Sample records for high redshift systems

  1. The Number Density of Quiescent Compact Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Damjanov, Ivana; Hwang, Ho Seong; Geller, Margaret J.; Chilingarian, Igor

    2014-09-01

    Massive compact systems at 0.2 < z < 0.6 are the missing link between the predominantly compact population of massive quiescent galaxies at high redshift and their analogs and relics in the local volume. The evolution in number density of these extreme objects over cosmic time is the crucial constraining factor for the models of massive galaxy assembly. We select a large sample of ~200 intermediate-redshift massive compacts from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) spectroscopy by identifying point-like Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometric sources with spectroscopic signatures of evolved redshifted galaxies. A subset of our targets have publicly available high-resolution ground-based images that we use to augment the dynamical and stellar population properties of these systems by their structural parameters. We confirm that all BOSS compact candidates are as compact as their high-redshift massive counterparts and less than half the size of similarly massive systems at z ~ 0. We use the completeness-corrected numbers of BOSS compacts to compute lower limits on their number densities in narrow redshift bins spanning the range of our sample. The abundance of extremely dense quiescent galaxies at 0.2 < z < 0.6 is in excellent agreement with the number densities of these systems at high redshift. Our lower limits support the models of massive galaxy assembly through a series of minor mergers over the redshift range 0 < z < 2.

  2. Probing the extent and content of low ionization gas in galaxies: QSO absorption and HI emission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Womble, Donna S.

    1993-01-01

    The small projected separations of some QSO's and low-redshift galaxies provide unique opportunities to study the extent and content of gas in galaxies through observation of absorption in the QSO spectra. Observations of these systems provide valuable information on the connection between the absorbing gas and the galaxy, as well as detailed information on the morphology and environment of the galaxy itself. While there is direct evidence that galaxies can produce the intervening-type QSO absorption lines, over the past decade, the study of such 'QSO-galaxy pairs' (at low redshift) has been considered unsuccessful because new detections of absorption were seldom made. A fundamental problem concerning the relation between these low-redshift systems and those seen at moderate to high redshift remains unresolved. Direct and indirect measures of galaxy absorption cross sections at moderate to high redshifts (z is approximately greater than 20.5) are much larger than the optical and HI sizes of local galaxies. However, direct comparison of the low and moderate to high redshift systems is difficult since different ions are observed in different redshift regimes. Observations are presented for a new sample of QSO-galaxy pairs. Nine new QSO's which shine through nearby galaxies (on the sky-plane) were observed to search for CaII absorption in the QSO spectra at the foreground galaxy redshifts.

  3. Evidence for a Major Merger Origin of High-Redshift Submillimeter Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conselice, Christopher J.; Chapman, Scott C.; Windhorst, Rogier A.

    2003-10-01

    Submillimeter-detected galaxies located at redshifts z>1 host a major fraction of the bolometric luminosity at high redshifts due to thermal emission from heated dust grains, yet the nature of these objects remains a mystery. The major problem in understanding their origin is whether the dust-heating mechanism is predominantly caused by star formation or active galactic nuclei and what triggered this activity. We address this issue by examining the structures of 11 submillimeter galaxies imaged with STIS on the Hubble Space Telescope. We argue that ~61%+/-21% of these submillimeter sources are undergoing an active major merger using the CAS (concentration, asymmetry, clumpiness) quantitative morphological system. We rule out at ~5 σ confidence that these submillimeter galaxies are normal Hubble types at high redshift. This merger fraction appears to be higher than for Lyman break galaxies undergoing mergers at similar redshifts. Using reasonable constraints on the stellar masses of Lyman break galaxies and these submillimeter sources, we further argue that at redshifts z~2-3, systems with high stellar masses are more likely than lower mass galaxies to be involved in major mergers.

  4. Moderate resolution spectrophotometry of high redshift quasars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schneider, Donald P.; Schmidt, Maarten; Gunn, James E.

    1991-01-01

    A uniform set of photometry and high signal-to-noise moderate resolution spectroscopy of 33 quasars with redshifts larger than 3.1 is presented. The sample consists of 17 newly discovered quasars (two with redshifts in excess of 4.4) and 16 sources drawn from the literature. The objects in this sample have r magnitudes between 17.4 and 21.4; their luminosities range from -28.8 to -24.9. Three of the 33 objects are broad absorption line quasars. A number of possible high redshift damped Ly-alpha systems were found.

  5. A Chandra Survey of high-redshift (0.7 < z < 0.8) clusters selected in the 100 deg^2 SPT-Pol Deep Field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garmire, Gordon

    2016-09-01

    We propose to observe a complete sample of 10 galaxy clusters at 1e14 < M500 < 5e14 and 0.7 < z < 0.8. These systems were selected from the 100 deg^2 deep field of the SPT-Pol SZ survey. This survey are has significant complementary data, including uniform depth ATCA, Herschel, Spitzer, and DES imaging, enabling a wide variety of astrophysical and cosmological studies. This sample complements the successful SPT-XVP survey, which has a broad redshift range and a narrow mass range, by including clusters over a narrow redshift range and broad mass range. These systems are such low mass and high redshift that they will not be detected in the eRosita all-sky survey.

  6. A faint field-galaxy redshift survey in quasar fields

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yee, Howard K. C.; Ellingson, Erica

    1993-01-01

    Quasars serve as excellent markers for the identification of high-redshift galaxies and galaxy clusters. In past surveys, nearly 20 clusters of Abell richness class 1 or richer associated with quasars in the redshift range 0.2 less than z less than 0.8 were identified. In order to study these galaxy clusters in detail, a major redshift survey of faint galaxies in these fields using the CFHT LAMA/MARLIN multi-object spectroscopy system was carried out. An equally important product in such a survey is the redshifts of the field galaxies not associated with the quasars. Some preliminary results on field galaxies from an interim set of data from our redshift survey in quasar fields are presented.

  7. Redshifts of groups and clusters in the rich superclusters 1451+22 and 1615+43

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ciardullo, R.; Ford, H.; Bartko, F.; Harms, R.

    1983-01-01

    Redshift measurements and finding charts are presented for galaxy clusters in the field of two rich, distant superclusters. Both systems are shown to have morphological and dynamical properties similar to the nearby superclusters, including small internal velocity dispersions and high density contrasts in redshift space. This data is consistent with two interpretations: either both superclusters are highly flattened systems with major axes close to the plane of the sky, or the observed velocity dispersions do not arise from unperturbed Hubble flow. If the latter explanation is correct, these radial velocity data are a powerful probe of the large scale matter density in the universe.

  8. Cluster redshifts in five suspected superclusters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ciardullo, R.; Ford, H.; Harms, R.

    1985-01-01

    Redshift surveys for rich superclusters were carried out in five regions of the sky containing surface-density enhancements of Abell clusters. While several superclusters are identified, projection effects dominate each field, and no system contains more than five rich clusters. Two systems are found to be especially interesting. The first, field 0136 10, is shown to contain a superposition of at least four distinct superclusters, with the richest system possessing a small velocity dispersion. The second system, 2206 - 22, though a region of exceedingly high Abell cluster surface density, appears to be a remarkable superposition of 23 rich clusters almost uniformly distributed in redshift space between 0.08 and 0.24. The new redshifts significantly increase the three-dimensional information available for the distance class 5 and 6 Abell clusters and allow the spatial correlation function around rich superclusters to be estimated.

  9. The SPT+Herschel+ALMA+Spitzer Legacy Survey: The stellar content of high redshift strongly lensed systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vieira, Joaquin; Ashby, Matt; Carlstrom, John; Chapman, Scott; DeBreuck, Carlos; Fassnacht, Chris; Gonzalez, Anthony; Phadke, Kedar; Marrone, Dan; Malkan, Matt; Reuter, Cassie; Rotermund, Kaja; Spilker, Justin; Weiss, Axel

    2018-05-01

    The South Pole Telescope (SPT) has systematically identified 90 high-redshift strongly gravitationally lensed submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) in a 2500 square-degree cosmological survey of the millimeter (mm) sky. These sources are selected by their extreme mm flux, which is largely independent of redshift and lensing configuration. We are undertaking a comprehensive and systematic followup campaign to use these "cosmic magnifying glasses" to study the infrared background in unprecedented detail, inform the condition of the interstellar medium in starburst galaxies at high redshift, and place limits on dark matter substructure. Here we ask for 115.4 hours of deep Spitzer/IRAC imaging to complete our survey of 90 systems to a uniform depth of 30min integrations at 3.6um and 60min at 4.5um. In our sample of 90 systems, 16 have already been fully observed, 30 have been partially observed, and 44 have not been observed at all. Our immediate goals are to: 1) constrain the specific star formation rates of the background high-redshift submillimeter galaxies by combining these Spitzer observations with our APEX, Herschel, and ALMA data, 2) robustly determine the stellar masses and mass-to-light ratios of all the foreground lensing galaxies in the sample by combining these observations with our VLT and Gemini data, the Dark Energy Survey, and ALMA; and 3) provide complete, deep, and uniform NIR coverage of our entire sample of lensed systems to characterize the environments of high redshift SMGs, maximize the discovery potential for additional spectacular and rare sources, and prepare for JWST. This program will provide the cornerstone data set for two PhD theses: Kedar Phadke at Illinois will lead the analysis of stellar masses for the background SMGs, and Kaja Rotermund at Dalhousie will lead the analysis of stellar masses for the foreground lenses.

  10. AEGIS: The Diversity of Bright Near-IR-selected Distant Red Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conselice, C. J.; Newman, J. A.; Georgakakis, A.; Almaini, O.; Coil, A. L.; Cooper, M. C.; Eisenhardt, P.; Foucaud, S.; Koekemoer, A.; Lotz, J.; Noeske, K.; Weiner, B.; Willmer, C. N. A.

    2007-05-01

    We use deep and wide near-infrared (NIR) imaging from the Palomar telescope combined with DEEP2 spectroscopy and HST and Chandra imaging to investigate the nature of galaxies that are red in NIR colors. We locate these ``distant red galaxies'' (DRGs) through the color cut (J-K)Vega>2.3 over 0.7 deg2, where we find 1010 DRG candidates down to Ks=20.5. We combine 95 high-quality spectroscopic redshifts with photometric redshifts from BRIJK photometry to determine the redshift and stellar mass distributions for these systems, and the morphological/structural and X-ray properties for 107 DRGs in the Extended Groth Strip. We find that many bright (J-K)Vega>2.3 galaxies with Ks<20.5 are at redshifts z<2, with 64% in the range 12 systems being massive with M*>1011 Msolar. HST imaging shows that the structural properties and morphologies of DRGs are also diverse, with the majority elliptical/compact (57%) and the remainder edge-on spiral (7%) and peculiar (29%). The DRGs at z<1.4 with high-quality spectroscopic redshifts are generally compact, with small half-light radii, and span a range in rest-frame optical properties. The spectral energy distribution for the DRGs at z<1.4 differs from higher redshift DRGs: they are bluer by 1 mag in observed (I-J) color. A pure IR color selection of high-redshift populations is not sufficient to identify unique populations, and other colors or spectroscopic redshifts are needed to produce homogeneous samples.

  11. Investigations of gain redshift in high peak power Ti:sapphire laser systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Fenxiang; Yu, Linpeng; Zhang, Zongxin; Li, Wenkai; Yang, Xiaojun; Wu, Yuanfeng; Li, Shuai; Wang, Cheng; Liu, Yanqi; Lu, Xiaoming; Xu, Yi; Leng, Yuxin

    2018-07-01

    Gain redshift in high peak power Ti:sapphire laser systems can result in narrowband spectral output and hence lengthen the compressed pulse duration. In order to realize broadband spectral output in 10 PW-class Ti:sapphire lasers, the influence on gain redshift induced by spectral pre-shaping, gain distribution of cascaded amplifiers and Extraction During Pumping (EDP) technique have been investigated. The theoretical and experimental results show that the redshift of output spectrum is sensitive to the spectral pre-shaping and the gain distribution of cascaded amplifiers, while insensitive to the pumping scheme with or without EDP. Moreover, the output spectrum from our future 10 PW Ti:sapphire laser is theoretically analyzed based on the investigations above, which indicates that a Fourier-transform limited (FTL) pulse duration of 21 fs can be achieved just by optimizing the spectral pre-shaping and gain distribution in 10 PW-class Ti:sapphire lasers.

  12. X-ray morphological study of galaxy cluster catalogues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Democles, Jessica; Pierre, Marguerite; Arnaud, Monique

    2016-07-01

    Context : The intra-cluster medium distribution as probed by X-ray morphology based analysis gives good indication of the system dynamical state. In the race for the determination of precise scaling relations and understanding their scatter, the dynamical state offers valuable information. Method : We develop the analysis of the centroid-shift so that it can be applied to characterize galaxy cluster surveys such as the XXL survey or high redshift cluster samples. We use it together with the surface brightness concentration parameter and the offset between X-ray peak and brightest cluster galaxy in the context of the XXL bright cluster sample (Pacaud et al 2015) and a set of high redshift massive clusters detected by Planck and SPT and observed by both XMM-Newton and Chandra observatories. Results : Using the wide redshift coverage of the XXL sample, we see no trend between the dynamical state of the systems with the redshift.

  13. Discovering Massive z > 1 Galaxy Clusters with Spitzer and SPTpol

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bleem, Lindsey; Brodwin, Mark; Ashby, Matthew; Stalder, Brian; Klein, Matthias; Gladders, Michael; Stanford, Spencer; Canning, Rebecca

    2018-05-01

    We propose to obtain Spitzer/IRAC imaging of 50 high-redshift galaxy cluster candidates derived from two new completed SZ cluster surveys by the South Pole Telescope. Clusters from the deep SPTpol 500-square-deg main survey will extend high-redshift SZ cluster science to lower masses (median M500 2x10^14Msun) while systems drawn from the wider 2500-sq-deg SPTpol Extended Cluster Survey are some of the rarest most massive high-z clusters in the observable universe. The proposed small 10 h program will enable (1) confirmation of these candidates as high-redshift clusters, (2) measurements of the cluster redshifts (sigma_z/(1+z) 0.03), and (3) estimates of the stellar masses of the brightest cluster members. These observations will yield exciting and timely targets for the James Webb Space Telescope--and, combined with lower-z systems--will both extend cluster tests of dark energy to z>1 as well as enable studies of galaxy evolution in the richest environments for a mass-limited cluster sample from 0

  14. A distortion of very-high-redshift galaxy number counts by gravitational lensing.

    PubMed

    Wyithe, J Stuart B; Yan, Haojing; Windhorst, Rogier A; Mao, Shude

    2011-01-13

    The observed number counts of high-redshift galaxy candidates have been used to build up a statistical description of star-forming activity at redshift z ≳ 7, when galaxies reionized the Universe. Standard models predict that a high incidence of gravitational lensing will probably distort measurements of flux and number of these earliest galaxies. The raw probability of this happening has been estimated to be ∼0.5 per cent (refs 11, 12), but can be larger owing to observational biases. Here we report that gravitational lensing is likely to dominate the observed properties of galaxies with redshifts of z ≳ 12, when the instrumental limiting magnitude is expected to be brighter than the characteristic magnitude of the galaxy sample. The number counts could be modified by an order of magnitude, with most galaxies being part of multiply imaged systems, located less than 1 arcsec from brighter foreground galaxies at z ≈ 2. This lens-induced association of high-redshift and foreground galaxies has perhaps already been observed among a sample of galaxy candidates identified at z ≈ 10.6. Future surveys will need to be designed to account for a significant gravitational lensing bias in high-redshift galaxy samples.

  15. Quasars at the High Redshift Frontier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bosman, Sarah E. I.

    2017-11-01

    In recent years the formation of primordial galaxies, cosmic metal enrichment, and hydrogen reionisation have been studied using both refined observations and powerful numerical simulations. High-redshift quasars have become a ubiquitous tool in the study of this era with more than 115 quasars now spectroscopically confirmed at z>6.0. In this thesis, I use spectra of high-redshift quasars to provide improved observational constraints through a mixture of existing and new techniques. I first investigate the claim of neutral gas around the most distant known quasar, ULASJ1120+0641(J1120), with a cosmological redshift of z=7.1. Its spectrum shows a relatively weak Lyman-α emission line, which has been interpreted as evidence of absorption by neutral gas. Attributing this to a Gunn-Peterson damping wing has led to claims that the intergalactic medium is at least 10% neutral at that redshift. However, these claims rely on a reconstruction of the unabsorbed quasar emission. Initial attempts using composite spectra of lower-redshift quasars mismatched the CIV emission line of J1120, a feature known to correlate with Lyman-α and which is strongly blueshifted in J1120. I attempt to establish whether this mismatch could explain the apparently weak Lyman-α emission line. I find that among a C IV-matched sample the Lyman-α line of J1120 is not anomalous. This raises doubts as to the interpretation of absorbed Lyman-α emission lines in the context of reionisation. I then use a high quality X-Shooter spectrum of the same z=7 quasar to measure the abundances of diffuse metals within one billion years of the Big Bang. I measure the occurrence rates of CIV, CII, SiII, FeII and MgII, producing the first measurement at z>6 for many of these ions. I find that the incidence of CIV systems is consistent with a continuing decline in the total mass density of highly ionized metals, a trend seen at lower redshifts. The ratio CII/CIV, however, seems to remain constant or increase with redshift, in line with predictions from models which include a decline of the ionising ultraviolet background. The evolution in MgII appears somewhat more complex; while the number density of strong systems continues to decline at high redshift,the number density of weak systems remains high and may even increase. This could signal an increase with redshift in the cross-section of low-ionisation metals. Large numbers of weak MgII systems are also seen at z˜2, suggesting they were already in place when reionisation was ending. I use this X-Shooter spectrum to study metal absorbers associated with the z=7 quasar itself. I find that one such absorber shows signs of only partially covering the line-of-sight, and investigate the possible implications for the quasar's environment. Finally, I investigate the evolution of the intergalactic medium's Lyman-α opacity using spectra of quasars at 5.7

  16. The Hubble Space Telescope quasar absorption line key project. 6: Properties of the metal-rich systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bergeron, Jacqueline; Petitjean, Patrick; Sargent, W. L. W.; Bahcall, John N.; Boksenberg, Alec; Hartig, George F.; Jannuzi, Buell T.; Kirhakos, Sofia; Savage, Blair D.; Schneider, Donald P.

    1994-01-01

    We present an analysis of the properties of a sample of 18 metal-rich, low-redshift z(sub abs) much less than z(sub em) absorbers seen in low- and medium-resolution spectra obtained for the Quasar Absorption Line Key Project with the Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Spectrograph (HST/FOS). For most of the C IV and Lyman-limit systems, observations in the optical wavelength range of the expected associated Mg II absorption are available. As at high redshift (z approximately 2), there are two subclasses of absorbers which are characterized by the presence or absence of MG II absorption. However, some low-redshift Mg II and Fe absorptions originate from regions optically thin to UV ionizing photons and thus, at low redshift, the low-ionization systems do not always trace high opacities, as is the case at high redshift. This implies that the mean ionization state of metal-rich, optically thin absorbing clouds falls with decreasing redshift, which is consistent with the hypothesis that the gas is photoionized by the metagalactic UV background radiation field. Two main constraints are derived from the analysis of the Lyman-limit sample, assuming photoionization models are valid. First, a low opacity to ionizing photons (tau(sub LL) approximately less than 1), as observed for several Mg II-Fe II systems at z approximately 0.5, sets limits on the ionization level of hydrogen, thus on the total hydrogen column density and the heavy element abundances, (Z/H) approximately -0.5 to -0.3. Second, the dimensions of individual Mg II clouds are smaller than at high redshift by a factor 3-10. At z approximately greater than 0.6, the O VI absorption doublet is detected in four of the five z(sub abs) much less than z(sub em) systems for which the O VI wavelength range has been observed, whereas the associated N V doublet is detected in only two cases. This suggests that the presence of a high-ionization O VI phase is a general property of z approximately 0.6-1 absorption systems, as is also probably the case at high redshift. These O VI absorbers can be ionized by the UV metagalactic field if their density is low, nH approximately less than 3 x 10(exp -4)/cc. The O VI phase would then be a homogeneous region of large extent, r approximately greater than 50 kpc. A detailed photoionization model of the z(sub abs) = 0.791 absorber toward PKS 2145+06 confirms the properties derived from the Mg II, C IV, O VI, and Lyman-limit samples. The galaxy causing this extensive metal-line absorption system has been identified, and its possible contribution to the UV ionizing flux does not substantially modify the value of the derived parameters. The heavy element abundances are about half the solar values. The O VI region has a density about 20 times lower than the Mg II clouds and a size of approximately 70 kpc. Alternatively, the high-ionization phase could be collisionally ionized and trace gas associated with a possible group of galaxies at the absorber redshift.

  17. A SINS/SRS/GNS Autonomous Integrated Navigation System Based on Spectral Redshift Velocity Measurements.

    PubMed

    Wei, Wenhui; Gao, Zhaohui; Gao, Shesheng; Jia, Ke

    2018-04-09

    In order to meet the requirements of autonomy and reliability for the navigation system, combined with the method of measuring speed by using the spectral redshift information of the natural celestial bodies, a new scheme, consisting of Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (SINS)/Spectral Redshift (SRS)/Geomagnetic Navigation System (GNS), is designed for autonomous integrated navigation systems. The principle of this SINS/SRS/GNS autonomous integrated navigation system is explored, and the corresponding mathematical model is established. Furthermore, a robust adaptive central difference particle filtering algorithm is proposed for this autonomous integrated navigation system. The simulation experiments are conducted and the results show that the designed SINS/SRS/GNS autonomous integrated navigation system possesses good autonomy, strong robustness and high reliability, thus providing a new solution for autonomous navigation technology.

  18. The Foundation Supernova Survey: motivation, design, implementation, and first data release

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Foley, Ryan J.; Scolnic, Daniel; Rest, Armin; Jha, S. W.; Pan, Y.-C.; Riess, A. G.; Challis, P.; Chambers, K. C.; Coulter, D. A.; Dettman, K. G.; Foley, M. M.; Fox, O. D.; Huber, M. E.; Jones, D. O.; Kilpatrick, C. D.; Kirshner, R. P.; Schultz, A. S. B.; Siebert, M. R.; Flewelling, H. A.; Gibson, B.; Magnier, E. A.; Miller, J. A.; Primak, N.; Smartt, S. J.; Smith, K. W.; Wainscoat, R. J.; Waters, C.; Willman, M.

    2018-03-01

    The Foundation Supernova Survey aims to provide a large, high-fidelity, homogeneous, and precisely calibrated low-redshift Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) sample for cosmology. The calibration of the current low-redshift SN sample is the largest component of systematic uncertainties for SN cosmology, and new data are necessary to make progress. We present the motivation, survey design, observation strategy, implementation, and first results for the Foundation Supernova Survey. We are using the Pan-STARRS telescope to obtain photometry for up to 800 SNe Ia at z ≲ 0.1. This strategy has several unique advantages: (1) the Pan-STARRS system is a superbly calibrated telescopic system, (2) Pan-STARRS has observed 3/4 of the sky in grizyP1 making future template observations unnecessary, (3) we have a well-tested data-reduction pipeline, and (4) we have observed ˜3000 high-redshift SNe Ia on this system. Here, we present our initial sample of 225 SN Ia grizP1 light curves, of which 180 pass all criteria for inclusion in a cosmological sample. The Foundation Supernova Survey already contains more cosmologically useful SNe Ia than all other published low-redshift SN Ia samples combined. We expect that the systematic uncertainties for the Foundation Supernova Sample will be two to three times smaller than other low-redshift samples. We find that our cosmologically useful sample has an intrinsic scatter of 0.111 mag, smaller than other low-redshift samples. We perform detailed simulations showing that simply replacing the current low-redshift SN Ia sample with an equally sized Foundation sample will improve the precision on the dark energy equation-of-state parameter by 35 per cent, and the dark energy figure of merit by 72 per cent.

  19. GALAXY CLUSTERS DISCOVERED VIA THE SUNYAEV-ZEL'DOVICH EFFECT IN THE 2500-SQUARE-DEGREE SPT-SZ SURVEY

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

    Bleem, L. E.; Stalder, B.; de Haan, T.

    2015-01-29

    We present a catalog of galaxy clusters selected via their Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect signature from 2500 deg(2) of South Pole Telescope (SPT) data. This work represents the complete sample of clusters detected at high significance in the 2500 deg(2) SPT-SZ survey, which was completed in 2011. A total of 677 (409) cluster candidates are identified above a signal-to-noise threshold of ξ = 4.5 (5.0). Ground- and space-based optical and near-infrared (NIR) imaging confirms overdensities of similarly colored galaxies in the direction of 516 (or 76%) of the ξ > 4.5 candidates and 387 (or 95%) of the ξ > 5 candidates, the measured purity is consistent with expectations from simulations. Of these confirmed clusters, 415 were first identified in SPT data, including 251 new discoveries reported in this work. We estimate photometric redshifts for all candidates with identified optical and/or NIR counterparts, we additionally report redshifts derived from spectroscopic observations for 141 of these systems. The mass threshold of the catalog is roughly independent of redshift above z ~ 0.25 leading to a sample of massive clusters that extends to high redshift. The median mass of the sample is M (500c)(ρ(crit))more » $$\\sim 3.5\\times 10^{14}\\,M_\\odot \\,h_{70}^{-1}$$, the median redshift is z (med) = 0.55, and the highest-redshift systems are at z > 1.4. The combination of large redshift extent, clean selection, and high typical mass makes this cluster sample of particular interest for cosmological analyses and studies of cluster formation and evolution.« less

  20. GALAXY CLUSTERS DISCOVERED VIA THE SUNYAEV-ZEL'DOVICH EFFECT IN THE 2500-SQUARE-DEGREE SPT-SZ SURVEY

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

    Bleem, L. E.; Stalder, B.; de Haan, T.

    2015-01-29

    We present a catalog of galaxy clusters selected via their Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect signature from 2500 deg(2) of South Pole Telescope (SPT) data. This work represents the complete sample of clusters detected at high significance in the 2500 deg(2) SPT-SZ survey, which was completed in 2011. A total of 677 (409) cluster candidates are identified above a signal-to-noise threshold of xi = 4.5 (5.0). Ground-and space-based optical and near-infrared (NIR) imaging confirms overdensities of similarly colored galaxies in the direction of 516 (or 76%) of the xi > 4.5 candidates and 387 (or 95%) of the xi > 5 candidates;more » the measured purity is consistent with expectations from simulations. Of these confirmed clusters, 415 were first identified in SPT data, including 251 new discoveries reported in this work. We estimate photometric redshifts for all candidates with identified optical and/or NIR counterparts; we additionally report redshifts derived from spectroscopic observations for 141 of these systems. The mass threshold of the catalog is roughly independent of redshift above z similar to 0.25 leading to a sample of massive clusters that extends to high redshift. The median mass of the sample is M-500c(rho(crit)) similar to 3.5 x 10(14) M-circle dot h(70)(-1) 70, the median redshift is z(med) = 0.55, and the highest-redshift systems are at z > 1.4. The combination of large redshift extent, clean selection, and high typical mass makes this cluster sample of particular interest for cosmological analyses and studies of cluster formation and evolution.« less

  1. GALAXY CLUSTERS DISCOVERED VIA THE SUNYAEV-ZEL'DOVICH EFFECT IN THE 2500-SQUARE-DEGREE SPT-SZ SURVEY

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

    Bleem, L. E.; Carlstrom, J. E.; Chang, C. L.

    2015-02-01

    We present a catalog of galaxy clusters selected via their Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect signature from 2500 deg{sup 2} of South Pole Telescope (SPT) data. This work represents the complete sample of clusters detected at high significance in the 2500 deg{sup 2} SPT-SZ survey, which was completed in 2011. A total of 677 (409) cluster candidates are identified above a signal-to-noise threshold of ξ = 4.5 (5.0). Ground- and space-based optical and near-infrared (NIR) imaging confirms overdensities of similarly colored galaxies in the direction of 516 (or 76%) of the ξ > 4.5 candidates and 387 (or 95%) of the ξ > 5more » candidates; the measured purity is consistent with expectations from simulations. Of these confirmed clusters, 415 were first identified in SPT data, including 251 new discoveries reported in this work. We estimate photometric redshifts for all candidates with identified optical and/or NIR counterparts; we additionally report redshifts derived from spectroscopic observations for 141 of these systems. The mass threshold of the catalog is roughly independent of redshift above z ∼ 0.25 leading to a sample of massive clusters that extends to high redshift. The median mass of the sample is M {sub 500c}(ρ{sub crit}) ∼3.5×10{sup 14} M{sub ⊙} h{sub 70}{sup −1}, the median redshift is z {sub med} = 0.55, and the highest-redshift systems are at z > 1.4. The combination of large redshift extent, clean selection, and high typical mass makes this cluster sample of particular interest for cosmological analyses and studies of cluster formation and evolution.« less

  2. A SINS/SRS/GNS Autonomous Integrated Navigation System Based on Spectral Redshift Velocity Measurements

    PubMed Central

    Wei, Wenhui; Gao, Zhaohui; Gao, Shesheng; Jia, Ke

    2018-01-01

    In order to meet the requirements of autonomy and reliability for the navigation system, combined with the method of measuring speed by using the spectral redshift information of the natural celestial bodies, a new scheme, consisting of Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (SINS)/Spectral Redshift (SRS)/Geomagnetic Navigation System (GNS), is designed for autonomous integrated navigation systems. The principle of this SINS/SRS/GNS autonomous integrated navigation system is explored, and the corresponding mathematical model is established. Furthermore, a robust adaptive central difference particle filtering algorithm is proposed for this autonomous integrated navigation system. The simulation experiments are conducted and the results show that the designed SINS/SRS/GNS autonomous integrated navigation system possesses good autonomy, strong robustness and high reliability, thus providing a new solution for autonomous navigation technology. PMID:29642549

  3. Modelling the line-of-sight contribution in substructure lensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Despali, Giulia; Vegetti, Simona; White, Simon D. M.; Giocoli, Carlo; van den Bosch, Frank C.

    2018-04-01

    We investigate how Einstein rings and magnified arcs are affected by small-mass dark-matter haloes placed along the line of sight to gravitational lens systems. By comparing the gravitational signature of line-of-sight haloes with that of substructures within the lensing galaxy, we derive a mass-redshift relation that allows us to rescale the detection threshold (i.e. lowest detectable mass) for substructures to a detection threshold for line-of-sight haloes at any redshift. We then quantify the line-of-sight contribution to the total number density of low-mass objects that can be detected through strong gravitational lensing. Finally, we assess the degeneracy between substructures and line-of-sight haloes of different mass and redshift to provide a statistical interpretation of current and future detections, with the aim of distinguishing between cold dark matter and warm dark matter. We find that line-of-sight haloes statistically dominate with respect to substructures, by an amount that strongly depends on the source and lens redshifts, and on the chosen dark-matter model. Substructures represent about 30 percent of the total number of perturbers for low lens and source redshifts (as for the SLACS lenses), but less than 10 per cent for high-redshift systems. We also find that for data with high enough signal-to-noise ratio and angular resolution, the non-linear effects arising from a double-lens-plane configuration are such that one is able to observationally recover the line-of-sight halo redshift with an absolute error precision of 0.15 at the 68 per cent confidence level.

  4. THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY REVERBERATION MAPPING PROJECT: BIASES IN z  > 1.46 REDSHIFTS DUE TO QUASAR DIVERSITY

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

    Denney, K. D.; Peterson, B. M.; Horne, Keith

    We use the coadded spectra of 32 epochs of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Reverberation Mapping Project observations of 482 quasars with z  > 1.46 to highlight systematic biases in the SDSS- and Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS)-pipeline redshifts due to the natural diversity of quasar properties. We investigate the characteristics of this bias by comparing the BOSS-pipeline redshifts to an estimate from the centroid of He ii λ 1640. He ii has a low equivalent width but is often well-defined in high-S/N spectra, does not suffer from self-absorption, and has a narrow component which, when present (the case for aboutmore » half of our sources), produces a redshift estimate that, on average, is consistent with that determined from [O ii] to within the He ii and [O ii] centroid measurement uncertainties. The large redshift differences of ∼1000 km s{sup −1}, on average, between the BOSS-pipeline and He ii-centroid redshifts, suggest there are significant biases in a portion of BOSS quasar redshift measurements. Adopting the He ii-based redshifts shows that C iv does not exhibit a ubiquitous blueshift for all quasars, given the precision probed by our measurements. Instead, we find a distribution of C iv-centroid blueshifts across our sample, with a dynamic range that (i) is wider than that previously reported for this line, and (ii) spans C iv centroids from those consistent with the systemic redshift to those with significant blueshifts of thousands of kilometers per second. These results have significant implications for measurement and use of high-redshift quasar properties and redshifts, and studies based thereon.« less

  5. Absorption in X-ray spectra of high-redshift quasars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Elvis, Martin; Fiore, Fabrizio; Wilkes, Belinda; Mcdowell, Jonathan; Bechtold, Jill

    1994-01-01

    We present evidence that X-ray absorption is common in high-redshift quasars. We have studied six high-redshift (z approximately 3) quasars with the ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) of which four are in directions of low Galactic N(sub H). Three out of these four show excess absorption, while only three in approximately 50 z approximately less than 0.4 quasars do, indicating that such absorption must be common, but not ubiquitous, at high redshifts, and that the absorbers must lie at z greater than 0.4. The six quasars were: S5 0014+81, Q0420-388, PKS 0438-436, S4 0636+680. PKS 2000-330, PKS 2126-158, which have redshifts between 2.85 and 3.78. PKS 0438-436 and PKS 2126-158 show evidence for absorption above the local Galactic value at better than 99.999% confidence level. If the absorber is at the redshift of the quasar, then values of N(sub H) = (0.86(+0.49, -0.28)) x 10(exp 22) atoms/sq cm for PKS 0438-436, and N(sub H) = (1.45(+1.20, -0.64)) x 10(exp 22) atoms/ sq cm for PKS 2126-158, are implied, assuming solar abundances. The spectrum of S4 0636+680 also suggests the presence of a similarly large absorption column density at the 98% confidence level. This absorption reverses the trend for the most luminous active galactic nuclei (AGN) to have the least X-ray absorption, so a new mechanism is likely to be responsible. Intervening absorption due to damped Lyman(alpha) systems is a plausible cause. We also suggest, as an intrinsic model, that intracluster material, e.g., a cooling flow, around the quasar could account for both the X-ray spectrum and other properties of these quasars. All the quasars are radio-loud and three are gigahertz peaked (two of the three showing absorption). No excess absorption above the Galactic value is seen toward Q0420-388. This quasar has two damped Lyman(alpha) systems at z = 3.08. The limit on the X-ray column density implies a low ionization fraction, N(H I)/N(H) approximately greater than 4 x 10(exp -3) (3 (sigma)), for solar abundances, for these systems, and can set a weak limit on the size of the absorber. In the emitted frame these PSPC spectra cover the band approximately 0.5-10 keV, which has been well observed for low-redshift quasars and AGN. Comparison of high and low-redshift spectra in this emitted band shows no change of mean spectral index greater than Delta alpha(sub E) greater than 0.3 (99% confidence) with either redshift or luminosity, for radio-loud quasars.

  6. The Evolution of the Cluster X-ray Scaling Relations in the Wide Angle ROSAT Pointed Survey Sample at 0.6 < z < 1.0

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maughan, B. J.; Jones, L. R.; Ebeling, H.; Scharf, C.

    2006-01-01

    The X-ray properties of a sample of 11 high-redshift (0.6 < z < 1 .O) clusters observed with Chardm and/or XMM-Newton are used to investigate the evolution of the cluster scaling relations. The observed evolution in the normalization of the L-T, M-T, M(sub 2)-T and M-L relations is consistent with simple self-similar predictions, in which the properties of clusters reflect the properties of the Universe at their redshift of observation. Under the assumption that the model of self-similar evolution is correct and that the local systems formed via a single spherical collapse, the high-redshift L-T relation is consistent with the high-z clusters having virialized at a significantly higher redshift than the local systems. The data are also consistent with the more realistic scenario of clusters forming via the continuous accretion of material. The slope of the L-T relation at high redshift (B = 3.32 +/- 0.37) is consistent with the local relation, and significantly steeper than the self-similar prediction of B = 2. This suggests that the same non-gravitational processes are responsible for steepening the local and high-z relations, possibly occurring universally at z is approximately greater than 1 or in the early stages of the cluster formation, prior to their observation. The properties of the intracluster medium at high redshift are found to be similar to those in the local Universe. The mean surface-brightness profile slope for the sample is Beta = 0.66 +/- 0.05, the mean gas mass fractions within R(sub 2500(z)) and R(200(z)) are 0.069 +/- 0.012 and 0.11 +/- 0.02, respectively, and the mean metallicity of the sample is 0.28 +/- 0.11 Z(sub solar).

  7. The Grism Lens-amplified Survey from Space (GLASS). IV. Mass Reconstruction of the Lensing Cluster Abell 2744 from Frontier Field Imaging and GLASS Spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, X.; Hoag, A.; Huang, K.-H.; Treu, T.; Bradač, M.; Schmidt, K. B.; Brammer, G. B.; Vulcani, B.; Jones, T. A.; Ryan, R. E., Jr.; Amorín, R.; Castellano, M.; Fontana, A.; Merlin, E.; Trenti, M.

    2015-09-01

    We present a strong and weak lensing reconstruction of the massive cluster Abell 2744, the first cluster for which deep Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) images and spectroscopy from the Grism Lens-Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS) are available. By performing a targeted search for emission lines in multiply imaged sources using the GLASS spectra, we obtain five high-confidence spectroscopic redshifts and two tentative ones. We confirm one strongly lensed system by detecting the same emission lines in all three multiple images. We also search for additional line emitters blindly and use the full GLASS spectroscopic catalog to test reliability of photometric redshifts for faint line emitters. We see a reasonable agreement between our photometric and spectroscopic redshift measurements, when including nebular emission in photometric redshift estimations. We introduce a stringent procedure to identify only secure multiple image sets based on colors, morphology, and spectroscopy. By combining 7 multiple image systems with secure spectroscopic redshifts (at 5 distinct redshift planes) with 18 multiple image systems with secure photometric redshifts, we reconstruct the gravitational potential of the cluster pixellated on an adaptive grid, using a total of 72 images. The resulting mass map is compared with a stellar mass map obtained from the deep Spitzer Frontier Fields data to study the relative distribution of stars and dark matter in the cluster. We find that the stellar to total mass ratio varies substantially across the cluster field, suggesting that stars do not trace exactly the total mass in this interacting system. The maps of convergence, shear, and magnification are made available in the standard HFF format.

  8. THE GRISM LENS-AMPLIFIED SURVEY FROM SPACE (GLASS). IV. MASS RECONSTRUCTION OF THE LENSING CLUSTER ABELL 2744 FROM FRONTIER FIELD IMAGING AND GLASS SPECTROSCOPY

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

    Wang, X.; Schmidt, K. B.; Jones, T. A.

    2015-09-20

    We present a strong and weak lensing reconstruction of the massive cluster Abell 2744, the first cluster for which deep Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) images and spectroscopy from the Grism Lens-Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS) are available. By performing a targeted search for emission lines in multiply imaged sources using the GLASS spectra, we obtain five high-confidence spectroscopic redshifts and two tentative ones. We confirm one strongly lensed system by detecting the same emission lines in all three multiple images. We also search for additional line emitters blindly and use the full GLASS spectroscopic catalog to test reliability of photometricmore » redshifts for faint line emitters. We see a reasonable agreement between our photometric and spectroscopic redshift measurements, when including nebular emission in photometric redshift estimations. We introduce a stringent procedure to identify only secure multiple image sets based on colors, morphology, and spectroscopy. By combining 7 multiple image systems with secure spectroscopic redshifts (at 5 distinct redshift planes) with 18 multiple image systems with secure photometric redshifts, we reconstruct the gravitational potential of the cluster pixellated on an adaptive grid, using a total of 72 images. The resulting mass map is compared with a stellar mass map obtained from the deep Spitzer Frontier Fields data to study the relative distribution of stars and dark matter in the cluster. We find that the stellar to total mass ratio varies substantially across the cluster field, suggesting that stars do not trace exactly the total mass in this interacting system. The maps of convergence, shear, and magnification are made available in the standard HFF format.« less

  9. Exploring the galaxy cluster-group transition regime at high redshifts. Physical properties of two newly detected z > 1 systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    2011-06-01

    Context. Multi-wavelength surveys for clusters of galaxies are opening a window on the elusive high-redshift (z > 1) cluster population. Well controlled statistical samples of distant clusters will enable us to answer questions about their cosmological context, early assembly phases and the thermodynamical evolution of the intracluster medium. Aims: We report on the detection of two z > 1 systems, XMMU J0302.2-0001 and XMMU J1532.2-0836, as part of the XMM-Newton Distant Cluster Project (XDCP) sample. We investigate the nature of the sources, measure their spectroscopic redshift and determine their basic physical parameters. Methods: The results of the present paper are based on the analysis of XMM-Newton archival data, optical/near-infrared imaging and deep optical follow-up spectroscopy of the clusters. Results: We confirm the X-ray source XMMU J0302.2-0001 as a gravitationally bound, bona fide cluster of galaxies at spectroscopic redshift z = 1.185. We estimate its M500 mass to (1.6 ± 0.3) × 1014 M⊙ from its measured X-ray luminosity. This ranks the cluster among intermediate mass system. In the case of XMMU J1532.2-0836 we find the X-ray detection to be coincident with a dynamically bound system of galaxies at z = 1.358. Optical spectroscopy reveals the presence of a central active galactic nucleus, which can be a dominant source of the detected X-ray emission from this system. We provide upper limits of X-ray parameters for the system and discuss cluster identification challenges in the high-redshift low-mass cluster regime. A third, intermediate redshift (z = 0.647) cluster, XMMU J0302.1-0000, is serendipitously detected in the same field as XMMU J0302.2-0001. We provide its analysis as well. Based on observations obtained with ESO Telescopes at the Paranal Observatory under program ID 080.A-0659 and 081.A-0312, observations collected at the Centro Astrnómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, Spain operated jointly by the Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC). X-ray observations were obtained by XMM-Newton.

  10. Limits on the time variation of the electromagnetic fine-structure constant in the low energy limit from absorption lines in the spectra of distant quasars.

    PubMed

    Srianand, R; Chand, H; Petitjean, P; Aracil, B

    2004-03-26

    We present the results of a detailed many-multiplet analysis performed on a new sample of Mg ii systems observed in high quality quasar spectra obtained using the Very Large Telescope. The weighted mean value of the variation in alpha derived from our analysis over the redshift range 0.4

  11. Herschel Far Infrared Spectra of Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilson, Derek; Cooray, Asantha R.; Nayyeri, Hooshang

    2017-01-01

    We stack archival spectra from the Herschel Space Observatory's SPIRE Spectrometer in three redshift bins from low redshifts (z < 0.2), through intermediate redshifts (0.2 < z < 1), and up to high redshifts (z > 1) in order to determine the average properties of the gas and dust in dusty, star-forming galaxies and (U)LIRGs. In the lower-redshift stack, we detect a host of water and carbon monoxide rotational transition lines, as well as some fine structure lines such as [NII]. At intermediate redshifts, only a [CII] line appears. The high-redshift stack displays strong [CII] emission, as well as faint emission from [OI] and [OIII]. The observed emission lines are used to model the average number density and radiation field strength in the photodissociation regions of our high-redshift sample, and the spectral line energy distributions of CO rotational transitions from the low-redshift stack are presented.

  12. Fast Radio Burst/Gamma-Ray Burst Cosmography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, He; Li, Zhuo; Zhang, Bing

    2014-06-01

    Recently, both theoretical arguments and observational evidence suggested that a small fraction of fast radio bursts (FRBs) could be associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). If such FRB/GRB association systems are commonly detected in the future, the combination of dispersion measures (DM) derived from FRBs and redshifts derived from GRBs makes these systems a plausible tool to conduct cosmography. We quantify uncertainties in deriving the redshift-dependent DM_{IGM} as a function of z and test how well dark energy models can be constrained with Monte Carlo simulations. We show that with several tens of FRB/GRB systems potentially detected in a decade or so, one may reach reasonable constraints on wCDM models. When combined with Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) data, unprecedented constraints on the dark energy equation of state may be achieved, thanks to the prospects of detecting FRB/GRB systems at relatively high redshifts. The ratio between the mean value \\lt {DM_IGM} (z)\\gt and luminosity distance (D L(z)) is insensitive to dark energy models. This gives the prospect of applying SN Ia data to calibrate \\lt {DM_IGM} (z)\\gt using a relatively small sample of FRB/GRB systems, allowing a reliable constraint on the baryon inhomogeneity distribution as a function of redshift. The methodology developed in this paper can also be applied if the FRB redshifts can be measured by other means. Some caveats of putting this method into practice are also discussed.

  13. Generation of multi-millijoule red-shifted pulses for seeding stimulated Raman backscattering amplifiers.

    PubMed

    Landgraf, Björn; Hoffmann, Andreas; Kartashov, Daniil; Gärtner, Felix; Samsonova, Zhanna; Polynkin, Pavel; Jacoby, Joachim; Kühl, Thomas; Spielmann, Christian

    2015-03-23

    The efficient generation of redshifted pulses from chirped femtosecond joule level Bessel beam pulses in gases is studied. The redshift spans from a few 100 cm⁻¹ to several 1000 cm⁻¹ corresponding to a shift of 50-500 nm for Nd:glass laser systems. The generated pulses have an almost perfect Gaussian beam profile insensitive of the pump beam profile, and are much shorter than the pump pulses. The highest measured energy is as high as 30 mJ, which is significantly higher than possible with solid state nonlinear frequency shifters.

  14. A quasar discovered at redshift 6.6 from Pan-STARRS1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, Ji-Jia; Goto, Tomotsugu; Ohyama, Youichi; Chen, Wen-Ping; Walter, Fabian; Venemans, Bram; Chambers, Kenneth C.; Bañados, Eduardo; Decarli, Roberto; Fan, Xiaohui; Farina, Emanuele; Mazzucchelli, Chiara; Kaiser, Nick; Magnier, Eugene A.

    2017-04-01

    Luminous high-redshift quasars can be used to probe of the intergalactic medium in the early universe because their UV light is absorbed by the neutral hydrogen along the line of sight. They help us to measure the neutral hydrogen fraction of the high-z universe, shedding light on the end of reionization epoch. In this paper, we present a discovery of a new quasar (PSO J006.1240+39.2219) at redshift z = 6.61 ± 0.02 from Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System 1. Including this quasar, there are nine quasars above z > 6.5 up to date. The estimated continuum brightness is M1450 = -25.96 ± 0.08. PSO J006.1240+39.2219 has a strong Ly α emission compared with typical low-redshift quasars, but the measured near-zone region size is RNZ = 3.2 ± 1.1 proper megaparsecs, which is consistent with other quasars at z ˜ 6.

