for 33 objects; the spectrum of the thirty-fourth galaxy contains no obvious features. Three of the emission-line galaxies are lcoated within the boundaries of the Bootes void, including one not previously reported. To date, all the galaxies discovered in the void have emission-line spectra. Although more than half the galaxies in the sample are fainter than M(B) = -21.0 mag, all five of the galaxies that were detected by IRAS are brighter than M(B) = 21.5 mag. The relative strengths of the emission lines in most of the galaxies, including those in the void, indicate the lines are excited by photoionization due to young, hot O and B stars. Possible causes for the star formation occurring in these galaxies include interaction with nearby galaxies, star formation induced by nuclear activity, and/or recent development of physical conditions required for star formation.

Are star formation rates of galaxies bimodal?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feldmann, Robert

2017-09-01

Star formation rate (SFR) distributions of galaxies are often assumed to be bimodal with modes corresponding to star-forming and quiescent galaxies, respectively. Both classes of galaxies are typically studied separately, and SFR distributions of star-forming galaxies are commonly modelled as lognormals. Using both observational data and results from numerical simulations, I argue that this division into star-forming and quiescent galaxies is unnecessary from a theoretical point of view and that the SFR distributions of the whole population can be well fitted by zero-inflated negative binomial distributions. This family of distributions has three parameters that determine the average SFR of the galaxies in the sample, the scatter relative to the star-forming sequence and the fraction of galaxies with zero SFRs, respectively. The proposed distributions naturally account for (I) the discrete nature of star formation, (II) the presence of 'dead' galaxies with zero SFRs and (III) asymmetric scatter. Excluding 'dead' galaxies, the distribution of log SFR is unimodal with a peak at the star-forming sequence and an extended tail towards low SFRs. However, uncertainties and biases in the SFR measurements can create the appearance of a bimodal distribution.

The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Publicly Available Spatially Resolved Emission Line Data Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medling, Anne; Green, Andrew W.; Ho, I.-Ting; Groves, Brent; Croom, Scott; SAMI Galaxy Survey Team

2017-01-01

The SAMI Galaxy Survey is collecting optical integral field spectroscopy of up to 3400 nearby (z<0.1) galaxies with a range of stellar masses and in a range of environments. The first public data release contains nearly 800 galaxies from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) Survey. In addition to releasing the reduced data cubes, we also provide emission line fits (flux and kinematic maps of strong emission lines including Halpha and Hbeta, [OII]3726,29, [OIII]4959,5007, [OI]6300, [NII]6548,83, and [SII]6716,31), extinction maps, star formation classification masks, and star formation rate maps. We give an overview of the data available for your favorite emission line science and present a few early science results. For example, a sample of edge-on disk galaxies show enhanced extraplanar emission related to SF-driven outflows, which are correlated with a bursty star formation history and higher star formation rate surface densities. Interestingly, the star formation rate surface densities of these wind hosts are 5-100 times lower than the canonical threshold for driving winds (0.1 MSun/yr/kpc2), indicating that galactic winds may be more important in normal star-forming galaxies than previously thought.

Self-regulated cooling flows in elliptical galaxies and in cluster cores - Is exclusively low mass star formation really necessary?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silk, J.; Djorgovski, S.; Wyse, R. F. G.; Bruzual A., G.

1986-01-01

A self-consistent treatment of the heating by supernovae associated with star formation in a spherically symmetric cooling flow in a cluster core or elliptical galaxy is presented. An initial stellar mass function similar to that in the solar neighborhood is adopted. Inferred star-formation rates, within the cooling region - typically the inner 100 kpc around dominant galaxies at the centers of cooling flows in XD clusters - are reduced by about a factor of 2, relative to rates inferred when the heat input from star formation is ignored. Truncated initial mass functions (IMFs) are also considered, in which massive star formation is suppressed in accordance with previous treatments, and colors are predicted for star formation in cooling flows associated with central dominant elliptical galaxies and with isolated elliptical galaxies surrounded by gaseous coronae. The low inferred cooling-flow rates around isolated elliptical galaxies are found to be insensitive to the upper mass cutoff in the IMF, provided that the upper mass cutoff exceeds 2 M solar mass. Comparison with observed colors favors a cutoff in the IMF above 1 M solar mass in at least two well-studied cluster cooling flows, but a normal IMF cannot be excluded definitively. Models for NGC 1275 support a young (less than about 3 Gyr) cooling flow. As for the isolated elliptical galaxies, the spread in colors is consistent with a normal IMF. A definitive test of the IMF arising via star formation in cooling flows requires either UV spectral data or supernova searches in the cooling-flow-centered galaxies.