  15. A study of ten quasars with redshifts greater than four

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schneider, Donald P.; Schmidt, Maarten; Gunn, James E.

    1989-01-01

    Four quasars with redshifts greater than four were detected in a low-resolution CCD grism survey. CCD photometry and high S/N, moderate resolution spectra are presented for these quasars and the six other known quasars with redshifts above 4. The M sub B values of nine of the objects are between -27.5 and -25, with the tenth quasar having an M sub B value of -29. The emission lines and shapes of the continua of these ten quasars are similar to those of lower-redshift quasars. The results suggest that the C IV emission lines in high-redshift quasars may be weaker than those in lower-redshift quasars. The continua of all of the high-redshift quasars display strong depressions blueward of the Ly-alpha emission line.

  16. A New Survey for Low-Redshift Damped Lyman-Alpha Lines in QSO MgII Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rao, Sandhya

    2000-07-01

    Studies have shown that most of the observable neutral gas mass in the Universe resides in QSO damped LyAlpha {DLA} systems. However, at low redshift {z<1.65}, DLA can only be found by searching in the UV with HST. Such searches are crucial since z<1.65 corresponds to 3/4 of the age of the Universe. The identification of significant numbers of low- redshift DLA systems is imperative if we ever hope to effectively study this cosmologically massive component of neutral gas. To this end, we recently reported on the results of our initial HST survey to study low-redshift DLA absorbers in QSO MgII systems. We discovered 14 DLA systems and had a success rate of 14%. Now, based on these results and our improved understanding of the selection criteria for successful DLA searches, we propose a new survey for low-redshift DLA lines in QSO MgII systems. With our new revised selection criteria, we can empirically show that our success rate would be 35%. Specifically, we propose to observe the LyAlpha line of 55 MgII systems. We estimate that we will discover 19 new DLA systems with redshift z<1.65. Finding these systems will facilitate the type of research that can be done with DLA systems. By boot-strapping from the MgII statistics, we will be able to further improve the determination of the low- redshift statistical properties of DLA {their incidence and cosmological mass density} and open up new opportunities for studies at low redshift.

  17. The Neutral Hydrogen Cosmological Mass Density at z = 5

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crighton, Neil H. M.; Murphy, Michael T.; Prochaska, J. Xavier; Worseck, Gábor; Rafelski, Marc; Becker, George D.; Ellison, Sara L.; Fumagalli, Michele; Lopez, Sebastian; Meiksin, Avery; O'Meara, John M.

    2017-03-01

    We present the largest homogeneous survey of redshift > 4.4 damped Lyα systems (DLAs) using the spectra of 163 quasars that comprise the Giant Gemini GMOS (GGG) survey. With this survey we make the most precise high-redshift measurement of the cosmological mass density of neutral hydrogen, ΩHI. After correcting for systematic effects using a combination of mock and higher-resolution spectra, we find ΩHI= 0.98+0.20 -0.18 × 10-3 at = 4.9, assuming a 20% contribution from lower column density systems below the DLA threshold. By comparing to literature measurements at lower redshifts, we show that ΩHI can be described by the functional form ΩHI(z) ~ (1 + z)0.4. This gradual decrease from z = 5 to 0 suggests that in the galaxies which dominate the cosmic star formation rate, Hi is a transitory gas phase fuelling star formation which must be continually replenished by more highly-ionized gas from the intergalactic medium, and from recycled galactic winds.

  18. BLUETIDES simulation: establishing black hole-galaxy relations at high-redshift

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Kuan-Wei; Di Matteo, Tiziana; Bhowmick, Aklant K.; Feng, Yu; Ma, Chung-Pei

    2018-05-01

    The scaling relations between the mass of supermassive black holes (M•) and host galaxy properties (stellar mass, M⋆, and velocity dispersion, σ), provide a link between the growth of black holes (BHs) and that of their hosts. Here we investigate if and how the BH-galaxy relations are established in the high-z universe using BLUETIDES, a high-resolution large volume cosmological hydrodynamic simulation. We find the M• - M⋆ and M• - σ relations at z = 8: log10(M•) = 8.25 + 1.10 log10(M⋆/1011M⊙) and log10(M•) = 8.35 + 5.31 log10(σ/200kms-1) at z = 8, both fully consistent with the local measurements. The slope of the M• - σ relation is slightly steeper for high star formation rate and M⋆ galaxies while it remains unchanged as a function of Eddington accretion rate onto the BH. The intrinsic scatter in M• - σ relation in all cases (ɛ ˜ 0.4) is larger at these redshifts than inferred from observations and larger than in M• - M⋆ relation (ɛ ˜ 0.14). We find the gas-to-stellar ratio f = Mgas/M⋆ in the host (which can be very high at these redshifts) to have the most significant impact setting the intrinsic scatter of M• - σ. The scatter is significantly reduced when galaxies with high gas fractions (ɛ = 0.28 as f < 10) are excluded (making the sample more comparable to low-z galaxies); these systems have the largest star formation rates and black hole accretion rates, indicating that these fast-growing systems are still moving toward the relation at these high redshifts. Examining the evolution (from z = 10 to 8) of high mass black holes in M• - σ plane confirms this trend.

  19. Recovering the systemic redshift of galaxies from their Lyman alpha line profile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Verhamme, A.; Garel, T.; Ventou, E.; Contini, T.; Bouché, N.; Herenz, EC; Richard, J.; Bacon, R.; Schmidt, KB; Maseda, M.; Marino, RA; Brinchmann, J.; Cantalupo, S.; Caruana, J.; Clément, B.; Diener, C.; Drake, AB; Hashimoto, T.; Inami, H.; Kerutt, J.; Kollatschny, W.; Leclercq, F.; Patrício, V.; Schaye, J.; Wisotzki, L.; Zabl, J.

    2018-07-01

    The Lyman alpha (Ly α) line of Hydrogen is a prominent feature in the spectra of star-forming galaxies, usually redshifted by a few hundreds of km s-1 compared to the systemic redshift. This large offset hampers follow-up surveys, galaxy pair statistics, and correlations with quasar absorption lines when only Ly α is available. We propose diagnostics that can be used to recover the systemic redshift directly from the properties of the Ly α line profile. We use spectroscopic observations of Ly α emitters for which a precise measurement of the systemic redshift is available. Our sample contains 13 sources detected between z ≈ 3 and z ≈ 6 as part of various multi-unit spectroscopic explorer guaranteed time observations. We also include a compilation of spectroscopic Ly α data from the literature spanning a wide redshift range (z ≈ 0-8). First, restricting our analysis to double-peaked Ly α spectra, we find a tight correlation between the velocity offset of the red peak with respect to the systemic redshift, V_peak^red, and the separation of the peaks. Secondly, we find a correlation between V_peak^red and the full width at half-maximum of the Ly α line. Fitting formulas to estimate systemic redshifts of galaxies with an accuracy of ≤100 km s-1, when only the Ly α emission line is available, are given for the two methods.

  20. The Grism Lens-Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS). II. Gas-Phase Metallicity and Radial Gradients in an Interacting System At Z ≃ 2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, T.; Wang, X.; Schmidt, K. B.; Treu, T.; Brammer, G. B.; Bradač, M.; Dressler, A.; Henry, A. L.; Malkan, M. A.; Pentericci, L.; Trenti, M.

    2015-03-01

    We present spatially resolved gas-phase metallicity for a system of three galaxies at z = 1.85 detected in the Grism Lens-Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS). The combination of Hubble Space Telescope (HST’s) diffraction limit and strong gravitational lensing by the cluster MACS J0717+3745 results in a spatial resolution of ≃200-300 pc, enabling good spatial sampling despite the intrinsically small galaxy sizes. The galaxies in this system are separated by ≃50-200 kpc in projection and are likely in an early stage of interaction, evidenced by relatively high specific star formation rates. Their gas-phase metallicities are consistent with larger samples at similar redshift, star formation rate (SFR), and stellar mass. We obtain a precise measurement of the metallicity gradient for one galaxy and find a shallow slope compared to isolated galaxies at high redshift, consistent with a flattening of the gradient due to gravitational interaction. An alternative explanation for the shallow metallicity gradient and elevated SFR is rapid recycling of metal-enriched gas, but we find no evidence for enhanced gas-phase metallicities which should result from this effect. Notably, the measured stellar masses log {{M}*}/{{M}} = 7.2-9.1 probe to an order of magnitude below previous mass-metallicity studies at this redshift. The lowest mass galaxy has properties similar to those expected for Fornax at this redshift, indicating that GLASS is able to directly study the progenitors of local group dwarf galaxies on spatially resolved scales. Larger samples from the full GLASS survey will be ideal for studying the effects of feedback, and the time evolution of metallicity gradients. These initial results demonstrate the utility of HST spectroscopy combined with gravitational lensing for characterizing resolved physical properties of galaxies at high redshift.

  1. An Imperfectly Passive Nature: Bright Submillimeter Emission from Dust-obscured Star Formation in the z = 3.717 “Passive” System, ZF 20115

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simpson, J. M.; Smail, Ian; Wang, Wei-Hao; Riechers, D.; Dunlop, J. S.; Ao, Y.; Bourne, N.; Bunker, A.; Chapman, S. C.; Chen, Chian-Chou; Dannerbauer, H.; Geach, J. E.; Goto, T.; Harrison, C. M.; Hwang, H. S.; Ivison, R. J.; Kodama, Tadayuki; Lee, C.-H.; Lee, H.-M.; Lee, M.; Lim, C.-F.; Michałowski, M. J.; Rosario, D. J.; Shim, H.; Shu, X. W.; Swinbank, A. M.; Tee, W.-L.; Toba, Y.; Valiante, E.; Wang, Junxian; Zheng, X. Z.

    2017-07-01

    The identification of high-redshift, massive galaxies with old stellar populations may pose challenges to some models of galaxy formation. However, to securely classify a galaxy as quiescent, it is necessary to exclude significant ongoing star formation, something that can be challenging to achieve at high redshifts. In this Letter, we analyze deep ALMA/870 μm and SCUBA-2/450 μm imaging of the claimed “post-starburst” galaxy ZF 20115 at z = 3.717 that exhibits a strong Balmer break and absorption lines. The rest-frame far-infrared imaging identifies a luminous starburst 0.″4 ± 0.″1 (˜3 kpc in projection) from the position of the ultraviolet/optical emission and is consistent with lying at the redshift of ZF 20115. The star-forming component, with an obscured star formation rate of {100}-70+15 {M}⊙ {{yr}}-1, is undetected in the rest-frame ultraviolet but contributes significantly to the lower angular resolution photometry at rest-frame wavelengths ≳3500 Å. This contribution from the obscured starburst, especially in the Spitzer/IRAC wavebands, significantly complicates the determination of a reliable stellar mass for the ZF 20015 system, and we conclude that this source does not pose a challenge to current models of galaxy formation. The multi-wavelength observations of ZF 20115 unveil a complex system with an intricate and spatially varying star formation history. ZF 20115 demonstrates that understanding high-redshift obscured starbursts will only be possible with multi-wavelength studies that include high-resolution observations, available with the James Webb Space Telescope, at mid-infrared wavelengths.

  2. Optical Spectroscopy of Distant Red Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wuyts, Stijn; van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Franx, Marijn; Förster Schreiber, Natascha M.; Illingworth, Garth D.; Labbé, Ivo; Rudnick, Gregory

    2009-11-01

    We present optical spectroscopic follow-up of a sample of distant red galaxies (DRGs) with K tot s,Vega < 22.5, selected by (J - K)Vega>2.3, in the Hubble Deep Field South (HDFS), the MS 1054-03 field, and the Chandra Deep Field South (CDFS). Spectroscopic redshifts were obtained for 15 DRGs. Only two out of 15 DRGs are located at z < 2, suggesting a high efficiency to select high-redshift sources. From other spectroscopic surveys in the CDFS targeting intermediate to high-redshift populations selected with different criteria, we find spectroscopic redshifts for a further 30 DRGs. We use the sample of spectroscopically confirmed DRGs to establish the high quality (scatter in Δz/(1 + z) of ~0.05) of their photometric redshifts in the considered deep fields, as derived with EAZY. Combining the spectroscopic and photometric redshifts, we find that 74% of DRGs with K tot s,Vega < 22.5 lie at z>2. The combined spectroscopic and photometric sample is used to analyze the distinct intrinsic and observed properties of DRGs at z < 2 and z>2. In our photometric sample to K tot s,Vega < 22.5, low-redshift DRGs are brighter in Ks than high-redshift DRGs by 0.7 mag, and more extincted by 1.2 mag in AV . Our analysis shows that the DRG criterion selects galaxies with different properties at different redshifts. Such biases can be largely avoided by selecting galaxies based on their rest-frame properties, which requires very good multi-band photometry and high quality photometric redshifts.

  3. The Kinematics of Multiple-peaked Lyα Emission in Star-forming Galaxies at z ~ 2-3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kulas, Kristin R.; Shapley, Alice E.; Kollmeier, Juna A.; Zheng, Zheng; Steidel, Charles C.; Hainline, Kevin N.

    2012-01-01

    We present new results on the Lyα emission-line kinematics of 18 z ~ 2-3 star-forming galaxies with multiple-peaked Lyα profiles. With our large spectroscopic database of UV-selected star-forming galaxies at these redshifts, we have determined that ~30% of such objects with detectable Lyα emission display multiple-peaked emission profiles. These profiles provide additional constraints on the escape of Lyα photons due to the rich velocity structure in the emergent line. Despite recent advances in modeling the escape of Lyα from star-forming galaxies at high redshifts, comparisons between models and data are often missing crucial observational information. Using Keck II NIRSPEC spectra of Hα (z ~ 2) and [O III]λ5007 (z ~ 3), we have measured accurate systemic redshifts, rest-frame optical nebular velocity dispersions, and emission-line fluxes for the objects in the sample. In addition, rest-frame UV luminosities and colors provide estimates of star formation rates and the degree of dust extinction. In concert with the profile sub-structure, these measurements provide critical constraints on the geometry and kinematics of interstellar gas in high-redshift galaxies. Accurate systemic redshifts allow us to translate the multiple-peaked Lyα profiles into velocity space, revealing that the majority (11/18) display double-peaked emission straddling the velocity-field zero point with stronger red-side emission. Interstellar absorption-line kinematics suggest the presence of large-scale outflows for the majority of objects in our sample, with an average measured interstellar absorption velocity offset of langΔv absrang = -230 km s-1. A comparison of the interstellar absorption kinematics for objects with multiple- and single-peaked Lyα profiles indicate that the multiple-peaked objects are characterized by significantly narrower absorption line widths. We compare our data with the predictions of simple models for outflowing and infalling gas distributions around high-redshift galaxies. While popular "shell" models provide a qualitative match with many of the observations of Lyα emission, we find that in detail there are important discrepancies between the models and data, as well as problems with applying the framework of an expanding thin shell of gas to explain high-redshift galaxy spectra. Our data highlight these inconsistencies, as well as illuminating critical elements for success in future models of outflow and infall in high-redshift galaxies. Based, in part, on data 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 NASA, and was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

  4. A Chandra Survey of low-mass clusters at 0.8 < z < 0.9 selected in the 100 deg^2 SPT-Pol Deep Field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kraft, Ralph

    2016-09-01

    We propose to observe a complete sample of 4 galaxy clusters at 1e14 < M500 < 3e14 and 0.8 < z < 0.9. These systems were selected from the 100 deg^2 deep field of the SPT-Pol SZ survey. This survey are has significant complementary data, including uniform depth ATCA, Herschel, Spitzer, and DES imaging, enabling a wide variety of astrophysical and cosmological studies. This sample complements the successful SPT-XVP survey, which has a broad redshift range and a narrow mass range, by including clusters over a narrow redshift range and broad mass range. These systems are such low mass and high redshift that they will not be detected in the eRosita all-sky survey.

  5. A Chandra Survey of low-mass clusters at 0.7 < z < 0.8 selected in the 100 deg^2 SPT-Pol Deep Field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kraft, Ralph

    2016-09-01

    We propose to observe a complete sample of 4 galaxy clusters at 1e14 < M500 < 3e14 and 0.7 < z < 0.8. These systems were selected from the 100 deg^2 deep field of the SPT-Pol SZ survey. This survey are has significant complementary data, including uniform depth ATCA, Herschel, Spitzer, and DES imaging, enabling a wide variety of astrophysical and cosmological studies. This sample complements the successful SPT-XVP survey, which has a broad redshift range and a narrow mass range, by including clusters over a narrow redshift range and broad mass range. These systems are such low mass and high redshift that they will not be detected in the eRosita all-sky survey.

  6. Recovering the systemic redshift of galaxies from their Lyman-alpha line profile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Verhamme, A.; Garel, T.; Ventou, E.; Contini, T.; Bouché, N.; Herenz, E. C.; Richard, J.; Bacon, R.; Schmidt, K. B.; Maseda, M.; Marino, R. A.; Brinchmann, J.; Cantalupo, S.; Caruana, J.; Clément, B.; Diener, C.; Drake, A. B.; Hashimoto, T.; Inami, H.; Kerutt, J.; Kollatschny, W.; Leclercq, F.; Patrício, V.; Schaye, J.; Wisotzki, L.; Zabl, J.

    2018-04-01

    The Lyman alpha (Lyα) line of Hydrogen is a prominent feature in the spectra of star-forming galaxies, usually redshifted by a few hundreds of km s-1 compared to the systemic redshift. This large offset hampers follow-up surveys, galaxy pair statistics and correlations with quasar absorption lines when only Lyα is available. We propose diagnostics that can be used to recover the systemic redshift directly from the properties of the Lyα line profile. We use spectroscopic observations of Lyman-Alpha Emitters (LAEs) for which a precise measurement of the systemic redshift is available. Our sample contains 13 sources detected between z ≈ 3 and z ≈ 6 as part of various Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) Guaranteed Time Observations (GTO). We also include a compilation of spectroscopic Lyα data from the literature spanning a wide redshift range (z ≈ 0 - 8). First, restricting our analysis to double-peaked Lyα spectra, we find a tight correlation between the velocity offset of the red peak with respect to the systemic redshift, V_peak^red, and the separation of the peaks. Secondly, we find a correlation between V_peak^red and the full width at half maximum of the Lyα line. Fitting formulas, to estimate systemic redshifts of galaxies with an accuracy of ≤100 km s-1 when only the Lyα emission line is available, are given for the two methods.

  7. Lens models and magnification maps of the six Hubble Frontier Fields clusters

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

    Johnson, Traci L.; Sharon, Keren; Bayliss, Matthew B.

    2014-12-10

    We present strong-lensing models as well as mass and magnification maps for the cores of the six Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Frontier Fields galaxy clusters. Our parametric lens models are constrained by the locations and redshifts of multiple image systems of lensed background galaxies. We use a combination of photometric redshifts and spectroscopic redshifts of the lensed background sources obtained by us (for A2744 and AS1063), collected from the literature, or kindly provided by the lensing community. Using our results, we (1) compare the derived mass distribution of each cluster to its light distribution, (2) quantify the cumulative magnification powermore » of the HST Frontier Fields clusters, (3) describe how our models can be used to estimate the magnification and image multiplicity of lensed background sources at all redshifts and at any position within the cluster cores, and (4) discuss systematic effects and caveats resulting from our modeling methods. We specifically investigate the effect of the use of spectroscopic and photometric redshift constraints on the uncertainties of the resulting models. We find that the photometric redshift estimates of lensed galaxies are generally in excellent agreement with spectroscopic redshifts, where available. However, the flexibility associated with relaxed redshift priors may cause the complexity of large-scale structure that is needed to account for the lensing signal to be underestimated. Our findings thus underline the importance of spectroscopic arc redshifts, or tight photometric redshift constraints, for high precision lens models. All products from our best-fit lens models (magnification, convergence, shear, deflection field) and model simulations for estimating errors are made available via the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes.« less

  8. Evolution of HI from Z=5 to the present

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Storrie-Lombardi, L. J.

    2002-01-01

    Studies of damped Lya systems provide us with a good measure of the evolution of the HI column density distribution function and the contribution to the comoving mass density in neutral gas out to redshifts of z = 5 . The column density distribution function at high redshift steepens for the highest column density HI absorbers, though the contribution to the comoving mass density of neutral gas remains fiat from 2 < z < 5 . Results from studies at z < 2 are finding substantial numbers of damped absorbers identified from MgII absorption, compared to previous blind surveys. These results indicate that the contribution to the comoving mass density in neutral gas may be constant from z 0 to z 5. Details of recent work in the redshift range z < 2 work is covered elsewhere in this volume (see D. Nestor). We review here recent results for the redshift range 2 < z < 5.

  9. Radio polarization properties of quasars and active galaxies at high redshifts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vernstrom, T.; Gaensler, B. M.; Vacca, V.; Farnes, J. S.; Haverkorn, M.; O'Sullivan, S. P.

    2018-04-01

    We present the largest ever sample of radio polarization properties for z > 4 sources, with 14 sources having significant polarization detections. Using wide-band data from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, we obtained the rest-frame total intensity and polarization properties of 37 radio sources, nine of which have spectroscopic redshifts in the range 1 ≤ z ≤ 1.4, with the other 28 having spectroscopic redshifts in the range 3.5 ≤ z ≤ 6.21. Fits are performed for the Stokes I and fractional polarization spectra, and Faraday rotation measures are derived using rotation measure synthesis and QU fitting. Using archival data of 476 polarized sources, we compare high-redshift (z > 3) source properties to a 15 GHz rest-frame luminosity matched sample of low-redshift (z < 3) sources to investigate if the polarization properties of radio sources at high redshifts are intrinsically different than those at low redshift. We find a mean of the rotation measure absolute values, corrected for Galactic rotation, of 50 ± 22 rad m-2 for z > 3 sources and 57 ± 4 rad m-2 for z < 3. Although there is some indication of lower intrinsic rotation measures at high-z possibly due to higher depolarization from the high-density environments, using several statistical tests we detect no significant difference between low- and high-redshift sources. Larger samples are necessary to determine any true physical difference.

  10. Infrared/optical energy distributions of high redshifted quasars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Soifer, B. T.; Neugebauer, G.; Oke, J. B.; Matthews, K.; Lacy, J. H.

    1982-01-01

    Measurements at 1.2, 1.6 and 2.2 microns were combined with visual spectrophotometry of 21 quasars having redshifts z or = 2.66. The primary result is that the rest frame visual/ultraviolet continua of the high redshift quasars are well described by a sum of a power law continuum with slope of approximately -0.4 and a 3000 A bump. The rest frame visual/ultraviolet continua of these quasars are quite similar to that of 3C273, the archetype of low redshift quasars. There does not appear to be any visual/ultraviolet properties distinguishing high redshift quasars selected via visual or radio techniques.

  11. Galaxy luminosity function: evolution at high redshift

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinet, N.; Durret, F.; Guennou, L.; Adami, C.

    2014-12-01

    There are some disagreements about the abundance of faint galaxies in high redshift clusters. DAFT/FADA (Dark energy American French Team) is a medium redshift (0.4

  12. High Redshift Supernova Search

    Science.gov Websites

    ;on schedule." Before-and-after pictures (and Hubble Space Telescope picture) of a high-redshift High Redshift Supernova Search Home Page of the Supernova Cosmology Project This is the Lawrence Foretell Fate of the Universe." Pictures from the ground and from the Hubble Space Telescope: [PDF

  13. Using r-process enhanced galaxies to estimate the neutron star merger rate at high redshift

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roederer, Ian

    2018-01-01

    The rapid neutron-capture process, or r-process, is one of the fundamental ways that stars produce heavy elements. I describe a new approach that uses the existence of r-process enhanced galaxies, like the recently discovered ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Reticulum II, to derive a rate for neutron star mergers at high redshift. This method relies on three assertions. First, several lines of reasoning point to neutron star mergers as a rare yet prolific producer of r-process elements, and one merger event is capable of enriching most of the stars in a low-mass dwarf galaxy. Second, the Local Group is cosmologically representative of the halo mass function at the mass scales of low-luminosity dwarf galaxies, and the volume that their progenitors spanned at high redshifts can be estimated from simulations. Third, many of these dwarf galaxies are extremely old, and the metals found in their stars today date from the earliest times at high redshift. These galaxies occupy a quantifiable volume of the Universe, from which the frequency of r-process enhanced galaxies can be estimated. This frequency may be interpreted as lower limit to the neutron star merger rate at a redshift (z ~ 5-10) that is much higher than is accessible to gravitational wave observatories. I will present a proof of concept demonstration using medium-resolution multi-object spectroscopy from the Michigan/Magellan Fiber System (M2FS) to recover the known r-process galaxy Reticulum II, and I will discuss future plans to apply this method to other Local Group dwarf galaxies.

  14. Mechanofluorochromic Carbon Nanodots: Controllable Pressure-Triggered Blue- and Red-Shifted Photoluminescence.

    PubMed

    Liu, Cui; Xiao, Guanjun; Yang, Mengli; Zou, Bo; Zhang, Zhi-Ling; Pang, Dai-Wen

    2018-02-12

    Mechanofluorochromic materials, which change their photoluminescence (PL) colors in responding to mechanical stimuli, can be used as mechanosensors, security papers, and photoelectronic devices. However, traditional mechanofluorochromic materials can only be adjusted to a monotone direction upon the external stimuli. Controllable pressure-triggered blue- and red-shifted PL is reported for C-dots. The origin of mechanofluorochromism (MFC) in C-dots is interpreted based on structure-property relationships. The carbonyl group and the π-conjugated system play key roles in the PL change of C-dots under high pressure. As the pressure increases, the enhanced π-π stacking of the π-conjugated system causes the red-shift of PL, while the conversion of carbonyl groups eventually induces a blue-shift. Together with their low toxicity, good hydrophilicity, and small size, the tunable MFC property would boost various potential applications of C-dots. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Element abundances at high redshift

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meyer, David M.; Welty, D. E.; York, D. G.

    1989-01-01

    Abundances of Si(+), S(+), Cr(+), Mn(+), Fe(_), and Zn(+) are considered for two absorption-line systems in the spectrum of the QSO PKS 0528 - 250. Zinc and sulfur are underabundant, relative to H, by a factor of 10 compared to their solar and Galactic interstellar abundances. The silicon-, chromium-, iron-, and nickel-to-hydrogen ratios are less than the solar values and comparable to the local interstellar ratios. A straightforward interpretation is that nucleosynthesis in these high-redshift systems has led to only about one-tenth as much heavy production as in the gas clouds around the sun, and that the amount of the observed underabundances attributable to grain depletion is small. The dust-to-gas ratio in these clouds is less than 8 percent of the Galactic value.

  16. Intervening O vi Quasar Absorption Systems at Low Redshift: A Significant Baryon Reservoir.

    PubMed

    Tripp; Savage; Jenkins

    2000-05-01

    Far-UV echelle spectroscopy of the radio-quiet QSO H1821+643 (zem=0.297), obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) at approximately 7 km s-1 resolution, reveals four definite O vi absorption-line systems and one probable O vi absorber at 0.15

  17. New solution to the problem of the tension between the high-redshift and low-redshift measurements of the Hubble constant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bolejko, Krzysztof

    2018-01-01

    During my talk I will present results suggesting that the phenomenon of emerging spatial curvature could resolve the conflict between Planck's (high-redshift) and Riess et al. (low-redshift) measurements of the Hubble constant. The phenomenon of emerging spatial curvature is absent in the Standard Cosmological Model, which has a flat and fixed spatial curvature (small perturbations are considered in the Standard Cosmological Model but their global average vanishes, leading to spatial flatness at all times).In my talk I will show that with the nonlinear growth of cosmic structures the global average deviates from zero. As a result, the spatial curvature evolves from spatial flatness of the early universe to a negatively curved universe at the present day, with Omega_K ~ 0.1. Consequently, the present day expansion rate, as measured by the Hubble constant, is a few percent higher compared to the high-redshift constraints. This provides an explanation why there is a tension between high-redshift (Planck) and low-redshift (Riess et al.) measurements of the Hubble constant. In the presence of emerging spatial curvature these two measurements should in fact be different: high redshift measurements should be slightly lower than the Hubble constant inferred from the low-redshift data.The presentation will be based on the results described in arXiv:1707.01800 and arXiv:1708.09143 (which discuss the phenomenon of emerging spatial curvature) and on a paper that is still work in progress but is expected to be posted on arxiv by the AAS meeting (this paper uses mock low-redshift data to show that starting from the Planck's cosmological models (in the early universe) but with the emerging spatial curvature taken into account, the low-redshift Hubble constant should be 72.4 km/s/Mpc.

  18. High redshift galaxies in the ALHAMBRA survey . I. Selection method and number counts based on redshift PDFs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Viironen, K.; Marín-Franch, A.; López-Sanjuan, C.; Varela, J.; Chaves-Montero, J.; Cristóbal-Hornillos, D.; Molino, A.; Fernández-Soto, A.; Vilella-Rojo, G.; Ascaso, B.; Cenarro, A. J.; Cerviño, M.; Cepa, J.; Ederoclite, A.; Márquez, I.; Masegosa, J.; Moles, M.; Oteo, I.; Pović, M.; Aguerri, J. A. L.; Alfaro, E.; Aparicio-Villegas, T.; Benítez, N.; Broadhurst, T.; Cabrera-Caño, J.; Castander, J. F.; Del Olmo, A.; González Delgado, R. M.; Husillos, C.; Infante, L.; Martínez, V. J.; Perea, J.; Prada, F.; Quintana, J. M.

    2015-04-01

    Context. Most observational results on the high redshift restframe UV-bright galaxies are based on samples pinpointed using the so-called dropout technique or Ly-α selection. However, the availability of multifilter data now allows the dropout selections to be replaced by direct methods based on photometric redshifts. In this paper we present the methodology to select and study the population of high redshift galaxies in the ALHAMBRA survey data. Aims: Our aim is to develop a less biased methodology than the traditional dropout technique to study the high redshift galaxies in ALHAMBRA and other multifilter data. Thanks to the wide area ALHAMBRA covers, we especially aim at contributing to the study of the brightest, least frequent, high redshift galaxies. Methods: The methodology is based on redshift probability distribution functions (zPDFs). It is shown how a clean galaxy sample can be obtained by selecting the galaxies with high integrated probability of being within a given redshift interval. However, reaching both a complete and clean sample with this method is challenging. Hence, a method to derive statistical properties by summing the zPDFs of all the galaxies in the redshift bin of interest is introduced. Results: Using this methodology we derive the galaxy rest frame UV number counts in five redshift bins centred at z = 2.5,3.0,3.5,4.0, and 4.5, being complete up to the limiting magnitude at mUV(AB) = 24, where mUV refers to the first ALHAMBRA filter redwards of the Ly-α line. With the wide field ALHAMBRA data we especially contribute to the study of the brightest ends of these counts, accurately sampling the surface densities down to mUV(AB) = 21-22. Conclusions: We show that using the zPDFs it is easy to select a very clean sample of high redshift galaxies. We also show that it is better to do statistical analysis of the properties of galaxies using a probabilistic approach, which takes into account both the incompleteness and contamination issues in a natural way. Based on observations collected at the German-Spanish Astronomical Center, Calar Alto, jointly operated by the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (MPIA) at Heidelberg and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).

  19. High Redshift Quasars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Elvis, Martin S.

    1996-01-01

    The report for this period includes three papers: 'Associated Absorption at Low and High Redshift'; 'Strong X-ray Absorption in a Broad Absorption Line Quasar: PHL5200'; and 'ASCA and ROSAT X-ray Spectra of High-Redshift Radio-Loud Quasars'. The first gives examples from both low and high redshift for combining information on absorbing material in active galactic nuclei from both x-ray and the UV. The second presents ASCA observations of the z = 1.98 prototype broad absorption line quasar (BALQSO): PHL 5200, detected with both the solid-state imaging spectrometers and the gas imaging spectometers. The third paper presents results on the x-ray properties of 9 high-redshift radio-loud quasars observed by ASCA and ROSAT, including ASCA observations of S5 0014+81 (z = 3.38) and S5 0836+71 (z = 2.17) and ROSAT observations of PKS 2126-158.

  20. An HST/COS Survey of the Low-redshift Intergalactic Medium. I. Survey, Methodology, and Overall Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Danforth, Charles W.; Keeney, Brian A.; Tilton, Evan M.; Shull, J. Michael; Stocke, John T.; Stevans, Matthew; Pieri, Matthew M.; Savage, Blair D.; France, Kevin; Syphers, David; Smith, Britton D.; Green, James C.; Froning, Cynthia; Penton, Steven V.; Osterman, Steven N.

    2016-02-01

    We use high-quality, medium-resolution Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (HST/COS) observations of 82 UV-bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at redshifts zAGN < 0.85 to construct the largest survey of the low-redshift intergalactic medium (IGM) to date: 5138 individual extragalactic absorption lines in H I and 25 different metal-ion species grouped into 2611 distinct redshift systems at zabs < 0.75 covering total redshift pathlengths ΔzH I = 21.7 and ΔzO VI = 14.5. Our semi-automated line-finding and measurement technique renders the catalog as objectively defined as possible. The cumulative column density distribution of H I systems can be parametrized d{ N }(\\gt N)/{dz} = {C}14{(N/{10}14{{cm}}-2)}-(β -1), with C14 = 25 ± 1 and β = 1.65 ± 0.02. This distribution is seen to evolve both in amplitude, {C}14\\propto {(1+z)}2.3+/- 0.1, and slope β(z) = 1.75-0.31 z for z ≤ 0.47. We observe metal lines in 418 systems, and find that the fraction of IGM absorbers detected in metals is strongly dependent on {N}{{H}{{I}}}. The distribution of O VI absorbers appears to evolve in the same sense as the Lyα forest. We calculate contributions to Ωb from different components of the low-z IGM and determine the Lyα decrement as a function of redshift. IGM absorbers are analyzed via a two-point correlation function in velocity space. We find substantial clustering of H I absorbers on scales of Δv = 50-300 km s-1 with no significant clustering at Δv ≳ 1000 km s-1. Splitting the sample into strong and weak absorbers, we see that most of the clustering occurs in strong, NH I ≳ 1013.5 cm-2, metal-bearing IGM systems. The full catalog of absorption lines and fully reduced spectra is available via the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) as a high-level science product at http://archive.stsci.edu/prepds/igm/. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the data archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute. STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

  1. Early Science with the Large Millimeter Telescope: CO and [C II] Emission in the z = 4.3 AzTEC J095942.9+022938 (COSMOS AzTEC-1)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yun, Min S.; Aretxaga, I.; Gurwell, M. A.; Hughes, D. H.; Montaña, A.; Narayanan, G.; Rosa-González, D.; Sánchez-Argüelles, D.; Schloerb, F. P.; Snell, R. L.; Vega, O.; Wilson, G. W.; Zeballos, M.; Chavez, M.; Cybulski, R.; Díaz-Santos, T.; De La Luz, V.; Erickson, N.; Ferrusca, D.; Gim, H. B.; Heyer, M. H.; Iono, D.; Pope, A.; Rogstad, S. M.; Scott, K. S.; Souccar, K.; Terlevich, E.; Terlevich, R.; Wilner, D.; Zavala, J. A.

    2015-12-01

    Measuring redshifted CO line emission is an unambiguous method for obtaining an accurate redshift and total cold gas content of optically faint, dusty starburst systems. Here, we report the first successful spectroscopic redshift determination of AzTEC J095942.9+022938 (`COSMOS AzTEC-1'), the brightest 1.1 mm continuum source found in the AzTEC/James Clerk Maxwell Telescope survey (Scott et al.), through a clear detection of the redshifted CO (4-3) and CO (5-4) lines using the Redshift Search Receiver on the Large Millimeter Telescope. The CO redshift of z = 4.3420 ± 0.0004 is confirmed by the detection of the redshifted 158 μm [C II] line using the Submillimeter Array. The new redshift and Herschel photometry yield LFIR = (1.1 ± 0.1) × 1013 L⊙ and SFR ≈ 1300 M⊙ yr-1. Its molecular gas mass derived using the ultraluminous infrared galaxy conversion factor is 1.4 ± 0.2 × 1011M⊙ while the total interstellar medium mass derived from the 1.1 mm dust continuum is 3.7 ± 0.7 × 1011M⊙ assuming Td = 35 K. Our dynamical mass analysis suggests that the compact gas disc (r ≈ 1.1 kpc, inferred from dust continuum and spectral energy distribution analysis) has to be nearly face-on, providing a natural explanation for the uncommonly bright, compact stellar light seen by the HST. The [C II] line luminosity L_[C II]= 7.8± 1.1 × 10^9 L_{⊙} is remarkably high, but it is only 0.04 per cent of the total IR luminosity. AzTEC COSMOS-1 and other high redshift sources with a spatially resolved size extend the tight trend seen between [C II]/FIR ratio and ΣFIR among IR-bright galaxies reported by Díaz-Santos et al. by more than an order of magnitude, supporting the explanation that the higher intensity of the IR radiation field is responsible for the `[C II] deficiency' seen among luminous starburst galaxies.

  2. THE EVOLUTION OF EARLY- AND LATE-TYPE GALAXIES IN THE COSMIC EVOLUTION SURVEY UP TO z {approx} 1.2

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

    Pannella, Maurilio; Gabasch, Armin; Drory, Niv

    2009-08-10

    The Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) allows for the first time a highly significant census of environments and structures up to redshift 1, as well as a full morphological description of the galaxy population. In this paper we present a study aimed to constrain the evolution, in the redshift range 0.2 < z < 1.2, of the mass content of different morphological types and its dependence on the environmental density. We use a deep multicolor catalog, covering an area of {approx}0.7 deg{sup 2} inside the COSMOS field, with accurate photometric redshifts (i {approx}< 26.5 and {delta}z/(z {sub spec} + 1) {approx}more » 0.035). We estimate galaxy stellar masses by fitting the multicolor photometry to a grid of composite stellar population models. We quantitatively describe the galaxy morphology by fitting point-spread function convolved Sersic profiles to the galaxy surface brightness distributions down to F814 = 24 mag for a sample of 41,300 objects. We confirm an evolution of the morphological mix with redshift: the higher the redshift the more disk-dominated galaxies become important. We find that the morphological mix is a function of the local comoving density: the morphology density relation extends up to the highest redshift explored. The stellar mass function of disk-dominated galaxies is consistent with being constant with redshift. Conversely, the stellar mass function of bulge-dominated systems shows a decline in normalization with redshift. Such different behaviors of late-types and early-types stellar mass functions naturally set the redshift evolution of the transition mass. We find a population of relatively massive, early-type galaxies, having high specific star formation rate (SSFR) and blue colors which live preferentially in low-density environments. The bulk of massive (>7 x 10{sup 10} M {sub sun}) early-type galaxies have similar characteristic ages, colors, and SSFRs independently of the environment they belong to, with those hosting the oldest stars in the universe preferentially belonging to the highest density regions. The whole catalog including morphological information and stellar mass estimates analyzed in this work is made publicly available.« less

  3. Machine-z: Rapid Machine-Learned Redshift Indicator for Swift Gamma-Ray Bursts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ukwatta, T. N.; Wozniak, P. R.; Gehrels, N.

    2016-01-01

    Studies of high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) provide important information about the early Universe such as the rates of stellar collapsars and mergers, the metallicity content, constraints on the re-ionization period, and probes of the Hubble expansion. Rapid selection of high-z candidates from GRB samples reported in real time by dedicated space missions such as Swift is the key to identifying the most distant bursts before the optical afterglow becomes too dim to warrant a good spectrum. Here, we introduce 'machine-z', a redshift prediction algorithm and a 'high-z' classifier for Swift GRBs based on machine learning. Our method relies exclusively on canonical data commonly available within the first few hours after the GRB trigger. Using a sample of 284 bursts with measured redshifts, we trained a randomized ensemble of decision trees (random forest) to perform both regression and classification. Cross-validated performance studies show that the correlation coefficient between machine-z predictions and the true redshift is nearly 0.6. At the same time, our high-z classifier can achieve 80 per cent recall of true high-redshift bursts, while incurring a false positive rate of 20 per cent. With 40 per cent false positive rate the classifier can achieve approximately 100 per cent recall. The most reliable selection of high-redshift GRBs is obtained by combining predictions from both the high-z classifier and the machine-z regressor.

  4. Infrared-faint radio sources are at high redshifts. Spectroscopic redshift determination of infrared-faint radio sources using the Very Large Telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Herzog, A.; Middelberg, E.; Norris, R. P.; Sharp, R.; Spitler, L. R.; Parker, Q. A.

    2014-07-01

    Context. Infrared-faint radio sources (IFRS) are characterised by relatively high radio flux densities and associated faint or even absent infrared and optical counterparts. The resulting extremely high radio-to-infrared flux density ratios up to several thousands were previously known only for high-redshift radio galaxies (HzRGs), suggesting a link between the two classes of object. However, the optical and infrared faintness of IFRS makes their study difficult. Prior to this work, no redshift was known for any IFRS in the Australia Telescope Large Area Survey (ATLAS) fields which would help to put IFRS in the context of other classes of object, especially of HzRGs. Aims: This work aims at measuring the first redshifts of IFRS in the ATLAS fields. Furthermore, we test the hypothesis that IFRS are similar to HzRGs, that they are higher-redshift or dust-obscured versions of these massive galaxies. Methods: A sample of IFRS was spectroscopically observed using the Focal Reducer and Low Dispersion Spectrograph 2 (FORS2) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). The data were calibrated based on the Image Reduction and Analysis Facility (IRAF) and redshifts extracted from the final spectra, where possible. This information was then used to calculate rest-frame luminosities, and to perform the first spectral energy distribution modelling of IFRS based on redshifts. Results: We found redshifts of 1.84, 2.13, and 2.76, for three IFRS, confirming the suggested high-redshift character of this class of object. These redshifts and the resulting luminosities show IFRS to be similar to HzRGs, supporting our hypothesis. We found further evidence that fainter IFRS are at even higher redshifts. Conclusions: Considering the similarities between IFRS and HzRGs substantiated in this work, the detection of IFRS, which have a significantly higher sky density than HzRGs, increases the number of active galactic nuclei in the early universe and adds to the problems of explaining the formation of supermassive black holes shortly after the Big Bang.

  5. New LMT High Resolution Imaging and CO Spectroscopic Studies of the Brightest AzTEC 1.1mm Sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yun, Min S.; Aretxaga, Itziar; Hughes, David; Montana, A.; Pope, A.; Bruzual, Gustavo; Ferrusca, D.; Rosa Gonzalez, D.; Sanchez-Arguelles, D.; Narayanan, G.; Wilson, Grant; Gim, Hansung; Ibarra, H.; Mo, H.; Lowenthal, James; Zavala, J.; Carrasco, L.; Chavez, M.; Valazquez, M.; Zeballos, M.; Vega, O.; Schloerb, P.; Cybulsky, J. R.; Casey, Caitlin M.; Tang, Y.

    2015-08-01

    A substantial population of quiescent galaxies with stellar masses exceeding 10 billion solar masses have been found to z~4, suggesting a rapid formation and quenching of massive galaxies at z~6 or earlier. The submillimeter bright galaxies (SMGs) with SFR > 100-1000 solar masses per year represent natural candidates for the progenitor systems undergoing an epoch of rapid formation and cessation of stellar mass build up. Many of the most luminous SMGs are also extremely red and faint in the optical, suggesting a high redshift and are beyond the reach of the current optical spectroscopic redshift surveys. There is also a growing concern that these most luminous SMGs may be blends of several unrelated sources as a result of a poor angular resolution of the existing surveys (18" & 28" for the AzTEC 1.1mm surveys on JCMT and ASTE, respectively). We have obtained new 8" resolution AzTEC images of 40 brightest AzTEC sources previously found in the GOODS and COSMOS fields using the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) to examine the multiplicity question and for the identification of multi-wavelength counterparts. We have also conducted a CO redshift survey using the Redshift Search Receiver on the LMT. We will report the results of these analysis and several new CO redshifts.

  6. A dust-obscured massive maximum-starburst galaxy at a redshift of 6.34.

    PubMed

    Riechers, Dominik A; Bradford, C M; Clements, D L; Dowell, C D; Pérez-Fournon, I; Ivison, R J; Bridge, C; Conley, A; Fu, Hai; Vieira, J D; Wardlow, J; Calanog, J; Cooray, A; Hurley, P; Neri, R; Kamenetzky, J; Aguirre, J E; Altieri, B; Arumugam, V; Benford, D J; Béthermin, M; Bock, J; Burgarella, D; Cabrera-Lavers, A; Chapman, S C; Cox, P; Dunlop, J S; Earle, L; Farrah, D; Ferrero, P; Franceschini, A; Gavazzi, R; Glenn, J; Solares, E A Gonzalez; Gurwell, M A; Halpern, M; Hatziminaoglou, E; Hyde, A; Ibar, E; Kovács, A; Krips, M; Lupu, R E; Maloney, P R; Martinez-Navajas, P; Matsuhara, H; Murphy, E J; Naylor, B J; Nguyen, H T; Oliver, S J; Omont, A; Page, M J; Petitpas, G; Rangwala, N; Roseboom, I G; Scott, D; Smith, A J; Staguhn, J G; Streblyanska, A; Thomson, A P; Valtchanov, I; Viero, M; Wang, L; Zemcov, M; Zmuidzinas, J

    2013-04-18

    Massive present-day early-type (elliptical and lenticular) galaxies probably gained the bulk of their stellar mass and heavy elements through intense, dust-enshrouded starbursts--that is, increased rates of star formation--in the most massive dark-matter haloes at early epochs. However, it remains unknown how soon after the Big Bang massive starburst progenitors exist. The measured redshift (z) distribution of dusty, massive starbursts has long been suspected to be biased low in z owing to selection effects, as confirmed by recent findings of systems with redshifts as high as ~5 (refs 2-4). Here we report the identification of a massive starburst galaxy at z = 6.34 through a submillimetre colour-selection technique. We unambiguously determined the redshift from a suite of molecular and atomic fine-structure cooling lines. These measurements reveal a hundred billion solar masses of highly excited, chemically evolved interstellar medium in this galaxy, which constitutes at least 40 per cent of the baryonic mass. A 'maximum starburst' converts the gas into stars at a rate more than 2,000 times that of the Milky Way, a rate among the highest observed at any epoch. Despite the overall downturn in cosmic star formation towards the highest redshifts, it seems that environments mature enough to form the most massive, intense starbursts existed at least as early as 880 million years after the Big Bang.

  7. Strongly lensed neutral hydrogen emission: detection predictions with current and future radio interferometers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deane, R. P.; Obreschkow, D.; Heywood, I.

    2015-09-01

    Strong gravitational lensing provides some of the deepest views of the Universe, enabling studies of high-redshift galaxies only possible with next-generation facilities without the lensing phenomenon. To date, 21-cm radio emission from neutral hydrogen has only been detected directly out to z ˜ 0.2, limited by the sensitivity and instantaneous bandwidth of current radio telescopes. We discuss how current and future radio interferometers such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will detect lensed H I emission in individual galaxies at high redshift. Our calculations rely on a semi-analytic galaxy simulation with realistic H I discs (by size, density profile and rotation), in a cosmological context, combined with general relativistic ray tracing. Wide-field, blind H I surveys with the SKA are predicted to be efficient at discovering lensed H I systems, increasingly so at z ≳ 2. This will be enabled by the combination of the magnification boosts, the steepness of the H I luminosity function at the high-mass end, and the fact that the H I spectral line is relatively isolated in frequency. These surveys will simultaneously provide a new technique for foreground lens selection and yield the highest redshift H I emission detections. More near term (and existing) cm-wave facilities will push the high-redshift H I envelope through targeted surveys of known lenses.

  8. Super-Eddington accreting massive black holes explore high-z cosmology: Monte-Carlo simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Rong-Gen; Guo, Zong-Kuan; Huang, Qing-Guo; Yang, Tao

    2018-06-01

    In this paper, we simulate Super-Eddington accreting massive black holes (SEAMBHs) as the candles to probe cosmology for the first time. SEAMBHs have been demonstrated to be able to provide a new tool for estimating cosmological distance. Thus, we create a series of mock data sets of SEAMBHs, especially in the high redshift region, to check their abilities to probe the cosmology. To fulfill the potential of the SEAMBHs on the cosmology, we apply the simulated data to three projects. The first is the exploration of their abilities to constrain the cosmological parameters, in which we combine different data sets of current observations such as the cosmic microwave background from Planck and type Ia supernovae from Joint Light-curve Analysis (JLA). We find that the high redshift SEAMBHs can help to break the degeneracies of the background cosmological parameters constrained by Planck and JLA, thus giving much tighter constraints of the cosmological parameters. The second uses the high redshift SEAMBHs as the complements of the low redshift JLA to constrain the early expansion rate and the dark energy density evolution in the cold dark matter frame. Our results show that these high redshift SEAMBHs are very powerful on constraining the early Hubble rate and the evolution of the dark energy density; thus they can give us more information about the expansion history of our Universe, which is also crucial for testing the Λ CDM model in the high redshift region. Finally, we check the SEAMBH candles' abilities to reconstruct the equation of state for dark energy at high redshift. In summary, our results show that the SEAMBHs, as the rare candles in the high redshift region, can provide us a new and independent observation to probe cosmology in the future.

  9. Evolution of star formation conditions from high-redshift to low-redshift

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shirazi, Maryam

    2015-08-01

    There are some hints indicating extreme interstellar medium (ISM) conditions at high redshift e.g., harder ionsing radiation fields and higher electron densities. By analysing the ionisation state of galaxies using their [OIII]5007/[OII]3727 line ratios we recently showed that star-forming galaxies at z~ 1. 5 -- 3. 5 have higher ionisation parameters and higher gas densities relative to that of local galaxies with similar global properties (Shirazi et al. 2014). This means the intrinsic properties e.g., the density of star forming regions at high redshift is different from what we observe in the local Universe. Based on the distribution of galaxies in the BPT diagram, it is proposed that the transition to nearby like conditions happen at 0. 8 < z < 1. 5 (Kewley et al 2013). However, we do not know how star-forming regions of the intermediate redshift galaxies are compared to that of high redshift galaxies that have higher gas fractions and are close to the peak of star formation activity in the Universe. We use the unique capability of the MUSE to indirectly trace the ISM conditions at those redshifts. We measure the spatially-resolved ionisation parameter using [OIII ]5007/ [O II]3727 ratio and we measure the spatially resolved gas density using the [OII] 3727,3729 doublet. We probe the spatial distributions of the ionisation parameter and gas density and search for systematic differences between high, intermediate and low redshift galaxies in terms of their global galaxy properties.

  10. Accurate Emission Line Diagnostics at High Redshift

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Tucker

    2017-08-01

    How do the physical conditions of high redshift galaxies differ from those seen locally? Spectroscopic surveys have invested hundreds of nights of 8- and 10-meter telescope time as well as hundreds of Hubble orbits to study evolution in the galaxy population at redshifts z 0.5-4 using rest-frame optical strong emission line diagnostics. These surveys reveal evolution in the gas excitation with redshift but the physical cause is not yet understood. Consequently there are large systematic errors in derived quantities such as metallicity.We have used direct measurements of gas density, temperature, and metallicity in a unique sample at z=0.8 to determine reliable diagnostics for high redshift galaxies. Our measurements suggest that offsets in emission line ratios at high redshift are primarily caused by high N/O abundance ratios. However, our ground-based data cannot rule out other interpretations. Spatially resolved Hubble grism spectra are needed to distinguish between the remaining plausible causes such as active nuclei, shocks, diffuse ionized gas emission, and HII regions with escaping ionizing flux. Identifying the physical origin of evolving excitation will allow us to build the necessary foundation for accurate measurements of metallicity and other properties of high redshift galaxies. Only then can we expoit the wealth of data from current surveys and near-future JWST spectroscopy to understand how galaxies evolve over time.

  11. Probing black hole accretion in quasar pairs at high redshift

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vignali, C.; Piconcelli, E.; Perna, M.; Hennawi, J.; Gilli, R.; Comastri, A.; Zamorani, G.; Dotti, M.; Mathur, S.

    2018-06-01

    Models and observations suggest that luminous quasar activity is triggered by mergers, so it should preferentially occur in the most massive primordial dark matter haloes, where the frequency of mergers is expected to be the highest. Since the importance of galaxy mergers increases with redshift, we identify the high-redshift Universe as the ideal laboratory for studying dual AGN. Here, we present the X-ray properties of two systems of dual quasars at z = 3.0-3.3 selected from the SDSS DR6 at separations of 6-8 arcsec (43-65 kpc) and observed by Chandra for ≈65 ks each. Both members of each pair are detected with good photon statistics to allow us to constrain the column density, spectral slope and intrinsic X-ray luminosity. We also include a recently discovered dual quasar at z = 5 (separation of 21 arcsec, 136 kpc) for which XMM-Newton archival data allow us to detect the two components separately. Using optical spectra we derived bolometric luminosities, BH masses and Eddington ratios that were compared to those of luminous SDSS quasars in the same redshift ranges. We find that the brighter component of both quasar pairs at z ≈ 3.0-3.3 has high luminosities compared to the distribution of SDSS quasars at similar redshift, with J1622A having an order magnitude higher luminosity than the median. This source lies at the luminous end of the z ≈ 3.3 quasar luminosity function. While we cannot conclusively state that the unusually high luminosities of our sources are related to their having a close companion, for J1622A there is only a 3 per cent probability that it is by chance.

  12. Linking black hole growth with host galaxies: the accretion-stellar mass relation and its cosmic evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, G.; Brandt, W. N.; Vito, F.; Chen, C.-T. J.; Trump, J. R.; Luo, B.; Sun, M. Y.; Xue, Y. Q.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Schneider, D. P.; Vignali, C.; Wang, J.-X.

    2018-04-01

    Previous studies suggest that the growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) may be fundamentally related to host-galaxy stellar mass (M⋆). To investigate this SMBH growth-M⋆ relation in detail, we calculate long-term SMBH accretion rate as a function of M⋆ and redshift [\\overlineBHAR(M_{\\star }, z)] over ranges of log (M⋆/M⊙) = 9.5-12 and z = 0.4-4. Our \\overlineBHAR(M_{\\star }, z) is constrained by high-quality survey data (GOODS-South, GOODS-North and COSMOS), and by the stellar mass function and the X-ray luminosity function. At a given M⋆, \\overlineBHAR is higher at high redshift. This redshift dependence is stronger in more massive systems [for log (M⋆/M⊙) ≈ 11.5, \\overlineBHAR is three decades higher at z = 4 than at z = 0.5], possibly due to AGN feedback. Our results indicate that the ratio between \\overlineBHAR and average star formation rate (\\overlineSFR) rises towards high M⋆ at a given redshift. This \\overlineBHAR/\\overlineSFR dependence on M⋆ does not support the scenario that SMBH and galaxy growth are in lockstep. We calculate SMBH mass history [MBH(z)] based on our \\overlineBHAR(M_{\\star }, z) and the M⋆(z) from the literature, and find that the MBH-M⋆ relation has weak redshift evolution since z ≈ 2. The MBH/M⋆ ratio is higher towards massive galaxies: it rises from ≈1/5000 at log M⋆ ≲ 10.5 to ≈1/500 at log M⋆ ≳ 11.2. Our predicted MBH/M⋆ ratio at high M⋆ is similar to that observed in local giant ellipticals, suggesting that SMBH growth from mergers is unlikely to dominate over growth from accretion.

  13. Three-dimensional Identification and Reconstruction of Galaxy Systems within Flux-limited Redshift Surveys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marinoni, Christian; Davis, Marc; Newman, Jeffrey A.; Coil, Alison L.

    2002-11-01

    We have developed a new geometrical method for identifying and reconstructing a homogeneous and highly complete set of galaxy groups within flux-limited redshift surveys. Our method combines information from the three-dimensional Voronoi diagram and its dual, the Delaunay triangulation, to obtain group and cluster catalogs that are remarkably robust over wide ranges in redshift and degree of density enhancement. As free by-products, this Voronoi-Delaunay method (VDM) provides a nonparametric measurement of the galaxy density around each object observed and a quantitative measure of the distribution of cosmological voids in the survey volume. In this paper, we describe the VDM algorithm in detail and test its effectiveness using a family of mock catalogs that simulate the Deep Extragalactic Evolutionary Probe (DEEP2) Redshift Survey, which should present at least as much challenge to cluster reconstruction methods as any other near-future survey that is capable of resolving their velocity dispersions. Using these mock DEEP2 catalogs, we demonstrate that the VDM algorithm can be used to identify a homogeneous set of groups in a magnitude-limited sample throughout the survey redshift window 0.7~400 km s-1. Finally, we argue that the bivariate distribution of systems as a function of redshift and velocity dispersion reconstructed with these techniques reproduces with high fidelity the underlying real space distribution and can thus be used robustly to constrain cosmological parameters. We expect that the VDM algorithm, which has performed so well when faced with the challenges posed by the DEEP2 survey, should only be more effective when applied to the better sampled, larger surveys of the local universe now underway.

  14. Evaluating and improving the redshifts of z > 2.2 quasars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mason, Michelle; Brotherton, Michael S.; Myers, Adam

    2017-08-01

    Quasar redshifts require the best possible precision and accuracy for a number of applications, such as setting the velocity scale for outflows as well as measuring small-scale quasar-quasar clustering. The most reliable redshift standard in luminous quasars is arguably the narrow [O III] λλ4959, 5007 emission line doublet in the rest-frame optical. We use previously published [O III] redshifts obtained using near-infrared spectra in a sample of 45 high-redshift (z > 2.2) quasars to evaluate redshift measurement techniques based on rest-frame ultraviolet spectra. At redshifts above z = 2.2, the Mg II λ2798 emission line is not available in observed-frame optical spectra and the most prominent unblended and unabsorbed spectral feature available is usually C IV λ1549. Peak and centroid measurements of the C IV profile are often blueshifted relative to the rest-frame of the quasar, which can significantly bias redshift determinations. We show that redshift determinations for these high-redshift quasars are significantly correlated with the emission-line properties of C IV (I.e. the equivalent width, or EW, and the full width at half-maximum, or FWHM) as well as the luminosity, which we take from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7. We demonstrate that empirical corrections based on multiple regression analyses yield significant improvements in both the precision and accuracy of the redshifts of the most distant quasars and are required to establish consistency with redshifts determined in more local quasars.

  15. The binary Feige 24 - The mass, radius, and gravitational redshift of the DA white dwarf

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vennes, Stephane; Shipman, Harry L.; Thorstensen, John R.; Thejll, Peter

    1991-01-01

    Observations are reported which refine the binary ephemeris of the Feige 24 system, which contains a peculiar hot DA white dwarf and an M dwarf with an atmosphere illuminated by extreme ultraviolet radiation from the white dwarf. With the new ephemeris and a set of IUE high-dispersion spectra, showing phase-dependent redshifted C IV, N V, and Si IV resonance lines, the orbital velocity, and hence the mass (0.54 + or - 0.20 solar masses), and the gravitational redshift of the white dwarf (14.1 + or - 5.2 km/s) are determined independently. It is shown that the measured Einstein redshift is consistent with an estimated radius for the white dwarf obtained from a model atmosphere solid angle and a parallax measurement. This radius is twice the Hamada-Salpeter radius for the given mass and offers a prospect to investigate the presence of a massive hydrogen envelope in that white dwarf star.

  16. A new method to search for high-redshift clusters using photometric redshifts

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

    Castignani, G.; Celotti, A.; Chiaberge, M.

    2014-09-10

    We describe a new method (Poisson probability method, PPM) to search for high-redshift galaxy clusters and groups by using photometric redshift information and galaxy number counts. The method relies on Poisson statistics and is primarily introduced to search for megaparsec-scale environments around a specific beacon. The PPM is tailored to both the properties of the FR I radio galaxies in the Chiaberge et al. sample, which are selected within the COSMOS survey, and to the specific data set used. We test the efficiency of our method of searching for cluster candidates against simulations. Two different approaches are adopted. (1) Wemore » use two z ∼ 1 X-ray detected cluster candidates found in the COSMOS survey and we shift them to higher redshift up to z = 2. We find that the PPM detects the cluster candidates up to z = 1.5, and it correctly estimates both the redshift and size of the two clusters. (2) We simulate spherically symmetric clusters of different size and richness, and we locate them at different redshifts (i.e., z = 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) in the COSMOS field. We find that the PPM detects the simulated clusters within the considered redshift range with a statistical 1σ redshift accuracy of ∼0.05. The PPM is an efficient alternative method for high-redshift cluster searches that may also be applied to both present and future wide field surveys such as SDSS Stripe 82, LSST, and Euclid. Accurate photometric redshifts and a survey depth similar or better than that of COSMOS (e.g., I < 25) are required.« less

  17. Machine- z: Rapid machine-learned redshift indicator for Swift gamma-ray bursts

    DOE PAGES

    Ukwatta, T. N.; Wozniak, P. R.; Gehrels, N.

    2016-03-08

    Studies of high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) provide important information about the early Universe such as the rates of stellar collapsars and mergers, the metallicity content, constraints on the re-ionization period, and probes of the Hubble expansion. Rapid selection of high-z candidates from GRB samples reported in real time by dedicated space missions such as Swift is the key to identifying the most distant bursts before the optical afterglow becomes too dim to warrant a good spectrum. Here, we introduce ‘machine-z’, a redshift prediction algorithm and a ‘high-z’ classifier for Swift GRBs based on machine learning. Our method relies exclusively onmore » canonical data commonly available within the first few hours after the GRB trigger. Using a sample of 284 bursts with measured redshifts, we trained a randomized ensemble of decision trees (random forest) to perform both regression and classification. Cross-validated performance studies show that the correlation coefficient between machine-z predictions and the true redshift is nearly 0.6. At the same time, our high-z classifier can achieve 80 per cent recall of true high-redshift bursts, while incurring a false positive rate of 20 per cent. With 40 per cent false positive rate the classifier can achieve ~100 per cent recall. As a result, the most reliable selection of high-redshift GRBs is obtained by combining predictions from both the high-z classifier and the machine-z regressor.« less

  18. Radio spectra of bright compact sources at z > 4.5

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coppejans, Rocco; van Velzen, Sjoert; Intema, Huib T.; Müller, Cornelia; Frey, Sándor; Coppejans, Deanne L.; Cseh, Dávid; Williams, Wendy L.; Falcke, Heino; Körding, Elmar G.; Orrú, Emanuela; Paragi, Zsolt; Gabányi, Krisztina É.

    2017-05-01

    High-redshift quasars are important to study galaxy and active galactic nuclei evolution, test cosmological models and study supermassive black hole growth. Optical searches for high-redshift sources have been very successful, but radio searches are not hampered by dust obscuration and should be more effective at finding sources at even higher redshifts. Identifying high-redshift sources based on radio data is, however, not trivial. Here we report on new multifrequency Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope observations of eight z > 4.5 sources previously studied at high angular resolution with very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). Combining these observations with those from the literature, we construct broad-band radio spectra of all 30 z > 4.5 sources that have been observed with VLBI. In the sample we found flat, steep and peaked spectra in approximately equal proportions. Despite several selection effects, we conclude that the z > 4.5 VLBI (and likely also non-VLBI) sources have diverse spectra and that only about a quarter of the sources in the sample have flat spectra. Previously, the majority of high-redshift radio sources were identified based on their ultrasteep spectra. Recently, a new method has been proposed to identify these objects based on their megahertz-peaked spectra. No method would have identified more than 18 per cent of the high-redshift sources in this sample. More effective methods are necessary to reliably identify complete samples of high-redshift sources based on radio data.

  19. Tracing Large-Scale Structure with Radio Sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lindsay, S. N.

    2015-02-01

    In this thesis, I investigate the spatial distribution of radio sources, and quantify their clustering strength over a range of redshifts, up to z _ 2:2, using various forms of the correlation function measured with data from several multi-wavelength surveys. I present the optical spectra of 30 radio AGN (S1:4 > 100 mJy) in the GAMA/H-ATLAS fields, for which emission line redshifts could be deduced, from observations of 79 target sources with the EFOSC2 spectrograph on the NTT. The mean redshift of these sources is z = 1:2; 12 were identified as quasars (40 per cent), and 6 redshifts (out of 24 targets) were found for AGN hosts to multiple radio components. While obtaining spectra for hosts of these multi-component sources is possible, their lower success rate highlights the difficulty in acheiving a redshift-complete radio sample. Taking an existing spectroscopic redshift survey (GAMA) and radio sources from the FIRST survey (S1:4 > 1 mJy), I then present a cross-matched radio sample with 1,635 spectroscopic redshifts with a median value of z = 0:34. The spatial correlation function of this sample is used to find the redshiftspace (s0) and real-space correlation lengths (r0 _ 8:2 h Mpc), and a mass bias of _1.9. Insight into the redshift-dependence of these quantities is gained by using the angular correlation function and Limber inversion to measure the same spatial clustering parameters. Photometric redshifts! from SDSS/UKIDSS are incorporated to produce a larger matched radio sample at z ' 0:48 (and low- and high-redshift subsamples at z ' 0:30 and z ' 0:65), while their redshift distribution is subtracted from that taken from the SKADS radio simulations to estimate the redshift distribution of the remaining unmatched sources (z ' 1:55). The observed bias evolution over this redshift range is compared with model predictions based on the SKADS simulations, with good agreement at low redshift. The bias found at high redshift significantly exceeds these predictions, however, suggesting a more massive population of galaxies than expected, either due to the relative proportions of different radio sources, or a greater typical halo mass for the high-redshift sources. Finally, the reliance on a model redshift distribution to reach to higher redshifts is removed, as the angular cross-correlation function is used with deep VLA data (S1:4 > 90 _Jy) and optical/IR data from VIDEO/CFHTLS (Ks < 23:5) over 1 square degree. With high-quality photometric redshifts up to z _ 4, and a high signal-to-noise clustering measurement (due to the _100,000 Ks-selected galaxies), I am able to find the bias of a matched sample of only 766 radio sources (as well as of v vi the VIDEO sources), divided into 4 redshift bins reaching a median bias at z ' 2:15. Again, at high redshift, the measured bias appears to exceed the prediction made from the SKADS simulations. Applying luminosity cuts to the radio sample at L > 1023 WHz and higher (removing any non-AGN sources), I find a bias of 8-10 at z _ 1:5, considerably higher than for the full sample, and consistent with the more numerous FRI AGN having similar mass to the FRIIs (M _ 10^14 M_), contrary to the assumptions made in the SKADS simulations. Applying this adjustment to the model bias produces a better fit to the observations for the FIRST radio sources cross-matched with GAMA/SDSS/UKIDSS, as well as for the high-redshift radio sources in VIDEO. Therefore, I have shown that we require a more robust model of the evolution of AGN, and their relation to the underlying dark matter distribution. In particular, understanding these quantities for the abundant FRI population is crucial if we are to use such sources to probe the cosmological model as has been suggested by a number of authors (e.g. Raccanelli et al., 2012; Camera et al., 2012; Ferramacho et al., 2014).

  20. Supernova Cosmology Inference with Probabilistic Photometric Redshifts (SCIPPR)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peters, Christina; Malz, Alex; Hlozek, Renée

    2018-01-01

    The Bayesian Estimation Applied to Multiple Species (BEAMS) framework employs probabilistic supernova type classifications to do photometric SN cosmology. This work extends BEAMS to replace high-confidence spectroscopic redshifts with photometric redshift probability density functions, a capability that will be essential in the era the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope and other next-generation photometric surveys where it will not be possible to perform spectroscopic follow up on every SN. We present the Supernova Cosmology Inference with Probabilistic Photometric Redshifts (SCIPPR) Bayesian hierarchical model for constraining the cosmological parameters from photometric lightcurves and host galaxy photometry, which includes selection effects and is extensible to uncertainty in the redshift-dependent supernova type proportions. We create a pair of realistic mock catalogs of joint posteriors over supernova type, redshift, and distance modulus informed by photometric supernova lightcurves and over redshift from simulated host galaxy photometry. We perform inference under our model to obtain a joint posterior probability distribution over the cosmological parameters and compare our results with other methods, namely: a spectroscopic subset, a subset of high probability photometrically classified supernovae, and reducing the photometric redshift probability to a single measurement and error bar.

  1. The x-ray luminous galaxy cluster population at 0.9 < z ≲ 1.6 as revealed by the XMM-Newton Distant Cluster Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    2011-12-01

    We present the largest sample to date of spectroscopically confirmed x-ray luminous high-redshift galaxy clusters comprising 22 systems in the range 0.9 as part of the XMM-Newton Distant Cluster Project (XDCP). All systems were initially selected as extended x-ray sources over 76.1 deg2 of non-contiguous deep archival XMM-Newton coverage, of which 49.4 deg2 are part of the core survey with a quantifiable selection function and 17.7 deg2 are classified as ‘gold’ coverage as the starting point for upcoming cosmological applications. Distant cluster candidates were followed up with moderately deep optical and near-infrared imaging in at least two bands to photometrically identify the cluster galaxy populations and obtain redshift estimates based on the colors of simple stellar population models. We test and calibrate the most promising redshift estimation techniques based on the R-z and z-H colors for efficient distant cluster identifications and find a good redshift accuracy performance of the z-H color out to at least z ˜ 1.5, while the redshift evolution of the R-z color leads to increasingly large uncertainties at z ≳ 0.9. Photometrically identified high-z systems are spectroscopically confirmed with VLT/FORS 2 with a minimum of three concordant cluster member redshifts. We present first details of two newly identified clusters, XDCP J0338.5+0029 at z = 0.916 and XDCP J0027.2+1714 at z = 0.959, and investigate the x-ray properties of SpARCS J003550-431224 at z = 1.335, which shows evidence for ongoing major merger activity along the line-of-sight. We provide x-ray properties and luminosity-based total mass estimates for the full sample of 22 high-z clusters, of which 17 are at z ⩾ 1.0 and seven populate the highest redshift bin at z > 1.3. The median system mass of the sample is M200 ≃ 2 × 1014 M⊙, while the probed mass range for the distant clusters spans approximately (0.7-7) × 1014 M⊙. The majority (>70%) of the x-ray selected clusters show rather regular x-ray morphologies, albeit in most cases with a discernible elongation along one axis. In contrast to local clusters, the z > 0.9 systems mostly do not harbor central dominant galaxies coincident with the x-ray centroid position, but rather exhibit significant brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) offsets from the x-ray center with a median value of about 50 kpc in projection and a smaller median luminosity gap to the second-ranked galaxy of Δm12 ≃ 0.3 mag. We estimate a fraction of cluster-associated NVSS 1.4 GHz radio sources of about 30%, preferentially located within 1‧ from the x-ray center. This value suggests an increase of the fraction of very luminous cluster-associated radio sources by about a factor of 2.5-5 relative to low-z systems. The galaxy populations in z ≳ 1.5 cluster environments show first evidence for drastic changes on the high-mass end of galaxies and signs of a gradual disappearance of a well-defined cluster red-sequence as strong star formation activity is observed in an increasing fraction of massive galaxies down to the densest core regions. The presented XDCP high-z sample will allow first detailed studies of the cluster population during the critical cosmic epoch at lookback times of 7.3-9.5 Gyr on the aggregation and evolution of baryons in the cold and hot phases as a function of redshift and system mass. Based on observations under program IDs 079.A-0634 and 085.A-0647 collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile, and 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).

  2. The co-evolution of total density profiles and central dark matter fractions in simulated early-type galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Remus, Rhea-Silvia; Dolag, Klaus; Naab, Thorsten; Burkert, Andreas; Hirschmann, Michaela; Hoffmann, Tadziu L.; Johansson, Peter H.

    2017-01-01

    We present evidence from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations for a co-evolution of the slope of the total (dark and stellar) mass density profile, γtot, and the dark matter fraction within the half-mass radius, fDM, in early-type galaxies. The relation can be described as γtot = A fDM + B for all systems at all redshifts. The trend is set by the decreasing importance of gas dissipation towards lower redshifts and for more massive systems. Early-type galaxies are smaller, more concentrated, have lower fDM and steeper γtot at high redshifts and at lower masses for a given redshift; fDM and γtot are good indicators for growth by `dry' merging. The values for A and B change distinctively for different feedback models, and this relation can be used as a test for such models. A similar correlation exists between γtot and the stellar mass surface density Σ*. A model with weak stellar feedback and feedback from black holes is in best agreement with observations. All simulations, independent of the assumed feedback model, predict steeper γtot and lower fDM at higher redshifts. While the latter is in agreement with the observed trends, the former is in conflict with lensing observations, which indicate constant or decreasing γtot. This discrepancy is shown to be artificial: the observed trends can be reproduced from the simulations using observational methodology to calculate the total density slopes.

  3. Lyman Break Analogs: Constraints on the Formation of Extreme Starbursts at Low and High Redshift

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goncalves, Thiago S.; Overzier, Roderik; Basu-Zych, Antara; Martin, D. Christopher

    2011-01-01

    Lyman Break Analogs (LBAs), characterized by high far-UV luminosities and surface brightnesses as detected by GALEX, are intensely star-forming galaxies in the low-redshift universe (z approximately equal to 0.2), with star formation rates reaching up to 50 times that of the Milky Way. These objects present metallicities, morphologies and other physical properties similar to higher redshift Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs), motivating the detailed study of LBAs as local laboratories of this high-redshift galaxy population. We present results from our recent integral-field spectroscopy survey of LBAs with Keck/OSIRIS, which shows that these galaxies have the same nebular gas kinematic properties as high-redshift LBGs. We argue that such kinematic studies alone are not an appropriate diagnostic to rule out merger events as the trigger for the observed starburst. Comparison between the kinematic analysis and morphological indices from HST imaging illustrates the difficulties of properly identifying (minor or major) merger events, with no clear correlation between the results using either of the two methods. Artificial redshifting of our data indicates that this problem becomes even worse at high redshift due to surface brightness dimming and resolution loss. Whether mergers could generate the observed kinematic properties is strongly dependent on gas fractions in these galaxies. We present preliminary results of a CARMA survey for LBAs and discuss the implications of the inferred molecular gas masses for formation models.

  4. Steep radio spectra in high-redshift radio galaxies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Krolik, Julian H.; Chen, Wan

    1991-01-01

    The generic spectrum of an optically thin synchrotron source steepens by 0.5 in spectral index from low frequencies to high whenever the source lifetime is greater than the energy-loss timescale for at least some of the radiating electrons. Three effects tend to decrease the frequency nu(b) of this spectral bend as the source redshift increases: (1) for fixed bend frequency nu* in the rest frame, nu(b) = nu*/(1 + z); (2) losses due to inverse Compton scattering the microwave background rise with redshift as (1 + z) exp 4, so that, for fixed residence time in the radiating region, the energy of the lowest energy electron that can cool falls rapidly with increasing redshift; and (3) if the magnetic field is proportional to the equipartition field and the emitting volume is fixed or slowly varying, flux-limited samples induce a selection effect favoring low nu* at high z because higher redshift sources require higher emissivity to be included in the sample, and hence have stronger implied fields and more rapid synchrotron losses. A combination of these effects may explain the trend observed in the 3CR sample for higher redshift radio galaxies to have steeper spectra, and the successful use of ultrasteep spectrum surveys to locate high-redshift galaxies.

  5. Optical Variability and Classification of High Redshift (3.5 < z < 5.5) Quasars on SDSS Stripe 82

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    AlSayyad, Yusra; McGreer, Ian D.; Fan, Xiaohui; Connolly, Andrew J.; Ivezic, Zeljko; Becker, Andrew C.

    2015-01-01

    Recent studies have shown promise in combining optical colors with variability to efficiently select and estimate the redshifts of low- to mid-redshift quasars in upcoming ground-based time-domain surveys. We extend these studies to fainter and less abundant high-redshift quasars using light curves from 235 sq. deg. and 10 years of Stripe 82 imaging reprocessed with the prototype LSST data management stack. Sources are detected on the i-band co-adds (5σ: i ~ 24) but measured on the single-epoch (ugriz) images, generating complete and unbiased lightcurves for sources fainter than the single-epoch detection threshold. Using these forced photometry lightcurves, we explore optical variability characteristics of high redshift quasars and validate classification methods with particular attention to the low signal limit. In this low SNR limit, we quantify the degradation of the uncertainties and biases on variability parameters using simulated light curves. Completeness/efficiency and redshift accuracy are verified with new spectroscopic observations on the MMT and APO 3.5m. These preliminary results are part of a survey to measure the z~4 luminosity function for quasars (i < 23) on Stripe 82 and to validate purely photometric classification techniques for high redshift quasars in LSST.

  6. The SAMI Galaxy Survey: the cluster redshift survey, target selection and cluster properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Owers, M. S.; Allen, J. T.; Baldry, I.; Bryant, J. J.; Cecil, G. N.; Cortese, L.; Croom, S. M.; Driver, S. P.; Fogarty, L. M. R.; Green, A. W.; Helmich, E.; de Jong, J. T. A.; Kuijken, K.; Mahajan, S.; McFarland, J.; Pracy, M. B.; Robotham, A. G. S.; Sikkema, G.; Sweet, S.; Taylor, E. N.; Verdoes Kleijn, G.; Bauer, A. E.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Brough, S.; Colless, M.; Couch, W. J.; Davies, R. L.; Drinkwater, M. J.; Goodwin, M.; Hopkins, A. M.; Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Foster, C.; Lawrence, J. S.; Lorente, N. P. F.; Medling, A. M.; Metcalfe, N.; Richards, S. N.; van de Sande, J.; Scott, N.; Shanks, T.; Sharp, R.; Thomas, A. D.; Tonini, C.

    2017-06-01

    We describe the selection of galaxies targeted in eight low-redshift clusters (APMCC0917, A168, A4038, EDCC442, A3880, A2399, A119 and A85; 0.029 < z < 0.058) as part of the Sydney-AAO Multi-Object Integral field spectrograph Galaxy Survey (SAMI-GS). We have conducted a redshift survey of these clusters using the AAOmega multi-object spectrograph on the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope. The redshift survey is used to determine cluster membership and to characterize the dynamical properties of the clusters. In combination with existing data, the survey resulted in 21 257 reliable redshift measurements and 2899 confirmed cluster member galaxies. Our redshift catalogue has a high spectroscopic completeness (˜94 per cent) for rpetro ≤ 19.4 and cluster-centric distances R < 2R200. We use the confirmed cluster member positions and redshifts to determine cluster velocity dispersion, R200, virial and caustic masses, as well as cluster structure. The clusters have virial masses 14.25 ≤ log(M200/M⊙) ≤ 15.19. The cluster sample exhibits a range of dynamical states, from relatively relaxed-appearing systems, to clusters with strong indications of merger-related substructure. Aperture- and point spread function matched photometry are derived from Sloan Digital Sky Survey and VLT Survey Telescope/ATLAS imaging and used to estimate stellar masses. These estimates, in combination with the redshifts, are used to define the input target catalogue for the cluster portion of the SAMI-GS. The primary SAMI-GS cluster targets have R

  7. Spectroscopic Confirmation of Five Galaxy Clusters at z > 1.25 in the 2500 deg^2 SPT-SZ Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khullar, Gourav; Bleem, Lindsey; Bayliss, Matthew; Gladders, Michael; South Pole Telescope (SPT) Collaboration

    2018-06-01

    We present spectroscopic confirmation of 5 galaxy clusters at 1.25 < z < 1.5, discovered in the 2500 deg2 South Pole Telescope Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SPT-SZ) survey. These clusters, taken from a nearly redshift-independent mass-limited sample of clusters, have multi-wavelength follow-up imaging data from the X-ray to the near-IR, and currently form the most homogenous massive high-redshift cluster sample in existence. We briefly describe the analysis pipeline used on the low S/N spectra of these faint galaxies, and describing the multiple techniques used to extract robust redshifts from a combination of absorption-line (Ca II H&K doublet - λλ3934,3968Å) and emission-line ([OII] λλ3727,3729Å) spectral features. We present several ensemble analyses of cluster member galaxies that demonstrate the reliability of the measured redshifts. We also identify modest [OII] emission and pronounced CN and Hδ absorption in a composite stacked spectrum of 28 low S/N passive galaxy spectra with redshifts derived primarily from Ca II H&K features. This work increases the number of spectroscopically-confirmed SPT-SZ galaxy clusters at z > 1.25 from 2 to 7, further demonstrating the efficacy of SZ selection for the highest redshift massive clusters, and enabling further detailed study of these confirmed systems.

  8. THE REDSHIFT DISTRIBUTION OF DUSTY STAR-FORMING GALAXIES FROM THE SPT SURVEY

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

    Strandet, M. L.; Weiss, A.; Vieira, J. D.

    2016-05-10

    We use the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Cycle 1 to determine spectroscopic redshifts of high-redshift dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) selected by their 1.4 mm continuum emission in the South Pole Telescope (SPT) survey. We present ALMA 3 mm spectral scans between 84 and 114 GHz for 15 galaxies and targeted ALMA 1 mm observations for an additional eight sources. Our observations yield 30 new line detections from CO, [C i], [N ii], H{sub 2}O and NH{sub 3}. We further present Atacama Pathfinder Experiment [C ii] and CO mid- J observations for seven sources for which only a singlemore » line was detected in spectral-scan data from ALMA Cycle 0 or Cycle 1. We combine the new observations with previously published and new millimeter/submillimeter line and photometric data of the SPT-selected DSFGs to study their redshift distribution. The combined data yield 39 spectroscopic redshifts from molecular lines, a success rate of >85%. Our sample represents the largest data set of its kind today and has the highest spectroscopic completeness among all redshift surveys of high- z DSFGs. The median of the redshift distribution is z = 3.9 ± 0.4, and the highest-redshift source in our sample is at z = 5.8. We discuss how the selection of our sources affects the redshift distribution, focusing on source brightness, selection wavelength, and strong gravitational lensing. We correct for the effect of gravitational lensing and find the redshift distribution for 1.4 mm selected sources with a median redshift of z = 3.1 ± 0.3. Comparing to redshift distributions selected at shorter wavelengths from the literature, we show that selection wavelength affects the shape of the redshift distribution.« less

  9. The Redshift Distribution of Dusty Star-forming Galaxies from the SPT Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strandet, M. L.; Weiss, A.; Vieira, J. D.; de Breuck, C.; Aguirre, J. E.; Aravena, M.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Béthermin, M.; Bradford, C. M.; Carlstrom, J. E.; Chapman, S. C.; Crawford, T. M.; Everett, W.; Fassnacht, C. D.; Furstenau, R. M.; Gonzalez, A. H.; Greve, T. R.; Gullberg, B.; Hezaveh, Y.; Kamenetzky, J. R.; Litke, K.; Ma, J.; Malkan, M.; Marrone, D. P.; Menten, K. M.; Murphy, E. J.; Nadolski, A.; Rotermund, K. M.; Spilker, J. S.; Stark, A. A.; Welikala, N.

    2016-05-01

    We use the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Cycle 1 to determine spectroscopic redshifts of high-redshift dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) selected by their 1.4 mm continuum emission in the South Pole Telescope (SPT) survey. We present ALMA 3 mm spectral scans between 84 and 114 GHz for 15 galaxies and targeted ALMA 1 mm observations for an additional eight sources. Our observations yield 30 new line detections from CO, [C I], [N II], H2O and NH3. We further present Atacama Pathfinder Experiment [C II] and CO mid-J observations for seven sources for which only a single line was detected in spectral-scan data from ALMA Cycle 0 or Cycle 1. We combine the new observations with previously published and new millimeter/submillimeter line and photometric data of the SPT-selected DSFGs to study their redshift distribution. The combined data yield 39 spectroscopic redshifts from molecular lines, a success rate of >85%. Our sample represents the largest data set of its kind today and has the highest spectroscopic completeness among all redshift surveys of high-z DSFGs. The median of the redshift distribution is z = 3.9 ± 0.4, and the highest-redshift source in our sample is at z = 5.8. We discuss how the selection of our sources affects the redshift distribution, focusing on source brightness, selection wavelength, and strong gravitational lensing. We correct for the effect of gravitational lensing and find the redshift distribution for 1.4 mm selected sources with a median redshift of z = 3.1 ± 0.3. Comparing to redshift distributions selected at shorter wavelengths from the literature, we show that selection wavelength affects the shape of the redshift distribution.

  10. The inevitable youthfulness of known high-redshift radio galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blundell, Katherine M.; Rawlings, Steve

    1999-05-01

    Some galaxies are very luminous in the radio part of the spectrum. These `radio galaxies' have extensive (hundreds of kiloparsecs) lobes of emission powered by plasma jets originating at a central black hole. Some radio galaxies can be seen at very high redshifts, where in principle they can serve as probes of the early evolution of the Universe. Here we show that, for any model of radio-galaxy evolution in which the luminosity decreases with time after an initial rapid increase (that is, essentially all reasonable models), all observable high-redshift radio galaxies must be seen when the lobes are less than 107 years old. This means that high-redshift radio galaxies can be used as a high-time-resolution probe of evolution in the early Universe. Moreover, this result explains many observed trends of radio-galaxy properties with redshift, without needing to invoke explanations based on cosmology or strong evolution of the surrounding intergalactic medium with cosmic time, thereby avoiding conflict with current theories of structure formation.

  11. Magnification-temperature correlation: The dark side of integrated Sachs-Wolfe measurements

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

    LoVerde, Marilena; Hui, Lam; Gaztanaga, Enrique

    2007-02-15

    Integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) measurements, which involve cross-correlating the microwave background anisotropies with the foreground large-scale structure (e.g. traced by galaxies/quasars), have proven to be an interesting probe of dark energy. We show that magnification bias, which is the inevitable modulation of the foreground number counts by gravitational lensing, alters both the scale dependence and amplitude of the observed ISW signal. This is true especially at high redshifts because (1) the intrinsic galaxy-temperature signal diminishes greatly back in the matter-dominated era, (2) the lensing efficiency increases with redshift and (3) the number count slope generally steepens with redshift in a magnitudemore » limited sample. At z > or approx. 2, the magnification-temperature correlation dominates over the intrinsic galaxy-temperature correlation and causes the observed ISW signal to increase with redshift, despite dark energy subdominance--a result of the fact that magnification probes structures all the way from the observer to the sources. Ignoring magnification bias therefore can lead to (significantly) erroneous conclusions about dark energy. While the lensing modulation opens up an interesting high z window for ISW measurements, high redshift measurements are not expected to add much new information to low redshift ones if dark energy is indeed the cosmological constant. This is because lensing introduces significant covariance across redshifts. The most compelling reasons for pursuing high redshift ISW measurements are to look for potential surprises such as early dark energy domination or signatures of modified gravity. We conclude with a discussion of existing measurements, the highest redshift of which is at the margin of being sensitive to the magnification effect. We also develop a formalism which might be of more general interest: to predict biases in estimating parameters when certain physical effects are ignored in interpreting observations.« less

  12. SPECTROSCOPY OF HIGH-REDSHIFT SUPERNOVAE FROM THE ESSENCE PROJECT: THE FIRST FOUR YEARS

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

    Foley, R. J.; Chornock, R.; Silverman, J. M.

    We present the results of spectroscopic observations from the ESSENCE high-redshift supernova (SN) survey during its first four years of operation. This sample includes spectra of all SNe Ia whose light curves were presented by Miknaitis et al. and used in the cosmological analyses of Davis et al. and Wood-Vasey et al. The sample represents 273 hr of spectroscopic observations with 6.5-10 m class telescopes of objects detected and selected for spectroscopy by the ESSENCE team. We present 184 spectra of 156 objects. Combining this sample with that of Matheson et al., we have a total sample of 329 spectramore » of 274 objects. From this, we are able to spectroscopically classify 118 Type Ia SNe. As the survey has matured, the efficiency of classifying SNe Ia has remained constant while we have observed both higher-redshift SNe Ia and SNe Ia farther from maximum brightness. Examining the subsample of SNe Ia with host-galaxy redshifts shows that redshifts derived from only the SN Ia spectra are consistent with redshifts found from host-galaxy spectra. Moreover, the phases derived from only the SN Ia spectra are consistent with those derived from light-curve fits. By comparing our spectra to local templates, we find that the rate of objects similar to the overluminous SN 1991T and the underluminous SN 1991bg in our sample are consistent with that of the local sample. We do note, however, that we detect no object spectroscopically or photometrically similar to SN 1991bg. Although systematic effects could reduce the high-redshift rate we expect based on the low-redshift surveys, it is possible that SN 1991bg-like SNe Ia are less prevalent at high redshift.« less

  13. DETECTING RELATIVISTIC X-RAY JETS IN HIGH-REDSHIFT QUASARS

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

    McKeough, Kathryn; Siemiginowska, Aneta; Kashyap, Vinay L.

    We analyze Chandra X-ray images of a sample of 11 quasars that are known to contain kiloparsec scale radio jets. The sample consists of five high-redshift ( z  ≥ 3.6) flat-spectrum radio quasars, and six intermediate redshift (2.1 <  z  < 2.9) quasars. The data set includes four sources with integrated steep radio spectra and seven with flat radio spectra. A total of 25 radio jet features are present in this sample. We apply a Bayesian multi-scale image reconstruction method to detect and measure the X-ray emission from the jets. We compute deviations from a baseline model that does not include the jet,more » and compare observed X-ray images with those computed with simulated images where no jet features exist. This allows us to compute p -value upper bounds on the significance that an X-ray jet is detected in a pre-determined region of interest. We detected 12 of the features unambiguously, and an additional six marginally. We also find residual emission in the cores of three quasars and in the background of one quasar that suggest the existence of unresolved X-ray jets. The dependence of the X-ray to radio luminosity ratio on redshift is a potential diagnostic of the emission mechanism, since the inverse Compton scattering of cosmic microwave background photons (IC/CMB) is thought to be redshift dependent, whereas in synchrotron models no clear redshift dependence is expected. We find that the high-redshift jets have X-ray to radio flux ratios that are marginally inconsistent with those from lower redshifts, suggesting that either the X-ray emissions are due to the IC/CMB rather than the synchrotron process, or that high-redshift jets are qualitatively different.« less

  14. Predicting the Quasar Photometric Reshift with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Filter System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laubacher, Emily M.; York, Donald G.

    1999-10-01

    Photometric data were obtained for a set of known quasars (QSOs) in five bands with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) filter system for the purpose of testing the ability of the SDSS system to accurately predict the photometric redshift of QSOs. The initial plot of the SDSS photometric redshift versus the measured redshift shows a good relationship, but a lot of scatter. A literature search was conducted on a selected sampling of 49 QSOs, 26 with redshift z <= 0.5 and 23 with 0.5 < z < 2.6, to confirm their accurate identifications as QSOs with their advertised redshifts. This search revealed 10 rejected QSOs which were not QSOs but rather Seyfert galaxies or Narrow Line Objects. Additionally, 11 QSOs were either Broad Absorption Line Systems or had spectra that were in some way incomplete, and therefore, their QSO identification could not be confirmed. The revised plot, with the rejected and unconfirmed QSOs removed, gives an excellent straight line with very little scatter. Although these results are preliminary and for only a small sampling of QSOs, they show that further study of the relationship is warranted and that eventually the SDSS method may be used to accurately predict the photometric redshift of QSOs.

  15. [C ii] 158-μm emission from the host galaxies of damped Lyman-alpha systems.

    PubMed

    Neeleman, Marcel; Kanekar, Nissim; Prochaska, J Xavier; Rafelski, Marc; Carilli, Chris L; Wolfe, Arthur M

    2017-03-24

    Gas surrounding high-redshift galaxies has been studied through observations of absorption line systems toward background quasars for decades. However, it has proven difficult to identify and characterize the galaxies associated with these absorbers due to the intrinsic faintness of the galaxies compared with the quasars at optical wavelengths. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array, we report on detections of [C ii] 158-μm line and dust-continuum emission from two galaxies associated with two such absorbers at a redshift of z ~ 4. Our results indicate that the hosts of these high-metallicity absorbers have physical properties similar to massive star-forming galaxies and are embedded in enriched neutral hydrogen gas reservoirs that extend well beyond the star-forming interstellar medium of these galaxies. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  16. OUTFLOW AND METALLICITY IN THE BROAD-LINE REGION OF LOW-REDSHIFT ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

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

    Shin, Jaejin; Woo, Jong-Hak; Nagao, Tohru

    2017-01-20

    Outflows in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are crucial to understand in investigating the co-evolution of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their host galaxies since outflows may play an important role as an AGN feedback mechanism. Based on archival UV spectra obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope and IUE , we investigate outflows in the broad-line region (BLR) in low-redshift AGNs ( z < 0.4) through detailed analysis of the velocity profile of the C iv emission line. We find a dependence of the outflow strength on the Eddington ratio and the BLR metallicity in our low-redshift AGN sample, which ismore » consistent with earlier results obtained for high-redshift quasars. These results suggest that BLR outflows, gas accretion onto SMBHs, and past star formation activity in host galaxies are physically related in low-redshift AGNs as in powerful high-redshift quasars.« less

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

    Ukwatta, T. N.; Wozniak, P. R.; Gehrels, N.