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.

The spatial extent of star formation in interacting galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno, Jorge

2015-08-01

We employ a suite of 75 simulations of galaxies in idealized major mergers (stellar mass ratio ˜2.5:1), with a wide range of orbital parameters, to investigate the spatial extent of interaction-induced star formation. Although the total star formation in galaxy encounters is generally elevated relative to isolated galaxies, we find that this elevation is a combination of intense enhancements within the central kpc and moderately suppressed activity at larger galactocentric radii. The radial dependence of the star formation enhancement is stronger in the less massive galaxy than in the primary, and is also more pronounced in mergers of more closely aligned disc spin orientations. Conversely, these trends are almost entirely independent of the encounter’s impact parameter and orbital eccentricity. Our predictions of the radial dependence of triggered star formation, and specifically the suppression of star formation beyond kpc-scales, will be testable with the next generation of integral-field spectroscopic surveys.Co-authors: Paul Torrey, Sara Ellison, David Patton, Asa Bluck, Gunjan Bansal & Lars Hernquist

Dark-ages reionization and galaxy formation simulation - IV. UV luminosity functions of high-redshift galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chuanwu; Mutch, Simon J.; Angel, P. W.; Duffy, Alan R.; Geil, Paul M.; Poole, Gregory B.; Mesinger, Andrei; Wyithe, J. Stuart B.

2016-10-01

In this paper, we present calculations of the UV luminosity function (LF) from the Dark-ages Reionization And Galaxy-formation Observables from Numerical Simulations project, which combines N-body, semi-analytic and seminumerical modelling designed to study galaxy formation during the Epoch of Reionization. Using galaxy formation physics including supernova feedback, the model naturally reproduces the UV LFs for high-redshift star-forming galaxies from z ˜ 5 through to z ˜ 10. We investigate the luminosity-star formation rate (SFR) relation, finding that variable SFR histories of galaxies result in a scatter around the median relation of 0.1-0.3 dex depending on UV luminosity. We find close agreement between the model and observationally derived SFR functions. We use our calculated luminosities to investigate the LF below current detection limits, and the ionizing photon budget for reionization. We predict that the slope of the UV LF remains steep below current detection limits and becomes flat at MUV ≳ -14. We find that 48 (17) per cent of the total UV flux at z ˜ 6 (10) has been detected above an observational limit of MUV ˜ -17, and that galaxies fainter than MUV ˜ -17 are the main source of ionizing photons for reionization. We investigate the luminosity-stellar mass relation, and find a correlation for galaxies with MUV < -14 that has the form M_{ast } ∝ 10^{-0.47M_UV}, in good agreement with observations, but which flattens for fainter galaxies. We determine the luminosity-halo mass relation to be M_vir ∝ 10^{-0.35M_UV}, finding that galaxies with MUV = -20 reside in host dark matter haloes of 1011.0±0.1 M⊙ at z ˜ 6, and that this mass decreases towards high redshift.

Quantifying Bursty Star Formation and Dust Extinction in Dwarf Galaxies at 0.75 < z < 1.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siana, Brian

2014-10-01

Using the magnification provided by gravitational lensing, our team has recently uncovered an important population of star-forming dwarf galaxies at 1

AGN Unification at z ~ 1: u - R Colors and Gradients in X-Ray AGN Hosts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ammons, S. Mark; Rosario, David J. V.; Koo, David C.; Dutton, Aaron A.; Melbourne, Jason; Max, Claire E.; Mozena, Mark; Kocevski, Dale D.; McGrath, Elizabeth J.; Bouwens, Rychard J.; Magee, Daniel K.