    Studies of high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) provide important information about the early Universe such as the rates of stellar collapsars and mergers, the metallicity content, constraints on the re-ionization period, and probes of the Hubble expansion. Rapid selection of high-z candidates from GRB samples reported in real time by dedicated space missions such as Swift is the key to identifying the most distant bursts before the optical afterglow becomes too dim to warrant a good spectrum. Here, we introduce ‘machine-z’, a redshift prediction algorithm and a ‘high-z’ classifier for Swift GRBs based on machine learning. Our method relies exclusively onmore » canonical data commonly available within the first few hours after the GRB trigger. Using a sample of 284 bursts with measured redshifts, we trained a randomized ensemble of decision trees (random forest) to perform both regression and classification. Cross-validated performance studies show that the correlation coefficient between machine-z predictions and the true redshift is nearly 0.6. At the same time, our high-z classifier can achieve 80 per cent recall of true high-redshift bursts, while incurring a false positive rate of 20 per cent. With 40 per cent false positive rate the classifier can achieve ~100 per cent recall. As a result, the most reliable selection of high-redshift GRBs is obtained by combining predictions from both the high-z classifier and the machine-z regressor.« less

  18. The spectral energy distribution of galaxies at z > 2.5: Implication from the Herschel/SPIRE color-color diagram

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Fangting; Buat, Veronique; Burgarella, Denis; Ciesla, Laure; Heinis, Sebastien; Shen, Shiyin; Shao, Zhengyi; Hou, Jinliang

    2015-08-01

    We use the Herschel SPIRE color-color diagram to study the spectral energy distribution (SED) and the redshift estimation of high-z galaxies. We collect a sample of 57 galaxies with spectroscopically confirmed redshifts and reliable flux measurements at redshift z=2.5-6.4, and compare their average SPIRE colors with SED templates from local and high-z libraries. We find that local SEDs are inconsistent with high-z observations. For the libraries of Chary & Elbaz (2001) and Dale & Helou (2002), the local calibrations of the parameters LIR and alpha need to be adjusted to around 1011Lsun and 1.5 to describe the average colors given by the observations. For high-z libraries, the templates of Magdis et al. (2012) can well describe the average colors of the observations at high redshift, justifying their assumption of an evolution of SED from z=0 to 3. Using the templates of Magdis et al. (2012), we defined color cuts to divide the SPIRE color-color diagram into different regions with different mean redshifts. We tested this method and two other color cut methods 500 micron risers and the method of Amblard et al. (2010) using a large sample of 786 Herschel-selected galaxies, and find that these color cut methods can separate the sample into populations with different mean redshifts, although the dispersion of redshifts in each population is quite large.

  19. Individual QSOs, Groups, & Clusters of High Redshift QSOs Associated with Low Redshift Spiral Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burbidge, Geoffrey; Napier, W.

    2009-01-01

    Starting more than forty years ago it was found by Arp and others that many high redshift QSOs lie very close to comparatively nearby spiral galaxies. As time has gone on the implication of these results have been ignored. Implicitly they have been assumed to be accidental configurations. By now there are so many data, sometimes involving clusters of high z QSOs, that the data requires re-examination. We have done this using conservative statistical methods. We have concluded that the physical associations are real and thus it appears that QSOs are being ejected from spiral galaxies which often show other aspects of activity. Some examples of these phenomena will be described. Thus despite the fact that most investigators continue to use QSOs for cosmological investigations, the results are doomed to failure. Even more important the nature of the high redshifts of QSOs (but not the redshifts of normal galaxies) remains a puzzle yet to be solved.

  20. Accounting for Cosmic Variance in Studies of Gravitationally Lensed High-redshift Galaxies in the Hubble Frontier Field Clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robertson, Brant E.; Ellis, Richard S.; Dunlop, James S.; McLure, Ross J.; Stark, Dan P.; McLeod, Derek

    2014-12-01

    Strong gravitational lensing provides a powerful means for studying faint galaxies in the distant universe. By magnifying the apparent brightness of background sources, massive clusters enable the detection of galaxies fainter than the usual sensitivity limit for blank fields. However, this gain in effective sensitivity comes at the cost of a reduced survey volume and, in this Letter, we demonstrate that there is an associated increase in the cosmic variance uncertainty. As an example, we show that the cosmic variance uncertainty of the high-redshift population viewed through the Hubble Space Telescope Frontier Field cluster Abell 2744 increases from ~35% at redshift z ~ 7 to >~ 65% at z ~ 10. Previous studies of high-redshift galaxies identified in the Frontier Fields have underestimated the cosmic variance uncertainty that will affect the ultimate constraints on both the faint-end slope of the high-redshift luminosity function and the cosmic star formation rate density, key goals of the Frontier Field program.

  1. Environment of Submillimeter Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    2013-10-01

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

  2. Optical Identifications of High-Redshift Galaxy Clusters from the Planck Sunyaev-Zeldovich Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burenin, R. A.; Bikmaev, I. F.; Khamitov, I. M.; Zaznobin, I. A.; Khorunzhev, G. A.; Eselevich, M. V.; Afanasiev, V. L.; Dodonov, S. N.; Rubiño-Martín, J.-A.; Aghanim, N.; Sunyaev, R. A.

    2018-05-01

    We present the results of optical identifications and spectroscopic redshift measurements for galaxy clusters from the second Planck catalogue of Sunyaev-Zeldovich sources (PSZ2) located at high redshifts, z ≈ 0.7-0.9. We used the data of optical observations with the Russian-Turkish 1.5-mtelescope (RTT-150), the Sayan Observatory 1.6-m telescope, the Calar Alto 3.5-m telescope, and the 6-m SAO RAS telescope (BTA). The spectroscopic redshift measurements were obtained for seven galaxy clusters, including one cluster, PSZ2 G126.57+51.61, from the cosmological sample of the PSZ2 catalogue. In the central regions of two clusters, PSZ2 G069.39+68.05 and PSZ2 G087.39-34.58, we detected arcs of strong gravitational lensing of background galaxies, one of which is at redshift z = 4.262. The data presented below roughly double the number of known galaxy clusters in the second Planck catalogue of Sunyaev-Zeldovich sources at high redshifts, z ≈ 0.8.

  3. Studying the Evolution of the Contamination of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect due to High-redshift (sub-)mm Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montana, Alfredo; Aretxaga, I.; Austermann, J.; Bock, J.; Chapin, E.; Gaztanaga, E.; Hughes, D.; Lowenthal, J.; Mauskopf, P.; Perera, T.; Scott, K.; Wilson, G.; Yun, M.

    2007-05-01

    We present simulations of the submillimetre/millimetre (sub-mm) sky to study the environment of luminous starburst galaxies, radio galaxies and AGN towards biased-regions (large-scale over-densities) in the high-redshift universe. Guided by recent results from AzTEC extragalactic surveys at 1.1mm, we describe the impact of this population of galaxies, that dominate the sub-mm extragalactic background, on the detectability of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (SZE) as a function of redshift. These results will be presented in the context of the next generation of wide-area surveys to identify high-redshift clusters via the SZE.

  4. KECK SPECTROSCOPY OF FAINT 3 < z < 8 LYMAN BREAK GALAXIES: EVIDENCE FOR A DECLINING FRACTION OF EMISSION LINE SOURCES IN THE REDSHIFT RANGE 6 < z < 8

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

    Schenker, Matthew A.; Ellis, Richard S.; Robertson, Brant E.

    2012-01-10

    Using deep Keck spectroscopy of Lyman break galaxies selected from infrared imaging data taken with the Wide Field Camera 3 on board the Hubble Space Telescope, we present new evidence for a reversal in the redshift-dependent fraction of star-forming galaxies with detectable Lyman alpha (Ly{alpha}) emission in the redshift range 6.3 < z < 8.8. Our earlier surveys with the DEIMOS spectrograph demonstrated a significant increase with redshift in the fraction of line emitting galaxies over the interval 4 < z < 6, particularly for intrinsically faint systems which dominate the luminosity density. Using the longer wavelength sensitivities of Lowmore » Resolution Imaging Spectrometer and NIRSPEC, we have targeted 19 Lyman break galaxies selected using recent WFC3/IR data whose photometric redshifts are in the range 6.3 < z < 8.8 and which span a wide range of intrinsic luminosities. Our spectroscopic exposures typically reach a 5{sigma} sensitivity of <50 A for the rest-frame equivalent width (EW) of Ly{alpha} emission. Despite the high fraction of emitters seen only a few hundred million years later, we find only two convincing and one possible line emitter in our more distant sample. Combining with published data on a further seven sources obtained using FORS2 on the ESO Very Large Telescope, and assuming continuity in the trends found at lower redshift, we discuss the significance of this apparent reversal in the redshift-dependent Ly{alpha} fraction in the context of our range in continuum luminosity. Assuming all the targeted sources are at their photometric redshift and our assumptions about the Ly{alpha} EW distribution are correct, we would expect to find so few emitters in less than 1% of the realizations drawn from our lower redshift samples. Our new results provide further support for the suggestion that, at the redshifts now being probed spectroscopically, we are entering the era where the intergalactic medium is partially neutral. With the arrival of more sensitive multi-slit infrared spectrographs, the prospects for improving the statistical validity of this result are promising.« less

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

    Mao, Peiyuan; Urry, C. Megan

    We investigate a sample of 622 blazars with measured fluxes at 12 wavebands across the radio-to-gamma-ray spectrum but without spectroscopic or photometric redshifts. This sample includes hundreds of sources with newly analyzed X-ray spectra reported here. From the synchrotron peak frequencies, estimated by fitting the broadband spectral energy distributions (SEDs), we find that the fraction of high-synchrotron-peaked blazars in these 622 sources is roughly the same as in larger samples of blazars that do have redshifts. We characterize the no-redshift blazars using their infrared colors, which lie in the distinct locus called the WISE blazar strip, then estimate their redshiftsmore » using a KNN regression based on the redshifts of the closest blazars in the WISE color–color plot. Finally, using randomly drawn values from plausible redshift distributions, we simulate the SEDs of these blazars and compare them to known blazar SEDs. Based on all these considerations, we conclude that blazars without redshift estimates are unlikely to be high-luminosity, high-synchrotron-peaked objects, which had been suggested in order to explain the “blazar sequence”—an observed trend of SED shape with luminosity—as a selection effect. Instead, the observed properties of no-redshift blazars are compatible with a causal connection between jet power and electron cooling, i.e., a true blazar sequence.« less

  6. The MUSE Hubble Ultra Deep Field Survey. II. Spectroscopic redshifts and comparisons to color selections of high-redshift galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inami, H.; Bacon, R.; Brinchmann, J.; Richard, J.; Contini, T.; Conseil, S.; Hamer, S.; Akhlaghi, M.; Bouché, N.; Clément, B.; Desprez, G.; Drake, A. B.; Hashimoto, T.; Leclercq, F.; Maseda, M.; Michel-Dansac, L.; Paalvast, M.; Tresse, L.; Ventou, E.; Kollatschny, W.; Boogaard, L. A.; Finley, H.; Marino, R. A.; Schaye, J.; Wisotzki, L.

    2017-11-01

    We have conducted a two-layered spectroscopic survey (1' × 1' ultra deep and 3' × 3' deep regions) in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE). The combination of a large field of view, high sensitivity, and wide wavelength coverage provides an order of magnitude improvement in spectroscopically confirmed redshifts in the HUDF; i.e., 1206 secure spectroscopic redshifts for Hubble Space Telescope (HST) continuum selected objects, which corresponds to 15% of the total (7904). The redshift distribution extends well beyond z> 3 and to HST/F775W magnitudes as faint as ≈ 30 mag (AB, 1σ). In addition, 132 secure redshifts were obtained for sources with no HST counterparts that were discovered in the MUSE data cubes by a blind search for emission-line features. In total, we present 1338 high quality redshifts, which is a factor of eight increase compared with the previously known spectroscopic redshifts in the same field. We assessed redshifts mainly with the spectral features [O II] at z< 1.5 (473 objects) and Lyα at 2.9

  7. VDES J2325-5229 a z = 2.7 gravitationally lensed quasar discovered using morphology-independent supervised machine learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ostrovski, Fernanda; McMahon, Richard G.; Connolly, Andrew J.; Lemon, Cameron A.; Auger, Matthew W.; Banerji, Manda; Hung, Johnathan M.; Koposov, Sergey E.; Lidman, Christopher E.; Reed, Sophie L.; Allam, Sahar; Benoit-Lévy, Aurélien; Bertin, Emmanuel; Brooks, David; Buckley-Geer, Elizabeth; Carnero Rosell, Aurelio; Carrasco Kind, Matias; Carretero, Jorge; Cunha, Carlos E.; da Costa, Luiz N.; Desai, Shantanu; Diehl, H. Thomas; Dietrich, Jörg P.; Evrard, August E.; Finley, David A.; Flaugher, Brenna; Fosalba, Pablo; Frieman, Josh; Gerdes, David W.; Goldstein, Daniel A.; Gruen, Daniel; Gruendl, Robert A.; Gutierrez, Gaston; Honscheid, Klaus; James, David J.; Kuehn, Kyler; Kuropatkin, Nikolay; Lima, Marcos; Lin, Huan; Maia, Marcio A. G.; Marshall, Jennifer L.; Martini, Paul; Melchior, Peter; Miquel, Ramon; Ogando, Ricardo; Plazas Malagón, Andrés; Reil, Kevin; Romer, Kathy; Sanchez, Eusebio; Santiago, Basilio; Scarpine, Vic; Sevilla-Noarbe, Ignacio; Soares-Santos, Marcelle; Sobreira, Flavia; Suchyta, Eric; Tarle, Gregory; Thomas, Daniel; Tucker, Douglas L.; Walker, Alistair R.

    2017-03-01

    We present the discovery and preliminary characterization of a gravitationally lensed quasar with a source redshift zs = 2.74 and image separation of 2.9 arcsec lensed by a foreground zl = 0.40 elliptical galaxy. Since optical observations of gravitationally lensed quasars show the lens system as a superposition of multiple point sources and a foreground lensing galaxy, we have developed a morphology-independent multi-wavelength approach to the photometric selection of lensed quasar candidates based on Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) supervised machine learning. Using this technique and gi multicolour photometric observations from the Dark Energy Survey (DES), near-IR JK photometry from the VISTA Hemisphere Survey (VHS) and WISE mid-IR photometry, we have identified a candidate system with two catalogue components with IAB = 18.61 and IAB = 20.44 comprising an elliptical galaxy and two blue point sources. Spectroscopic follow-up with NTT and the use of an archival AAT spectrum show that the point sources can be identified as a lensed quasar with an emission line redshift of z = 2.739 ± 0.003 and a foreground early-type galaxy with z = 0.400 ± 0.002. We model the system as a single isothermal ellipsoid and find the Einstein radius θE ˜ 1.47 arcsec, enclosed mass Menc ˜ 4 × 1011 M⊙ and a time delay of ˜52 d. The relatively wide separation, month scale time delay duration and high redshift make this an ideal system for constraining the expansion rate beyond a redshift of 1.

  8. Properties of low-redshift QSO absorption systems - QSO-galaxy pairs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Womble, Donna S.

    1993-01-01

    The chance proximity of QSOs and galaxies provides unique opportunities to probe the extent and content of gas in the foreground galaxies through evaluation of the incidence and strength of absorption lines in the spectra of the background QSOs. Recent results on the observed properties of these low-redshift, heavy-element absorption systems are summarized. These results are discussed in the context of the galaxy morphologies and environments and are briefly compared with Galactic absorption and with the inferred properties of higher-redshift QSO absorption systems.

  9. A search for Hα emission in high-metallicity damped Lyman α systems at z ˜ 2.4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Wei-Hao; Kanekar, Nissim; Prochaska, J. Xavier

    2015-04-01

    We report on a sensitive search for redshifted Hα line-emission from three high-metallicity damped Lyα absorbers (DLAs) at z ≈ 2.4 with the Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrometer (NIFS) on the Gemini-North telescope, assisted by the ALTtitude conjugate Adaptive optics for the InfraRed (ALTAIR) system with a laser guide star. Within the NIFS field-of-view, ≈3.22 arcsec × 2.92 arcsec corresponding to ≈25 kpc × 23 kpc at z = 2.4, we detect no statistically significant line-emission at the expected redshifted Hα wavelengths. The measured root-mean-square noise fluctuations in 0.4 arcsec apertures are 1-3 × 10-18 erg s-1 cm-2. Our analysis of simulated, compact, line-emitting sources yields stringent limits on the star formation rates (SFRs) of the three DLAs, <2.2 M⊙ yr-1 (3σ) for two absorbers, and <11 M⊙ yr-1 (3σ) for the third, at all impact parameters within ≈12.5 kpc to the quasar sightline at the DLA redshift. For the third absorber, the SFR limit is <4.4 M⊙ yr-1 for locations away from the quasar sightline. These results demonstrate the potential of adaptive optics-assisted, integral field unit searches for galaxies associated with high-z DLAs.

  10. RECONSTRUCTING REDSHIFT DISTRIBUTIONS WITH CROSS-CORRELATIONS: TESTS AND AN OPTIMIZED RECIPE

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

    Matthews, Daniel J.; Newman, Jeffrey A., E-mail: djm70@pitt.ed, E-mail: janewman@pitt.ed

    2010-09-20

    Many of the cosmological tests to be performed by planned dark energy experiments will require extremely well-characterized photometric redshift measurements. Current estimates for cosmic shear are that the true mean redshift of the objects in each photo-z bin must be known to better than 0.002(1 + z), and the width of the bin must be known to {approx}0.003(1 + z) if errors in cosmological measurements are not to be degraded significantly. A conventional approach is to calibrate these photometric redshifts with large sets of spectroscopic redshifts. However, at the depths probed by Stage III surveys (such as DES), let alonemore » Stage IV (LSST, JDEM, and Euclid), existing large redshift samples have all been highly (25%-60%) incomplete, with a strong dependence of success rate on both redshift and galaxy properties. A powerful alternative approach is to exploit the clustering of galaxies to perform photometric redshift calibrations. Measuring the two-point angular cross-correlation between objects in some photometric redshift bin and objects with known spectroscopic redshift, as a function of the spectroscopic z, allows the true redshift distribution of a photometric sample to be reconstructed in detail, even if it includes objects too faint for spectroscopy or if spectroscopic samples are highly incomplete. We test this technique using mock DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift survey light cones constructed from the Millennium Simulation semi-analytic galaxy catalogs. From this realistic test, which incorporates the effects of galaxy bias evolution and cosmic variance, we find that the true redshift distribution of a photometric sample can, in fact, be determined accurately with cross-correlation techniques. We also compare the empirical error in the reconstruction of redshift distributions to previous analytic predictions, finding that additional components must be included in error budgets to match the simulation results. This extra error contribution is small for surveys that sample large areas of sky (>{approx}10{sup 0}-100{sup 0}), but dominant for {approx}1 deg{sup 2} fields. We conclude by presenting a step-by-step, optimized recipe for reconstructing redshift distributions from cross-correlation information using standard correlation measurements.« less

  11. 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

  12. Morphology and Structure of High-redshift Massive Galaxies in the CANDELS Fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guan-wen, Fang; Ze-sen, Lin; Xu, Kong

    2018-01-01

    Using the multi-band photometric data of all five CANDELS (Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey) fields and the near-infrared (F125W and F160W) high-resolution images of HST WFC3 (Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3), a quantitative study of morphology and structure of mass-selected galaxies is presented. The sample includes 8002 galaxies with a redshift 1 < z < 3 and stellar mass M*> 1010M⊙. Based on the Convolutional Neural Network (ConvNet) criteria, we classify the sample galaxies into SPHeroids (SPH), Early-Type Disks (ETD), Late-Type Disks (LTD), and IRRegulars (IRR) in different redshift bins. The findings indicate that the galaxy morphology and structure evolve with redshift up to z ∼ 3, from irregular galaxies in the high-redshift universe to the formation of the Hubble sequence dominated by disks and spheroids. For the same redshift interval, the median values of effective radii (re) of different morphological types are in a descending order: IRR, LTD, ETD, and SPH. But for the Sérsic index (n), the order is reversed (SPH, ETD, LTD, and IRR). In the meantime, the evolution of galaxy size (re) with the redshift is explored for the galaxies of different morphological types, and it is confirmed that their size will enlarge with time. However, such a phenomenon is not found in the relations between the redshift (1 < z < 3) and the mean axis ratio (b/a), as well as the Sérsic index (n).

  13. HST Imaging of the Eye of Horus, a Double Source Plane Gravitational Lens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wong, Kenneth

    2017-08-01

    Double source plane (DSP) gravitational lenses are extremely rare alignments of a massive lens galaxy with two background sources at distinct redshifts. The presence of two source planes provides important constraints on cosmology and galaxy structure beyond that of typical lens systems by breaking degeneracies between parameters that vary with source redshift. While these systems are extremely valuable, only a handful are known. We have discovered the first DSP lens, the Eye of Horus, in the Hyper Suprime-Cam survey and have confirmed both source redshifts with follow-up spectroscopy, making this the only known DSP lens with both source redshifts measured. Furthermore, the brightest image of the most distant source (S2) is split into a pair of images by a mass component that is undetected in our ground-based data, suggesting the presence of a satellite or line-of-sight galaxy causing this splitting. In order to better understand this system and use it for cosmology and galaxy studies, we must construct an accurate lens model, accounting for the lensing effects of both the main lens galaxy and the intermediate source. Only with deep, high-resolution imaging from HST/ACS can we accurately model this system. Our proposed multiband imaging will clearly separate out the two sources by their distinct colors, allowing us to use their extended surface brightness distributions as constraints on our lens model. These data may also reveal the satellite galaxy responsible for the splitting of the brightest image of S2. With these observations, we will be able to take full advantage of the wealth of information provided by this system.

  14. The Infrared Properties of Sources Matched in the Wise All-Sky and Herschel ATLAS Surveys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bond, Nicholas A.; Benford, Dominic J.; Gardner, Jonathan P.; Amblard, Alexandre; Fleuren, Simone; Blain, Andrew W.; Dunne, Loretta; Smith, Daniel J. B.; Maddox, Steve J.; Hoyos, Carlos; hide

    2012-01-01

    We describe the infrared properties of sources detected over approx 36 sq deg of sky in the GAMA 15-hr equatorial field, using data from both the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large-Area Survey (HATLAS) and Wide-field Infrared Survey (WISE). With 5sigma point-source depths of 34 and 0.048 mJy at 250 micron and 3.4 micron, respectively, we are able to identify 50.6% of the H-ATLAS sources in the WISE survey, corresponding to a surface density of approx 630 deg(exp -2). Approximately two-thirds of these sources have measured spectroscopic or optical/near-IR photometric redshifts of z < 1. For sources with spectroscopic redshifts at z < 0.3, we find a linear correlation between the infrared luminosity at 3.4 micron and that at 250 micron, with +/- 50% scatter over approx 1.5 orders of magnitude in luminosity, approx 10(exp 9) - 10(exp 10.5) Solar Luminosity By contrast, the matched sources without previously measured redshifts (r approx > 20.5) have 250-350 micron flux density ratios that suggest either high-redshift galaxies (z approx > 1.5) or optically faint low-redshift galaxies with unusually low temperatures (T approx < 20). Their small 3.4-250 micron flux ratios favor a high-redshift galaxy population, as only the most actively star-forming galaxies at low redshift (e.g., Arp 220) exhibit comparable flux density ratios. Furthermore, we find a relatively large AGN fraction (approx 30%) in a 12 micron flux-limited subsample of H-ATLAS sources, also consistent with there being a significant population of high-redshift sources in the no-redshift sample

  15. The Infrared Properties of Sources Matched in the WISE All-Sky and Herschel Atlas Surveys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bond, Nicholas A.; Benford, Dominic J.; Gardner, Jonathan P.; Eisenhardt, Peter; Amblard, Alexandre; Temi, Pasquale; Fleuren, Simone; Blain, Andrew W.; Dunne, Loretta; Smith, Daniel J.; hide

    2012-01-01

    We describe the infrared properties of sources detected over approx. 36 deg2 of sky in the GAMA 15-hr equatorial field, using data from both the Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large-Area Survey (H-ATLAS) and Wide-field Infrared Survey (WISE). With 5(sigma) point-source depths of 34 and 0.048 mJy at 250 microns and 3.4 microns, respectively, we are able to identify 50.6% of the H-ATLAS sources in the WISE survey, corresponding to a surface density of approx. 630 deg-2. Approximately two-thirds of these sources have measured spectroscopic or optical/near-IR photometric redshifts of z < 1. For sources with spectroscopic redshifts at z < 0.3, we find a linear correlation between the infrared luminosity at 3.4 microns and that at 250 microns, with +/-50% scatter over approx. 1.5 orders of magnitude in luminosity, approx. 10(exp 9) - 10(exp 10.5) Stellar Luminosity. By contrast, the matched sources without previously measured redshifts (r > or approx. 20.5) have 250-350 microns flux density ratios that suggest either high-redshift galaxies (z > or approx. 1.5) or optically faint low-redshift galaxies with unusually low temperatures (T < or approx. 20). Their small 3.4-250 microns flux ratios favor a high-redshift galaxy population, as only the most actively star-forming galaxies at low redshift (e.g., Arp 220) exhibit comparable flux density ratios. Furthermore, we find a relatively large AGN fraction (approx. 30%) in a 12 microns flux-limited subsample of H-ATLAS sources, also consistent with there being a significant population of high-redshift sources in the no-redshift sample.

  16. BL Lacertae Objects Beyond Redshift 1.3 - UV-to-NIR Photometry and Photometric Redshift for Fermi/LAT Blazars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rau, A.; Schady, P.; Greiner, J.; Salvato, M.; Ajello, M.; Bottacini, E.; Gehrels, N.; Afonso, P. M. J.; Elliott, J.; Filgas, R.; hide

    2011-01-01

    Context. Observations of the gamma-ray sky with Fermi led to significant advances towards understanding blazars, the most extreme class of Active Galactic Nuclei. A large fraction of the population detected by Fermi is formed by BL Lacertae (BL Lac) objects, whose sample has always suffered from a severe redshift incompleteness due to the quasi-featureless optical spectra. Aims. Our goal is to provide a significant increase of the number of confirmed high-redshift BL Lac objects contained in the 2 LAC Fermi/LAT catalog. Methods. For 103 Fermi/LAT blazars, photometric redshifts using spectral energy distribution fitting have been obtained. The photometry includes 13 broad-band filters from the far ultraviolet to the near-IR observed with Swift/UVOT and the multi-channel imager GROND at the MPG/ESO 2.2m telescope. Data have been taken quasi-simultaneously and the remaining source-intrinsic variability has been corrected for. Results. We release the UV-to-near-IR 13-band photometry for all 103 sources and provide redshift constraints for 75 sources without previously known redshift. Out of those, eight have reliable photometric redshifts at z > or approx. 1.3, while for the other 67 sources we provide upper limits. Six of the former eight are BL Lac objects, which quadruples the sample of confirmed high-redshift BL Lac. This includes three sources with redshifts higher than the previous record for BL Lac, including CRATES J0402-2615, with the best-fit solution at z approx. = 1.9.

  17. A bridge between unified cosmic history by f( R)-gravity and BIonic system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sepehri, Alireza; Capozziello, Salvatore; Setare, Mohammad Reza

    2016-04-01

    Recently, the cosmological deceleration-acceleration transition redshift in f( R) gravity has been considered in order to address consistently the problem of cosmic evolution. It is possible to show that the deceleration parameter changes sign at a given redshift according to observational data. Furthermore, a f( R) gravity cosmological model can be constructed in brane-antibrane system starting from the very early universe and accounting for the cosmological redshift at all phases of cosmic history, from inflation to late time acceleration. Here we propose a f( R) model where transition redshifts correspond to inflation-deceleration and deceleration-late time acceleration transitions starting froma BIon system. At the point where the universe was born, due to the transition of k black fundamental strings to the BIon configuration, the redshift is approximately infinity and decreases with reducing temperature (z˜ T2). The BIon is a configuration in flat space of a universe-brane and a parallel anti-universe-brane connected by a wormhole. This wormhole is a channel for flowing energy from extra dimensions into our universe, occurring at inflation and decreasing with redshift as z˜ T^{4+1/7}. Dynamics consists with the fact that the wormhole misses its energy and vanishes as soon as inflation ends and deceleration begins. Approaching two universe branes together, a tachyon is originated, it grows up and causes the formation of a wormhole. We show that, in the framework of f( R) gravity, the cosmological redshift depends on the tachyonic potential and has a significant decrease at deceleration-late time acceleration transition point (z˜ T^{2/3}). As soon as today acceleration approaches, the redshift tends to zero and the cosmological model reduces to the standard Λ CDM cosmology.

  18. Local analogues of high-redshift star-forming galaxies: integral field spectroscopy of green peas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lofthouse, E. K.; Houghton, R. C. W.; Kaviraj, S.

    2017-10-01

    We use integral field spectroscopy, from the SWIFT and PALM3K instruments, to perform a spatially resolved spectroscopic analysis of four nearby highly star-forming 'green pea' (GP) galaxies, that are likely analogues of high-redshift star-forming systems. By studying emission-line maps in H α, [N II] λλ6548,6584 and [S II] λλ6716,6731, we explore the kinematic morphology of these systems and constrain properties such as gas-phase metallicities, electron densities and gas-ionization mechanisms. Two of our GPs are rotationally supported while the others are dispersion-dominated systems. The rotationally supported galaxies both show evidence for recent or ongoing mergers. However, given that these systems have intact discs, these interactions are likely to have low-mass ratios (I.e. minor mergers), suggesting that the minor-merger process may be partly responsible for the high star formation rates seen in these GPs. Nevertheless, the fact that the other two GPs appear morphologically undisturbed suggests that mergers (including minor mergers) are not necessary for driving the high star formation rates in such galaxies. We show that the GPs are metal-poor systems (25-40 per cent of solar) and that the gas ionization is not driven by active galactic nuclei (AGN) in any of our systems, indicating that the AGN activity is not coeval with star formation in these starbursting galaxies.

  19. Dark matter annihilation in the circumgalactic medium at high redshifts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schön, S.; Mack, K. J.; Wyithe, J. S. B.

    2018-03-01

    Annihilating dark matter (DM) models offer promising avenues for future DM detection, in particular via modification of astrophysical signals. However, when modelling such potential signals at high redshift, the emergence of both DM and baryonic structure, as well as the complexities of the energy transfer process, needs to be taken into account. In the following paper, we present a detailed energy deposition code and use this to examine the energy transfer efficiency of annihilating DM at high redshift, including the effects on baryonic structure. We employ the PYTHIA code to model neutralino-like DM candidates and their subsequent annihilation products for a range of masses and annihilation channels. We also compare different density profiles and mass-concentration relations for 105-107 M⊙ haloes at redshifts 20 and 40. For these DM halo and particle models, we show radially dependent ionization and heating curves and compare the deposited energy to the haloes' gravitational binding energy. We use the `filtered' annihilation spectra escaping the halo to calculate the heating of the circumgalactic medium and show that the mass of the minimal star-forming object is increased by a factor of 2-3 at redshift 20 and 4-5 at redshift 40 for some DM models.

  20. [CII] At 1 < z < 2: Observing Star Formation in the Early Universe with Zeus (1 and 2)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ferkinhoff, Carl; Hailey-Dunsheath, S.; Nikola, T.; Oberst, T.; Parshley, S.; Stacey, G.; Benford, D.; staguhn, J.

    2010-01-01

    We report the detection of the [CII] 158 micron fine structure line from six submillimeter galaxies with redshifts between 1.12 and 1.73. This more than doubles the total number of [CII] 158 micron detections reported from high redshift sources. These observations were made with the Redshift(z) and Early Universe Spectrometer(ZEUS) at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii between December 2006 and March 2009. ZEUS is a background limited submm echelle grating spectrometer (Hailey-Dunsheath 2009). Currently we are constructing ZEUS-2. This new instrument will utilize the same grating but will feature a two dimensional transition-edge sensed bolometer array with SQUID multiplexing readout system enabling simultaneous background limited observations in the 200, 340,450 and 650 micron telluric windows. ZEUS-2 will allow for long slit imaging spectroscopy in nearby galaxies and a [CII] survey from z 0.25 to 2.5.

  1. High-Z Protocluster Survey by Subaru/HSC

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kashikawa, Nobunari

    2017-07-01

    We are now conducting a systematic survey for high-redshift (z > 3) protoclusters using the extremely wide imaging data produced by the Subaru/Hyper Suprime Cam. The goal of the HSC protocluster survey is to trace redshift evolution of cluster galaxies up to z 6 with very high number statistics (10 20 protoclusters per redshift bins at z> 2) as well as to see a possible variety of protoclusters ( 1000 protoclusters at z 4) at the same redshift. We applied an effective method to find significant overdense regions of g-dropout galaxies at z 4 based on a high surface number density. We have found 179 protocluster candidates with more than 4 overdensity significance over 121 deg2 of the initial HSC data release for the wide layer. I will report the current status of the survey and initial results.

  2. ACCOUNTING FOR COSMIC VARIANCE IN STUDIES OF GRAVITATIONALLY LENSED HIGH-REDSHIFT GALAXIES IN THE HUBBLE FRONTIER FIELD CLUSTERS

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

    Robertson, Brant E.; Stark, Dan P.; Ellis, Richard S.

    Strong gravitational lensing provides a powerful means for studying faint galaxies in the distant universe. By magnifying the apparent brightness of background sources, massive clusters enable the detection of galaxies fainter than the usual sensitivity limit for blank fields. However, this gain in effective sensitivity comes at the cost of a reduced survey volume and, in this Letter, we demonstrate that there is an associated increase in the cosmic variance uncertainty. As an example, we show that the cosmic variance uncertainty of the high-redshift population viewed through the Hubble Space Telescope Frontier Field cluster Abell 2744 increases from ∼35% atmore » redshift z ∼ 7 to ≳ 65% at z ∼ 10. Previous studies of high-redshift galaxies identified in the Frontier Fields have underestimated the cosmic variance uncertainty that will affect the ultimate constraints on both the faint-end slope of the high-redshift luminosity function and the cosmic star formation rate density, key goals of the Frontier Field program.« less

  3. Quasars Probing Quasars. IX. The Kinematics of the Circumgalactic Medium Surrounding z ∼ 2 Quasars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lau, Marie Wingyee; Prochaska, J. Xavier; Hennawi, Joseph F.

    2018-04-01

    We examine the kinematics of the gas in the environments of galaxies hosting quasars at z ∼ 2. We employ 148 projected quasar pairs to study the circumgalactic gas of the foreground quasars in absorption. The sample selects foreground quasars with precise redshift measurements, using emission lines with precision ≲300 km s‑1 and average offsets from the systemic redshift ≲ | 100 {km} {{{s}}}-1| . We stack the background quasar spectra at the foreground quasar’s systemic redshift to study the mean absorption in C II, C IV, and Mg II. We find that the mean absorptions exhibit large velocity widths σv ≈ 300 km s‑1. Further, the mean absorptions appear to be asymmetric about the systemic redshifts. The mean absorption centroids exhibit small redshift relative to the systemic δv ≈ +200 km s‑1, with large intrinsic scatter in the centroid velocities of the individual absorption systems. We find the observed widths are consistent with gas in gravitational motion and Hubble flow. However, while the observation of large widths alone does not require galactic-scale outflows, the observed offsets suggest that the gas is on average outflowing from the galaxy. The observed offsets also suggest that the ionizing radiation from the foreground quasars is anisotropic and/or intermittent.

  4. The redshift-space neighborhoods of 36 loose groups. 2: Analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ramella, Massimo; Geller, Margaret J.; Hurchra, John P.; Thorstensen, John R.

    1995-01-01

    We explore the kinematics of 36 rich RGH89 groups identified from the first two complete slices of the CfA redshift survey. These groups have more than five members identified by a friends-of-friends algorithm at a number density contrast delta rho/rho greater than or equal to 80. To examine the stability of the determination of the velocity dispersion for these systems, we compare results for the original 232 members with results for a larger redshift sample, including 334 fainter members in the redshift neighborhoods. On average, we double the number of group members in each system. The observed distribution of velocity dispersions is stable. In fact, the velocity dispersion based on the original members identified in the CfA redshift survey is a reliable predictor of the value for the enlarged sample in an individual group. The velocity dispersion is thus a stable physical parameter for discrimination among systems galaxies. A larger sample of groups, particularly one selected from a distance limited catalog, should provide an interesting constraint on models for the formation of large-scale structure. We take H(sub 0) = km/s/Mpc.

  5. The Complete Calibration of the Color–Redshift Relation (C3R2) Survey: Survey Overview and Data Release 1

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

    Masters, Daniel C.; Stern, Daniel K.; Rhodes, Jason D.

    A key goal of the Stage IV dark energy experiments Euclid , LSST, and WFIRST is to measure the growth of structure with cosmic time from weak lensing analysis over large regions of the sky. Weak lensing cosmology will be challenging: in addition to highly accurate galaxy shape measurements, statistically robust and accurate photometric redshift (photo- z ) estimates for billions of faint galaxies will be needed in order to reconstruct the three-dimensional matter distribution. Here we present an overview of and initial results from the Complete Calibration of the Color–Redshift Relation (C3R2) survey, which is designed specifically to calibratemore » the empirical galaxy color–redshift relation to the Euclid depth. These redshifts will also be important for the calibrations of LSST and WFIRST . The C3R2 survey is obtaining multiplexed observations with Keck (DEIMOS, LRIS, and MOSFIRE), the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC; OSIRIS), and the Very Large Telescope (VLT; FORS2 and KMOS) of a targeted sample of galaxies that are most important for the redshift calibration. We focus spectroscopic efforts on undersampled regions of galaxy color space identified in previous work in order to minimize the number of spectroscopic redshifts needed to map the color–redshift relation to the required accuracy. We present the C3R2 survey strategy and initial results, including the 1283 high-confidence redshifts obtained in the 2016A semester and released as Data Release 1.« less

  6. Human high intelligence is involved in spectral redshift of biophotonic activities in the brain

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Niting; Li, Zehua; Xiao, Fangyan; Dai, Jiapei

    2016-01-01

    Human beings hold higher intelligence than other animals on Earth; however, it is still unclear which brain properties might explain the underlying mechanisms. The brain is a major energy-consuming organ compared with other organs. Neural signal communications and information processing in neural circuits play an important role in the realization of various neural functions, whereas improvement in cognitive function is driven by the need for more effective communication that requires less energy. Combining the ultraweak biophoton imaging system (UBIS) with the biophoton spectral analysis device (BSAD), we found that glutamate-induced biophotonic activities and transmission in the brain, which has recently been demonstrated as a novel neural signal communication mechanism, present a spectral redshift from animals (in order of bullfrog, mouse, chicken, pig, and monkey) to humans, even up to a near-infrared wavelength (∼865 nm) in the human brain. This brain property may be a key biophysical basis for explaining high intelligence in humans because biophoton spectral redshift could be a more economical and effective measure of biophotonic signal communications and information processing in the human brain. PMID:27432962

  7. Close Companions to Two High-redshift Quasars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McGreer, Ian D.; Fan, Xiaohui; Strauss, Michael A.; Haiman, Zoltàn; Richards, Gordon T.; Jiang, Linhua; Bian, Fuyan; Schneider, Donald P.

    2014-10-01

    We report the serendipitous discoveries of companion galaxies to two high-redshift quasars. SDSS J025617.7+001904 is a z = 4.79 quasar included in our recent survey of faint quasars in the SDSS Stripe 82 region. The initial MMT slit spectroscopy shows excess Lyα emission extending well beyond the quasar's light profile. Further imaging and spectroscopy with LBT/MODS1 confirms the presence of a bright galaxy (i AB = 23.6) located 2'' (12 kpc projected) from the quasar with strong Lyα emission (EW0 ≈ 100 Å) at the redshift of the quasar, as well as faint continuum. The second quasar, CFHQS J005006.6+344522 (z = 6.25), is included in our recent HST SNAP survey of z ~ 6 quasars searching for evidence of gravitational lensing. Deep imaging with ACS and WFC3 confirms an optical dropout ~4.5 mag fainter than the quasar (Y AB = 25) at a separation of 0.''9. The red i 775 - Y 105 color of the galaxy and its proximity to the quasar (5 kpc projected if at the quasar redshift) strongly favor an association with the quasar. Although it is much fainter than the quasar, it is remarkably bright when compared to field galaxies at this redshift, while showing no evidence for lensing. Both systems may represent late-stage mergers of two massive galaxies, with the observed light for one dominated by powerful ongoing star formation and for the other by rapid black hole growth. Observations of close companions are rare; if major mergers are primarily responsible for high-redshift quasar fueling then the phase when progenitor galaxies can be observed as bright companions is relatively short. Based in part 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 programs #12184 and #12493. Observations were also made with the LBT and MMT.

  8. Lyman Break Galaxies in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field through Deep U-Band Imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rafelski, Marc; Wolfe, A. M.; Cooke, J.; Chen, H. W.; Armandroff, T. E.; Wirth, G. D.

    2009-12-01

    We introduce an extremely deep U-band image taken of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF), with a one sigma depth of 30.7 mag arcsec-2 and a detection limiting magnitude of 28 mag arcsec-2. The observations were carried out on the Keck I telescope using the LRIS-B detector. The U-band image substantially improves the accuracy of photometric redshift measurements of faint galaxies in the HUDF at z=[2.5,3.5]. The U-band for these galaxies is attenuated by lyman limit absorption, allowing for more reliable selections of candidate Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) than from photometric redshifts without U-band. We present a reliable sample of 300 LBGs at z=[2.5,3.5] in the HUDF. Accurate redshifts of faint galaxies at z=[2.5,3.5] are needed to obtain empirical constraints on the star formation efficiency of neutral gas at high redshift. Wolfe & Chen (2006) showed that the star formation rate (SFR) density in damped Ly-alpha absorption systems (DLAs) at z=[2.5,3.5] is significantly lower than predicted by the Kennicutt-Schmidt law for nearby galaxies. One caveat to this result that we wish to test is whether LBGs are embedded in DLAs. If in-situ star formation is occurring in DLAs, we would see it as extended low surface brightness emission around LBGs. We shall use the more accurate photometric redshifts to create a sample of LBGs around which we will look for extended emission in the more sensitive and higher resolution HUDF images. The absence of extended emission would put limits on the SFR density of DLAs associated with LBGs at high redshift. On the other hand, detection of faint emission on scales large compared to the bright LBG cores would indicate the presence of in situ star formation in those DLAs. Such gas would presumably fuel the higher star formation rates present in the LBG cores.

  9. Spitzer Observations of GRB Hosts: A Legacy Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perley, Daniel; Tanvir, Nial; Hjorth, Jens; Berger, Edo; Laskar, Tanmoy; Michalowski, Michal; Chary, Ranga-Ram; Fynbo, Johan; Levan, Andrew

    2012-09-01

    The host galaxies of long-duration GRBs are drawn from uniquely broad range of luminosities and redshifts. Thus they offer the possibility of studying the evolution of star-forming galaxies without the limitations of other luminosity-selected samples, which typically are increasingly biased towards the most massive systems at higher redshift. However, reaping the full benefits of this potential requires careful attention to the selection biases affecting host identification. To this end, we propose observations of a Legacy sample of 70 GRB host galaxies (an additional 70 have already been observed by Spitzer), in order to constrain the mass and luminosity function in GRB-selected galaxies at high redshift, including its dependence on redshift and on properties of the afterglow. Crucially, and unlike previous Spitzer surveys, this sample is carefully designed to be uniform and free of optical selection biases that have caused previous surveys to systematically under-represent the role of luminous, massive hosts. We also propose to extend to larger, more powerfully constraining samples the study of two science areas where Spitzer observations have recently shown spectacular success: the hosts of dust-obscured GRBs (which promise to further our understanding of the connection between GRBs and star-formation in the most luminous galaxies), and the evolution of the mass-metallicity relation at z>2 (for which GRB host observations provide particularly powerful constraints on high-z chemical evolution).

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    2006-07-01

    Aims.We study the clustering properties of Distant Red Galaxies (DRGs) to test whether they are the progenitors of local massive galaxies. Methods.We use the GOODS-MUSIC sample, a catalog of ~3000 Ks-selected galaxies based on VLT and HST observation of the GOODS-South field with extended multi-wavelength coverage (from 0.3 to 8~μm) and accurate estimates of the photometric redshifts to select 179 DRGs with J-Ks≥ 1.3 in an area of 135 sq. arcmin.Results.We first show that the J-Ks≥ 1.3 criterion selects a rather heterogeneous sample of galaxies, going from the targeted high-redshift luminous evolved systems, to a significant fraction of lower redshift (1

  11. Clustering of galaxies near damped Lyman-alpha systems with (z) = 2.6

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wolfe, A. M

    1993-01-01

    The galaxy two-point correlation function, xi, at (z) = 2.6 is determined by comparing the number of Ly-alpha-emitting galaxies in narrowband CCD fields selected for the presence of damped L-alpha absorption to their number in randomly selected control fields. Comparisons between the presented determination of (xi), a density-weighted volume average of xi, and model predictions for (xi) at large redshifts show that models in which the clustering pattern is fixed in proper coordinates are highly unlikely, while better agreement is obtained if the clustering pattern is fixed in comoving coordinates. Therefore, clustering of Ly-alpha-emitting galaxies around damped Ly-alpha systems at large redshifts is strong. It is concluded that the faint blue galaxies are drawn from a parent population different from normal galaxies, the presumed offspring of damped Ly-alpha systems.

  12. A high deuterium abundance at redshift z = 0.7.

    PubMed

    Webb, J K; Carswell, R F; Lanzetta, K M; Ferlet, R; Lemoine, M; Vidal-Madjar, A; Bowen, D V

    1997-07-17

    Of the light elements, the primordial abundance of deuterium relative to hydrogen, (D/H)p, provides the most sensitive diagnostic for the cosmological mass density parameter, omegaB. Recent high-redshift D/H measurements are highly discrepant, although this may reflect observational uncertainties. The larger primordial D/H values imply a low omegaB (requiring the Universe to be dominated by non-baryonic matter), and cause problems for galactic chemical evolution models, which have difficulty in reproducing the steep decline in D/H to the present-day values. Conversely, the lower D/H values measured at high redshift imply an omegaB greater than that derived from 7Li and 4He abundance measurements, and may require a deuterium-abundance evolution that is too low to easily explain. Here we report the first measurement of D/H at intermediate redshift (z = 0.7010), in a gas cloud selected to minimize observational uncertainties. Our analysis yields a value of D/H ((2.0 +/- 0.5) x 10[-4]) which is at the upper end of the range of values measured at high redshifts. This finding, together with other independent observations, suggests that there may be inhomogeneity in (D/H)p of at least a factor of ten.

  13. The Clustering of High-Redshift (2.9 < z < 5.4) Quasars in SDSS Stripe 82

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Timlin, John; Ross, Nicolas; Richards, Gordon; Myers, Adam; Bauer, Franz Erik; Lacy, Mark; Schneider, Donald; Wollack, Edward; Zakamska, Nadia

    2018-01-01

    We present the data from the Spitzer IRAC Equatorial Survey (SpIES) along with our first high-redshift (2.9

  14. The DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey: Design, Observations, Data Reduction, and Redshifts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Newman, Jeffrey A.; Cooper, Michael C.; Davis, Marc; Faber, S. M.; Coil, Alison L; Guhathakurta, Puraga; Koo, David C.; Phillips, Andrew C.; Conroy, Charlie; Dutton, Aaron A.; hide

    2013-01-01

    We describe the design and data analysis of the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey, the densest and largest high-precision redshift survey of galaxies at z approx. 1 completed to date. The survey was designed to conduct a comprehensive census of massive galaxies, their properties, environments, and large-scale structure down to absolute magnitude MB = -20 at z approx. 1 via approx.90 nights of observation on the Keck telescope. The survey covers an area of 2.8 Sq. deg divided into four separate fields observed to a limiting apparent magnitude of R(sub AB) = 24.1. Objects with z approx. < 0.7 are readily identifiable using BRI photometry and rejected in three of the four DEEP2 fields, allowing galaxies with z > 0.7 to be targeted approx. 2.5 times more efficiently than in a purely magnitude-limited sample. Approximately 60% of eligible targets are chosen for spectroscopy, yielding nearly 53,000 spectra and more than 38,000 reliable redshift measurements. Most of the targets that fail to yield secure redshifts are blue objects that lie beyond z approx. 1.45, where the [O ii] 3727 Ang. doublet lies in the infrared. The DEIMOS 1200 line mm(exp -1) grating used for the survey delivers high spectral resolution (R approx. 6000), accurate and secure redshifts, and unique internal kinematic information. Extensive ancillary data are available in the DEEP2 fields, particularly in the Extended Groth Strip, which has evolved into one of the richest multiwavelength regions on the sky. This paper is intended as a handbook for users of the DEEP2 Data Release 4, which includes all DEEP2 spectra and redshifts, as well as for the DEEP2 DEIMOS data reduction pipelines. Extensive details are provided on object selection, mask design, biases in target selection and redshift measurements, the spec2d two-dimensional data-reduction pipeline, the spec1d automated redshift pipeline, and the zspec visual redshift verification process, along with examples of instrumental signatures or other artifacts that in some cases remain after data reduction. Redshift errors and catastrophic failure rates are assessed through more than 2000 objects with duplicate observations. Sky subtraction is essentially photon-limited even under bright OH sky lines; we describe the strategies that permitted this, based on high image stability, accurate wavelength solutions, and powerful B-spline modeling methods. We also investigate the impact of targets that appear to be single objects in ground-based targeting imaging but prove to be composite in Hubble Space Telescope data; they constitute several percent of targets at z approx. 1, approaching approx. 5%-10% at z > 1.5. Summary data are given that demonstrate the superiority of DEEP2 over other deep high-precision redshift surveys at z approx. 1 in terms of redshift accuracy, sample number density, and amount of spectral information. We also provide an overview of the scientific highlights of the DEEP2 survey thus far.

  15. VDES J2325-5229 a z = 2.7 gravitationally lensed quasar discovered using morphology-independent supervised machine learning

    DOE PAGES

    Ostrovski, Fernanda; McMahon, Richard G.; Connolly, Andrew J.; ...

    2016-11-17

    In this paper, we present the discovery and preliminary characterization of a gravitationally lensed quasar with a source redshift z s = 2.74 and image separation of 2.9 arcsec lensed by a foreground z l = 0.40 elliptical galaxy. Since optical observations of gravitationally lensed quasars show the lens system as a superposition of multiple point sources and a foreground lensing galaxy, we have developed a morphology-independent multi-wavelength approach to the photometric selection of lensed quasar candidates based on Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) supervised machine learning. Using this technique and gi multicolour photometric observations from the Dark Energy Survey (DES),more » near-IR JK photometry from the VISTA Hemisphere Survey (VHS) and WISE mid-IR photometry, we have identified a candidate system with two catalogue components with i AB = 18.61 and i AB = 20.44 comprising an elliptical galaxy and two blue point sources. Spectroscopic follow-up with NTT and the use of an archival AAT spectrum show that the point sources can be identified as a lensed quasar with an emission line redshift of z = 2.739 ± 0.003 and a foreground early-type galaxy with z = 0.400 ± 0.002. We model the system as a single isothermal ellipsoid and find the Einstein radius θ E ~ 1.47 arcsec, enclosed mass M enc ~ 4 × 10 11 M ⊙ and a time delay of ~52 d. Finally, the relatively wide separation, month scale time delay duration and high redshift make this an ideal system for constraining the expansion rate beyond a redshift of 1.« less

  16. VDES J2325-5229 a z = 2.7 gravitationally lensed quasar discovered using morphology-independent supervised machine learning

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

    Ostrovski, Fernanda; McMahon, Richard G.; Connolly, Andrew J.

    In this paper, we present the discovery and preliminary characterization of a gravitationally lensed quasar with a source redshift z s = 2.74 and image separation of 2.9 arcsec lensed by a foreground z l = 0.40 elliptical galaxy. Since optical observations of gravitationally lensed quasars show the lens system as a superposition of multiple point sources and a foreground lensing galaxy, we have developed a morphology-independent multi-wavelength approach to the photometric selection of lensed quasar candidates based on Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) supervised machine learning. Using this technique and gi multicolour photometric observations from the Dark Energy Survey (DES),more » near-IR JK photometry from the VISTA Hemisphere Survey (VHS) and WISE mid-IR photometry, we have identified a candidate system with two catalogue components with i AB = 18.61 and i AB = 20.44 comprising an elliptical galaxy and two blue point sources. Spectroscopic follow-up with NTT and the use of an archival AAT spectrum show that the point sources can be identified as a lensed quasar with an emission line redshift of z = 2.739 ± 0.003 and a foreground early-type galaxy with z = 0.400 ± 0.002. We model the system as a single isothermal ellipsoid and find the Einstein radius θ E ~ 1.47 arcsec, enclosed mass M enc ~ 4 × 10 11 M ⊙ and a time delay of ~52 d. Finally, the relatively wide separation, month scale time delay duration and high redshift make this an ideal system for constraining the expansion rate beyond a redshift of 1.« less

  17. Characterizing the Interstellar and Circumgalactic Medium in Star-forming Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Du, Xinnan; Shapley, Alice; Crystal Martin, Alison Coil, Charles Steidel, Tucker Jones, Daniel Stark, Allison Strom

    2018-01-01

    Rest-frame UV and optical spectroscopy provide valuable information on the physical properties of the neutral and ionized interstellar medium (ISM) in star-forming galaxies, including both the systemic interstellar component originating from HII regions, and the multi-phase outflowing component associated with star-formation feedback. My thesis focuses on both the systemic and outflowing ISM in star-forming galaxies at redshift z ~ 1-4. With an unprecedented sample at z~1 with the rest-frame near-UV coverage, we examined how the kinematics of the warm and cool phrases of gas, probed by the interstellar CIV and low-ionization features, respectively, relate to each other. The spectral properties of CIV strongly correlate with the current star-formation rate, indicating a distinct nature of highly-ionized outflowing gas being driven by massive star formation. Additionally, we used the same set of z~1 galaxies to study the properties of the systemic ISM in HII regions by analyzing the nebular CIII] emission. CIII] emission tends to be stronger in lower-mass, bluer, and fainter galaxies with lower metallicity, suggesting that the strong CIII] emitters at lower redshifts can be ideal analogs of young, bursty galaxies at z > 6, which are possibly responsible for reionizing the universe. We are currently investigating the redshift evolution of the neutral, circumgalactic gas in a sample of ~1100 Lyman Break Galaxies at z ~ 2-4. The negative correlation between Lya emission and low-ionization interstellar absorption line strengths appears to be universal across different redshifts, but the fine-structure line emitting regions are found to be more compact for higher-redshift galaxies. With the detailed observational constraints provided by the rest-UV and rest-optical spectroscopy, our study sheds light on how the interstellar and circumgalactic gas components and different phases of gas connect to each other, and therefore provides a comprehensive picture of the overall physical environment in typical star-forming galaxies.

  18. Modelling high-resolution ALMA observations of strongly lensed highly star-forming galaxies detected by Herschel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dye, S.; Furlanetto, C.; Dunne, L.; Eales, S. A.; Negrello, M.; Nayyeri, H.; van der Werf, P. P.; Serjeant, S.; Farrah, D.; Michałowski, M. J.; Baes, M.; Marchetti, L.; Cooray, A.; Riechers, D. A.; Amvrosiadis, A.

    2018-06-01

    We have modelled ˜0.1 arcsec resolution Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimeter Array imaging of six strong gravitationally lensed galaxies detected by the Herschel Space Observatory. Our modelling recovers mass properties of the lensing galaxies and, by determining magnification factors, intrinsic properties of the lensed submillimetre sources. We find that the lensed galaxies all have high ratios of star formation rate to dust mass, consistent with or higher than the mean ratio for high-redshift submillimetre galaxies and low-redshift ultra-luminous infrared galaxies. Source reconstruction reveals that most galaxies exhibit disturbed morphologies. Both the cleaned image plane data and the directly observed interferometric visibilities have been modelled, enabling comparison of both approaches. In the majority of cases, the recovered lens models are consistent between methods, all six having mass density profiles that are close to isothermal. However, one system with poor signal to noise shows mildly significant differences.

  19. AN EVOLVING STELLAR INITIAL MASS FUNCTION AND THE GAMMA-RAY BURST REDSHIFT DISTRIBUTION

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

    Wang, F. Y.; Dai, Z. G.

    2011-02-01

    Recent studies suggest that Swift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) may not trace an ordinary star formation history (SFH). Here, we show that the GRB rate turns out to be consistent with the SFH with an evolving stellar initial mass function (IMF). We first show that the latest Swift sample of GRBs reveals an increasing evolution in the GRB rate relative to the ordinary star formation rate at high redshifts. We then assume only massive stars with masses greater than the critical value to produce GRBs and use an evolving stellar IMF suggested by Dave to fit the latest GRB redshift distribution.more » This evolving IMF would increase the relative number of massive stars, which could lead to more GRB explosions at high redshifts. We find that the evolving IMF can well reproduce the observed redshift distribution of Swift GRBs.« less

  20. Optical study of the DAFT/FADA galaxy cluster survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinet, N.; Durret, F.; Clowe, D.; Adami, C.

    2013-11-01

    DAFT/FADA (Dark energy American French Team) is a large survey of ˜90 high redshift (0.42×10^{14} M_{⊙}) clusters with HST weak lensing oriented data, plus BVRIZJ 4m ground based follow up to compute photometric redshifts. The main goals of this survey are to constrain dark energy parameters using weak lensing tomography and to study a large homogeneous sample of high redshift massive clusters. We will briefly review the latest results of this optical survey, focusing on two ongoing works: the calculation of galaxy luminosity functions from photometric redshift catalogs and the weak lensing analysis of ground based data.

  1. Lyman Continuum Escape Fraction of Star-forming Dwarf Galaxies at z ˜ 1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rutkowski, Michael J.; Scarlata, Claudia; Haardt, Francesco; Siana, Brian; Henry, Alaina; Rafelski, Marc; Hayes, Matthew; Salvato, Mara; Pahl, Anthony J.; Mehta, Vihang; Beck, Melanie; Malkan, Matthew; Teplitz, Harry I.

    2016-03-01

    To date, no direct detection of Lyman continuum emission has been measured for intermediate-redshift (z˜ 1) star-forming galaxies. We combine Hubble Space Telescope grism spectroscopy with GALEX UV and ground-based optical imaging to extend the search for escaping Lyman continuum to a large (˜600) sample of z˜ 1 low-mass ({log}(\\bar{M}) ≃ 9.3{M}⊙ ), moderately star-forming (\\bar{{{\\Psi }}} ≲ 10{M}⊙ yr-1) galaxies selected initially on Hα emission. The characteristic escape fraction of LyC from star-forming galaxies (SFGs) that populate this parameter space remains weakly constrained by previous surveys, but these faint (sub-L⋆) SFGs are assumed to play a significant role in the reionization of neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium (IGM) at high redshift z\\gt 6. We do not make an unambiguous detection of escaping LyC radiation from this z˜ 1 sample, individual non-detections to constrain the absolute Lyman continuum escape fraction, {f}{esc} \\lt 2.1% (3σ). We measure an upper limit of {f}{esc} \\lt 9.6% from a sample of SFGs selected on high Hα equivalent width (EW \\gt 200 {{\\mathringA }}), which are thought to be close analogs of high redshift sources of reionization. For reference, we also present an emissivity-weighted escape fraction that is useful for measuring the general contribution SFGs to the ionizing UV background. In the discussion, we consider the implications of these intermediate redshift constraints for the reionization of hydrogen in the IGM at high (z\\gt 6) redshift. If we assume our z˜ 1 SFGs, for which we measure this emissivity-weighted {f}{esc}, are analogs to the high redshift sources of reionization, we find it is difficult to reconcile reionization by faint ({M}{UV}≲ -13) SFGs with a low escape fraction ({f}{esc} \\lt 3%), with constraints from independent high redshift observations. If {f}{esc} evolves with redshift, reionization by SFGs may be consistent with observations from Planck.

  2. The Complete Calibration of the Color-Redshift Relation (C3R2) survey for Euclid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cohen, Judith; Masters, Daniel; C3R2 Team

    2018-06-01

    The complete calibration of the color-redshift relation (C3R2) survey is a multi-institution, mutli-instrument survey with the Keck telescopes that aims to map out the empirical galaxy color-redshift relation in preparation for the Stage IV dark energy missions Euclid and WFIRST. A key challenge for weak lensing cosmology with these missions will be measuring highly accurate redshift distributions for billions of faint galaxies using only broad-band photometric observations. Well-calibrated photometric redshifts will thus be critical to their success. C3R2 uses an innovative technique that maps the color distribution of galaxies in the high-dimensional color space (u-g, ..., J-H) expected for Euclid and WFIRST, allowng us to focus spectroscopic effort on those regions of galaxy color space which are currently unexplored. C3R2 is a joint effort involving all of the Keck partners, with 44.5 nights allocated thus far. DR1 is published (Masters, Stern, Cohen et al, ApJ, 841, 111), and DR2, with > 3000 new redshifts, will be submitted in mid 2018.

  3. VLA observations of unidentified Leiden-Berkeley Deep-Survey sources - Luminosity and redshift dependence of spectral properties

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kapahi, Vijay K.; Kulkarni, Vasant K.

    1990-01-01

    VLA observations of a complete subset of the Leiden-Berkeley Deep Survey sources that have S(1.4 GHz) greater than 10 mJy and are not optically identified down to F=22 mag are reported. By comparing the spectral and structural properties of the sources with samples from the literature, an attempt was made to disentangle the luminosity and redshift dependence of the spectral indices of extended emission in radio galaxies and of the incidence of compact steep-spectrum sources. It is found that the fraction of compact sources among those with a steep spectrum is related primarily to redshift, being much larger at high redshifts for sources of similar radio luminosity. Only a weak and marginally significant dependence of spectral indices of the extended sources on luminosity and redshift is found in samples selected at 1.4 and 2.7 GHz. It is pointed out that the much stronger correlation of spectral indices with luminosity may be arising partly from spectral curvature, and partly due to the preferential inclusion of very steep-spectrum sources from high redshift in low-frequency surveys.

  4. Leveraging 3D-HST Grism Redshifts to Quantify Photometric Redshift Performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bezanson, Rachel; Wake, David A.; Brammer, Gabriel B.; van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Franx, Marijn; Labbé, Ivo; Leja, Joel; Momcheva, Ivelina G.; Nelson, Erica J.; Quadri, Ryan F.; Skelton, Rosalind E.; Weiner, Benjamin J.; Whitaker, Katherine E.

    2016-05-01

    We present a study of photometric redshift accuracy in the 3D-HST photometric catalogs, using 3D-HST grism redshifts to quantify and dissect trends in redshift accuracy for galaxies brighter than JH IR > 24 with an unprecedented and representative high-redshift galaxy sample. We find an average scatter of 0.0197 ± 0.0003(1 + z) in the Skelton et al. photometric redshifts. Photometric redshift accuracy decreases with magnitude and redshift, but does not vary monotonically with color or stellar mass. The 1σ scatter lies between 0.01 and 0.03 (1 + z) for galaxies of all masses and colors below z < 2.5 (for JH IR < 24), with the exception of a population of very red (U - V > 2), dusty star-forming galaxies for which the scatter increases to ˜0.1 (1 + z). We find that photometric redshifts depend significantly on galaxy size; the largest galaxies at fixed magnitude have photo-zs with up to ˜30% more scatter and ˜5 times the outlier rate. Although the overall photometric redshift accuracy for quiescent galaxies is better than that for star-forming galaxies, scatter depends more strongly on magnitude and redshift than on galaxy type. We verify these trends using the redshift distributions of close pairs and extend the analysis to fainter objects, where photometric redshift errors further increase to ˜0.046 (1 + z) at {H}F160W=26. We demonstrate that photometric redshift accuracy is strongly filter dependent and quantify the contribution of multiple filter combinations. We evaluate the widths of redshift probability distribution functions and find that error estimates are underestimated by a factor of ˜1.1-1.6, but that uniformly broadening the distribution does not adequately account for fitting outliers. Finally, we suggest possible applications of these data in planning for current and future surveys and simulate photometric redshift performance in the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Dark Energy Survey (DES), and combined DES and Vista Hemisphere surveys.

  5. 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.

  6. Discovery of Compact Quiescent Galaxies at Intermediate Redshifts in DEEP2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blancato, Kirsten; Chilingarian, Igor; Damjanov, Ivana; Moran, Sean; Katkov, Ivan

    2015-01-01

    Compact quiescent galaxies in the redshift range 0.6 < z < 1.1 are the missing link needed to complete the evolutionary histories of these objects from the high redshift z ≥ 2 Universe to the local z ~ 0 Universe. We identify the first intermediate redshift compact quiescent galaxies by searching a sample of 1,089 objects in the DEEP2 Redshift Survey that have multi-band photometry, spectral fitting, and readily available structural parameters. We find 27 compact quiescent candidates between z = 0.6 and z = 1.1 where each candidate galaxy has archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging and is visually confirmed to be early-type. The candidates have half-light radii ranging from 0.83 < Re,c < 7.14 kpc (median Re,c = 1.77 kpc) and virial masses ranging from 2.2E10 < Mdyn < 5.6E11 Msun (median Mdyn = 7.7E10 Msun). Of our 27 compact quiescent candidates, 13 are truly compact with sizes at most half of the size of their z ~ 0 counterparts of the same mass. In addition to their structural properties bridging the gap between their high and low redshift counterparts, our sample of intermediate redshift quiescent galaxies span a large range of ages but is drawn from two distinct epochs of galaxy formation: formation at z > 2 which suggests these objects may be the relics of the observed high redshift compact galaxies and formation at z ≤ 2 which suggests there is an additional population of more recently formed massive compact galaxies. This work is supported in part by the NSF REU and DOD ASSURE programs under NSF grant no. 1262851 and by the Smithsonian Institution.

  7. z~2: An Epoch of Disk Assembly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simons, Raymond C.; Kassin, Susan A.; Weiner, Benjamin; Heckman, Timothy M.; Trump, Jonathan; SIGMA, DEEP2

    2018-01-01

    At z = 0, the majority of massive star-forming galaxies contain thin, rotationally supported gas disks. It was once accepted that galaxies form thin disks early: collisional gas with high velocity dispersion should dissipate energy, conserve angular momentum, and develop strong rotational support in only a few galaxy crossing times (~few hundred Myr). However, this picture is complicated at high redshift, where the processes governing galaxy assembly tend to be violent and inhospitable to disk formation. We present results from our SIGMA survey of star-forming galaxy kinematics at z = 2. These results challenge the simple picture described above: galaxies at z = 2 are unlike local well-ordered disks. Their kinematics tend to be much more disordered, as quantified by their low ratios of rotational velocity to gas velocity dispersion (Vrot/σg): less than 35% of galaxies have Vrot/σg > 3. For comparison, nearly 100% of local star-forming galaxies meet this same threshold. We combine our high redshift sample with a similar low redshift sample from the DEEP2 survey. This combined sample covers a continuous redshift baseline over 0.1 < z < 2.5, spanning 10 Gyrs of cosmic time. Over this period, galaxies exhibit remarkably smooth kinematic evolution on average. All galaxies tend towards rotational support with time, and it is reached earlier in higher mass systems. This is due to both a significant decline in gas velocity dispersion and a mild rise in ordered rotational motions. These results indicate that z = 2 is a period of disk assembly, during which the strong rotational support present in today’s massive disk galaxies is only just beginning to emerge.

  8. ULTRA STEEP SPECTRUM RADIO SOURCES IN THE LOCKMAN HOLE: SERVS IDENTIFICATIONS AND REDSHIFT DISTRIBUTION AT THE FAINTEST RADIO FLUXES

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

    Afonso, J.; Bizzocchi, L.; Grossi, M.

    2011-12-20

    Ultra steep spectrum (USS) radio sources have been successfully used to select powerful radio sources at high redshifts (z {approx}> 2). Typically restricted to large-sky surveys and relatively bright radio flux densities, it has gradually become possible to extend the USS search to sub-mJy levels, thanks to the recent appearance of sensitive low-frequency radio facilities. Here a first detailed analysis of the nature of the faintest USS sources is presented. By using Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and Very Large Array radio observations of the Lockman Hole at 610 MHz and 1.4 GHz, a sample of 58 USS sources, with 610more » MHz integrated fluxes above 100 {mu}Jy, is assembled. Deep infrared data at 3.6 and 4.5 {mu}m from the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey (SERVS) are used to reliably identify counterparts for 48 (83%) of these sources, showing an average total magnitude of [3.6]{sub AB} = 19.8 mag. Spectroscopic redshifts for 14 USS sources, together with photometric redshift estimates, improved by the use of the deep SERVS data, for a further 19 objects, show redshifts ranging from z = 0.1 to z = 2.8, peaking at z {approx} 0.6 and tailing off at high redshifts. The remaining 25 USS sources, with no redshift estimate, include the faintest [3.6] magnitudes, with 10 sources undetected at 3.6 and 4.5 {mu}m (typically [3.6] {approx}> 22-23 mag from local measurements), which suggests the likely existence of higher redshifts among the sub-mJy USS population. The comparison with the Square Kilometre Array Design Studies Simulated Skies models indicates that Fanaroff-Riley type I radio sources and radio-quiet active galactic nuclei may constitute the bulk of the faintest USS population, and raises the possibility that the high efficiency of the USS technique for the selection of high-redshift sources remains even at the sub-mJy level.« less

  9. An interpretation of the narrow positron annihilation feature from X-ray nova Muscae 1991

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Wan; Gehrels, Neil; Cheng, F. H.

    1993-01-01

    The physical mechanism responsible for the narrow redshifted positron annihilation gamma-ray line from the X-ray nova Muscae 1991 is studied. The orbital inclination angle of the system is estimated and its black hole mass is constrained under the assumptions that the annihilation line centroid redshift is purely gravitational and that the line width is due to the combined effect of temperature broadening and disk rotation. The large black hole mass lower limit of 8 solar and the high binary mass ratio it implies raise a serious challenge to theoretical models of the formation and evolution of massive binaries.

  10. The Chemical Evolution of QSO Absorbers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ellison, Sara L.

    2000-06-01

    The chemical evolution of the high redshift intergalactic and interstellar media of galaxies is studied using QSO absorption lines. The redshift evolution of damped Lyman alpha (DLA) system metallicity is studied down to z=0.5, and no significant increase in metals is found. The CIV/HI ratio in the Lyman alpha forest is investigated at z approximately 3 and traces of are metals found in the low density HI gas with optical depth of around 1. Finally, a new survey for DLAs in a radio-selected sample of QSOs is presented, with the aim of determining whether a significant dust bias may have affected previous surveys.

  11. Identifying High-redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts with RATIR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Littlejohns, O. M.; Butler, N. R.; Cucchiara, A.; Watson, A. M.; Kutyrev, A. S.; Lee, W. H.; Richer, M. G.; Klein, C. R.; Fox, O. D.; Prochaska, J. X.; Bloom, J. S.; Troja, E.; Ramirez-Ruiz, E.; de Diego, J. A.; Georgiev, L.; González, J.; Román-Zúñiga, C. G.; Gehrels, N.; Moseley, H.

    2014-07-01

    We present a template-fitting algorithm for determining photometric redshifts, z phot, of candidate high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Using afterglow photometry, obtained by the Reionization and Transients InfraRed (RATIR) camera, this algorithm accounts for the intrinsic GRB afterglow spectral energy distribution, host dust extinction, and the effect of neutral hydrogen (local and cosmological) along the line of sight. We present the results obtained by this algorithm and the RATIR photometry of GRB 130606A, finding a range of best-fit solutions, 5.6 < z phot < 6.0, for models of several host dust extinction laws (none, the Milky Way, Large Magellanic Clouds, and Small Magellanic Clouds), consistent with spectroscopic measurements of the redshift of this GRB. Using simulated RATIR photometry, we find that our algorithm provides precise measures of z phot in the ranges of 4 < z phot <~ 8 and 9 < z phot < 10 and can robustly determine when z phot > 4. Further testing highlights the required caution in cases of highly dust-extincted host galaxies. These tests also show that our algorithm does not erroneously find z phot < 4 when z sim > 4, thereby minimizing false negatives and allowing us to rapidly identify all potential high-redshift events.

  12. Herschel Extreme Lensing Line Observations: [CII] Variations in Galaxies at Redshifts z=1-3*

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Malhotra, Sangeeta; Rhoads, James E.; Finkelstein, K.; Yang, Huan; Carilli, Chris; Combes, Francoise; Dassas, Karine; Finkelstein, Steven; Frye, Brenda; Gerin, Maryvonne; hide

    2017-01-01

    We observed the [C II] line in 15 lensed galaxies at redshifts 1 less than z less than 3 using HIFI on the Herschel Space Observatory and detected 14/15 galaxies at 3sigma or better. High magnifications enable even modestly luminous galaxies to be detected in [C II] with Herschel. The [C II] luminosity in this sample ranges from 8 × 10(exp 7) solar luminosity to 3.7 × 10(exp 9) solar luminosity (after correcting for magnification), confirming that [C II] is a strong tracer of the ISM at high redshifts. The ratio of the [C II] line to the total far-infrared (FIR) luminosity serves as a measure of the ratio of gas to dust cooling and thus the efficiency of the grain photoelectric heating process. It varies between 3.3% and 0.09%. We compare the [C II]/FIR ratio to that of galaxies at z = 0 and at high redshifts and find that they follow similar trends. The [C II]/FIR ratio is lower for galaxies with higher dust temperatures. This is best explained if increased UV intensity leads to higher FIR luminosity and dust temperatures, but gas heating does not rise due to lower photoelectric heating efficiency. The [C II]/FIR ratio shows weaker correlation with FIR luminosity. At low redshifts highly luminous galaxies tend to have warm dust, so the effects of dust temperature and luminosity are degenerate. Luminous galaxies at high redshifts show a range of dust temperatures, showing that [C II]/FIR correlates most strongly with dust temperature. The [C II] to mid-IR ratio for the HELLO sample is similar to the values seen for low-redshift galaxies, indicating that small grains and PAHs dominate the heating in the neutral ISM, although some of the high [CII]/FIR ratios may be due to turbulent heating.

  13. Herschel Extreme Lensing Line Observations: [CII] Variations in Galaxies at Redshifts z=1-3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malhotra, Sangeeta; Rhoads, James E.; Finkelstein, K.; Yang, Huan; Carilli, Chris; Combes, Françoise; Dassas, Karine; Finkelstein, Steven; Frye, Brenda; Gerin, Maryvonne; Guillard, Pierre; Nesvadba, Nicole; Rigby, Jane; Shin, Min-Su; Spaans, Marco; Strauss, Michael A.; Papovich, Casey

    2017-01-01

    We observed the [C II] line in 15 lensed galaxies at redshifts 1 < z < 3 using HIFI on the Herschel Space Observatory and detected 14/15 galaxies at 3σ or better. High magnifications enable even modestly luminous galaxies to be detected in [C II] with Herschel. The [C II] luminosity in this sample ranges from 8 × 107 L⊙ to 3.7 × 109 L⊙ (after correcting for magnification), confirming that [C II] is a strong tracer of the ISM at high redshifts. The ratio of the [C II] line to the total far-infrared (FIR) luminosity serves as a measure of the ratio of gas to dust cooling and thus the efficiency of the grain photoelectric heating process. It varies between 3.3% and 0.09%. We compare the [C II]/FIR ratio to that of galaxies at z = 0 and at high redshifts and find that they follow similar trends. The [C II]/FIR ratio is lower for galaxies with higher dust temperatures. This is best explained if increased UV intensity leads to higher FIR luminosity and dust temperatures, but gas heating does not rise due to lower photoelectric heating efficiency. The [C II]/FIR ratio shows weaker correlation with FIR luminosity. At low redshifts highly luminous galaxies tend to have warm dust, so the effects of dust temperature and luminosity are degenerate. Luminous galaxies at high redshifts show a range of dust temperatures, showing that [C II]/FIR correlates most strongly with dust temperature. The [C II] to mid-IR ratio for the HELLO sample is similar to the values seen for low-redshift galaxies, indicating that small grains and PAHs dominate the heating in the neutral ISM, although some of the high [CII]/FIR ratios may be due to turbulent heating. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.

  14. HERSCHEL EXTREME LENSING LINE OBSERVATIONS: [C ii] VARIATIONS IN GALAXIES AT REDSHIFTS z = 1–3

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

    Malhotra, Sangeeta; Rhoads, James E.; Yang, Huan

    We observed the [C ii] line in 15 lensed galaxies at redshifts 1 < z < 3 using HIFI on the Herschel Space Observatory and detected 14/15 galaxies at 3 σ or better. High magnifications enable even modestly luminous galaxies to be detected in [C ii] with Herschel . The [C ii] luminosity in this sample ranges from 8 × 10{sup 7} L {sub ⊙} to 3.7 × 10{sup 9} L {sub ⊙} (after correcting for magnification), confirming that [C ii] is a strong tracer of the ISM at high redshifts. The ratio of the [C ii] line to themore » total far-infrared (FIR) luminosity serves as a measure of the ratio of gas to dust cooling and thus the efficiency of the grain photoelectric heating process. It varies between 3.3% and 0.09%. We compare the [C ii]/FIR ratio to that of galaxies at z = 0 and at high redshifts and find that they follow similar trends. The [C ii]/FIR ratio is lower for galaxies with higher dust temperatures. This is best explained if increased UV intensity leads to higher FIR luminosity and dust temperatures, but gas heating does not rise due to lower photoelectric heating efficiency. The [C ii]/FIR ratio shows weaker correlation with FIR luminosity. At low redshifts highly luminous galaxies tend to have warm dust, so the effects of dust temperature and luminosity are degenerate. Luminous galaxies at high redshifts show a range of dust temperatures, showing that [C ii]/FIR correlates most strongly with dust temperature. The [C ii] to mid-IR ratio for the HELLO sample is similar to the values seen for low-redshift galaxies, indicating that small grains and PAHs dominate the heating in the neutral ISM, although some of the high [CII]/FIR ratios may be due to turbulent heating.« less

  15. High-Redshift SNe with Subaru and HST

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rubin, David; Suzuki, Nao; Regnault, Nicolas; Aldering, Gregory; Amanullah, Rahman; Antilogus, Pierre; Astier, Pierre; Barbary, Kyle; Betoule, Marc; Boone, Kyle Robert; Currie, Miles; Deustua, Susana; Doi, Mamoru; Fruchter, Andrew; Goobar, Ariel; Hayden, Brian; Hazenberg, Francois; Hook, Isobel; Huang, Xiaosheng; Jiang, Jian; Kato, Takahiro; Kim, Alex; Kowalski, Marek; Lidman, Chris; Linder, Eric; Maeda, Keiichi; Morokuma, Tomoki; Nordin, Jakob; Pain, Reynald; Perlmutter, Saul; Ruiz-Lapuente, Pilar; Sako, Masao; Myers Saunders, Clare; Spadafora, Anthony L.; Tanaka, Masaomi; Tominaga, Nozomu; Yasuda, Naoki; Yoshida, Naoki

    2018-01-01

    High-redshift type Ia supernovae are crucial for constraining any time variation in dark energy. Here, we present the first discoveries and light curves from the SUbaru Supernovae with Hubble Infrared (SUSHI) program, which combines high-redshift SN discoveries from the Subaru Strategic Program (SSP, as well as other Subaru time) with HST WFC3 IR followup. This program efficiently uses the wide field and high collecting area of Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam for optical light curves, but still obtains a precision NIR color. We are on track to double the number of well-measured SNe Ia at z > 1.1, triggering on 23 SNe Ia in our first season.

  16. 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.

  17. Type II supernovae as a significant source of interstellar dust.

    PubMed

    Dunne, Loretta; Eales, Stephen; Ivison, Rob; Morgan, Haley; Edmunds, Mike

    2003-07-17

    Large amounts of dust (>10(8)M(o)) have recently been discovered in high-redshift quasars and galaxies corresponding to a time when the Universe was less than one-tenth of its present age. The stellar winds produced by stars in the late stages of their evolution (on the asymptotic giant branch of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram) are thought to be the main source of dust in galaxies, but they cannot produce that dust on a short enough timescale (&<1 Gyr) to explain the results in the high-redshift galaxies. Supernova explosions of massive stars (type II) are also a potential source, with models predicting 0.2-4M(o) of dust. As massive stars evolve rapidly, on timescales of a few Myr, these supernovae could be responsible for the high-redshift dust. Observations of supernova remnants in the Milky Way, however, have hitherto revealed only 10(-7)-10(-3)M(o) each, which is insufficient to explain the high-redshift data. Here we report the detection of approximately 2-4M(o) of cold dust in the youngest known Galactic supernova remnant, Cassiopeia A. This observation implies that supernovae are at least as important as stellar winds in producing dust in our Galaxy and would have been the dominant source of dust at high redshifts.

  18. A High-Resolution Study of the IGM at 5 < z < 6.4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Becker, G. D.; Sargent, W. L. W.; Rauch, M.; Simcoe, R. A.

    2005-12-01

    The complete Lyman-alpha absorption seen in the spectra of z > 6 quasars suggest that the reionization of the IGM may have completed as late as z = 6.2. However, this late reionization scenario remains controversial due in part to studies of galaxy luminosity functions, which favor a highly-ionized IGM out to z > 6.5. In order to improve our understanding of the IGM at these redshifts, we have acquired Keck/HIRES spectra of nine quasars at 4.8 < z < 6.4. These are the first high-resolution spectra ever taken at z > 4.6, and are providing the first detailed look at the very high-redshift IGM. We will present the first results from this data set, highlighting the evolution of the Lyman-alpha forest and the quasar proximity regions. The high-resolution data also reveal an overabundance of O I systems at z > 6 towards SDSS J1148+5251. These O I absorbers may represent the last pockets of neutral gas to be reionized at z ˜ 6. Alternatively, they may be caused by enriched galaxy halos physically similar to those observed at lower redshift. For these systems we are able to measure accurate column densities of O I, C II, and Si II. The relative abundances are consistent with the yields of ordinary Type II supernovae, with at most ˜ 30% of the silicon contributed by very massive stars. GDB and WLWS have been supported by the NSF through grants AST 99-00733 and AST 02-06067. MR has been supported by the NSF under grant AST 00-98492. RAS has been supported by the MIT Pappalardo Fellowship program.

  19. Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): AUTOZ spectral redshift measurements, confidence and errors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baldry, I. K.; Alpaslan, M.; Bauer, A. E.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Brough, S.; Cluver, M. E.; Croom, S. M.; Davies, L. J. M.; Driver, S. P.; Gunawardhana, M. L. P.; Holwerda, B. W.; Hopkins, A. M.; Kelvin, L. S.; Liske, J.; López-Sánchez, Á. R.; Loveday, J.; Norberg, P.; Peacock, J.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Taylor, E. N.

    2014-07-01

    The Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey has obtained spectra of over 230 000 targets using the Anglo-Australian Telescope. To homogenize the redshift measurements and improve the reliability, a fully automatic redshift code was developed (AUTOZ). The measurements were made using a cross-correlation method for both the absorption- and the emission-line spectra. Large deviations in the high-pass-filtered spectra are partially clipped in order to be robust against uncorrected artefacts and to reduce the weight given to single-line matches. A single figure of merit (FOM) was developed that puts all template matches on to a similar confidence scale. The redshift confidence as a function of the FOM was fitted with a tanh function using a maximum likelihood method applied to repeat observations of targets. The method could be adapted to provide robust automatic redshifts for other large galaxy redshift surveys. For the GAMA survey, there was a substantial improvement in the reliability of assigned redshifts and in the lowering of redshift uncertainties with a median velocity uncertainty of 33 km s-1.

  20. A HIGHLY ELONGATED PROMINENT LENS AT z = 0.87: FIRST STRONG-LENSING ANALYSIS OF EL GORDO

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

    Zitrin, Adi; Menanteau, Felipe; Hughes, John P.

    We present the first strong-lensing (SL) analysis of the galaxy cluster ACT-CL J0102-4915 (El Gordo), in recent HST/ACS images, revealing a prominent strong lens at a redshift of z = 0.87. This finding adds to the already-established unique properties of El Gordo: it is the most massive, hot, X-ray luminous, and bright Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect cluster at z {approx}> 0.6, and the only {sup b}ullet{sup -}like merging cluster known at these redshifts. The lens consists of two merging massive clumps, where, for a source redshift of z{sub s} {approx} 2, each clump exhibits only a small, separate critical area, with amore » total area of 0.69 {+-} 0.11{open_square}' over the two clumps. For a higher source redshift, z{sub s} {approx} 4, the critical curves of the two clumps merge together into one bigger and very elongated lens (axis ratio {approx_equal} 5.5), enclosing an effective area of 1.44 {+-} 0.22{open_square}'. The critical curves continue expanding with increasing redshift so that for high-redshift sources (z{sub s} {approx}> 9) they enclose an area of {approx}1.91 {+-} 0.30{open_square}' (effective {theta}{sub e} {approx_equal} 46.''8 {+-} 3.''7) and a mass of 6.09 {+-} 1.04 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 14} M{sub Sun }. According to our model, the area of high magnification ({mu} > 10) for such high-redshift sources is {approx_equal}1.2{open_square}', and the area with {mu} > 5 is {approx_equal}2.3{open_square}', making El Gordo a compelling target for studying the high-redshift universe. We obtain a strong lower limit on the total mass of El Gordo, {approx}> 1.7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} M{sub Sun} from the SL regime alone, suggesting a total mass of roughly M{sub 200} {approx} 2.3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} M{sub Sun }. Our results should be revisited when additional spectroscopic and HST imaging data are available.« less

  1. A cross-correlation-based estimate of the galaxy luminosity function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Daalen, Marcel P.; White, Martin

    2018-06-01

    We extend existing methods for using cross-correlations to derive redshift distributions for photometric galaxies, without using photometric redshifts. The model presented in this paper simultaneously yields highly accurate and unbiased redshift distributions and, for the first time, redshift-dependent luminosity functions, using only clustering information and the apparent magnitudes of the galaxies as input. In contrast to many existing techniques for recovering unbiased redshift distributions, the output of our method is not degenerate with the galaxy bias b(z), which is achieved by modelling the shape of the luminosity bias. We successfully apply our method to a mock galaxy survey and discuss improvements to be made before applying our model to real data.

  2. Solar Flare Termination shock and the Synthetic Fe XXI 1354.08 Å line

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, L.; Li, G.; Reeves, K.; Raymond, J. C.

    2017-12-01

    Solar flares are one of the most energetic phenomena occurred in the solar system. In the standard solar flare model, a fast mode shock, which is often referred to as the flare termination shock (TS), can exist above the loop-top source of hard X-ray emissions. The existence of the termination shock has been recently related to spectral hardening of flare hard X-ray spectrum at energies > 300 keV. Observations of the Fe XXI 1354.08 Å line during solar flares by the IRIS spacecraft have found significant redshift with >100 km/s, which is consistent with a reconnection downflow. The ability to identify such a redshift by IRIS is made possible by IRIS's high time resolution, high spatial resolution, high sensitivity and cadence spectral observations. The ability to identify such a redshift by IRIS suggests that one may be able to use IRIS observations to identify flare termination shocks. Using a MHD simulation to model magnetic reconnection of a solar flare and assuming the existence of a TS in the downflow of the reconnection plasma, we model the synthetic emission of the Fe XXI 1354.08 Å line in this work. We show that the existence of the TS in the solar flare may manifest itself from the Fe XXI 1354.08 Å line.

  3. Physical Properties of 15 Quasars at z ≳ 6.5

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mazzucchelli, C.; Bañados, E.; Venemans, B. P.; Decarli, R.; Farina, E. P.; Walter, F.; Eilers, A.-C.; Rix, H.-W.; Simcoe, R.; Stern, D.; Fan, X.; Schlafly, E.; De Rosa, G.; Hennawi, J.; Chambers, K. C.; Greiner, J.; Burgett, W.; Draper, P. W.; Kaiser, N.; Kudritzki, R.-P.; Magnier, E.; Metcalfe, N.; Waters, C.; Wainscoat, R. J.

    2017-11-01

    Quasars are galaxies hosting accreting supermassive black holes; due to their brightness, they are unique probes of the early universe. To date, only a few quasars have been reported at z> 6.5 (<800 Myr after the big bang). In this work, we present six additional z≳ 6.5 quasars discovered using the Pan-STARRS1 survey. We use a sample of 15 z≳ 6.5 quasars to perform a homogeneous and comprehensive analysis of this highest-redshift quasar population. We report four main results: (1) the majority of z≳ 6.5 quasars show large blueshifts of the broad C IV λ1549 emission line compared to the systemic redshift of the quasars, with a median value ˜3× higher than a quasar sample at z˜ 1; (2) we estimate the quasars’ black hole masses ({M}{BH} ˜ (0.3-5) × 109 M ⊙) via modeling of the Mg II λ2798 emission line and rest-frame UV continuum and find that quasars at high redshift accrete their material (with < ({L}{bol}/{L}{Edd})> =0.39) at a rate comparable to a luminosity-matched sample at lower redshift, albeit with significant scatter (0.4 dex); (3) we recover no evolution of the Fe II/Mg II abundance ratio with cosmic time; and (4) we derive near-zone sizes and, together with measurements for z˜ 6 quasars from recent work, confirm a shallow evolution of the decreasing quasar near-zone sizes with redshift. Finally, we present new millimeter observations of the [C II] 158 μm emission line and underlying dust continuum from NOEMA for four quasars and provide new accurate redshifts and [C II]/infrared luminosity estimates. The analysis presented here shows the large range of properties of the most distant quasars.

  4. A multicomponent matched filter cluster confirmation tool for eROSITA: initial application to the RASS and DES-SV data sets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klein, M.; Mohr, J. J.; Desai, S.; Israel, H.; Allam, S.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Brooks, D.; Buckley-Geer, E.; Carnero Rosell, A.; Carrasco Kind, M.; Cunha, C. E.; da Costa, L. N.; Dietrich, J. P.; Eifler, T. F.; Evrard, A. E.; Frieman, J.; Gruen, D.; Gruendl, R. A.; Gutierrez, G.; Honscheid, K.; James, D. J.; Kuehn, K.; Lima, M.; Maia, M. A. G.; March, M.; Melchior, P.; Menanteau, F.; Miquel, R.; Plazas, A. A.; Reil, K.; Romer, A. K.; Sanchez, E.; Santiago, B.; Scarpine, V.; Schubnell, M.; Sevilla-Noarbe, I.; Smith, M.; Soares-Santos, M.; Sobreira, F.; Suchyta, E.; Swanson, M. E. C.; Tarle, G.; Collaboration, the DES

    2018-03-01

    We describe a multicomponent matched filter (MCMF) cluster confirmation tool designed for the study of large X-ray source catalogues produced by the upcoming X-ray all-sky survey mission eROSITA. We apply the method to confirm a sample of 88 clusters with redshifts 0.05 < z < 0.8 in the recently published 2RXS catalogue from the ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS) over the 208 deg2 region overlapped by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Science Verification (DES-SV) data set. In our pilot study, we examine all X-ray sources, regardless of their extent. Our method employs a multicolour red sequence (RS) algorithm that incorporates the X-ray count rate and peak position in determining the region of interest for follow-up and extracts the positionally and colour-weighted optical richness λMCMF as a function of redshift for each source. Peaks in the λMCMF-redshift distribution are identified and used to extract photometric redshifts, richness and uncertainties. The significances of all optical counterparts are characterized using the distribution of richnesses defined along random lines of sight. These significances are used to extract cluster catalogues and to estimate the contamination by random superpositions of unassociated optical systems. The delivered photometric redshift accuracy is δz/(1 + z) = 0.010. We find a well-defined X-ray luminosity-λMCMF relation with an intrinsic scatter of δln (λMCMF|Lx) = 0.21. Matching our catalogue with the DES-SV redMaPPer catalogue yields good agreement in redshift and richness estimates; comparing our catalogue with the South Pole Telescope (SPT) selected clusters shows no inconsistencies. SPT clusters in our data set are consistent with the high-mass extension of the RASS-based λMCMF-mass relation.

  5. The Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Host Galaxy Legacy Survey. I. Sample Selection and Redshift Distribution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Perley, D. A.; Kruhler, T.; Schulze, S.; Postigo, A. De Ugarte; Hjorth, J.; Berger, E.; Cenko, S. B.; Chary, R.; Cucchiara, A.; Ellis, R.; hide

    2016-01-01

    We introduce the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Host Galaxy Legacy Survey (SHOALS), a multi-observatory high redshift galaxy survey targeting the largest unbiased sample of long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) hosts yet assembled (119 in total). We describe the motivations of the survey and the development of our selection criteria, including an assessment of the impact of various observability metrics on the success rate of afterglow-based redshift measurement. We briefly outline our host galaxy observational program, consisting of deep Spitzer/IRAC imaging of every field supplemented by similarly deep, multicolor optical/near-IR photometry, plus spectroscopy of events without preexisting redshifts. Our optimized selection cuts combined with host galaxy follow-up have so far enabled redshift measurements for 110 targets (92%) and placed upper limits on all but one of the remainder. About 20% of GRBs in the sample are heavily dust obscured, and at most 2% originate from z > 5.5. Using this sample, we estimate the redshift-dependent GRB rate density, showing it to peak at z approx. 2.5 and fall by at least an order of magnitude toward low (z = 0) redshift, while declining more gradually toward high (z approx. 7) redshift. This behavior is consistent with a progenitor whose formation efficiency varies modestly over cosmic history. Our survey will permit the most detailed examination to date of the connection between the GRB host population and general star-forming galaxies, directly measure evolution in the host population over cosmic time and discern its causes, and provide new constraints on the fraction of cosmic star formation occurring in undetectable galaxies at all redshifts.