2011-10-01

We present uncontaminated rest-frame u - R colors of 78 X-ray-selected active galactic nucleus (AGN) hosts at 0.5 < z < 1.5 in the Chandra Deep Fields measured with Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Advanced Camera for Surveys/NICMOS and Very Large Telescope/ISAAC imaging. We also present spatially resolved NUV - R color gradients for a subsample of AGN hosts imaged by HST/Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Integrated, uncorrected photometry is not reliable for comparing the mean properties of soft and hard AGN host galaxies at z ~ 1 due to color contamination from point-source AGN emission. We use a cloning simulation to develop a calibration between concentration and this color contamination and use this to correct host galaxy colors. The mean u - R color of the unobscured/soft hosts beyond ~6 kpc is statistically equivalent to that of the obscured/hard hosts (the soft sources are 0.09 ± 0.16 mag bluer). Furthermore, the rest-frame V - J colors of the obscured and unobscured hosts beyond ~6 kpc are statistically equivalent, suggesting that the two populations have similar distributions of dust extinction. For the WFC3/infrared sample, the mean NUV - R color gradients of unobscured and obscured sources differ by less than ~0.5 mag for r > 1.1 kpc. These three observations imply that AGN obscuration is uncorrelated with the star formation rate beyond ~1 kpc. These observations favor a unification scenario for intermediate-luminosity AGNs in which obscuration is determined geometrically. Scenarios in which the majority of intermediate-luminosity AGNs at z ~ 1 are undergoing rapid, galaxy-wide quenching due to AGN-driven feedback processes are disfavored.

AGN UNIFICATION AT z {approx} 1: u - R COLORS AND GRADIENTS IN X-RAY AGN HOSTS

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

Mark Ammons, S.; Rosario, David J. V.; Koo, David C., E-mail: ammons@as.arizona.edu, E-mail: rosario@ucolick.org, E-mail: koo@ucolick.org

2011-10-10

We present uncontaminated rest-frame u - R colors of 78 X-ray-selected active galactic nucleus (AGN) hosts at 0.5 < z < 1.5 in the Chandra Deep Fields measured with Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Advanced Camera for Surveys/NICMOS and Very Large Telescope/ISAAC imaging. We also present spatially resolved NUV - R color gradients for a subsample of AGN hosts imaged by HST/Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Integrated, uncorrected photometry is not reliable for comparing the mean properties of soft and hard AGN host galaxies at z {approx} 1 due to color contamination from point-source AGN emission. We use a cloning simulation tomore » develop a calibration between concentration and this color contamination and use this to correct host galaxy colors. The mean u - R color of the unobscured/soft hosts beyond {approx}6 kpc is statistically equivalent to that of the obscured/hard hosts (the soft sources are 0.09 {+-} 0.16 mag bluer). Furthermore, the rest-frame V - J colors of the obscured and unobscured hosts beyond {approx}6 kpc are statistically equivalent, suggesting that the two populations have similar distributions of dust extinction. For the WFC3/infrared sample, the mean NUV - R color gradients of unobscured and obscured sources differ by less than {approx}0.5 mag for r > 1.1 kpc. These three observations imply that AGN obscuration is uncorrelated with the star formation rate beyond {approx}1 kpc. These observations favor a unification scenario for intermediate-luminosity AGNs in which obscuration is determined geometrically. Scenarios in which the majority of intermediate-luminosity AGNs at z {approx} 1 are undergoing rapid, galaxy-wide quenching due to AGN-driven feedback processes are disfavored.« less

Demography of SDSS Early-type Galaxies from the Perspective of Radial Color Gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suh, Hyewon; Jeong, H.; Oh, K.; Yi, S. K.; Ferreras, I.; Schawinski, K.

2010-01-01

We have investigated the radial g-r color gradients of early-type galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR6 in the redshift range 0.00 < z < 0.06. The majority of massive early-type galaxies show a negative color gradient (centers being redder). On the other hand, roughly 30 percent of the galaxies in this sample show positive color gradients (centers being bluer). These positive-gradient galaxies often show strong Hβ absorption line strengths and/or emission line ratios that are consistent with containing young stellar populations. Combining the optical data with Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) UV photometry, we find that all positive-gradient galaxies show blue UV-optical colors. This implies that the residual star formation in early-type galaxies is centrally concentrated. These positive-gradient galaxies tend to live in lower density regions. They are also a bit more likely to have a late-type companion galaxy, hinting at a possible role of interactions with a gas-rich companion. A simplistic population analysis shows that these positive color gradients are visible only for half a billion years after a star burst. Moreover, the positive-gradient galaxies occupy different regions in the fundamental planes from the outnumbering negative-gradient galaxies. However, the positions of the positive-gradient galaxies on the fundamental planes cannot be attributed to any reasonable amount of recent star formation alone but require substantially lower velocity dispersions to begin with. Our results based on the optical data are consistent with the residual star formation interpretation which was based on the GALEX UV data. A low-level residual star formation seems continuing in most of the less-massive early-type galaxies in their centers.