  6. Current and Future X-ray Studies of High-Redshift AGNs and the First Supermassive Black Holes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brandt, Niel

    2016-01-01

    X-ray observations of high-redshift AGNs at z = 4-7 have played a critical role in understanding the physical processes at work inthese objects as well as their basic demographics. Since 2000, Chandra and XMM-Newton have provided new X-ray detections for more than 120 such objects, and well-defined samples of z > 4 AGNs now allow reliable X-ray population studies. Once luminosity effectsare considered, the basic X-ray continuum properties of most high-redshift AGNs appear remarkably similar to those of local AGNs, although there are some notable apparent exceptions (e.g., highly radio-loud quasars). Furthermore, the X-ray absorption found in some objects has been used as a diagnostic of outflowing winds and circumnuclear material. Demographically, the X-ray data now support an exponential decline in the number density of luminous AGNs above z ~ 3, and quantitative space-density comparisons for optically selected and X-ray selected quasars indicate basic statistical agreement.The current X-ray discoveries point the way toward the future breakthroughs that will be possible with, e.g., Athena and the X-raySurveyor. These missions will execute powerful blank-field surveys to elucidate the demographics of the first growing supermassive black holes (SMBHs), including highly obscured systems, up to z ~ 10. They will also carry out complementary X-ray spectroscopic and variability investigations of high-redshift AGNs by targeting the most-luminous z = 7-10 quasars found in wide-field surveys by, e.g., Euclid, LSST, and WFIRST. X-ray spectroscopic and variability studies of the X-ray continuum and reflection signatures will help determine Eddington ratios and disk/corona properties; measuring these will clarify how the first quasars grew so quickly. Furthermore, absorption line/edge studies will reveal how outflows from the first SMBHs influenced the growth of the first galaxies. I will suggest some efficient observational strategies for Athena and the X-ray Surveyor.

  7. Galactic wind shells and high redshift radio galaxies. On the nature of associated absorbers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krause, M.

    2005-06-01

    A jet is simulated on the background of a galactic wind headed by a radiative bow shock. The wind shell, which is due to the radiative bow shock, is effectively destroyed by the impact of the jet cocoon, thanks to Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities. Associated strong HI absorption, and possibly also molecular emission, in high redshift radio galaxies which is observed preferentially in the smaller ones may be explained by that model, which is an improvement of an earlier radiative bow shock model. The model requires temperatures of ≈106 K in the proto-clusters hosting these objects, and may be tested by high resolution spectroscopy of the Lyα line. The simulations show that - before destruction - the jet cocoon fills the wind shell entirely for a considerable time with intact absorption system. Therefore, radio imaging of sources smaller than the critical size should reveal the round central bubbles, if the model is correct.

  8. Spectroscopy of 10 γ -Ray BL Lac Objects at High Redshift

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

    Paiano, Simona; Falomo, Renato; Landoni, Marco

    2017-08-01

    We present optical spectra with high signal-to-noise ratio of 10 BL Lac objects detected at GeV energies by the Fermi satellite (3FGL catalog), which previous observations suggested are at relatively high redshift. The new observations, obtained at the 10 m Gran Telescopio Canarias, allowed us to find the redshift for J0814.5+2943 ( z = 0.703), and we can set a spectroscopic lower limit for J0008.0+4713 ( z > 1.659) and J1107.7+0222 ( z > 1.0735) on the basis of Mg ii intervening absorption features. In addition we confirm the redshifts for J0505.5+0416 ( z = 0.423) and J1450+5200 ( zmore » > 2.470). Finally we contradict the previous z estimates for five objects (J0049.7+0237, J0243.5+7119, J0802.0+1005, J1109.4+2411, and J2116.1+3339).« less

  9. A Lyman Break Galaxy in the Epoch of Reionization from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Grism Spectroscopy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rhoads, James E.; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Stern, Daniel K.; Gardner, Jonathan P.; Dickinson, Mark; Pirzkal, Norbert; Spinrad, Hyron; Reddy, Naveen; Dey, Arjun; Hathi, Nimish; hide

    2013-01-01

    Slitless grism spectroscopy from space offers dramatic advantages for studying high redshift galaxies: high spatial resolution to match the compact sizes of the targets, a dark and uniform sky background, and simultaneous observation over fields ranging from five square arcminutes (HST) to over 1000 square arcminutes (Euclid). Here we present observations of a galaxy at z = 6.57 the end of the reioinization epoch identified using slitless HST grism spectra from the PEARS survey (Probing Evolution And Reionization Spectroscopically) and reconfirmed with Keck + DEIMOS. This high redshift identification is enabled by the depth of the PEARS survey. Substantially higher redshifts are precluded for PEARS data by the declining sensitivity of the ACS grism at greater than lambda 0.95 micrometers. Spectra of Lyman breaks at yet higher redshifts will be possible using comparably deep observations with IR-sensitive grisms.

  10. A TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA AT REDSHIFT 1.55 IN HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE INFRARED OBSERVATIONS FROM CANDELS

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

    Rodney, Steven A.; Riess, Adam G.; Jones, David O.

    2012-02-10

    We report the discovery of a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) at redshift z = 1.55 with the infrared detector of the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3-IR) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This object was discovered in CANDELS imaging data of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field and followed as part of the CANDELS+CLASH Supernova project, comprising the SN search components from those two HST multi-cycle treasury programs. This is the highest redshift SN Ia with direct spectroscopic evidence for classification. It is also the first SN Ia at z > 1 found and followed in the infrared, providing amore » full light curve in rest-frame optical bands. The classification and redshift are securely defined from a combination of multi-band and multi-epoch photometry of the SN, ground-based spectroscopy of the host galaxy, and WFC3-IR grism spectroscopy of both the SN and host. This object is the first of a projected sample at z > 1.5 that will be discovered by the CANDELS and CLASH programs. The full CANDELS+CLASH SN Ia sample will enable unique tests for evolutionary effects that could arise due to differences in SN Ia progenitor systems as a function of redshift. This high-z sample will also allow measurement of the SN Ia rate out to z Almost-Equal-To 2, providing a complementary constraint on SN Ia progenitor models.« less

  11. Anisotropies of gravitational-wave standard sirens as a new cosmological probe without redshift information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nishizawa, Atsushi; Namikawa, Toshiya; Taruya, Atsushi

    2016-03-01

    Gravitational waves (GWs) from compact binary stars at cosmological distances are promising and powerful cosmological probes, referred to as the GW standard sirens. With future GW detectors, we will be able to precisely measure source luminosity distances out to a redshift z 5. To extract cosmological information, previous studies using the GW standard sirens rely on source redshift information obtained through an extensive electromagnetic follow-up campaign. However, the redshift identification is typically time-consuming and rather challenging. Here we propose a novel method for cosmology with the GW standard sirens free from the redshift measurements. Utilizing the anisotropies of the number density and luminosity distances of compact binaries originated from the large-scale structure, we show that (i) this anisotropies can be measured even at very high-redshifts (z = 2), (ii) the expected constraints on the primordial non-Gaussianity with Einstein Telescope would be comparable to or even better than the other large-scale structure probes at the same epoch, (iii) the cross-correlation with other cosmological observations is found to have high-statistical significance. A.N. was supported by JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research Abroad No. 25-180.

  12. Detecting the Attenuation of Blazar Gamma-ray Emission by Extragalactic Background Light with GLAST

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Andrew; Ritz, Steven

    1999-01-01

    Gamma rays with energy above 10 GeV interact with optical-UV photons resulting in pair production. Therefore, a large sample of high redshift sources of these gamma rays can be used to probe the extragalactic background starlight (EBL) by examining the redshift dependence of the attenuation of the flux above 10 GeV. GLAST, the next generation high-energy gamma-ray telescope, will for the first time have the unique capability to detect thousands of gamma-ray blazars up to redshifts of at least z = 4, with enough angular resolution to allow identification of a large fraction of their optical counterparts. By combining recent determinations of the gamma-ray blazar luminosity function, recent calculations of the high energy gamma-ray opacity due to EBL absorption, and the expected GLAST instrument performance to produce simulated samples of blazars that GLAST would detect, including their redshifts and fluxes, we demonstrate that these blazars have the potential to be a highly effective probe of the EBL.

  13. How Well Do Submillimeter Galaxies Trace Protoclusters?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hayward, Christopher C.

    2017-07-01

    It has been suggested that associations of (or even individual) high-redshift submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) may serve as beacons of protoclusters because SMGs are high-mass galaxies undergoing rapid assembly. Moreover, it has been claimed that the protocluster environment may lead to 'synchronized' starbursts and thus multiple SMGs within the protocluster region. We investigate this possibility using the Bolshoi cosmological N-body simulation and a model for populating the simulation with SMGs. We find that although SMG associations correspond to some of the highest overdensities at z > 2.5, they are highly incomplete tracers because of stochastic sampling effects. At lower redshift, because of 'downsizing' (i.e. the most massive galaxies have already ceased forming stars and are thus not SMGs), the highest dark matter overdensities are not well traced by SMG associations. I will close by discussing the implications of this work for observational studies of protoclusters and how the highest-redshift SMGs can be used to maximize the potential of JWST for studying very high redshift galaxies.

  14. Digging for the Truth: Photon Archeology with GLAST

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

    Stecker, F. W.

    2007-07-12

    Stecker, Malkan and Scully, have shown how ongoing deep surveys of galaxy luminosity functions, spectral energy distributions and backwards evolution models of star formation rates can be used to calculate the past history of intergalactic photon densities for energies from 0.03 eV to the Lyman limit at 13.6 eV and for redshifts out to 6 (called here the intergalactic background light or IBL). From these calculations of the IBL at various redshifts, they predict the present and past optical depth of the universe to high energy {gamma}-rays owing to interactions with photons of the IBL and the 2.7 K CMB.more » We discuss here how this proceedure can be reversed by looking for sharp cutoffs in the spectra of extragalactic {gamma}-ray sources such as blazars at high redshifts in the multi-GeV energy range with GLAST (Gamma-Ray Large Are Space Telescope). By determining the cutoff energies of sources with known redshifts, we can refine our determination of the IBL photon densities in the past, i.e., the archeo-IBL, and therefore get a better measure of the past history of the total star formation rate. Conversely, observations of sharp high energy cutoffs in the {gamma}-ray spectra of sources at unknown redshifts can be used instead of spectral lines to give a measure of their redshifts.« less

  15. HI Fluctuations at Large Redshifts: III - Simulating the Signal Expected at GMRT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bharadwaj, Somnath; Srikant, P. S.

    2004-03-01

    We simulate the distribution of neutral hydrogen (HI) at the redshifts z D 1:3 and 3:4 using a cosmological N-body simulation along with a prescription for assigning HI masses to the particles. The HI is distributed in clouds whose properties are consistent with those of the damped Lyman- absorption systems (DLAs) seen in quasar spectra. The clustering properties of these clouds are identical to those of the dark matter. We use this to simulate the redshifted HI emission expected at 610 MHzand 325 MHz, two of the observing bands at theGMRT. These are used to predict the correlations expected between the complex visibilities measured at different baselines and frequencies in radio-interferometric observations with the GMRT. The visibility correlations directly probe the power spectrum of HI fluctuations at the epoch when the HI emission originated, and this holds the possibility of using HI observations to study large-scale structures at high z.

  16. Probing high-redshift clusters with HST/ACS gravitational weak-lensing and Chandra x-ray observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jee, Myungkook James

    2006-06-01

    Clusters of galaxies, the largest gravitationally bound objects in the Universe, are useful tracers of cosmic evolution, and particularly detailed studies of still-forming clusters at high-redshifts can considerably enhance our understanding of the structure formation. We use two powerful methods that have become recently available for the study of these distant clusters: spaced- based gravitational weak-lensing and high-resolution X-ray observations. Detailed analyses of five high-redshift (0.8 < z < 1.3) clusters are presented based on the deep Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Chandra X-ray images. We show that, when the instrumental characteristics are properly understood, the newly installed ACS on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) can detect subtle shape distortions of background galaxies down to the limiting magnitudes of the observations, which enables the mapping of the cluster dark matter in unprecedented high-resolution. The cluster masses derived from this HST /ACS weak-lensing study have been compared with those from the re-analyses of the archival Chandra X-ray data. We find that there are interesting offsets between the cluster galaxy, intracluster medium (ICM), and dark matter centroids, and possible scenarios are discussed. If the offset is confirmed to be uniquitous in other clusters, the explanation may necessitate major refinements in our current understanding of the nature of dark matter, as well as the cluster galaxy dynamics. CL0848+4452, the highest-redshift ( z = 1.27) cluster yet detected in weak-lensing, has a significant discrepancy between the weak- lensing and X-ray masses. If this trend is found to be severe and common also for other X-ray weak clusters at redshifts beyond the unity, the conventional X-ray determination of cluster mass functions, often inferred from their immediate X-ray properties such as the X-ray luminosity and temperature via the so-called mass-luminosity (M-L) and mass-temperature (M-T) relations, will become highly unstable in this redshift regime. Therefore, the relatively unbiased weak-lensing measurements of the cluster mass properties can be used to adequately calibrate the scaling relations in future high-redshift cluster investigations.

  17. Redshifts for Superliminal Candidates.II.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vermeulen, R. C.; Taylor, G. B.; Readhead, A. C. S.; Browne, I. W. A.

    1996-03-01

    Spectra are presented for 24 compact extragalactic radio sources from complete samples being studied with VLBI. New emission line redshifts are given for 21 of the objects; in 7 of these we have also identified associated or intervening absorption line systems. In 1 other source there are absorption lines which provide a lower limit to the redshift. The remaining 2 objects have strong featureless spectra and are likely to be blazars.

  18. Rational approximations of f(R) cosmography through Pad'e polynomials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Capozziello, Salvatore; D'Agostino, Rocco; Luongo, Orlando

    2018-05-01

    We consider high-redshift f(R) cosmography adopting the technique of polynomial reconstruction. In lieu of considering Taylor treatments, which turn out to be non-predictive as soon as z>1, we take into account the Pad&apose rational approximations which consist in performing expansions converging at high redshift domains. Particularly, our strategy is to reconstruct f(z) functions first, assuming the Ricci scalar to be invertible with respect to the redshift z. Having the so-obtained f(z) functions, we invert them and we easily obtain the corresponding f(R) terms. We minimize error propagation, assuming no errors upon redshift data. The treatment we follow naturally leads to evaluating curvature pressure, density and equation of state, characterizing the universe evolution at redshift much higher than standard cosmographic approaches. We therefore match these outcomes with small redshift constraints got by framing the f(R) cosmology through Taylor series around 0zsimeq . This gives rise to a calibration procedure with small redshift that enables the definitions of polynomial approximations up to zsimeq 10. Last but not least, we show discrepancies with the standard cosmological model which go towards an extension of the ΛCDM paradigm, indicating an effective dark energy term evolving in time. We finally describe the evolution of our effective dark energy term by means of basic techniques of data mining.

  19. Gamma-ray Burst Cosmology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, F. Y.

    2011-07-01

    Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are brief flashes of gamma-rays occurring at cosmological distances. GRB was discovered by Vela satellite in 1967. The discovery of afterglows in 1997 made it possible to measure the GRBs' redshifts and confirmed the cosmological origin. GRB cosmology includes utilizing long GRBs as standard candles to constrain the dark energy and cosmological parameters, measuring the high-redshift star formation rate (SFR), probing the metal enrichment history of the universe, dust, quantum gravity, etc. The correlations between GRB observables in the prompt emission and afterglow phases were discovered, so we can use these correlations as standard candles to constrain the cosmological parameters and dark energy, especially at high redshifts. Observations show that long GRBs may be associated with supernovae. So long GRBs are promising tools to measure the high-redshift SFR. GRB afterglows have a smooth continuum, so the extraction of IGM absorption features from the spectrum is very easy. The information of metal enrichment history and reionization can be obtained from the absorption lines. In this thesis, we investigate the high-redshift cosmology using GRBs, called GRB cosmology. This is a new and fast developing field. The structure of this thesis is as follows. In the first chapter, we introduce the progress of GRB studies. First we introduce the progress of GRB studies in various satellite eras, mainly in the Swift and Fermi eras. The fireball model and standard afterglow model are also presented. In chapter 2, we introduce the standard cosmology model, astronomical observations and dark energy models. Then progress on the GRB cosmology studies is introduced. Some of my works including what to be submitted are also introduced in this chapter. In chapter 3, we present our studies on constraining the cosmological parameters and dark energy using latest observations. We use SNe Ia, GRBs, CMB, BAO, the X-ray gas mass fraction in clusters and the linear growth rate of perturbations, and find that the ΛCDM is the best fitted model. The transition redshift z_{T} is from 0.40_{-0.08}^{+0.14} to 0.65_{-0.05}^{+0.10}. This is the first time to combine GRBs with other observations to constrain the cosmological parameters, dark energy and transition redshift. In chapter 4, we investigate the early dark energy model using GRBs, SNe Ia, CMB and BAO. The negligible dark energy at high redshift will influence the growth of cosmic structures and leave observable signatures that are different from the standard cosmology. We propose that GRBs are promising tools to study the early dark energy. We find that the fractional dark energy density is less than 0.03 and the linear growth index of perturbations is 0.66. In chapter 5, we use a model-independent method to constrain the dark energy equation of state (EOS) w(z). Among the parameters describing the properties of dark energy, EOS is the most important. Whether and how it evolves with time are crucial in distinguishing different cosmological models. In our analysis, we include high-redshift GRBs. We find that w(z)<0 at z>1.7, and EOS deviates from the cosmological constant at z>0.5 at 95.4% confidence level. In chapter 6, we probe the cosmographic parameters to distinguish between the dark energy and modified gravity models. These two families of models can drive the universe to acclerate. We first derive the expressions of deceleration, jerk and snap parameters in the dark energy and modified gravity models. The snap parameters in these models are different, so they can be used to distinguish between the models. In chapter 7, we measure the high-redshift SFR using long GRBs. Swift observations reveal that the number of high-redshift GRBs is larger than the predication from SFR. We find that the evolving initial mass function can interpret this discrepancy. We study the high-redshift SFR up to z˜ 8.2 considering the Swift GRBs tracing the star formation history and the cosmic metallicity evolution in different background cosmological models. In chapter 8, we present the observational signatures of Pop III GRBs and study the pre-galactic metal enrichment with the metal absorption lines in the GRB spectrum from first galaxy. We focus on the unusual circumburst environment inside the systems that hosted Pop III stars. The metals in the first galaxies produced by the first supernova explosion are likely to reside in the low-ionization states (C II, O I, Si II and Fe II). When GRB afterglow goes through the metal polluted region, the metal absorption lines may appear. The topology of metal enrichment could be highly inhomogeneous, so along different lines of sight, the metal absorption lines may show distinct signatures. A summary of the open questions in GRB cosmology filed is presented in chapter 9.

  20. THE PRISM MULTI-OBJECT SURVEY (PRIMUS). II. DATA REDUCTION AND REDSHIFT FITTING

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

    Cool, Richard J.; Moustakas, John; Blanton, Michael R.

    2013-04-20

    The PRIsm MUlti-object Survey (PRIMUS) is a spectroscopic galaxy redshift survey to z {approx} 1 completed with a low-dispersion prism and slitmasks allowing for simultaneous observations of {approx}2500 objects over 0.18 deg{sup 2}. The final PRIMUS catalog includes {approx}130,000 robust redshifts over 9.1 deg{sup 2}. In this paper, we summarize the PRIMUS observational strategy and present the data reduction details used to measure redshifts, redshift precision, and survey completeness. The survey motivation, observational techniques, fields, target selection, slitmask design, and observations are presented in Coil et al. Comparisons to existing higher-resolution spectroscopic measurements show a typical precision of {sigma}{sub z}/(1more » + z) = 0.005. PRIMUS, both in area and number of redshifts, is the largest faint galaxy redshift survey completed to date and is allowing for precise measurements of the relationship between active galactic nuclei and their hosts, the effects of environment on galaxy evolution, and the build up of galactic systems over the latter half of cosmic history.« less

  1. The variance of dispersion measure of high-redshift transient objects as a probe of ionized bubble size during reionization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoshiura, Shintaro; Takahashi, Keitaro

    2018-01-01

    The dispersion measure (DM) of high-redshift (z ≳ 6) transient objects such as fast radio bursts can be a powerful tool to probe the intergalactic medium during the Epoch of Reionization. In this paper, we study the variance of the DMs of objects with the same redshift as a potential probe of the size distribution of ionized bubbles. We calculate the DM variance with a simple model with randomly distributed spherical bubbles. It is found that the DM variance reflects the characteristics of the probability distribution of the bubble size. We find that the variance can be measured precisely enough to obtain the information on the typical size with a few hundred sources at a single redshift.

  2. Spectroscopy of High-Redshift Supernovae from the ESSENCE Project: The First 2 Years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matheson, Thomas; Blondin, Stéphane; Foley, Ryan J.; Chornock, Ryan; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Leibundgut, Bruno; Smith, R. Chris; Sollerman, Jesper; Spyromilio, Jason; Kirshner, Robert P.; Clocchiatti, Alejandro; Aguilera, Claudio; Barris, Brian; Becker, Andrew C.; Challis, Peter; Covarrubias, Ricardo; Garnavich, Peter; Hicken, Malcolm; Jha, Saurabh; Krisciunas, Kevin; Li, Weidong; Miceli, Anthony; Miknaitis, Gajus; Prieto, Jose Luis; Rest, Armin; Riess, Adam G.; Salvo, Maria Elena; Schmidt, Brian P.; Stubbs, Christopher W.; Suntzeff, Nicholas B.; Tonry, John L.

    2005-05-01

    We present the results of spectroscopic observations of targets discovered during the first 2 years of the ESSENCE project. The goal of ESSENCE is to use a sample of ~200 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) at moderate redshifts (0.2<~z<~0.8) to place constraints on the equation of state of the universe. Spectroscopy not only provides the redshifts of the objects but also confirms that some of the discoveries are indeed SNe Ia. This confirmation is critical to the project, as techniques developed to determine luminosity distances to SNe Ia depend on the knowledge that the objects at high redshift have the same properties as the ones at low redshift. We describe the methods of target selection and prioritization, the telescopes and detectors, and the software used to identify objects. The redshifts deduced from spectral matching of high-redshift SNe Ia with low-redshift SNe Ia are consistent with those determined from host-galaxy spectra. We show that the high-redshift SNe Ia match well with low-redshift templates. We include all spectra obtained by the ESSENCE project, including 52 SNe Ia, five core-collapse SNe, 12 active galactic nuclei, 19 galaxies, four possibly variable stars, and 16 objects with uncertain identifications. Based in part on observations obtained at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF); the European Southern Observatory, Chile (ESO Programme 170.A-0519) the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by AURA under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership (the NSF [United States], the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council [United Kingdom], the National Research Council [Canada], CONICYT [Chile], the Australian Research Council [Australia], CNPq [Brazil], and CONICET [Argentina] [programs GN-2002B-Q-14, GN-2003B-Q-14, and GS-2003B-Q-11]) the Magellan Telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory; the MMT Observatory, a joint facility of the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona; and the F. L. Whipple Observatory, which is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. 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.

  3. A supernova origin for dust in a high-redshift quasar.

    PubMed

    Maiolino, R; Schneider, R; Oliva, E; Bianchi, S; Ferrara, A; Mannucci, F; Pedani, M; Sogorb, M Roca

    2004-09-30

    Interstellar dust plays a crucial role in the evolution of the Universe by assisting the formation of molecules, by triggering the formation of the first low-mass stars, and by absorbing stellar ultraviolet-optical light and subsequently re-emitting it at infrared/millimetre wavelengths. Dust is thought to be produced predominantly in the envelopes of evolved (age >1 Gyr), low-mass stars. This picture has, however, recently been brought into question by the discovery of large masses of dust in the host galaxies of quasars at redshift z > 6, when the age of the Universe was less than 1 Gyr. Theoretical studies, corroborated by observations of nearby supernova remnants, have suggested that supernovae provide a fast and efficient dust formation environment in the early Universe. Here we report infrared observations of a quasar at redshift 6.2, which are used to obtain directly its dust extinction curve. We then show that such a curve is in excellent agreement with supernova dust models. This result demonstrates a supernova origin for dust in this high-redshift quasar, from which we infer that most of the dust at high redshifts probably has the same origin.

  4. The Second-generation z (Redshift) and Early Universe Spectrometer. I. First-light Observation of a Highly Lensed Local-ulirg Analog at High-z

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferkinhoff, Carl; Brisbin, Drew; Parshley, Stephen; Nikola, Thomas; Stacey, Gordon J.; Schoenwald, Justin; Higdon, James L.; Higdon, Sarah J. U.; Verma, Aprajita; Riechers, Dominik; Hailey-Dunsheath, Steven; Menten, Karl M.; Güsten, Rolf; Weiß, Axel; Irwin, Kent; Cho, Hsiao M.; Niemack, Michael; Halpern, Mark; Amiri, Mandana; Hasselfield, Matthew; Wiebe, D. V.; Ade, Peter A. R.; Tucker, Carol E.

    2014-01-01

    We recently commissioned our new spectrometer, the second-generation z(Redshift) and Early Universe Spectrometer (ZEUS-2) on the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment telescope. ZEUS-2 is a submillimeter grating spectrometer optimized for detecting the faint and broad lines from distant galaxies that are redshifted into the telluric windows from 200 to 850 μm. It uses a focal plane array of transition-edge sensed bolometers, the first use of these arrays for astrophysical spectroscopy. ZEUS-2 promises to be an important tool for studying galaxies in the years to come because of its synergy with Atacama Large Millimeter Array and its capabilities in the short submillimeter windows that are unique in the post-Herschel era. Here, we report on our first detection of the [C II] 158 μm line with ZEUS-2. We detect the line at z ~ 1.8 from H-ATLAS J091043.1-000322 with a line flux of (6.44 ± 0.42) × 10-18 W m-2. Combined with its far-IR luminosity and a new Herschel-PACS detection of the [O I] 63 μm line, we model the line emission as coming from a photo-dissociation region with far-ultraviolet radiation field, G ~ 2 × 104 G 0, gas density, n ~ 1 × 103 cm-3 and size between ~0.4 and 1 kpc. On the basis of this model, we conclude that H-ATLAS J091043.1-000322 is a high-redshift analog of a local ultra-luminous IR galaxy; i.e., it is likely the site of a compact starburst caused by a major merger. Further identification of these merging systems is important for constraining galaxy formation and evolution models.

  5. Supernova Cosmology Project

    Science.gov Websites

    Space Telescope Cluster Supernova Survey: II. The Type Ia Supernova Rate in High-Redshift Galaxy /abs/0809.1648 Constraining Dust and Color Variations of High-z SNe Using NICMOS on the Hubble Space /0804.4142 A New Determination of the High-Redshift Type Ia Supernova Rates with the Hubble Space Telescope

  6. [Fe II] emissions associated with the young interacting binary UY Aurigae

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

    Pyo, Tae-Soo; Hayashi, Masahiko; Beck, Tracy L.

    We present high-resolution 1.06-1.28 μm spectra toward the interacting binary UY Aur obtained with GEMINI/NIFS and the adaptive optics system Altair. We have detected [Fe II] λ1.257 μm and He I λ1.083 μm lines from both UY Aur A (the primary source) and UY Aur B (the secondary). In [Fe II] UY Aur A drives fast and widely opening outflows with an opening angle of ∼90° along a position angle of ∼40°, while UY Aur B is associated with a redshifted knot. The blueshifted and redshifted emissions show a complicated structure between the primary and secondary. The radial velocities ofmore » the [Fe II] emission features are similar for UY Aur A and B: ∼ –100 km s{sup –1} for the blueshifted emission and ∼ +130 km s{sup –1} for the redshifted component. The He I line profile observed toward UY Aur A comprises a central emission feature with deep absorptions at both blueshifted and redshifted velocities. These absorption features may be explained by stellar wind models. The He I line profile of UY Aur B shows only an emission feature.« less

  7. Giving cosmic redshift drift a whirl

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Alex G.; Linder, Eric V.; Edelstein, Jerry; Erskine, David

    2015-03-01

    Redshift drift provides a direct kinematic measurement of cosmic acceleration but it occurs with a characteristic time scale of a Hubble time. Thus redshift observations with a challenging precision of 10-9 require a 10 year time span to obtain a signal-to-noise of 1. We discuss theoretical and experimental approaches to address this challenge, potentially requiring less observer time and having greater immunity to common systematics. On the theoretical side we explore allowing the universe, rather than the observer, to provide long time spans; speculative methods include radial baryon acoustic oscillations, cosmic pulsars, and strongly lensed quasars. On the experimental side, we explore beating down the redshift precision using differential interferometric techniques, including externally dispersed interferometers and spatial heterodyne spectroscopy. Low-redshift emission line galaxies are identified as having high cosmology leverage and systematics control, with an 8 h exposure on a 10-m telescope (1000 h of exposure on a 40-m telescope) potentially capable of measuring the redshift of a galaxy to a precision of 10-8 (few ×10-10). Low-redshift redshift drift also has very strong complementarity with cosmic microwave background measurements, with the combination achieving a dark energy figure of merit of nearly 300 (1400) for 5% (1%) precision on drift.

  8. Cosmology without cosmic variance

    DOE PAGES

    Bernstein, Gary M.; Cai, Yan -Chuan

    2011-10-01

    The growth of structures in the Universe is described by a function G that is predicted by the combination of the expansion history of the Universe and the laws of gravity within it. We examine the improvements in constraints on G that are available from the combination of a large-scale galaxy redshift survey with a weak gravitational lensing survey of background sources. We describe a new combination of such observations that in principle this yields a measure of the growth rate that is free of sample variance, i.e. the uncertainty in G can be reduced without bound by increasing themore » number of redshifts obtained within a finite survey volume. The addition of background weak lensing data to a redshift survey increases information on G by an amount equivalent to a 10-fold increase in the volume of a standard redshift-space distortion measurement - if the lensing signal can be measured to sub-per cent accuracy. This argues that a combined lensing and redshift survey over a common low-redshift volume of the Universe is a more powerful test of general relativity than an isolated redshift survey over larger volume at high redshift, especially as surveys begin to cover most of the available sky.« less

  9. High redshift QSOs and the x ray background

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Impey, Chris

    1993-01-01

    ROSAT pointed observations were made of 9 QSO's from the Large Bright Quasar Survey (LBQS). The LBQS is based on machine measurement of objective prism plates taken with the UK Schmidt Telescope. Software has been used to select QSO's by both color and by the presence of spectral features and continuum breaks. The probability of detection can be calculated as a function of magnitude, redshift and spectral features, and the completeness of the survey can be accurately estimated. Nine out of 1040 QSO's in the LBQS have z greater than 3. The observations will provide an important data point in the X-ray luminosity function of QSO's at high redshift. The QSO's with z greater than 3 span less than a magnitude in M(sub B), so can be combined as a homogeneous sample. This analysis is only possible with a sample drawn from a large and complete catalog such as the LBQS. Four of the 9 QSO's that were observed with the ROSAT PSPC for this proposal were detected, including one of the most luminous X-ray sources ever observed. The April 1992 version of the PROS DETECT package was used to reduce the data. The results have been used to search for evolution of the X-ray properties of QSO's in redshift. The 9 QSO's lie in the range -28.7 less than M(sub B) less than -27.8. When combined with data for 16 QSO's in a similar luminosity range at lower redshift correlations with luminosity and redshift can be separated out. The LBQS sample also yields a new constraint on the contribution of high redshift QSO's to the X-ray background. An initial requirement is knowledge of the X-ray properties (alpha(sub OX)) as a function of redshift. Integration over the evolving luminosity function of the LBQS then gives the QSO contribution to the source counts.

  10. VizieR Online Data Catalog: VANDELS High-Redshift Galaxy Evolution (McLure+, 2017)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McLure, R.; Pentericci, L.; Vandels Team

    2017-11-01

    This is the first data release (DR1) of the VANDELS survey, an ESO public spectroscopy survey targeting the high-redshift Universe. The VANDELS survey uses the VIMOS spectrograph on ESO's VLT to obtain ultra-deep, medium resolution, optical spectra of galaxies within the UKIDSS Ultra Deep Survey (UDS) and Chandra Deep Field South (CDFS) survey fields (0.2 sq. degree total area). Using robust photometric redshift pre-selection, VANDELS is targeting ~2100 galaxies in the redshift interval 1.0=3. In addition, VANDELS is targeting a substantial number of passive galaxies in the redshift interval 1.0

  11. Unseen Progenitors of Luminous High-z Quasars in the R h = ct Universe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fatuzzo, Marco; Melia, Fulvio

    2017-09-01

    Quasars at high redshift provide direct information on the mass growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and, in turn, yield important clues about how the universe evolved since the first (Pop III) stars started forming. Yet even basic questions regarding the seeds of these objects and their growth mechanism remain unanswered. The anticipated launch of eROSITA and ATHENA is expected to facilitate observations of high-redshift quasars needed to resolve these issues. In this paper, we compare accretion-based SMBH growth in the concordance ΛCDM model with that in the alternative Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology known as the R h = ct universe. Previous work has shown that the timeline predicted by the latter can account for the origin and growth of the ≳109 M ⊙ highest redshift quasars better than that of the standard model. Here, we significantly advance this comparison by determining the soft X-ray flux that would be observed for Eddington-limited accretion growth as a function of redshift in both cosmologies. Our results indicate that a clear difference emerges between the two in terms of the number of detectable quasars at redshift z ≳ 7, raising the expectation that the next decade will provide the observational data needed to discriminate between these two models based on the number of detected high-redshift quasar progenitors. For example, while the upcoming ATHENA mission is expected to detect ˜0.16 (I.e., essentially zero) quasars at z ˜ 7 in R h = ct, it should detect ˜160 in ΛCDM—a quantitatively compelling difference.

  12. Can mixed star-plus-wormhole systems mimic black holes?

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

    Dzhunushaliev, Vladimir; Folomeev, Vladimir; Kleihaus, Burkhard

    We consider mixed strongly gravitating configurations consisting of a wormhole threaded by two types of ordinary matter. For such systems, the possibility of obtaining static spherically symmetric solutions describing compact massive central objects enclosed by high-redshift surfaces (black-hole-like configurations) is studied. Using the standard thin accretion disk model, we exhibit potentially observable differences allowing to distinguish the mixed systems from ordinary black holes with the same masses.

  13. The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: ACT-CL J0102-4215 "El Gordo," a Massive Merging Cluster at Redshift 0.87

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Menanteau, Felipe; Hughes, John Pl; Baker, Andrew J.; Sifon, Cristobal; Gonzalez, Jorge; Infante, Leopoldo; Barrientos, L. Felipe; Hilton, Matt; Das, Sudeep; Spergel, David N.; hide

    2011-01-01

    We present a detailed analysis from new multi-wavelength observations of the exceptional galaxy cluster ACT-CL J0102-4915, likely the most massive, hottest, most X-ray luminous and brightest Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect cluster known at redshifts greater than 0.6. The Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) collaboration discovered ACT-CL J0102-4915 as the most significant Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) decrement in a sky survey area of 755 square degrees. Our VLT/FORS2 spectra of 89 member galaxies yield a cluster redshift, z = 0.870, and velocity dispersion, sigma(gal) +/- 1321 106 km s-1. Our Chandra observations reveal a hot and X-ray luminous system with an integrated temperature of T(X) = 14:5 +/- 0:1 keV and 0.5 2.0 keV band luminosity of L(X) = (2:19 0:11) 1045 h(exp -2)70erg s-1. We obtain several statistically consistent cluster mass estimates; using empirical mass scaling relations with velocity dispersion, X-ray Y(X) , and integrated SZ distortion, we estimate a cluster mass of M(200) = (2:16 +/- 0:32) 10(exp 15) h(exp-1) 70M compared to the Sun. We constrain the stellar content of the cluster to be less than 1% of the total mass, using Spitzer IRAC and optical imaging. The Chandra and VLT/FORS2 optical data also reveal that ACT-CL J0102-4915 is undergoing a major merger between components with a mass ratio of approximately 2 to 1. The X-ray data show significant temperature variations from a low of 6:6 +/- 0:7 keV at the merging low-entropy, high-metallicity, cool core to a high of 22 +/- 6 keV. We also see a wake in the X-ray surface brightness and deprojected gas density caused by the passage of one cluster through the other from which we estimate a merger speed of around 1300 km s(exp -1) for an assumed merger timescale of 1 Gyr. ACTCL J0102-4915 is possibly a high-redshift analog of the famous Bullet Cluster. Such a massive cluster at this redshift is rare, although consistent with the standard CDM cosmology in the lower part of its allowed mass range. Massive, high-redshift mergers like ACT-CL J0102-4915 are unlikely to be reproduced in the current generation of numerical N-body cosmological simulations.

  14. Charting the Parameter Space of the 21-cm Power Spectrum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cohen, Aviad; Fialkov, Anastasia; Barkana, Rennan

    2018-05-01

    The high-redshift 21-cm signal of neutral hydrogen is expected to be observed within the next decade and will reveal epochs of cosmic evolution that have been previously inaccessible. Due to the lack of observations, many of the astrophysical processes that took place at early times are poorly constrained. In recent work we explored the astrophysical parameter space and the resulting large variety of possible global (sky-averaged) 21-cm signals. Here we extend our analysis to the fluctuations in the 21-cm signal, accounting for those introduced by density and velocity, Lyα radiation, X-ray heating, and ionization. While the radiation sources are usually highlighted, we find that in many cases the density fluctuations play a significant role at intermediate redshifts. Using both the power spectrum and its slope, we show that properties of high-redshift sources can be extracted from the observable features of the fluctuation pattern. For instance, the peak amplitude of ionization fluctuations can be used to estimate whether heating occurred early or late and, in the early case, to also deduce the cosmic mean ionized fraction at that time. The slope of the power spectrum has a more universal redshift evolution than the power spectrum itself and can thus be used more easily as a tracer of high-redshift astrophysics. Its peaks can be used, for example, to estimate the redshift of the Lyα coupling transition and the redshift of the heating transition (and the mean gas temperature at that time). We also show that a tight correlation is predicted between features of the power spectrum and of the global signal, potentially yielding important consistency checks.

  15. Cross-correlation redshift calibration without spectroscopic calibration samples in DES Science Verification Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, C.; Rozo, E.; Roodman, A.; Alarcon, A.; Cawthon, R.; Gatti, M.; Lin, H.; Miquel, R.; Rykoff, E. S.; Troxel, M. A.; Vielzeuf, P.; Abbott, T. M. C.; Abdalla, F. B.; Allam, S.; Annis, J.; Bechtol, K.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Bertin, E.; Brooks, D.; Buckley-Geer, E.; Burke, D. L.; Carnero Rosell, A.; Carrasco Kind, M.; Carretero, J.; Castander, F. J.; Crocce, M.; Cunha, C. E.; D'Andrea, C. B.; da Costa, L. N.; Desai, S.; Diehl, H. T.; Doel, P.; Drlica-Wagner, A.; Fausti Neto, A.; Flaugher, B.; Fosalba, P.; Frieman, J.; García-Bellido, J.; Gaztanaga, E.; Gerdes, D. W.; Giannantonio, T.; Gruen, D.; Gruendl, R. A.; Gutierrez, G.; Honscheid, K.; Jain, B.; James, D. J.; Jeltema, T.; Krause, E.; Kuehn, K.; Kuhlmann, S.; Kuropatkin, N.; Lahav, O.; Li, T. S.; Lima, M.; March, M.; Marshall, J. L.; Martini, P.; Melchior, P.; Ogando, R. L. C.; Plazas, A. A.; Romer, A. K.; Sanchez, E.; Scarpine, V.; Schindler, R.; Schubnell, M.; Sevilla-Noarbe, I.; Smith, M.; Soares-Santos, M.; Sobreira, F.; Suchyta, E.; Swanson, M. E. C.; Tarle, G.; Thomas, D.; Vikram, V.; Walker, A. R.; Wechsler, R. H.

    2018-06-01

    Galaxy cross-correlations with high-fidelity redshift samples hold the potential to precisely calibrate systematic photometric redshift uncertainties arising from the unavailability of complete and representative training and validation samples of galaxies. However, application of this technique in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) is hampered by the relatively low number density, small area, and modest redshift overlap between photometric and spectroscopic samples. We propose instead using photometric catalogues with reliable photometric redshifts for photo-z calibration via cross-correlations. We verify the viability of our proposal using redMaPPer clusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to successfully recover the redshift distribution of SDSS spectroscopic galaxies. We demonstrate how to combine photo-z with cross-correlation data to calibrate photometric redshift biases while marginalizing over possible clustering bias evolution in either the calibration or unknown photometric samples. We apply our method to DES Science Verification (DES SV) data in order to constrain the photometric redshift distribution of a galaxy sample selected for weak lensing studies, constraining the mean of the tomographic redshift distributions to a statistical uncertainty of Δz ˜ ±0.01. We forecast that our proposal can, in principle, control photometric redshift uncertainties in DES weak lensing experiments at a level near the intrinsic statistical noise of the experiment over the range of redshifts where redMaPPer clusters are available. Our results provide strong motivation to launch a programme to fully characterize the systematic errors from bias evolution and photo-z shapes in our calibration procedure.

  16. Cross-correlation redshift calibration without spectroscopic calibration samples in DES Science Verification Data

    DOE PAGES

    Davis, C.; Rozo, E.; Roodman, A.; ...

    2018-03-26

    Galaxy cross-correlations with high-fidelity redshift samples hold the potential to precisely calibrate systematic photometric redshift uncertainties arising from the unavailability of complete and representative training and validation samples of galaxies. However, application of this technique in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) is hampered by the relatively low number density, small area, and modest redshift overlap between photometric and spectroscopic samples. We propose instead using photometric catalogs with reliable photometric redshifts for photo-z calibration via cross-correlations. We verify the viability of our proposal using redMaPPer clusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to successfully recover the redshift distribution of SDSS spectroscopic galaxies. We demonstrate how to combine photo-z with cross-correlation data to calibrate photometric redshift biases while marginalizing over possible clustering bias evolution in either the calibration or unknown photometric samples. We apply our method to DES Science Verification (DES SV) data in order to constrain the photometric redshift distribution of a galaxy sample selected for weak lensing studies, constraining the mean of the tomographic redshift distributions to a statistical uncertainty ofmore » $$\\Delta z \\sim \\pm 0.01$$. We forecast that our proposal can in principle control photometric redshift uncertainties in DES weak lensing experiments at a level near the intrinsic statistical noise of the experiment over the range of redshifts where redMaPPer clusters are available. Here, our results provide strong motivation to launch a program to fully characterize the systematic errors from bias evolution and photo-z shapes in our calibration procedure.« less

  17. Cross-correlation redshift calibration without spectroscopic calibration samples in DES Science Verification Data

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

    Davis, C.; Rozo, E.; Roodman, A.

    Galaxy cross-correlations with high-fidelity redshift samples hold the potential to precisely calibrate systematic photometric redshift uncertainties arising from the unavailability of complete and representative training and validation samples of galaxies. However, application of this technique in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) is hampered by the relatively low number density, small area, and modest redshift overlap between photometric and spectroscopic samples. We propose instead using photometric catalogs with reliable photometric redshifts for photo-z calibration via cross-correlations. We verify the viability of our proposal using redMaPPer clusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to successfully recover the redshift distribution of SDSS spectroscopic galaxies. We demonstrate how to combine photo-z with cross-correlation data to calibrate photometric redshift biases while marginalizing over possible clustering bias evolution in either the calibration or unknown photometric samples. We apply our method to DES Science Verification (DES SV) data in order to constrain the photometric redshift distribution of a galaxy sample selected for weak lensing studies, constraining the mean of the tomographic redshift distributions to a statistical uncertainty ofmore » $$\\Delta z \\sim \\pm 0.01$$. We forecast that our proposal can in principle control photometric redshift uncertainties in DES weak lensing experiments at a level near the intrinsic statistical noise of the experiment over the range of redshifts where redMaPPer clusters are available. Here, our results provide strong motivation to launch a program to fully characterize the systematic errors from bias evolution and photo-z shapes in our calibration procedure.« less

  18. High Redshift GRBs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gehrels, Neil; Cannizzo, John K.

    2012-01-01

    The Swift mission has opened a new, high redshift window on the universe. In this review we provide an overview of gamma-ray burst (GRB) science, describe the Swift mission, discuss high-z GRBs and tools for high-z studies, and look forward at future capabilities. A new mission concept - Lobster - is described that would monitor the X-ray sky at order of magnitude higher sensitivity than current missions.

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    2018-06-01

    We study the direct gas-phase oxygen abundance using the well-detected auroral line [O III]λ4363 in the stacked spectra of a sample of local analogs of high-redshift galaxies. These local analogs share the same location as z ∼ 2 star-forming galaxies on the [O III]λ5007/Hβ versus [N II]λ6584/Hα Baldwin–Phillips–Terlevich diagram. This type of analog has the same ionized interstellar medium (ISM) properties as high-redshift galaxies. We establish empirical metallicity calibrations between the direct gas-phase oxygen abundances (7.8< 12+{log}({{O}}/{{H}})< 8.4) and the N2 (log([N II]λ6584/Hα))/O3N2 (log(([O III]λ5007/Hβ)/([N II]λ6584/Hα))) indices in our local analogs. We find significant systematic offsets between the metallicity calibrations for our local analogs of high-redshift galaxies and those derived from the local H II regions and a sample of local reference galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The N2 and O3N2 metallicities will be underestimated by 0.05–0.1 dex relative to our calibration, if one simply applies the local metallicity calibration in previous studies to high-redshift galaxies. Local metallicity calibrations also cause discrepancies of metallicity measurements in high-redshift galaxies using the N2 and O3N2 indicators. In contrast, our new calibrations produce consistent metallicities between these two indicators. We also derive metallicity calibrations for R23 (log(([O III]λλ4959,5007+[O II]λλ3726,3729)/Hβ)), O32(log([O III]λλ4959,5007/[O II]λλ3726,3729)), {log}([O III]λ5007/Hβ), and log([Ne III]λ3869/[O II]λ3727) indices in our local analogs, which show significant offset compared to those in the SDSS reference galaxies. By comparing with MAPPINGS photoionization models, the different empirical metallicity calibration relations in the local analogs and the SDSS reference galaxies can be shown to be primarily due to the change of ionized ISM conditions. Assuming that temperature structure variations are minimal and ISM conditions do not change dramatically from z ∼ 2 to z ∼ 5, these empirical calibrations can be used to measure relative metallicities in galaxies with redshifts up to z ∼ 5.0 in ground-based observations.