Origin of the Galaxy Mass-Metallicity-Star Formation Relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harwit, Martin; Brisbin, Drew

2015-02-01

We describe an equilibrium model that links the metallicity of low-redshift galaxies to stellar evolution models. It enables the testing of different stellar initial mass functions and metal yields against observed galaxy metallicities. We show that the metallicities of more than 80,000 Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies in the low-redshift range 0.07 <= z <= 0.3 considerably constrain stellar evolution models that simultaneously relate galaxy stellar mass, metallicity, and star formation rates to the infall rate of low-metallicity extragalactic gas and outflow of enriched matter. A feature of our model is that it encompasses both the active star forming phases of a galaxy and epochs during which the same galaxy may lie fallow. We show that the galaxy mass-metallicity-star formation relation can be traced to infall of extragalactic gas mixing with native gas from host galaxies to form stars of observed metallicities, the most massive of which eject oxygen into extragalactic space. Most consequential among our findings is that, on average, extragalactic infall accounts for one half of the gas required for star formation, a ratio that is remarkably constant across galaxies with stellar masses ranging at least from M* = 2 × 109 to 6 × 1010 M ⊙. This leads us to propose that star formation is initiated when extragalactic infall roughly doubles the mass of marginally stable interstellar clouds. The processes described may also account quantitatively for the metallicity of extragalactic space, though to check this the fraction of extragalactic baryons will need to be more firmly established.

Red Misfits in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: properties of star-forming red galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Fraser A.; Parker, Laura C.; Roberts, Ian D.

2018-06-01

We study Red Misfits, a population of red, star-forming galaxies in the local Universe. We classify galaxies based on inclination-corrected optical colours and specific star formation rates derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7. Although the majority of blue galaxies are star-forming and most red galaxies exhibit little to no ongoing star formation, a small but significant population of galaxies (˜11 per cent at all stellar masses) are classified as red in colour yet actively star-forming. We explore a number of properties of these galaxies and demonstrate that Red Misfits are not simply dusty or highly inclined blue cloud galaxies or quiescent red galaxies with poorly constrained star formation. The proportion of Red Misfits is nearly independent of environment, and this population exhibits both intermediate morphologies and an enhanced likelihood of hosting an active galactic nucleus. We conclude that Red Misfits are a transition population, gradually quenching on their way to the red sequence and this quenching is dominated by internal processes rather than environmentally driven processes. We discuss the connection between Red Misfits and other transition galaxy populations, namely S0s, red spirals, and green valley galaxies.

Examining the Center: Positions, Dominance, and Star Formation Rates of Most Massive Group Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connelly, Jennifer L.; Parker, Laura C.; McGee, Sean; Mulchaey, John S.; Finoguenov, Alexis; Balogh, Michael; Wilman, David; Group Environment Evolution Collaboration

2015-01-01

The group environment is believed to be the stage for many galaxy transformations, helping evolve blue star-forming galaxies to red passive ones. In local studies of galaxy clusters, the central member is usually a single dominant giant galaxy at the center of the potential with little star formation thought to be the result of galaxy mergers. In nearby groups, a range of morphologies and star formation rates are observed and the formation history is less clear. Further, the position and dominance of the central galaxy cannot be assumed in groups, which are less massive and evolved than clusters. To understand the connections between global group properties and properties of the central group galaxy at intermediate redshift, we examine galaxy groups from the Group Environment and Evolution Collaboration (GEEC) catalog, including both optically- and X-ray-selected groups at redshift z~0.4. The sample is diverse, containing a range in overall mass and evolutionary state. The number of groups is significant, membership is notably complete, and measurements span the IR to the UV allowing the properties of the members to be connected to those of the host groups. Having investigated trends in the global group properties previously, including mass and velocity substructure, we turn our attention now to the galaxy populations, focusing on the central regions of these systems. The most massive and second most massive group galaxies are identified by their stellar mass. The positions of the most massive galaxies (MMGs) are determined with respect to both the luminosity-weighted and X-ray center. Star formation rates are used to explore the fraction of passive/quiescent versus star-forming MMGs and the dominance of the MMGs in our group sample is also tested. Determinations of these characteristics and trends constitute the important first steps toward a detailed understanding of the relationships between the properties of host groups and their most massive galaxies and the environmental effects involved in the evolution of such objects.

Observations of environmental quenching in groups in the 11 Gyr since z = 2.5: Different quenching for central and satellite galaxies

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

Tal, Tomer; Illingworth, Garth D.; Magee, Daniel

2014-07-10

We present direct observational evidence for star formation quenching in galaxy groups in the redshift range 0 < z < 2.5. We utilize a large sample of nearly 6000 groups, selected by fixed cumulative number density from three photometric catalogs, to follow the evolving quiescent fractions of central and satellite galaxies over roughly 11 Gyr. At z ∼ 0, central galaxies in our sample range in stellar mass from Milky Way/M31 analogs (M{sub *}/M{sub ☉} = 6.5 × 10{sup 10}) to nearby massive ellipticals (M{sub *}/M{sub ☉} = 1.5 × 10{sup 11}). Satellite galaxies in the same groups reach massesmore » as low as twice that of the Large Magellanic Cloud (M{sub *}/M{sub ☉} = 6.5 × 10{sup 9}). Using statistical background subtraction, we measure the average rest-frame colors of galaxies in our groups and calculate the evolving quiescent fractions of centrals and satellites over seven redshift bins. Our analysis shows clear evidence for star formation quenching in group halos, with a different quenching onset for centrals and their satellite galaxies. Using halo mass estimates for our central galaxies, we find that star formation shuts off in centrals when typical halo masses reach between 10{sup 12} and 10{sup 13} M{sub ☉}, consistent with predictions from the halo quenching model. In contrast, satellite galaxies in the same groups most likely undergo quenching by environmental processes, whose onset is delayed with respect to their central galaxy. Although star formation is suppressed in all galaxies over time, the processes that govern quenching are different for centrals and satellites. While mass plays an important role in determining the star formation activity of central galaxies, quenching in satellite galaxies is dominated by the environment in which they reside.« less

Observations of Environmental Quenching in Groups in the 11 GYR Since z = 2.5: Different Quenching For Central and Satellite Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tal, Tomer; Dekel, Avishai; Marchesini, Danilo; Momcheva, Ivelina; Nelson, Erica J.; Patel, Shannon G.; Quadri, Ryan F.; Rix, Hans-Walter; Skelton, Rosalind E.; Wake, David A.;

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.

The H I content of non-isolated galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zasov, Anatoli V.

1990-01-01

It seems obvious that the evolution of star formation rate and hence of gas content in galaxies strongly depends on their environment. It reveals itself in particular in enhanced star formation or even in a strong burst of activity of massive stars often observed in interacting galaxies. Nevertheless it should be noted that the time scale for the gas to be exhausted in these galaxies is unknown even approximately. To clarify a role of surroundings in the evolution of disk galaxies we should compare the H I content of isolated and non-isolated galaxies otherwise similar by their properties. It is concluded that there are no systematic differences between H I content in isolated and non-isolated late-type galaxies; in spite of the differences of star formation rates their hydrogen mass is determined by slowly evolving kinematic parameters of the disk. Enhanced star formation in interacting galaxies, if it lasts long enough, must have an initial mass function enriched in massive stars in order not to significantly reduce the supply of gas. Certainly these conclusions are not valid for galaxies which are members of rich clusters such as Virgo or Coma, where H I-deficiency really exists, possibly due to the interaction of interstellar H I with hot intergalactic gas.