  20. Galaxy triplets in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 - I. Catalogue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Mill, Ana Laura; Duplancic, Fernanda; García Lambas, Diego; Valotto, Carlos; Sodré, Laerte

    2012-04-01

    We present a new catalogue of galaxy triplets derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7. The identification of systems was performed considering galaxies brighter than Mr=-20.5 and imposing constraints over the projected distances, radial velocity differences of neighbouring galaxies and isolation. To improve the identification of triplets, we employed a data pixelization scheme, which allows us to handle large amounts of data as in the SDSS photometric survey. Using spectroscopic and photometric data in the redshift range 0.01 ≤z≤ 0.40, we obtain 5901 triplet candidates. We have used a mock catalogue to analyse the completeness and contamination of our methods. The results show a high level of completeness (˜80 per cent) and low contamination (˜5 per cent). By using photometric and spectroscopic data, we have also addressed the effects of fibre collisions in the spectroscopic sample. We have defined an isolation criterion considering the distance of the triplet brightest galaxy to the closest neighbour cluster, to describe a global environment, as well as the galaxies within a fixed aperture, around the triplet brightest galaxy, to measure the local environment. The final catalogue comprises 1092 isolated triplets of galaxies in the redshift range 0.01 ≤z≤ 0.40. Our results show that photometric redshifts provide very useful information, allowing us to complete the sample of nearby systems whose detection is affected by fibre collisions, as well as extending the detection of triplets to large distances, where spectroscopic redshifts are not available.

  1. A FAST FLARE AND DIRECT REDSHIFT CONSTRAINT IN FAR-ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA OF THE BLAZAR S5 0716+714

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

    Danforth, Charles W.; Nalewajko, Krzysztof; France, Kevin

    The BL Lacertae object S5 0716+714 is one of the most studied blazars on the sky due to its active variability and brightness in many bands, including very-high-energy gamma rays. We present here two serendipitous results from recent far-ultraviolet spectroscopic observations by the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). First, during the course of our 7.3 hr HST observations, the blazar increased in flux rapidly by {approx}40% (-0.45 mag hr{sup -1}) followed by a slower decline (+0.36 mag hr{sup -1}) to previous FUV flux levels. We model this flare using asymmetric flare templates and constrain the physicalmore » size and energetics of the emitting region. Furthermore, the spectral index of the object softens considerably during the course of the flare from {alpha}{sub {nu}} Almost-Equal-To -1.0 to {alpha}{sub {nu}} Almost-Equal-To -1.4. Second, we constrain the source redshift directly using the {approx}30 intervening absorption systems. A system at z = 0.2315 is detected in Ly{alpha}, Ly{beta}, O VI, and N V and defines the lower bound on the source redshift. No absorbers are seen in the remaining spectral coverage (0.2315 < z {sub Ly{alpha}} {approx}< 0.47) and we set a statistical upper bound of z < 0.322 (95% confidence) on the blazar. This is the first direct redshift limit for this object and is consistent with literature estimates of z = 0.31 {+-} 0.08 based on the detection of a host galaxy.« less

  2. Untitled Document

    Science.gov Websites

    (Linear Redshift scale), with magnitude residuals from best fit cosmology. Postscript Figure 9: Age of the an equation of state w = p/rho. Postscript Figure 2: Hubble Diagram with 42 High- Redshift Supernovae

  3. 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

  4. Galaxies and large scale structure at high redshifts

    PubMed Central

    Steidel, Charles C.

    1998-01-01

    It is now straightforward to assemble large samples of very high redshift (z ∼ 3) field galaxies selected by their pronounced spectral discontinuity at the rest frame Lyman limit of hydrogen (at 912 Å). This makes possible both statistical analyses of the properties of the galaxies and the first direct glimpse of the progression of the growth of their large-scale distribution at such an early epoch. Here I present a summary of the progress made in these areas to date and some preliminary results of and future plans for a targeted redshift survey at z = 2.7–3.4. Also discussed is how the same discovery method may be used to obtain a “census” of star formation in the high redshift Universe, and the current implications for the history of galaxy formation as a function of cosmic epoch. PMID:9419319

  5. High-resolution observations of radio-source hot spots at 329 MHz

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Linfield, R.; Simon, R. S.

    1984-01-01

    The hot spots of several luminous double radio sources have been observed at 329 MHz with VLBI at fringe spacings ranging from 0.05 to 0.70 arcsec. Two out of two high-redshift (z = about 0.5) sources, but only one of six low-redshift (z = about 0.05) sources, were detected. For the low-redshift source (3C 234) which was detected, either the hot spot is larger at 329 MHz than at 15 GHz, or else the brightness contrast between it and the surrounding lobe is lower at the lower frequency.

  6. Spectroscopic Needs for Imaging Dark Energy Experiments

    DOE PAGES

    Newman, Jeffrey A.; Slosar, Anze; Abate, Alexandra; ...

    2015-03-15

    Ongoing and near-future imaging-based dark energy experiments are critically dependent upon photometric redshifts (a.k.a. photo-z’s): i.e., estimates of the redshifts of objects based only on flux information obtained through broad filters. Higher-quality, lower-scatter photo-z’s will result in smaller random errors on cosmological parameters; while systematic errors in photometric redshift estimates, if not constrained, may dominate all other uncertainties from these experiments. The desired optimization and calibration is dependent upon spectroscopic measurements for secure redshift information; this is the key application of galaxy spectroscopy for imaging-based dark energy experiments. Hence, to achieve their full potential, imaging-based experiments will require large setsmore » of objects with spectroscopically-determined redshifts, for two purposes: Training: Objects with known redshift are needed to map out the relationship between object color and z (or, equivalently, to determine empirically-calibrated templates describing the rest-frame spectra of the full range of galaxies, which may be used to predict the color-z relation). The ultimate goal of training is to minimize each moment of the distribution of differences between photometric redshift estimates and the true redshifts of objects, making the relationship between them as tight as possible. The larger and more complete our “training set” of spectroscopic redshifts is, the smaller the RMS photo-z errors should be, increasing the constraining power of imaging experiments; Requirements: Spectroscopic redshift measurements for ~30,000 objects over >~15 widely-separated regions, each at least ~20 arcmin in diameter, and reaching the faintest objects used in a given experiment, will likely be necessary if photometric redshifts are to be trained and calibrated with conventional techniques. Larger, more complete samples (i.e., with longer exposure times) can improve photo-z algorithms and reduce scatter further, enhancing the science return from planned experiments greatly (increasing the Dark Energy Task Force figure of merit by up to ~50%); Options: This spectroscopy will most efficiently be done by covering as much of the optical and near-infrared spectrum as possible at modestly high spectral resolution (λ/Δλ > ~3000), while maximizing the telescope collecting area, field of view on the sky, and multiplexing of simultaneous spectra. The most efficient instrument for this would likely be either the proposed GMACS/MANIFEST spectrograph for the Giant Magellan Telescope or the OPTIMOS spectrograph for the European Extremely Large Telescope, depending on actual properties when built. The PFS spectrograph at Subaru would be next best and available considerably earlier, c. 2018; the proposed ngCFHT and SSST telescopes would have similar capabilities but start later. Other key options, in order of increasing total time required, are the WFOS spectrograph at TMT, MOONS at the VLT, and DESI at the Mayall 4 m telescope (or the similar 4MOST and WEAVE projects); of these, only DESI, MOONS, and PFS are expected to be available before 2020. Table 2-3 of this white paper summarizes the observation time required at each facility for strawman training samples. To attain secure redshift measurements for a high fraction of targeted objects and cover the full redshift span of future experiments, additional near-infrared spectroscopy will also be required; this is best done from space, particularly with WFIRST-2.4 and JWST; Calibration: The first several moments of redshift distributions (the mean, RMS redshift dispersion, etc.), must be known to high accuracy for cosmological constraints not to be systematics-dominated (equivalently, the moments of the distribution of differences between photometric and true redshifts could be determined instead). The ultimate goal of calibration is to characterize these moments for every subsample used in analyses - i.e., to minimize the uncertainty in their mean redshift, RMS dispersion, etc. – rather than to make the moments themselves small. Calibration may be done with the same spectroscopic dataset used for training if that dataset is extremely high in redshift completeness (i.e., no populations of galaxies to be used in analyses are systematically missed). Accurate photo-z calibration is necessary for all imaging experiments; Requirements: If extremely low levels of systematic incompleteness (<~0.1%) are attained in training samples, the same datasets described above should be sufficient for calibration. However, existing deep spectroscopic surveys have failed to yield secure redshifts for 30–60% of targets, so that would require very large improvements over past experience. This incompleteness would be a limiting factor for training, but catastrophic for calibration. If <~0.1% incompleteness is not attainable, the best known option for calibration of photometric redshifts is to utilize cross-correlation statistics in some form. The most direct method for this uses cross-correlations between positions on the sky of bright objects of known spectroscopic redshift with the sample of objects that we wish to calibrate the redshift distribution for, measured as a function of spectroscopic z. For such a calibration, redshifts of ~100,000 objects over at least several hundred square degrees, spanning the full redshift range of the samples used for dark energy, would be necessary; and Options: The proposed BAO experiment eBOSS would provide sufficient spectroscopy for basic calibrations, particularly for ongoing and near-future imaging experiments. The planned DESI experiment would provide excellent calibration with redundant cross-checks, but will start after the conclusion of some imaging projects. An extension of DESI to the Southern hemisphere would provide the best possible calibration from cross-correlation methods for DES and LSST. We thus anticipate that our two primary needs for spectroscopy – training and calibration of photometric redshifts – will require two separate solutions. For ongoing and future projects to reach their full potential, new spectroscopic samples of faint objects will be needed for training; those new samples may be suitable for calibration, but the latter possibility is uncertain. In contrast, wide-area samples of bright objects are poorly suited for training, but can provide high-precision calibrations via cross-correlation techniques. Additional training/calibration redshifts and/or host galaxy spectroscopy would enhance the use of supernovae and galaxy clusters for cosmology. We also summarize additional work on photometric redshift techniques that will be needed to prepare for data from ongoing and future dark energy experiments.« less

  7. Detecting Patchy Reionization in the Cosmic Microwave Background.

    PubMed

    Smith, Kendrick M; Ferraro, Simone

    2017-07-14

    Upcoming cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments will measure temperature fluctuations on small angular scales with unprecedented precision. Small-scale CMB fluctuations are a mixture of late-time effects: gravitational lensing, Doppler shifting of CMB photons by moving electrons [the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (KSZ) effect], and residual foregrounds. We propose a new statistic which separates the KSZ signal from the others, and also allows the KSZ signal to be decomposed in redshift bins. The decomposition extends to high redshift and does not require external data sets such as galaxy surveys. In particular, the high-redshift signal from patchy reionization can be cleanly isolated, enabling future CMB experiments to make high-significance and qualitatively new measurements of the reionization era.

  8. Keck Spectroscopy of Redshift z ~ 3 Galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lowenthal, James D.; Koo, David C.; Guzmán, Rafael; Gallego, Jesús; Phillips, Andrew C.; Faber, S. M.; Vogt, Nicole P.; Illingworth, Garth D.; Gronwall, Caryl

    1997-05-01

    We have obtained spectra with the 10 m Keck telescope of a sample of 24 galaxies having colors consistent with star-forming galaxies at redshifts 2 <~ z <~ 4.5 in the Hubble deep field (HDF). Eleven of these galaxies are confirmed to be at high redshift (zmed = 3.0), one is at z = 0.5, and the other 12 have uncertain redshifts but have spectra consistent with their being at z > 2. The spectra of the confirmed high-redshift galaxies show a diversity of features, including weak Lyα emission, strong Lyα breaks or damped Lyα absorption profiles, and the stellar and interstellar rest-UV absorption lines common to local starburst galaxies and high-redshift star-forming galaxies reported recently by others. The narrow profiles and low equivalent widths of C IV, Si IV, and N V absorption lines may imply low stellar metallicities. Combined with the five high-redshift galaxies in the HDF previously confirmed with Keck spectra by Steidel et al. (1996a), the 16 confirmed sources yield a comoving volume density of n >= 2.4 × 10-4 h350 Mpc-3 for q0 = 0.05, or n >= 1.1 × 10-3 h350 Mpc-3 for q0 = 0.5. These densities are 3-4 times higher than the recent estimates of Steidel et al. (1996b) based on ground-based photometry with slightly brighter limits and are comparable to estimates of the local volume density of galaxies brighter than L*. The high-redshift density measurement is only a lower limit and could be almost 3 times higher still if all 29 of the unconfirmed candidates in our original sample, including those not observed, are indeed also at high redshift. The galaxies are small but luminous, with half-light radii 1.8 < r1/2 < 6.5 h-150 kpc and absolute magnitudes -21.5 > MB > -23. The HST images show a wide range of morphologies, including several with very close, small knots of emission embedded in wispy extended structures. Using rest-frame UV continuum fluxes with no dust correction, we calculate star formation rates in the range 7-24 or 3-9 h-250 Msolar yr-1 for q0 = 0.05 and q0 = 0.5, respectively. These rates overlap those for local spiral and H II galaxies today, although they could be more than twice as high if dust extinction in the UV is significant. If the objects at z = 3 were simply to fade by 5 mag (assuming a 107 yr burst and passive evolution) without mergers in the 14 Gyr between then and now (for q0 = 0.05, h50 = 1.0), they would resemble average dwarf elliptical/spheroidal galaxies in both luminosity and size. However, the variety of morphologies and the high number density of z = 3 galaxies in the HDF suggest that they represent a range of physical processes and stages of galaxy formation and evolution, rather than any one class of object, such as massive ellipticals. A key issue remains the measurement of masses. These high-redshift objects are likely to be the low-mass, starbursting building blocks of more massive galaxies seen today. Based on observations obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated jointly by the University of California and the California Institute of Technology, and with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, which is operated by AURA, Inc., under contract with NASA.

  9. Cluster mass calibration at high redshift: HST weak lensing analysis of 13 distant galaxy clusters from the South Pole Telescope Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schrabback, T.; Applegate, D.; Dietrich, J. P.; Hoekstra, H.; Bocquet, S.; Gonzalez, A. H.; von der Linden, A.; McDonald, M.; Morrison, C. B.; Raihan, S. F.; Allen, S. W.; Bayliss, M.; Benson, B. A.; Bleem, L. E.; Chiu, I.; Desai, S.; Foley, R. J.; de Haan, T.; High, F. W.; Hilbert, S.; Mantz, A. B.; Massey, R.; Mohr, J.; Reichardt, C. L.; Saro, A.; Simon, P.; Stern, C.; Stubbs, C. W.; Zenteno, A.

    2018-02-01

    We present an HST/Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) weak gravitational lensing analysis of 13 massive high-redshift (zmedian = 0.88) galaxy clusters discovered in the South Pole Telescope (SPT) Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Survey. This study is part of a larger campaign that aims to robustly calibrate mass-observable scaling relations over a wide range in redshift to enable improved cosmological constraints from the SPT cluster sample. We introduce new strategies to ensure that systematics in the lensing analysis do not degrade constraints on cluster scaling relations significantly. First, we efficiently remove cluster members from the source sample by selecting very blue galaxies in V - I colour. Our estimate of the source redshift distribution is based on Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) data, where we carefully mimic the source selection criteria of the cluster fields. We apply a statistical correction for systematic photometric redshift errors as derived from Hubble Ultra Deep Field data and verified through spatial cross-correlations. We account for the impact of lensing magnification on the source redshift distribution, finding that this is particularly relevant for shallower surveys. Finally, we account for biases in the mass modelling caused by miscentring and uncertainties in the concentration-mass relation using simulations. In combination with temperature estimates from Chandra we constrain the normalization of the mass-temperature scaling relation ln (E(z)M500c/1014 M⊙) = A + 1.5ln (kT/7.2 keV) to A=1.81^{+0.24}_{-0.14}(stat.) {± } 0.09(sys.), consistent with self-similar redshift evolution when compared to lower redshift samples. Additionally, the lensing data constrain the average concentration of the clusters to c_200c=5.6^{+3.7}_{-1.8}.

  10. Cluster Mass Calibration at High Redshift: HST Weak Lensing Analysis of 13 Distant Galaxy Clusters from the South Pole Telescope Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Survey

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

    Schrabback, T.; et al.

    We present an HST/ACS weak gravitational lensing analysis of 13 massive high-redshift (z_median=0.88) galaxy clusters discovered in the South Pole Telescope (SPT) Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Survey. This study is part of a larger campaign that aims to robustly calibrate mass-observable scaling relations over a wide range in redshift to enable improved cosmological constraints from the SPT cluster sample. We introduce new strategies to ensure that systematics in the lensing analysis do not degrade constraints on cluster scaling relations significantly. First, we efficiently remove cluster members from the source sample by selecting very blue galaxies in V-I colour. Our estimate of the sourcemore » redshift distribution is based on CANDELS data, where we carefully mimic the source selection criteria of the cluster fields. We apply a statistical correction for systematic photometric redshift errors as derived from Hubble Ultra Deep Field data and verified through spatial cross-correlations. We account for the impact of lensing magnification on the source redshift distribution, finding that this is particularly relevant for shallower surveys. Finally, we account for biases in the mass modelling caused by miscentring and uncertainties in the mass-concentration relation using simulations. In combination with temperature estimates from Chandra we constrain the normalisation of the mass-temperature scaling relation ln(E(z) M_500c/10^14 M_sun)=A+1.5 ln(kT/7.2keV) to A=1.81^{+0.24}_{-0.14}(stat.) +/- 0.09(sys.), consistent with self-similar redshift evolution when compared to lower redshift samples. Additionally, the lensing data constrain the average concentration of the clusters to c_200c=5.6^{+3.7}_{-1.8}.« less

  11. A massive core for a cluster of galaxies at a redshift of 4.3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, T. B.; Chapman, S. C.; Aravena, M.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Hayward, C. C.; Vieira, J. D.; Weiß, A.; Babul, A.; Béthermin, M.; Bradford, C. M.; Brodwin, M.; Carlstrom, J. E.; Chen, Chian-Chou; Cunningham, D. J. M.; De Breuck, C.; Gonzalez, A. H.; Greve, T. R.; Harnett, J.; Hezaveh, Y.; Lacaille, K.; Litke, K. C.; Ma, J.; Malkan, M.; Marrone, D. P.; Morningstar, W.; Murphy, E. J.; Narayanan, D.; Pass, E.; Perry, R.; Phadke, K. A.; Rennehan, D.; Rotermund, K. M.; Simpson, J.; Spilker, J. S.; Sreevani, J.; Stark, A. A.; Strandet, M. L.; Strom, A. L.

    2018-04-01

    Massive galaxy clusters have been found that date to times as early as three billion years after the Big Bang, containing stars that formed at even earlier epochs1-3. The high-redshift progenitors of these galaxy clusters—termed `protoclusters'—can be identified in cosmological simulations that have the highest overdensities (greater-than-average densities) of dark matter4-6. Protoclusters are expected to contain extremely massive galaxies that can be observed as luminous starbursts7. However, recent detections of possible protoclusters hosting such starbursts8-11 do not support the kind of rapid cluster-core formation expected from simulations12: the structures observed contain only a handful of starbursting galaxies spread throughout a broad region, with poor evidence for eventual collapse into a protocluster. Here we report observations of carbon monoxide and ionized carbon emission from the source SPT2349-56. We find that this source consists of at least 14 gas-rich galaxies, all lying at redshifts of 4.31. We demonstrate that each of these galaxies is forming stars between 50 and 1,000 times more quickly than our own Milky Way, and that all are located within a projected region that is only around 130 kiloparsecs in diameter. This galaxy surface density is more than ten times the average blank-field value (integrated over all redshifts), and more than 1,000 times the average field volume density. The velocity dispersion (approximately 410 kilometres per second) of these galaxies and the enormous gas and star-formation densities suggest that this system represents the core of a cluster of galaxies that was already at an advanced stage of formation when the Universe was only 1.4 billion years old. A comparison with other known protoclusters at high redshifts shows that SPT2349-56 could be building one of the most massive structures in the Universe today.

  12. A massive core for a cluster of galaxies at a redshift of 4.3.

    PubMed

    Miller, T B; Chapman, S C; Aravena, M; Ashby, M L N; Hayward, C C; Vieira, J D; Weiß, A; Babul, A; Béthermin, M; Bradford, C M; Brodwin, M; Carlstrom, J E; Chen, Chian-Chou; Cunningham, D J M; De Breuck, C; Gonzalez, A H; Greve, T R; Harnett, J; Hezaveh, Y; Lacaille, K; Litke, K C; Ma, J; Malkan, M; Marrone, D P; Morningstar, W; Murphy, E J; Narayanan, D; Pass, E; Perry, R; Phadke, K A; Rennehan, D; Rotermund, K M; Simpson, J; Spilker, J S; Sreevani, J; Stark, A A; Strandet, M L; Strom, A L

    2018-04-01

    Massive galaxy clusters have been found that date to times as early as three billion years after the Big Bang, containing stars that formed at even earlier epochs 1-3 . The high-redshift progenitors of these galaxy clusters-termed 'protoclusters'-can be identified in cosmological simulations that have the highest overdensities (greater-than-average densities) of dark matter 4-6 . Protoclusters are expected to contain extremely massive galaxies that can be observed as luminous starbursts 7 . However, recent detections of possible protoclusters hosting such starbursts 8-11 do not support the kind of rapid cluster-core formation expected from simulations 12 : the structures observed contain only a handful of starbursting galaxies spread throughout a broad region, with poor evidence for eventual collapse into a protocluster. Here we report observations of carbon monoxide and ionized carbon emission from the source SPT2349-56. We find that this source consists of at least 14 gas-rich galaxies, all lying at redshifts of 4.31. We demonstrate that each of these galaxies is forming stars between 50 and 1,000 times more quickly than our own Milky Way, and that all are located within a projected region that is only around 130 kiloparsecs in diameter. This galaxy surface density is more than ten times the average blank-field value (integrated over all redshifts), and more than 1,000 times the average field volume density. The velocity dispersion (approximately 410 kilometres per second) of these galaxies and the enormous gas and star-formation densities suggest that this system represents the core of a cluster of galaxies that was already at an advanced stage of formation when the Universe was only 1.4 billion years old. A comparison with other known protoclusters at high redshifts shows that SPT2349-56 could be building one of the most massive structures in the Universe today.

  13. The Wide Field X-ray Telescope Mission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murray, Stephen S.; WFXT Team

    2010-01-01

    To explore the high-redshift Universe to the era of galaxy formation requires an X-ray survey that is both sensitive and extensive, which complements deep wide-field surveys at other wavelengths. The Wide-Field X-ray Telescope (WFXT) is designed to be two orders of magnitude more effective than previous and planned X-ray missions for surveys. WFXT consists of three co-aligned wide-field X-ray telescopes with a 1 sq. deg. field of view and <10 arc sec (goal of 5 arc sec) angular resolution over the full field. With nearly ten times Chandra's collecting area and more than ten times Chandra's field of view, WFXT will perform sensitive deep surveys that will discover and characterize extremely large populations of high redshift AGN and galaxy clusters. In five years, WFXT will perform three extragalactic surveys: 1) 20,000 sq. deg. of extragalactic sky at 100-1000 times the sensitivity, and twenty times better angular resolution than the ROSAT All Sky Survey; 2) 3000 sq.deg. to deep Chandra sensitivity; and 3) 100 sq.deg. to the deepest Chandra sensitivity. WFXT will generate a legacy dataset of >500,000 galaxy clusters to redshifts about 2, measuring redshift, gas abundance and temperature for a significant fraction of them, and a sample of more than 10 million AGN to redshifts > 6, many with X-ray spectra sufficient to distinguish obscured from unobscured quasars. These surveys will address fundamental questions of how supermassive black holes grow and influence the evolution of the host galaxy and how clusters form and evolve, as well as providing large samples of massive clusters that can be used in cosmological studies. WFXT surveys will map systems spanning many square degrees including Galactic star forming regions, the Magellanic Clouds and the Virgo Cluster. WFXT data will become public through annual Data Releases that will constitute a vast scientific legacy.

  14. Dusty starburst galaxies in the early Universe as revealed by gravitational lensing.

    PubMed

    Vieira, J D; Marrone, D P; Chapman, S C; De Breuck, C; Hezaveh, Y D; Weiβ, A; Aguirre, J E; Aird, K A; Aravena, M; Ashby, M L N; Bayliss, M; Benson, B A; Biggs, A D; Bleem, L E; Bock, J J; Bothwell, M; Bradford, C M; Brodwin, M; Carlstrom, J E; Chang, C L; Crawford, T M; Crites, A T; de Haan, T; Dobbs, M A; Fomalont, E B; Fassnacht, C D; George, E M; Gladders, M D; Gonzalez, A H; Greve, T R; Gullberg, B; Halverson, N W; High, F W; Holder, G P; Holzapfel, W L; Hoover, S; Hrubes, J D; Hunter, T R; Keisler, R; Lee, A T; Leitch, E M; Lueker, M; Luong-Van, D; Malkan, M; McIntyre, V; McMahon, J J; Mehl, J; Menten, K M; Meyer, S S; Mocanu, L M; Murphy, E J; Natoli, T; Padin, S; Plagge, T; Reichardt, C L; Rest, A; Ruel, J; Ruhl, J E; Sharon, K; Schaffer, K K; Shaw, L; Shirokoff, E; Spilker, J S; Stalder, B; Staniszewski, Z; Stark, A A; Story, K; Vanderlinde, K; Welikala, N; Williamson, R

    2013-03-21

    In the past decade, our understanding of galaxy evolution has been revolutionized by the discovery that luminous, dusty starburst galaxies were 1,000 times more abundant in the early Universe than at present. It has, however, been difficult to measure the complete redshift distribution of these objects, especially at the highest redshifts (z > 4). Here we report a redshift survey at a wavelength of three millimetres, targeting carbon monoxide line emission from the star-forming molecular gas in the direction of extraordinarily bright millimetre-wave-selected sources. High-resolution imaging demonstrates that these sources are strongly gravitationally lensed by foreground galaxies. We detect spectral lines in 23 out of 26 sources and multiple lines in 12 of those 23 sources, from which we obtain robust, unambiguous redshifts. At least 10 of the sources are found to lie at z > 4, indicating that the fraction of dusty starburst galaxies at high redshifts is greater than previously thought. Models of lens geometries in the sample indicate that the background objects are ultra-luminous infrared galaxies, powered by extreme bursts of star formation.

  15. Galaxy Formation At Extreme Redshifts: Semi-Analytic Model Predictions And Challenges For Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yung, L. Y. Aaron; Somerville, Rachel S.

    2017-06-01

    The well-established Santa Cruz semi-analytic galaxy formation framework has been shown to be quite successful at explaining observations in the local Universe, as well as making predictions for low-redshift observations. Recently, metallicity-based gas partitioning and H2-based star formation recipes have been implemented in our model, replacing the legacy cold-gas based recipe. We then use our revised model to explore the high-redshift Universe and make predictions up to z = 15. Although our model is only calibrated to observations from the local universe, our predictions seem to match incredibly well with mid- to high-redshift observational constraints available-to-date, including rest-frame UV luminosity functions and the reionization history as constrained by CMB and IGM observations. We provide predictions for individual and statistical galaxy properties at a wide range of redshifts (z = 4 - 15), including objects that are too far or too faint to be detected with current facilities. And using our model predictions, we also provide forecasted luminosity functions and other observables for upcoming studies with JWST.

  16. Herschel-ATLAS: The Angular Correlation Function of Submillimetre Galaxies at High and Low Redshift

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maddox, S. J.; Dunne, L.; Rigby, E.; Eales, S.; Cooray, A.; Scott, D.; Peacock, J. A.; Negrello, M.; Smith, D. J. B.; Benford, D.; hide

    2010-01-01

    We present measurements of the angular correlation function of galaxies selected from the first field of the H-ATLAS survey. Careful removal of the background from galactic cirrus is essential, and currently dominates the uncertainty in our measurements. For our 250 micrometer-selected sample we detect no significant clustering, consistent with the expectation that the 250 pm-selected sources are mostly normal galaxies at z < or equal to 1. For our 350 micrometer and 500 micrometer-selected samples we detect relatively strong clustering with correlation amplitudes A of 0.2 and 1.2 at 1', but with relatively large uncertainties. For samples which preferentially select high redshift galaxies at z approx. 2-3 we detect significant strong clustering, leading to an estimate of r(0) approx. 7-11/h Mpc. The slope of our clustering measurements is very steep. delta approx. 2. The measurements are consistent with the idea that sub-mm sources consist of a low redshift population of normal galaxies and a high redshift population of highly clustered star-bursting galaxies.

  17. The Physical Constraints on a New LoBAL QSO at z = 4.82

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

    Yi, Weimin; Bai, Jin-Ming; Green, Richard

    Very few low-ionization broad absorption line (LoBAL) QSOs have been found at high redshifts, to date. One high-redshift LoBAL QSO, J0122+1216, was recently discovered by the Lijiang 2.4 m Telescope, with an initial redshift determination of 4.76. Aiming to investigate its physical properties, we carried out follow-up observations in the optical and near-IR spectroscopy. Near-IR spectra from UKIRT and P200 confirm that it is a LoBAL, with a new redshift determination of 4.82 ± 0.01 based on the Mg ii emission-line. The new Mg ii redshift determination reveals strong blueshifts and asymmetry of the high-ionization emission lines. We estimate amore » black hole mass of ∼2.3 × 10{sup 9} M {sub ⊙} and Eddington ratio of ∼1.0 according to the empirical Mg ii-based single-epoch relation and bolometric correction factor. It is possible that strong outflows are the result of an extreme quasar environment driven by the high Eddington ratio. A lower limit on the outflowing kinetic power (>0.9% L {sub Edd}) is derived from both emission and absorption lines, indicating that these outflows play a significant role in the feedback process that regulates the growth of its black hole, as well as host galaxy evolution.« less

  18. Optical signatures of high-redshift galaxy clusters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Evrard, August E.; Charlot, Stephane

    1994-01-01

    We combine an N-body and gasdynamic simulation of structure formation with an updated population synthesis code to explore the expected optical characteristics of a high-redshift cluster of galaxies. We examine a poor (2 keV) cluster formed in a biased, cold dark matter cosmology and employ simple, but plausible, threshold criteria to convert gas into stars. At z = 2, the forming cluster appears as a linear chain of very blue (g-r approximately equals 0) galaxies, with 15 objects brighter than r = 25 within a 1 square arcmin field of view. After 2 Gyr of evolution, the cluster viewed at z = 1 displays both freshly infalling blue galaxies and red galaxies robbed of recent accretion by interaction with the hot intracluster medium. The range in G-R colors is approximately 3 mag at z = 1, with the reddest objects lying at sites of highest galaxy density. We suggest that red, high-redshift galaxies lie in the cores of forming clusters and that their existence indicates the presence of a hot intracluster medium at redshifts z approximately equals 2. The simulated cluster viewed at z = 2 has several characteristics similar to the collection of faint, blue objects identified by Dressler et al. in a deep Hubble Space Telescope observation. The similarities provide some support for the interpretation of this collection as a high-redshift cluster of galaxies.

  19. Highlights And Shadows Of High Redshift Starbursts: A Herschel­Fmos Joint Effort

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Puglisi, Annagrazia

    2017-06-01

    Starburst galaxies represent a critical stage in galaxy evolution as they are the likely progenitors of passively evolving ellipticals. The properties of high-redshift starbursts are however still debated as it is not clear to which extent their vigorous star formation rate is caused by an enhanced gas fraction or an enhanced star formation efficiency, and what physical processes trigger such violent activity. Our study of the rest-frame optical spectra from the FMOS-COSMOS survey of twelve z 1.6 Herschel starbursts combined with a rich ancillary data-set from UV to ALMA, is shedding light on some of these questions. By measuring the nebular extinction from different indicators, we find that 90% of their extreme SFR arises from an heavily obscured component which is thick in the optical. We also measure their gas-phase metallicity, showing that starbursts are metal-rich outliers from the metallicity-SFR anticorrelation observed at fixed stellar mass for the main sequence population. Our findings are consistent with a major merger origin for the starburst event. I will present this study discussing its implications on our interpretation of the high-redshift starbursts physics. I will also briefly discuss possible extensions of this work with the future PFS survey and how we can take advantage of the IFU capabilities of JWST/NIRspec to unveil the complex structure of these elusive systems.

  20. Planck intermediate results: XXVII. High-redshift infrared galaxy overdensity candidates and lensed sources discovered by Planck and confirmed by Herschel -SPIRE

    DOE PAGES

    Aghanim, N.; Altieri, B.; Arnaud, M.; ...

    2015-09-30

    We have used the Planck all-sky submillimetre and millimetre maps to search for rare sources distinguished by extreme brightness, a few hundred millijanskies, and their potential for being situated at high redshift. These “cold” Planck sources, selected using the High Frequency Instrument (HFI) directly from the maps and from the Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources (PCCS), all satisfy the criterion of having their rest-frame far-infrared peak redshifted to the frequency range 353–857 GHz. This colour-selection favours galaxies in the redshift range z = 2–4, which we consider as cold peaks in the cosmic infrared background. With a 4'.5 beam atmore » the four highest frequencies, our sample is expected to include overdensities of galaxies in groups or clusters, lensed galaxies, and chance line-of-sight projections. In this paper, we perform a dedicated Herschel-SPIRE follow-up of 234 such Planck targets, finding a significant excess of red 350 and 500μm sources, in comparison to reference SPIRE fields. About 94% of the SPIRE sources in the Planck fields are consistent with being overdensities of galaxies peaking at 350μm, with 3% peaking at 500μm, and none peaking at 250μm. About 3% are candidate lensed systems, all 12 of which have secure spectroscopic confirmations, placing them at redshifts z> 2.2. Only four targets are Galactic cirrus, yielding a success rate in our search strategy for identifying extragalactic sources within the Planck beam of better than 98%. The galaxy overdensities are detected with high significance, half of the sample showing statistical significance above 10σ. The SPIRE photometric redshifts of galaxies in overdensities suggest a peak at z ≃ 2, assuming a single common dust temperature for the sources of T d = 35 K. Under this assumption, we derive an infrared (IR) luminosity for each SPIRE source of about 4 × 10 12L ⊙, yielding star formation rates of typically 700 M ⊙ yr -1. If the observed overdensities are actual gravitationally-bound structures, the total IR luminosity of all their SPIRE-detected sources peaks at 4 × 10 13L ⊙, leading to total star formation rates of perhaps 7 × 10 3M ⊙ yr -1 per overdensity. Taken together, these sources show the signatures of high-z (z> 2) protoclusters of intensively star-forming galaxies. Finally, all these observations confirm the uniqueness of our sample compared to reference samples and demonstrate the ability of the all-skyPlanck-HFI cold sources to select populations of cosmological and astrophysical interest for structure formation studies.« less

  1. Planck intermediate results: XXVII. High-redshift infrared galaxy overdensity candidates and lensed sources discovered by Planck and confirmed by Herschel -SPIRE

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

    Aghanim, N.; Altieri, B.; Arnaud, M.

    We have used the Planck all-sky submillimetre and millimetre maps to search for rare sources distinguished by extreme brightness, a few hundred millijanskies, and their potential for being situated at high redshift. These “cold” Planck sources, selected using the High Frequency Instrument (HFI) directly from the maps and from the Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources (PCCS), all satisfy the criterion of having their rest-frame far-infrared peak redshifted to the frequency range 353–857 GHz. This colour-selection favours galaxies in the redshift range z = 2–4, which we consider as cold peaks in the cosmic infrared background. With a 4'.5 beam atmore » the four highest frequencies, our sample is expected to include overdensities of galaxies in groups or clusters, lensed galaxies, and chance line-of-sight projections. In this paper, we perform a dedicated Herschel-SPIRE follow-up of 234 such Planck targets, finding a significant excess of red 350 and 500μm sources, in comparison to reference SPIRE fields. About 94% of the SPIRE sources in the Planck fields are consistent with being overdensities of galaxies peaking at 350μm, with 3% peaking at 500μm, and none peaking at 250μm. About 3% are candidate lensed systems, all 12 of which have secure spectroscopic confirmations, placing them at redshifts z> 2.2. Only four targets are Galactic cirrus, yielding a success rate in our search strategy for identifying extragalactic sources within the Planck beam of better than 98%. The galaxy overdensities are detected with high significance, half of the sample showing statistical significance above 10σ. The SPIRE photometric redshifts of galaxies in overdensities suggest a peak at z ≃ 2, assuming a single common dust temperature for the sources of T d = 35 K. Under this assumption, we derive an infrared (IR) luminosity for each SPIRE source of about 4 × 10 12L ⊙, yielding star formation rates of typically 700 M ⊙ yr -1. If the observed overdensities are actual gravitationally-bound structures, the total IR luminosity of all their SPIRE-detected sources peaks at 4 × 10 13L ⊙, leading to total star formation rates of perhaps 7 × 10 3M ⊙ yr -1 per overdensity. Taken together, these sources show the signatures of high-z (z> 2) protoclusters of intensively star-forming galaxies. Finally, all these observations confirm the uniqueness of our sample compared to reference samples and demonstrate the ability of the all-skyPlanck-HFI cold sources to select populations of cosmological and astrophysical interest for structure formation studies.« less

  2. Planck intermediate results. XXVII. High-redshift infrared galaxy overdensity candidates and lensed sources discovered by Planck and confirmed by Herschel-SPIRE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Planck Collaboration; Aghanim, N.; Altieri, B.; Arnaud, M.; Ashdown, M.; Aumont, J.; Baccigalupi, C.; Banday, A. J.; Barreiro, R. B.; Bartolo, N.; Battaner, E.; Beelen, A.; Benabed, K.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Bernard, J.-P.; Bersanelli, M.; Bethermin, M.; Bielewicz, P.; Bonavera, L.; Bond, J. R.; Borrill, J.; Bouchet, F. R.; Boulanger, F.; Burigana, C.; Calabrese, E.; Canameras, R.; Cardoso, J.-F.; Catalano, A.; Chamballu, A.; Chary, R.-R.; Chiang, H. C.; Christensen, P. R.; Clements, D. L.; Colombi, S.; Couchot, F.; Crill, B. P.; Curto, A.; Danese, L.; Dassas, K.; Davies, R. D.; Davis, R. J.; de Bernardis, P.; de Rosa, A.; de Zotti, G.; Delabrouille, J.; Diego, J. M.; Dole, H.; Donzelli, S.; Doré, O.; Douspis, M.; Ducout, A.; Dupac, X.; Efstathiou, G.; Elsner, F.; Enßlin, T. A.; Falgarone, E.; Flores-Cacho, I.; Forni, O.; Frailis, M.; Fraisse, A. A.; Franceschi, E.; Frejsel, A.; Frye, B.; Galeotta, S.; Galli, S.; Ganga, K.; Giard, M.; Gjerløw, E.; González-Nuevo, J.; Górski, K. M.; Gregorio, A.; Gruppuso, A.; Guéry, D.; Hansen, F. K.; Hanson, D.; Harrison, D. L.; Helou, G.; Hernández-Monteagudo, C.; Hildebrandt, S. R.; Hivon, E.; Hobson, M.; Holmes, W. A.; Hovest, W.; Huffenberger, K. M.; Hurier, G.; Jaffe, A. H.; Jaffe, T. R.; Keihänen, E.; Keskitalo, R.; Kisner, T. S.; Kneissl, R.; Knoche, J.; Kunz, M.; Kurki-Suonio, H.; Lagache, G.; Lamarre, J.-M.; Lasenby, A.; Lattanzi, M.; Lawrence, C. R.; Le Floc'h, E.; Leonardi, R.; Levrier, F.; Liguori, M.; Lilje, P. B.; Linden-Vørnle, M.; López-Caniego, M.; Lubin, P. M.; Macías-Pérez, J. F.; MacKenzie, T.; Maffei, B.; Mandolesi, N.; Maris, M.; Martin, P. G.; Martinache, C.; Martínez-González, E.; Masi, S.; Matarrese, S.; Mazzotta, P.; Melchiorri, A.; Mennella, A.; Migliaccio, M.; Moneti, A.; Montier, L.; Morgante, G.; Mortlock, D.; Munshi, D.; Murphy, J. A.; Natoli, P.; Negrello, M.; Nesvadba, N. P. H.; Novikov, D.; Novikov, I.; Omont, A.; Pagano, L.; Pajot, F.; Pasian, F.; Perdereau, O.; Perotto, L.; Perrotta, F.; Pettorino, V.; Piacentini, F.; Piat, M.; Plaszczynski, S.; Pointecouteau, E.; Polenta, G.; Popa, L.; Pratt, G. W.; Prunet, S.; Puget, J.-L.; Rachen, J. P.; Reach, W. T.; Reinecke, M.; Remazeilles, M.; Renault, C.; Ristorcelli, I.; Rocha, G.; Roudier, G.; Rusholme, B.; Sandri, M.; Santos, D.; Savini, G.; Scott, D.; Spencer, L. D.; Stolyarov, V.; Sunyaev, R.; Sutton, D.; Sygnet, J.-F.; Tauber, J. A.; Terenzi, L.; Toffolatti, L.; Tomasi, M.; Tristram, M.; Tucci, M.; Umana, G.; Valenziano, L.; Valiviita, J.; Valtchanov, I.; Van Tent, B.; Vieira, J. D.; Vielva, P.; Wade, L. A.; Wandelt, B. D.; Wehus, I. K.; Welikala, N.; Zacchei, A.; Zonca, A.

    2015-10-01

    We have used the Planck all-sky submillimetre and millimetre maps to search for rare sources distinguished by extreme brightness, a few hundred millijanskies, and their potential for being situated at high redshift. These "cold" Planck sources, selected using the High Frequency Instrument (HFI) directly from the maps and from the Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources (PCCS), all satisfy the criterion of having their rest-frame far-infrared peak redshifted to the frequency range 353-857 GHz. This colour-selection favours galaxies in the redshift range z = 2-4, which we consider as cold peaks in the cosmic infrared background. With a 4.´5 beam at the four highest frequencies, our sample is expected to include overdensities of galaxies in groups or clusters, lensed galaxies, and chance line-of-sight projections. We perform a dedicated Herschel-SPIRE follow-up of 234 such Planck targets, finding a significant excess of red 350 and 500μm sources, in comparison to reference SPIRE fields. About 94% of the SPIRE sources in the Planck fields are consistent with being overdensities of galaxies peaking at 350μm, with 3% peaking at 500μm, and none peaking at 250μm. About 3% are candidate lensed systems, all 12 of which have secure spectroscopic confirmations, placing them at redshifts z> 2.2. Only four targets are Galactic cirrus, yielding a success rate in our search strategy for identifying extragalactic sources within the Planck beam of better than 98%. The galaxy overdensities are detected with high significance, half of the sample showing statistical significance above 10σ. The SPIRE photometric redshifts of galaxies in overdensities suggest a peak at z ≃ 2, assuming a single common dust temperature for the sources of Td = 35 K. Under this assumption, we derive an infrared (IR) luminosity for each SPIRE source of about 4 × 1012L⊙, yielding star formation rates of typically 700 M⊙ yr-1. If the observed overdensities are actual gravitationally-bound structures, the total IR luminosity of all their SPIRE-detected sources peaks at 4 × 1013L⊙, leading to total star formation rates of perhaps 7 × 103M⊙ yr-1 per overdensity. Taken together, these sources show the signatures of high-z (z> 2) protoclusters of intensively star-forming galaxies. All these observations confirm the uniqueness of our sample compared to reference samples and demonstrate the ability of the all-skyPlanck-HFI cold sources to select populations of cosmological and astrophysical interest for structure formation studies. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

  3. 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.

  4. On modeling and measuring the temperature of the z ∼ 5 intergalactic medium

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

    Lidz, Adam; Malloy, Matthew, E-mail: alidz@sas.upenn.edu

    2014-06-20

    The temperature of the low-density intergalactic medium (IGM) at high redshift is sensitive to the timing and nature of hydrogen and He II reionization, and can be measured from Lyman-alpha (Lyα) forest absorption spectra. Since the memory of intergalactic gas to heating during reionization gradually fades, measurements as close as possible to reionization are desirable. In addition, measuring the IGM temperature at sufficiently high redshifts should help to isolate the effects of hydrogen reionization since He II reionization starts later, at lower redshift. Motivated by this, we model the IGM temperature at z ≳ 5 using semi-numeric models of patchymore » reionization. We construct mock Lyα forest spectra from these models and consider their observable implications. We find that the small-scale structure in the Lyα forest is sensitive to the temperature of the IGM even at redshifts where the average absorption in the forest is as high as 90%. We forecast the accuracy at which the z ≳ 5 IGM temperature can be measured using existing samples of high resolution quasar spectra, and find that interesting constraints are possible. For example, an early reionization model in which reionization ends at z ∼ 10 should be distinguishable—at high statistical significance—from a lower redshift model where reionization completes at z ∼ 6. We discuss improvements to our modeling that may be required to robustly interpret future measurements.« less

  5. Bulge Growth Through Disc Instabilities in High-Redshift Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bournaud, Frédéric

    The role of disc instabilities, such as bars and spiral arms, and the associated resonances, in growing bulges in the inner regions of disc galaxies have long been studied in the low-redshift nearby Universe. There it has long been probed observationally, in particular through peanut-shaped bulges (Chap. 14 10.1007/978-3-319-19378-6_14"). This secular growth of bulges in modern disc galaxies is driven by weak, non-axisymmetric instabilities: it mostly produces pseudobulges at slow rates and with long star-formation timescales. Disc instabilities at high redshift (z > 1) in moderate-mass to massive galaxies (1010 to a few 1011 M⊙ of stars) are very different from those found in modern spiral galaxies. High-redshift discs are globally unstable and fragment into giant clumps containing 108-9 M⊙ of gas and stars each, which results in highly irregular galaxy morphologies. The clumps and other features associated to the violent instability drive disc evolution and bulge growth through various mechanisms on short timescales. The giant clumps can migrate inward and coalesce into the bulge in a few 108 years. The instability in the very turbulent media drives intense gas inflows toward the bulge and nuclear region. Thick discs and supermassive black holes can grow concurrently as a result of the violent instability. This chapter reviews the properties of high-redshift disc instabilities, the evolution of giant clumps and other features associated to the instability, and the resulting growth of bulges and associated sub-galactic components.