Resolving molecular gas to ~500 pc in a unique star forming disk galaxy at z~2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brisbin, Drew; Aravena, Manuel; Hodge, Jacqueline; Carilli, Chris Luke; Daddi, Emanuele; Dannerbauer, Helmut; Riechers, Dominik; Wagg, Jeff

2018-06-01

We have resolved molecular gas in a 'typical' star forming disk galaxy at z>2 down to the scale of ~500 pc. Previous observations of CO and [CI] lines on larger spatial scales have revealed bulk molecular and atomic gas properties indicating that the target is a massive disk galaxy with large gas reserves. Unlike many galaxies studied at high redshift, it is undergoing modest quiescent star formation rather than bursty centrally concentrated star formation. Therefore this galaxy represents an under-studied, but cosmologically important population in the early universe. Our new observations of CO (4-3) highlight the clumpy molecular gas fuelling star formation throughout the disk. Underlying continuum from cold dust provides a key constraint on star formation rate surface densities, allowing us to examine the star formation rate surface density scaling law in a never-before-tested regime of early universe galaxies.These observations enable an unprecedented view of the obscured star formation that is hidden to optical/UV imaging and trace molecular gas on a fine enough scale to resolve morphological traits and provide a view akin to single dish surveys in the local universe.

Chemically-Deduced Star Formation Histories Of Dwarf Galaxies Using Barium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duggan, Gina; Kirby, Evan

2017-06-01

Dwarf galaxies offer a unique opportunity to study the competing forces of galaxy evolution. Their simpler history (i.e., small size, fewer major mergers, and lack of active galactic nuclei) enables us to isolate different physical mechanisms more easily. The effects of these mechanisms are imprinted on the galaxy's star formation history. Traditionally, star formation histories are determined from color-magnitude diagrams. However, chemical abundances can increase the precision of this measurement. Here we present a simplistic galactic chemical evolution model to infer the star formation history. Chemical abundances are measured from spectra obtained with Keck/DEIMOS medium-resolution spectroscopy for over a hundred red giant stars from several satellite dwarf spheroidal galaxies and globular clusters. We focus our work on iron and barium abundances because they predominantly trace Type Ia supernovae and asymptotic giant branch stars, respectively. The different timescales of these two nucleosynthetic sources can be used to measure a finely resolved star formation history, especially when combined with existing [α/Fe] measurements. These models will inform the details of early star formation in dwarf galaxies and how it is affected by various physical processes, such as reionization and tidal stripping.

Hα3: an Hα imaging survey of HI selected galaxies from ALFALFA. VI. The role of bars in quenching star formation from z = 3 to the present epoch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavazzi, G.; Consolandi, G.; Dotti, M.; Fanali, R.; Fossati, M.; Fumagalli, M.; Viscardi, E.; Savorgnan, G.; Boselli, A.; Gutiérrez, L.; Hernández Toledo, H.; Giovanelli, R.; Haynes, M. P.

2015-08-01

A growing body of evidence indicates that the star formation rate per unit stellar mass (sSFR) decreases with increasing mass in normal main-sequence star-forming galaxies. Many processes have been advocated as being responsible for this trend (also known as mass quenching), e.g., feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and the formation of classical bulges. In order to improve our insight into the mechanisms regulating the star formation in normal star-forming galaxies across cosmic epochs, we determine a refined star formation versus stellar mass relation in the local Universe. To this end we use the Hα narrow-band imaging follow-up survey (Hα3) of field galaxies selected from the HI Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA Survey (ALFALFA) in the Coma and Local superclusters. By complementing this local determination with high-redshift measurements from the literature, we reconstruct the star formation history of main-sequence galaxies as a function of stellar mass from the present epoch up to z = 3. In agreement with previous studies, our analysis shows that quenching mechanisms occur above a threshold stellar mass Mknee that evolves with redshift as ∝ (1 + z)2. Moreover, visual morphological classification of individual objects in our local sample reveals a sharp increase in the fraction of visually classified strong bars with mass, hinting that strong bars may contribute to the observed downturn in the sSFR above Mknee. We test this hypothesis using a simple but physically motivated numerical model for bar formation, finding that strong bars can rapidly quench star formation in the central few kpc of field galaxies. We conclude that strong bars contribute significantly to the red colors observed in the inner parts of massive galaxies, although additional mechanisms are likely required to quench the star formation in the outer regions of massive spiral galaxies. Intriguingly, when we extrapolate our model to higher redshifts, we successfully recover the observed redshift evolution for Mknee. Our study highlights how the formation of strong bars in massive galaxies is an important mechanism in regulating the redshift evolution of the sSFR for field main-sequence galaxies. Based on observations taken at the observatory of San Pedro Martir (Baja California, Mexico), belonging to the Mexican Observatorio Astronómico Nacional.