  6. RELICS: Strong-lensing Analysis of the Massive Clusters MACS J0308.9+2645 and PLCK G171.9‑40.7

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Acebron, Ana; Cibirka, Nathália; Zitrin, Adi; Coe, Dan; Agulli, Irene; Sharon, Keren; Bradač, Maruša; Frye, Brenda; Livermore, Rachael C.; Mahler, Guillaume; Salmon, Brett; Umetsu, Keiichi; Bradley, Larry; Andrade-Santos, Felipe; Avila, Roberto; Carrasco, Daniela; Cerny, Catherine; Czakon, Nicole G.; Dawson, William A.; Hoag, Austin T.; Huang, Kuang-Han; Johnson, Traci L.; Jones, Christine; Kikuchihara, Shotaro; Lam, Daniel; Lovisari, Lorenzo; Mainali, Ramesh; Oesch, Pascal A.; Ogaz, Sara; Ouchi, Masami; Past, Matthew; Paterno-Mahler, Rachel; Peterson, Avery; Ryan, Russell E.; Sendra-Server, Irene; Stark, Daniel P.; Strait, Victoria; Toft, Sune; Trenti, Michele; Vulcani, Benedetta

    2018-05-01

    Strong gravitational lensing by galaxy clusters has become a powerful tool for probing the high-redshift universe, magnifying distant and faint background galaxies. Reliable strong-lensing (SL) models are crucial for determining the intrinsic properties of distant, magnified sources and for constructing their luminosity function. We present here the first SL analysis of MACS J0308.9+2645 and PLCK G171.9‑40.7, two massive galaxy clusters imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope, in the framework of the Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey (RELICS). We use the light-traces-mass modeling technique to uncover sets of multiply imaged galaxies and constrain the mass distribution of the clusters. Our SL analysis reveals that both clusters have particularly large Einstein radii (θ E > 30″ for a source redshift of z s = 2), providing fairly large areas with high magnifications, useful for high-redshift galaxy searches (∼2 arcmin2 with μ > 5 to ∼1 arcmin2 with μ > 10, similar to a typical Hubble Frontier Fields cluster). We also find that MACS J0308.9+2645 hosts a promising, apparently bright (J ∼ 23.2–24.6 AB), multiply imaged high-redshift candidate at z ∼ 6.4. These images are among the brightest high-redshift candidates found in RELICS. Our mass models, including magnification maps, are made publicly available for the community through the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes.

  7. Unseen Progenitors of Luminous High- z Quasars in the R {sub h} = ct Universe

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

    Fatuzzo, Marco; Melia, Fulvio, E-mail: fatuzzo@xavier.edu, E-mail: fmelia@email.arizona.edu

    Quasars at high redshift provide direct information on the mass growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and, in turn, yield important clues about how the universe evolved since the first (Pop III) stars started forming. Yet even basic questions regarding the seeds of these objects and their growth mechanism remain unanswered. The anticipated launch of eROSITA and ATHENA is expected to facilitate observations of high-redshift quasars needed to resolve these issues. In this paper, we compare accretion-based SMBH growth in the concordance ΛCDM model with that in the alternative Friedmann–Robertson–Walker cosmology known as the R {sub h} = ct universe.more » Previous work has shown that the timeline predicted by the latter can account for the origin and growth of the ≳10{sup 9} M {sub ⊙} highest redshift quasars better than that of the standard model. Here, we significantly advance this comparison by determining the soft X-ray flux that would be observed for Eddington-limited accretion growth as a function of redshift in both cosmologies. Our results indicate that a clear difference emerges between the two in terms of the number of detectable quasars at redshift z ≳ 7, raising the expectation that the next decade will provide the observational data needed to discriminate between these two models based on the number of detected high-redshift quasar progenitors. For example, while the upcoming ATHENA mission is expected to detect ∼0.16 (i.e., essentially zero) quasars at z ∼ 7 in R {sub h} = ct , it should detect ∼160 in ΛCDM—a quantitatively compelling difference.« less

  8. The MOSDEF Survey: A Stellar Mass–SFR–Metallicity Relation Exists at z ∼ 2.3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanders, Ryan L.; Shapley, Alice E.; Kriek, Mariska; Freeman, William R.; Reddy, Naveen A.; Siana, Brian; Coil, Alison L.; Mobasher, Bahram; Davé, Romeel; Shivaei, Irene; Azadi, Mojegan; Price, Sedona H.; Leung, Gene; Fetherholf, Tara; de Groot, Laura; Zick, Tom; Fornasini, Francesca M.; Barro, Guillermo

    2018-05-01

    We investigate the nature of the relation among stellar mass, star formation rate, and gas-phase metallicity (the {M}* –SFR–Z relation) at high redshifts using a sample of 260 star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 2.3 from the MOSDEF survey. We present an analysis of the high-redshift {M}* –SFR–Z relation based on several emission-line ratios for the first time. We show that a {M}* –SFR–Z relation clearly exists at z ∼ 2.3. The strength of this relation is similar to predictions from cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. By performing a direct comparison of stacks of z ∼ 0 and z ∼ 2.3 galaxies, we find that z ∼ 2.3 galaxies have ∼0.1 dex lower metallicity at fixed {M}* and SFR. In the context of chemical evolution models, this evolution of the {M}* –SFR–Z relation suggests an increase with redshift of the mass-loading factor at fixed {M}* , as well as a decrease in the metallicity of infalling gas that is likely due to a lower importance of gas recycling relative to accretion from the intergalactic medium at high redshifts. Performing this analysis simultaneously with multiple metallicity-sensitive line ratios allows us to rule out the evolution in physical conditions (e.g., N/O ratio, ionization parameter, and hardness of the ionizing spectrum) at fixed metallicity as the source of the observed trends with redshift and with SFR at fixed {M}* at z ∼ 2.3. While this study highlights the promise of performing high-order tests of chemical evolution models at high redshifts, detailed quantitative comparisons ultimately await a full understanding of the evolution of metallicity calibrations with redshift. Based on data 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 NASA, and was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

  9. A possible connection between the spin temperature of damped Lyman α absorption systems and star formation history

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Curran, S. J.

    2017-09-01

    We present a comprehensive analysis of the spin temperature/covering factor degeneracy, Tspin/f, in damped Lyman α absorption systems. By normalizing the upper limits and including these via a survival analysis, there is, as previously claimed, an apparent increase in Tspin/f with redshift at zabs ≳ 1. However, when we account for the geometry effects of an expanding Universe, neglected by the previous studies, this increase in Tspin at zabs ≳ 1 is preceded by a decrease at zabs ≲ 1. Using high resolution radio images of the background continuum sources, we can transform the Tspin/f degeneracy to T_spin/d_abs^{ 2}, where dabs is the projected linear size of the absorber. Again, there is no overall increase with redshift, although a dip at zabs ≈ 2 persists. Furthermore, we find d_abs^{ 2}/T_spin to follow a similar variation with redshift as the star formation rate, ψ*. This suggests that, although the total hydrogen column density, N_{H I}, shows little relation to ψ*, the fraction of the cold neutral medium, \\int τ_obs dv/N_{H I}, may. Therefore, further efforts to link the neutral gas with the star formation history should also consider the cool component of the gas.

  10. The Discovery of a High-Redshift Quasar without Emission Lines from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Commissioning Data.

    PubMed

    Fan; Strauss; Gunn; Lupton; Carilli; Rupen; Schmidt; Moustakas; Davis; Annis; Bahcall; Brinkmann; Brunner; Csabai; Doi; Fukugita; Heckman; Hennessy; Hindsley; Ivezic; Knapp; Lamb; Munn; Pauls; Pier; Rockosi; Schneider; Szalay; Tucker; York

    1999-12-01

    We report observations of a luminous unresolved object at redshift z=4.62, with a featureless optical spectrum redward of the Lyalpha forest region, discovered from Sloan Digital Sky Survey commissioning data. The redshift is determined by the onset of the Lyalpha forest at lambda approximately 6800 Å and a Lyman limit system at lambda=5120 Å. A strong Lyalpha absorption system with weak metal absorption lines at z=4.58 is also identified in the spectrum. The object has a continuum absolute magnitude of -26.6 at 1450 Å in the rest frame (h0=0.5, q0=0.5) and therefore cannot be an ordinary galaxy. It shows no radio emission (the 3 sigma upper limit of its flux at 6 cm is 60 µJy), indicating a radio-to-optical flux ratio at least as small as that of the radio-weakest BL Lacertae objects known. It is also not linearly polarized to a 3 sigma upper limit of 4% in the observed I band. Therefore, it is either the most distant BL Lac object known to date, with very weak radio emission, or a new type of unbeamed quasar, whose broad emission line region is very weak or absent.

  11. The Star Formation History of SHADES Sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aretxaga, Itziar; SHADES Consortium; AzTEC Team

    2006-12-01

    We present the redshift distribution of the SHADES 850um selected galaxy population based on the rest-frame radio-mm-FIR colours of 120 robustly detected sources in the Lockman Hole East (LH) and Subaru XMM-Newton Deep Field (SXDF). The redshift of sources constrained with at least two photometric bands peaks at z 2.4 and has a near-Gaussian distribution. The inclusion of sources detected only at 850um, for which only very weak redshift constraints are available, leads to the possibility of a high-redshit tail. We find a small difference between the redshift distributions in the two fields; the SXDF peaking at a slightly lower redshift than the LH, which we mainly attribute to the noise properties of the photometry used. We discuss the impact of the AzTEC data on the further precission of these results. Finally we present a brief comparison with sub-mm galaxy formation models and their predicted and assumed redshift distributions and derive the contribution of these sources to the star formation rate density at different epochs.

  12. Quasar Absorption in the UV: Probing the Intergalactic Medium

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weinberg, David; Katz, Neal

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this project is to model the low-redshift Lyman-alpha forest and exploration of the relation between Lyman-alpha absorbers and galaxies. This paper shows that the simulation models that are so successful at explaining properties of the high-redshift forest also account for the most important results of observational studies of the low-redshift forest, from HST (especially the Quasar Absorption Line Key Project) and ground-based follow-up.

  13. RCS2 J232727.6-020437: An Efficient Cosmic Telescope at z=0.6986

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoag, A.; Bradač, M.; Huang, K. H.; Ryan, R. E., Jr.; Sharon, K.; Schrabback, T.; Schmidt, K. B.; Cain, B.; Gonzalez, A. H.; Hildebrandt, H.; Hinz, J.; Lemaux, B. C.; von der Linden, A.; Lubin, L. M.; Treu, T.; Zaritsky, D.

    2015-11-01

    We present a detailed gravitational lens model of the galaxy cluster RCS2 J232727.6-020437. Due to cosmological dimming of cluster members and intra-cluster light, its high redshift (z = 0.6986) makes it ideal for studying high-redshift background galaxies. Using new Advanced Camera for Surveys and WFC3/IR Hubble Space Telescope data, we identify 16 new multiple images belonging to 6 distinct source galaxies. From Multi-object Spectrometer for Infrared Exploration (MOSFIRE) follow-up, we identify a strong emission line in the spectrum of one multiple image, measuring the redshift of that system to z = 2.083. With a highly magnified (μ ≳ 3) source plane area of ∼0.9 arcmin2 at z = 7, RCS2 J232727.6-020437 has a lensing efficiency comparable to the Hubble Frontier Fields clusters. We discover four highly magnified z ∼ 7 candidate Lyman-break galaxies behind the cluster. Correcting for magnification, we find that all four galaxies are fainter than 0.5{L}\\star . One candidate is detected at >10σ in both Spitzer/IRAC [3.6] and [4.5] channels. A spectroscopic follow-up with MOSFIRE does not result in the detection of the Lyα emission line from any of the four candidates. From the MOSFIRE spectra, we place median upper limits on the Lyα flux of (3-11)× {10}-19 {erg} {{{s}}}-1 {{cm}}-2 (5σ).

  14. THE REDSHIFT DISTRIBUTION OF GIANT ARCS IN THE SLOAN GIANT ARCS SURVEY

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

    Bayliss, Matthew B.; Gladders, Michael D.; Koester, Benjamin P.

    2011-01-20

    We measure the redshift distribution of a sample of 28 giant arcs discovered as a part of the Sloan Giant Arcs Survey. Gemini/GMOS-North spectroscopy provides precise redshifts for 24 arcs, and 'redshift desert' constrains for the remaining 4 arcs. This is a direct measurement of the redshift distribution of a uniformly selected sample of bright giant arcs, which is an observable that can be used to inform efforts to predict giant arc statistics. Our primary giant arc sample has a median redshift z = 1.821 and nearly two-thirds of the arcs, 64%, are sources at z {approx}> 1.4, indicating thatmore » the population of background sources that are strongly lensed into bright giant arcs resides primarily at high redshift. We also analyze the distribution of redshifts for 19 secondary strongly lensed background sources that are not visually apparent in Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging, but were identified in deeper follow-up imaging of the lensing cluster fields. Our redshift sample for the secondary sources is not spectroscopically complete, but combining it with our primary giant arc sample suggests that a large fraction of all background galaxies that are strongly lensed by foreground clusters reside at z {approx}> 1.4. Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests indicate that our well-selected, spectroscopically complete primary giant arc redshift sample can be reproduced with a model distribution that is constructed from a combination of results from studies of strong-lensing clusters in numerical simulations and observational constraints on the galaxy luminosity function.« less

  15. 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.

  16. The low-frequency array (LOFAR): opening a new window on the universe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kassim, N. E.; Lazio, T. J. W.; Ray, P. S.; Crane, P. C.; Hicks, B. C.; Stewart, K. P.; Cohen, A. S.; Lane, W. M.

    2004-12-01

    We present an overview of the low-frequency array (LOFAR) that will open a window on one of the last and most poorly explored regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. LOFAR will be a large (baselines up to 400 km), low-frequency (ν˜10-240MHz) aperture synthesis array with large collecting area ( ˜106m2 at 15MHz) and high resolution ( ˜1.5″ at 100 MHz), and will provide sub-mJy sensitivity across much of its operating range. LOFAR will be a powerful instrument for solar system and planetary science applications as reviewed by papers in this monogram. Key astrophysical science drivers include acceleration, turbulence, and propagation in the galactic interstellar medium, exploring the high red-shift universe and transient phenomena, as well as searching for the red-shifted signature of neutral hydrogen from the cosmologically important epoch of re-ionization.

  17. Detecting Massive, High-Redshift Galaxy Clusters Using the Thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adams, Carson; Steinhardt, Charles L.; Loeb, Abraham; Karim, Alexander; Staguhn, Johannes; Erler, Jens; Capak, Peter L.

    2017-01-01

    We develop the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect as a direct astrophysical measure of the mass distribution of dark matter halos. The SZ effect increases with cosmological distance, a unique astronomical property, and is highly sensitive to halo mass. We find that this presents a powerful methodology for distinguishing between competing models of the halo mass function distribution, particularly in the high-redshift domain just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Recent surveys designed to probe this epoch of initial galaxy formation such as CANDELS and SPLASH report an over-abundance of highly massive halos as inferred from stellar ultraviolet (UV) luminosities and the stellar mass to halo mass ratio estimated from nearby galaxies. If these UV luminosity to halo mass relations hold to high-redshift, observations estimate several orders of magnitude more highly massive halos than predicted by hierarchical merging and the standard cosmological paradigm. Strong constraints on the masses of these galaxy clusters are essential to resolving the current tension between observation and theory. We conclude that detections of thermal SZ sources are plausible at high-redshift only for the halo masses inferred from observation. Therefore, future SZ surveys will provide a robust determination between theoretical and observational predictions.

  18. Reversal of Fortune: Increased Star Formation Efficiencies in the Early Histories of Dwarf Galaxies?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madau, Piero; Weisz, Daniel R.; Conroy, Charlie

    2014-08-01

    On dwarf galaxy scales, the different shapes of the galaxy stellar mass function and the dark halo mass function require a star-formation efficiency (SFE) in these systems that is currently more than 1 dex lower than that of Milky Way-size halos. Here, we argue that this trend may actually be reversed at high redshift. Specifically, by combining the resolved star-formation histories of nearby isolated dwarfs with the simulated mass-growth rates of dark matter halos, we show that the assembly of these systems occurs in two phases: (1) an early, fast halo accretion phase with a rapidly deepening potential well, characterized by a high SFE; and (2) a late, slow halo accretion phase where, perhaps as a consequence of reionization, the SFE is low. Nearby dwarfs have more old stars than predicted by assuming a constant or decreasing SFE with redshift, a behavior that appears to deviate qualitatively from the trends seen among more massive systems. Taken at face value, the data suggest that at sufficiently early epochs, dwarf galaxy halos above the atomic cooling mass limit can be among the most efficient sites of star formation in the universe.

  19. Proceedings of the Workshop on the Spectrophotometric Dating of Stars and Galaxies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hubeny, Ivan; Heap, Sara; Cornett, Robert

    1999-01-01

    In the past decade, we have seen an avalanche of new observational results from space observatories and ground-based observatories. These observations have revealed young globular clusters in the cores of merger galaxies, elliptical galaxies at redshifts up to z=1.5, and starburst galaxies at high redshift. Analyses of the detailed spectra or color- magnitude diagrams of these systems promise to give a new understanding of evolutionary processes and to provide a check on cosmological ages. At the same time, these new spectro-photometric data present new challenges to current methods of spectral analysis and modeling.At the Workshop, we will discuss these new opportunities and challenges on spectro-photometric dating of stars and galaxies.

  20. Star Formation in Dusty Quasars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lumsden, Stuart; Croom, Scott

    2012-04-01

    Quasar mode feedback is thought to be a crucial ingredient in galaxy formation for luminous merging and star-bursting systems at high redshift. The energy from the active nucleus should cause significant gas outflows, reducing the available free gas reservoir for future star formation. It is currently unknown which observational state best corresponds to the stage at which this "blowout" should occur. We intend to test one possible source population for this transition phase, by studying the molecular gas content in a small, statistically complete sample of 3 K-band selected reddened quasars from the AUS survey. All lie in the redshift range 2

  1. The evolution of the cluster optical galaxy luminosity function between z = 0.4 and 0.9 in the DAFT/FADA survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinet, Nicolas; Durret, Florence; Guennou, Loïc; Adami, Christophe; Biviano, Andrea; Ulmer, Melville P.; Clowe, Douglas; Halliday, Claire; Ilbert, Olivier; Márquez, Isabel; Schirmer, Mischa

    2015-03-01

    Context. There is some disagreement about the abundance of faint galaxies in high-redshift clusters, with contradictory results in the literature arising from studies of the optical galaxy luminosity function (GLF) for small cluster samples. Aims: We compute GLFs for one of the largest medium-to-high-redshift (0.4 ≤ z < 0.9) cluster samples to date in order to probe the abundance of faint galaxies in clusters. We also study how the GLF depends on cluster redshift, mass, and substructure and compare the GLFs of clusters with those of the field. We separately investigate the GLFs of blue and red-sequence (RS) galaxies to understand the evolution of different cluster populations. Methods: We calculated the GLFs for 31 clusters taken from the DAFT/FADA survey in the B,V,R, and I rest-frame bands. We used photometric redshifts computed from BVRIZJ images to constrain galaxy cluster membership. We carried out a detailed estimate of the completeness of our data. We distinguished the red-sequence and blue galaxies using a V - I versus I colour-magnitude diagram. We studied the evolution of these two populations with redshift. We fitted Schechter functions to our stacked GLFs to determine average cluster characteristics. Results: We find that the shapes of our GLFs are similar for the B,V,R, and I bands with a drop at the red GLF faint ends that is more pronounced at high redshift: αred ~ -0.5 at 0.40 ≤ z < 0.65 and αred > 0.1 at 0.65 ≤ z < 0.90. The blue GLFs have a steeper faint end (αblue ~ -1.6) than the red GLFs, which appears to be independent of redshift. For the full cluster sample, blue and red GLFs meet at MV = -20, MR = -20.5, and MI = -20.3. A study of how galaxy types evolve with redshift shows that late-type galaxies appear to become early types between z ~ 0.9 and today. Finally, the faint ends of the red GLFs of more massive clusters appear to be richer than less massive clusters, which is more typical of the lower redshift behaviour. Conclusions: Our results indicate that these clusters form at redshifts higher than z = 0.9 from galaxy structures that already have an established red sequence. Late-type galaxies then appear to evolve into early types, enriching the red sequence between this redshift and today. This effect is consistent with the evolution of the faint-end slope of the red sequence and the galaxy type evolution that we find. Finally, faint galaxies accreted from the field environment at all redshifts might have replaced the blue late-type galaxies that converted into early types, explaining the lack of evolution in the faint-end slopes of the blue GLFs. Appendix is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

  2. The infrared-radio correlation of spheroid- and disc-dominated star-forming galaxies to z ˜ 1.5 in the COSMOS field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Molnár, Dániel Cs; Sargent, Mark T.; Delhaize, Jacinta; Delvecchio, Ivan; Smolčić, Vernesa; Novak, Mladen; Schinnerer, Eva; Zamorani, Giovanni; Bondi, Marco; Herrera-Ruiz, Noelia; Murphy, Eric J.; Vardoulaki, Eleni; Karim, Alexander; Leslie, Sarah; Magnelli, Benjamin; Carollo, C. Marcella; Middelberg, Enno

    2018-03-01

    Using infrared data from the Herschel Space Observatory and Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array 3 GHz observations in the COSMOS field, we investigate the redshift evolution of the infrared-radio correlation (IRRC) for star-forming galaxies (SFGs) we classify as either spheroid- or disc-dominated based on their morphology. The sample predominantly consists of disc galaxies with stellar mass ≳ 1010 M⊙, and residing on the star-forming main sequence (MS). After the removal of AGN using standard approaches, we observe a significant difference between the redshift evolution of the median IR/radio ratio \\overline{q}_{TIR} of (i) a sample of ellipticals, plus discs with a substantial bulge component (`spheroid-dominated' SFGs) and, (ii) virtually pure discs and irregular systems (`disc-dominated' SFGs). The spheroid-dominated population follows a declining \\overline{q}_{TIR} versus z trend similar to that measured in recent evolutionary studies of the IRRC. However, for disc-dominated galaxies, where radio and IR emission should be linked to star formation in the most straightforward way, we measure very little change in \\overline{q}_{TIR}. This suggests that low-redshift calibrations of radio emission as a star formation rate (SFR) tracer may remain valid out to at least z ≃ 1-1.5 for pure star-forming systems. We find that the different redshift evolution of qTIR for the spheroid- and disc-dominated sample is mainly due to an increasing radio excess for spheroid-dominated galaxies at z ≳ 0.8, hinting at some residual AGN activity in these systems. This finding demonstrates that in the absence of AGN, the IRRC is independent of redshift, and that radio observations can therefore be used to estimate SFRs at all redshifts for genuinely star-forming galaxies.

  3. QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF THE HYPOTHESIS THAT BL LACERTAE OBJECTS ARE QSO REMNANTS

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

    Borra, E. F.

    2014-11-20

    We evaluate with numerical simulations the hypothesis that BL Lacertae objects (BLLs) are the remnants of quasi-stellar objects. This hypothesis is based on their highly peculiar redshift evolution. They have a comoving space density that increases with decreasing redshift, contrary to all other active galactic nuclei. We assume that relativistic jets are below detection in young radio-quiet quasars and increase in strength with cosmic time so that they eventually are detected as BLLs. Our numerical simulations fit very well the observed redshift distributions of BLLs. There are strong indications that only the high-synchrotron-peaked BLLs could be QSO remnants.

  4. High-redshift galaxy populations.

    PubMed

    Hu, Esther M; Cowie, Lennox L

    2006-04-27

    We now see many galaxies as they were only 800 million years after the Big Bang, and that limit may soon be exceeded when wide-field infrared detectors are widely available. Multi-wavelength studies show that there was relatively little star formation at very early times and that star formation was at its maximum at about half the age of the Universe. A small number of high-redshift objects have been found by targeting X-ray and radio sources and most recently, gamma-ray bursts. The gamma-ray burst sources may provide a way to reach even higher-redshift galaxies in the future, and to probe the first generation of stars.

  5. Stars and gas in high redshift galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pettini, Max

    Recent advances in instrumentation and observing techniques have made it possible to begin to study in detail the stellar populations and the interstellar media of galaxies at redshift z=3, when the universe was still in its "teen years". In keeping with the theme of this conference, I show how our knowledge of local star-forming regions can be applied directly to these distant galaxies to deduce their ages, metallicities, initial mass function, and masses. I also discuss areas where current limitations in stellar astrophysics have a direct bearing on the interpretation of the data being gathered, at an ever increasing rate, on the high redshift universe.

  6. Multiple Streaming and the Probability Distribution of Density in Redshift Space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hui, Lam; Kofman, Lev; Shandarin, Sergei F.

    2000-07-01

    We examine several aspects of redshift distortions by expressing the redshift-space density in terms of the eigenvalues and orientation of the local Lagrangian deformation tensor. We explore the importance of multiple streaming using the Zeldovich approximation (ZA), and compute the average number of streams in both real and redshift space. We find that multiple streaming can be significant in redshift space but negligible in real space, even at moderate values of the linear fluctuation amplitude (σl<~1). Moreover, unlike their real-space counterparts, redshift-space multiple streams can flow past each other with minimal interactions. Such nonlinear redshift-space effects, which are physically distinct from the fingers-of-God due to small-scale virialized motions, might in part explain the well-known departure of redshift distortions from the classic linear prediction by Kaiser, even at relatively large scales where the corresponding density field in real space is well described by linear perturbation theory. We also compute, using the ZA, the probability distribution function (PDF) of the density, as well as S3, in real and redshift space, and compare it with the PDF measured from N-body simulations. The role of caustics in defining the character of the high-density tail is examined. We find that (non-Lagrangian) smoothing, due to both finite resolution or discreteness and small-scale velocity dispersions, is very effective in erasing caustic structures, unless the initial power spectrum is sufficiently truncated.

  7. The impact of Spitzer infrared data on stellar mass estimates - and a revised galaxy stellar mass function at 0 < z < 5

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elsner, F.; Feulner, G.; Hopp, U.

    2008-01-01

    Aims:We estimate stellar masses of galaxies in the high redshift universe with the intention of determining the influence of newly available Spitzer/IRAC infrared data on the analysis. Based on the results, we probe the mass assembly history of the universe. Methods: We use the GOODS-MUSIC catalog, which provides multiband photometry from the U-filter to the 8 μm Spitzer band for almost 15 000 galaxies with either spectroscopic (for ≈7% of the sample) or photometric redshifts, and apply a standard model fitting technique to estimate stellar masses. We than repeat our calculations with fixed photometric redshifts excluding Spitzer photometry and directly compare the outcomes to look for systematic deviations. Finally we use our results to compute stellar mass functions and mass densities up to redshift z = 5. Results: We find that stellar masses tend to be overestimated on average if further constraining Spitzer data are not included into the analysis. Whilst this trend is small up to intermediate redshifts z ⪉ 2.5 and falls within the typical error in mass, the deviation increases strongly for higher redshifts and reaches a maximum of a factor of three at redshift z ≈ 3.5. Thus, up to intermediate redshifts, results for stellar mass density are in good agreement with values taken from literature calculated without additional Spitzer photometry. At higher redshifts, however, we find a systematic trend towards lower mass densities if Spitzer/IRAC data are included.

  8. A Pilot Study to Directly Measure the Dynamical Masses of ULIRGs at Intermediate Redshifts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rothberg, Barry

    2012-02-01

    We propose a pilot study to use the Calcium II Triplet stellar absorption lines (rest-frame 0.85 microns) in conjunction with publicly available, high-resolution rest-frame optical HST imaging to directly measure the dynamical masses (M_dyn) and estimate central black hole masses (M_BH) in a small sample of intermediate redshift ULIRGs (0.4 < z < 1.0). It is the same method we have used to measure M_dyn and M_BH in local ULIRGs, and has successfully shown that these systems are statistically indistinguishable from nearby (z < 0.4) QSOs. At 0.4 < z < 1.0, the star-formation rates, gas fractions, and (presumably) masses, are believed to be significantly higher than in the local universe. However, mass is a critical parameter in most galaxy scaling relations, and current methods to estimate mass at intermediate redshifts rely heavily on unproven assumptions. Using stellar velocity dispersions is a straight-forward method to measuring M_dyn, and we will use it to: 1) conf! irm higher masses at 0.4 < z < 1.0; and 2) provide a calibration for other techniques.

  9. Infrared surface photometry of 3C 65: Stellar evolution and the Tolman signal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rigler, M. A.; Lilly, S. J.

    1994-06-01

    We present an analysis of the infrared surface brightness profile of the high-redshift radio galaxy 3C 65 (z = 1.176), which is well fitted by a de Vaucouleurs r1/4 law. A model surface fitting routine yields characteristic photometric parameters comparable to those of low-redshift radio galaxies and brightest cluster members (BCMs) in standard cosmologies. The small displacement of this galaxy from the locus of low-redshift systems on the mur - log(re) plane suggests that little or no luminosity evolution is required in a cosmological model with (Omega0, lambda0 = (1,0), while a modest degree of luminosity evolution, accountable by passive evolution of the stellar population, is implied in models with (0, 0) or (0.1, 0.9). A nonexpanding cosmology is unlikely because it would require 3C 65 to lie at the extreme end of the distribution of properties of local gE galaxies, and the effects of plausible stellar and/or dynamic evolution would make 3C 65 even more extreme by the present epoch.

  10. The third data release of the Kilo-Degree Survey and associated data products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Jong, Jelte T. A.; Verdois Kleijn, Gijs A.; Erben, Thomas; Hildebrandt, Hendrik; Kuijken, Konrad; Sikkema, Gert; Brescia, Massimo; Bilicki, Maciej; Napolitano, Nicola R.; Amaro, Valeria; Begeman, Kor G.; Boxhoorn, Danny R.; Buddelmeijer, Hugo; Cavuoti, Stefano; Getman, Fedor; Grado, Aniello; Helmich, Ewout; Huang, Zhuoyi; Irisarri, Nancy; La Barbera, Francesco; Longo, Giuseppe; McFarland, John P.; Nakajima, Reiko; Paolillo, Maurizio; Puddu, Emanuella; Radovich, Mario; Rifatto, Agatino; Tortora, Crescenzo; Valentijn, Edwin A.; Vellucci, Civita; Vriend, Willem-Jan; Amon, Alexandra; Blake, Chris; Choi, Ami; Conti, Ian Fenech; Gwyn, Stephen D. J.; Herbonnet, Ricardo; Heymans, Catherine; Hoekstra, Henk; Klaes, Dominik; Merten, Julian; Miller, Lance; Schneider, Peter; Viola, Massimo

    2017-08-01

    Context. The Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) is an ongoing optical wide-field imaging survey with the OmegaCAM camera at the VLT Survey Telescope. It aims to image 1500 square degrees in four filters (ugri). The core science driver is mapping the large-scale matter distribution in the Universe, using weak lensing shear and photometric redshift measurements. Further science cases include galaxy evolution, Milky Way structure, detection of high-redshift clusters, and finding rare sources such as strong lenses and quasars. Aims: Here we present the third public data release and several associated data products, adding further area, homogenized photometric calibration, photometric redshifts and weak lensing shear measurements to the first two releases. Methods: A dedicated pipeline embedded in the Astro-WISE information system is used for the production of the main release. Modifications with respect to earlier releases are described in detail. Photometric redshifts have been derived using both Bayesian template fitting, and machine-learning techniques. For the weak lensing measurements, optimized procedures based on the THELI data reduction and lensfit shear measurement packages are used. Results: In this third data release an additional 292 new survey tiles (≈300 deg2) stacked ugri images are made available, accompanied by weight maps, masks, and source lists. The multi-band catalogue, including homogenized photometry and photometric redshifts, covers the combined DR1, DR2 and DR3 footprint of 440 survey tiles (44 deg2). Limiting magnitudes are typically 24.3, 25.1, 24.9, 23.8 (5σ in a 2'' aperture) in ugri, respectively, and the typical r-band PSF size is less than 0.7''. The photometric homogenization scheme ensures accurate colours and an absolute calibration stable to ≈2% for gri and ≈3% in u. Separately released for the combined area of all KiDS releases to date are a weak lensing shear catalogue and photometric redshifts based on two different machine-learning techniques.

  11. Cosmic ray heating of intergalactic medium: patchy or uniform?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jana, Ranita; Nath, Biman B.

    2018-06-01

    We study the heating of the intergalactic medium (IGM) surrounding high redshift star forming galaxies due to cosmic rays (CR). We take into account the diffusion of low energy cosmic rays and study the patchiness of the resulting heating. We discuss the case of IGM heating around a high redshift minihalo (z ˜ 10-20, M˜105-107 M⊙),and put an upper limit on the diffusion coefficient D ≤ 1 × 1026 cm2 s-1 for the heating to be inhomogeneous at z ˜ 10 and D ≤ 5-6 × 1026 cm2 s-1 at z ˜ 20. For typical values of D, our results suggest uniform heating by CR at high redshift, although there are uncertainties in magnetic field and other CR parameters. We also discuss two cases with continuous star formation, one in which the star formation rate (SFR) of a galaxy is high enough to make the IGM in the vicinity photoionized, and another in which the SFR is low enough to keep it neutral but high enough to cause significant heating by cosmic ray protons. In the neutral case (low SFR), we find that the resulting heating can make the gas hotter than the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation for D < 1030 cm2 s-1, within a few kpc of the galaxy, and unlikely to be probed by near future radio observations. In the case of photoionized IGM (high SFR), the resulting heating of the gas in the vicinity of high redshift (z ˜ 4) galaxies of mass ≥1012 M⊙ can suppress gas infall into the galaxy. At lower redshifts (z ˜ 0), an SFR of ˜1 M⊙ yr-1 can suppress the infall into galaxies of mass ≤1010 M⊙.

  12. Self-shielding of hydrogen in the IGM during the epoch of reionization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chardin, Jonathan; Kulkarni, Girish; Haehnelt, Martin G.

    2018-04-01

    We investigate self-shielding of intergalactic hydrogen against ionizing radiation in radiative transfer simulations of cosmic reionization carefully calibrated with Lyα forest data. While self-shielded regions manifest as Lyman-limit systems in the post-reionization Universe, here we focus on their evolution during reionization (redshifts z = 6-10). At these redshifts, the spatial distribution of hydrogen-ionizing radiation is highly inhomogeneous, and some regions of the Universe are still neutral. After masking the neutral regions and ionizing sources in the simulation, we find that the hydrogen photoionization rate depends on the local hydrogen density in a manner very similar to that in the post-reionization Universe. The characteristic physical hydrogen density above which self-shielding becomes important at these redshifts is about nH ˜ 3 × 10-3 cm-3, or ˜20 times the mean hydrogen density, reflecting the fact that during reionization photoionization rates are typically low enough that the filaments in the cosmic web are often self-shielded. The value of the typical self-shielding density decreases by a factor of 3 between redshifts z = 3 and 10, and follows the evolution of the average photoionization rate in ionized regions in a simple fashion. We provide a simple parameterization of the photoionization rate as a function of density in self-shielded regions during the epoch of reionization.

  13. Self-shielding of hydrogen in the IGM during the epoch of reionization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chardin, Jonathan; Kulkarni, Girish; Haehnelt, Martin G.

    2018-07-01

    We investigate self-shielding of intergalactic hydrogen against ionizing radiation in radiative transfer simulations of cosmic reionization carefully calibrated with Lyα forest data. While self-shielded regions manifest as Lyman limit systems in the post-reionization Universe, here we focus on their evolution during reionization (redshifts z = 6-10). At these redshifts, the spatial distribution of hydrogen-ionizing radiation is highly inhomogeneous, and some regions of the Universe are still neutral. After masking the neutral regions and ionizing sources in the simulation, we find that the hydrogen photoionization rate depends on the local hydrogen density in a manner very similar to that in the post-reionization Universe. The characteristic physical hydrogen density above which self-shielding becomes important at these redshifts is about nH ˜ 3 × 10-3 cm-3, or ˜20 times the mean hydrogen density, reflecting the fact that during reionization photoionization rates are typically low enough that the filaments in the cosmic web are often self-shielded. The value of the typical self-shielding density decreases by a factor of 3 between redshifts z = 3 and 10, and follows the evolution of the average photoionization rate in ionized regions in a simple fashion. We provide a simple parametrization of the photoionization rate as a function of density in self-shielded regions during the epoch of reionization.

  14. GEMINI/GMOS SPECTROSCOPY OF 26 STRONG-LENSING-SELECTED GALAXY CLUSTER CORES

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

    Bayliss, Matthew B.; Gladders, Michael D.; Koester, Benjamin P.

    2011-03-15

    We present results from a spectroscopic program targeting 26 strong-lensing cluster cores that were visually identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Second Red-Sequence Cluster Survey (RCS-2). The 26 galaxy cluster lenses span a redshift range of 0.2 < z < 0.65, and our spectroscopy reveals 69 unique background sources with redshifts as high as z = 5.200. We also identify redshifts for 262 cluster member galaxies and measure the velocity dispersions and dynamical masses for 18 clusters where we have redshifts for N {>=} 10 cluster member galaxies. We account for the expected biases in dynamicalmore » masses of strong-lensing-selected clusters as predicted by results from numerical simulations and discuss possible sources of bias in our observations. The median dynamical mass of the 18 clusters with N {>=} 10 spectroscopic cluster members is M {sub Vir} = 7.84 x 10{sup 14} M {sub sun} h {sup -1} {sub 0.7}, which is somewhat higher than predictions for strong-lensing-selected clusters in simulations. The disagreement is not significant considering the large uncertainty in our dynamical data, systematic uncertainties in the velocity dispersion calibration, and limitations of the theoretical modeling. Nevertheless our study represents an important first step toward characterizing large samples of clusters that are identified in a systematic way as systems exhibiting dramatic strong-lensing features.« less

  15. The SDSS-IV extended baryon oscillation spectroscopic survey: Luminous red galaxy target selection

    DOE PAGES

    Prakash, Abhishek; Licquia, Timothy C.; Newman, Jeffrey A.; ...

    2016-06-08

    Here, we describe the algorithm used to select the luminous red galaxy (LRG) sample for the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS-IV) using photometric data from both the SDSS and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. LRG targets are required to meet a set of color selection criteria and have z-band and i-band MODEL magnitudes z < 19.95 and 19.9 < i < 21.8, respectively. Our algorithm selects roughly 50 LRG targets per square degree, the great majority of which lie in the redshift range 0.6 < z < 1.0 (median redshift 0.71).more » We also demonstrate that our methods are highly effective at eliminating stellar contamination and lower-redshift galaxies. We perform a number of tests using spectroscopic data from SDSS-III/BOSS ancillary programs to determine the redshift reliability of our target selection and its ability to meet the science requirements of eBOSS. The SDSS spectra are of high enough signal-to-noise ratio that at least ~89% of the target sample yields secure redshift measurements. Finally, we present tests of the uniformity and homogeneity of the sample, demonstrating that it should be clean enough for studies of the large-scale structure of the universe at higher redshifts than SDSS-III/BOSS LRGs reached.« less

  16. THE SDSS-IV EXTENDED BARYON OSCILLATION SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY: LUMINOUS RED GALAXY TARGET SELECTION

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

    Prakash, Abhishek; Licquia, Timothy C.; Newman, Jeffrey A.

    2016-06-01

    We describe the algorithm used to select the luminous red galaxy (LRG) sample for the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS-IV) using photometric data from both the SDSS and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer . LRG targets are required to meet a set of color selection criteria and have z -band and i -band MODEL magnitudes z < 19.95 and 19.9 < i < 21.8, respectively. Our algorithm selects roughly 50 LRG targets per square degree, the great majority of which lie in the redshift range 0.6 < z < 1.0 (medianmore » redshift 0.71). We demonstrate that our methods are highly effective at eliminating stellar contamination and lower-redshift galaxies. We perform a number of tests using spectroscopic data from SDSS-III/BOSS ancillary programs to determine the redshift reliability of our target selection and its ability to meet the science requirements of eBOSS. The SDSS spectra are of high enough signal-to-noise ratio that at least ∼89% of the target sample yields secure redshift measurements. We also present tests of the uniformity and homogeneity of the sample, demonstrating that it should be clean enough for studies of the large-scale structure of the universe at higher redshifts than SDSS-III/BOSS LRGs reached.« less

  17. Complete Calibration of the Color-Redshift Relation (C3R2): A Critical Foundation for Weak Lensing Cosmology with Euclid and WFIRST

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masters, Daniel C.; Stern, Daniel; Cohen, Judy; Capak, Peter

    2018-01-01

    A primary objective of both WFIRST and Euclid is to provide a 3D map of the distribution of matter across a significant fraction of the universe from the weak lensing shear field. Doing so will require accurate redshifts to the billions of galaxies that comprise the weak lensing samples of these surveys; achieving the required accuracy is a “tall pole” challenge for both missions. Here we present the ongoing Complete Calibration of the Color-Redshift Relation (C3R2) survey, designed specifically to calibrate the empirical galaxy color-redshift relation to Euclid depth. C3R2 is an ambitious Keck spectroscopy program, with a survey design based on a machine learning technique that allows us to optimally select the most important galaxies to sample the full range of galaxy colors. C3R2 is a multi-center program with time from all the primary Keck partners (Caltech, UC, Hawaii, and NASA), with a total of 34.5 Keck nights allocated to this project. Data Release 1, including 1283 high-confidence spectroscopic redshifts, is published as Masters, Stern, Cohen, Capak, et al. (2017), and we are currently completing Data Release 2, which will include >2000 additional high-confidence spectroscopic redshifts (Masters et al., in prep.). We will discuss current results and prospects for the survey going forward.

  18. The Host Galaxies of Fast-Ejecta Core-Collapse Supernovae

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kelly, Patrick L.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Modjaz, Maryam; Kocevski, Daniel

    2014-01-01

    Spectra of broad-lined Type Ic supernovae (SN Ic-BL), the only kind of SN observed at the locations of long-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs), exhibit wide features indicative of high ejecta velocities ((is) approximately 0.1c). We study the host galaxies of a sample of 245 low-redshift (z (is) less than 0.2) core-collapse SN, including 17 SN Ic-BL, discovered by galaxy-untargeted searches, and 15 optically luminous and dust-obscured z (is) less than 1.2 LGRBs. We show that, in comparison with SDSS galaxies having similar stellar masses, the hosts of low-redshift SN Ic- BL and z (is) is less than 1.2 LGRBs have high stellar-mass and star-formation-rate densities. Core-collapse SN having typical ejecta velocities, in contrast, show no preference for such galaxies. Moreover, we find that the hosts of SN Ic-BL, unlike those of SN Ib/Ic and SN II, exhibit high gas velocity dispersions for their stellar masses. The patterns likely reflect variations among star-forming environments, and suggest that LGRBs can be used as probes of conditions in high-redshift galaxies. They may be caused by efficient formation of massive binary progenitors systems in densely star-forming regions, or, less probably, a higher fraction of stars created with the initial masses required for a SN Ic-BL or LGRB. Finally, we show that the preference of SN Ic-BL and LGRBs for galaxies with high stellar-mass and star-formation-rate densities cannot be attributed to a preference for low metal abundances but must reflect the influence of a separate environmental factor.

  19. Quasars Probing Quasars: The Circumgalactic Medium Surrounding Z 2 Quasars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lau, Marie Wingyee

    Models of galaxy formation make the most direct predictions on gas related processes. Specifically, a picture on how gas flows through dark matter halos and onto galaxies to fuel star formation. A major prediction is that massive halos, including those hosting the progenitors of massive elliptical galaxies, exhibit a higher fraction of hot gas with T 107 K. Another prediction is that some mechanism must be invoked to quench the supply of cool gas in massive systems. Under the current galaxy formation paradigm, every massive galaxy has undergone a quasar phase, making high-redshift quasars the progenitors of inactive supermassive black holes found in the center of nearly all galaxies. Moreover, quasars clustering implies Mhalo = 1012.5 Msun , making quasar-host galaxies the progenitors of present day, massive, red and dead galaxies. The Quasars Probing Quasars survey is well-suited to examine gas related processes in the context of massive galaxy formation, as well as quasar feedback. To date the survey has selected 700 closely projected quasar pairs. To study the circumgalactic medium, a sub-sample of pairs with projected separation within 300 kpc at the foreground quasar's redshift are selected. From the first to seventh paper in the Quasars Probing Quasars series, the statistical results had been limited to covering fractions, equivalent widths, and without precise redshift measurements of the foreground quasars. Signatures of quasar feedback in the cool circumgalactic medium had not been identified. Hence, a sub-sample of 14 pairs with echellette spectra are selected for more detailed analysis. It is found that the low and high ions roughly trace each other in velocity structure. The HI and low ion surface densities decline with projected distance. HI absorption is strong even beyond the virial radius. Unresolved Lyalpha emission in one case and NV detection in another case together imply that a fraction of transverse sightlines are illuminated. The ionization parameter U positively correlates with impact parameter, which implies the foreground quasar does not dominate the radiation field. The circumgalactic medium is significantly enriched even beyond the virial radius, and has median [M/H] = -0.6. O/Fe is supersolar. No evolution in the total H column is found up to projected distance of 200 kpc, within which the median N H = 1020.5 cm-2. Within the virial radius, the mass of the cool CGM is estimated at MCGM ≈ 1.5*10 11 Msun. In two cases, detection of CII* implies electron density ne > 10 cm-3. Motivated by the preliminary kinematic results from this high-resolution sample, kinematic analysis of 148 pairs with precise foreground quasar redshifts is performed. The background spectra of this sample are of low and high resolution. The mean absorptions in metals exhibit velocity widths sigmav ≈ 300 km s-1, however the large widths do not require outflows. The mean absorptions have centroids redshifted from the systemic redshift by +200 km s-1. The asymmetry may be explained if the quasars are anisotropic or intermittent, and the gas is not flowing onto the galaxy. Finally, several observational and theoretical lines of future inquiry using multiwavelength data are presented.

  20. The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: ACT-CL J0102-4915 'EL GORDO', A Massive Merging Cluster at Redshift 0.87

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Menanteau, Felipe; Hughes, John P.; Sifon, Cristobal; Hilton, Matt; Gonzalez, Jorge; Infante, Leopoldo; Barrientos, L. Felipe; Baker, Andrew J.; Bond, John R.; Das, Sudeep; hide

    2012-01-01

    We present a detailed analysis from new multi-wavelength observations of the exceptional galaxy cluster ACT-CL J0102-4915, likely the most massive, hottest, most X-ray luminous and brightest Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect cluster known at redshifts greater than 0.6. The Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) collaboration discovered ACT-CL J0102-4915 as the most significant Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) decrement in a sky survey area of 755 square degrees. Our VLT/FORS2 spectra of 89 member galaxies yield a cluster redshift, z = 0.870, and velocity dispersion, sigma(sub gal) = 1321+/-106 km s-1. Our Chandra observations reveal a hot and X-ray luminous system with an integrated temperature of T(sub X) = 14.5+/-1.0 keV and 0.5-2.0 keV band luminosity of L(sub X) = (2.19+/-0.11)×10(sup 45) h(sup -2)(sub 70) erg s-1. We obtain several statistically consistent cluster mass estimates; using empirical mass scaling relations with velocity dispersion, X-ray Y(sub X), and integrated SZ distortion, we estimate a cluster mass of M(sub 200a) = (2.16+/-0.32)×1015 h(sup -1)(sub 70) solar mass. We constrain the stellar content of the cluster to be less than 1% of the total mass, using Spitzer IRAC and optical imaging. The Chandra and VLT/FORS2 optical data also reveal that ACT-CL J0102-4915 is undergoing a major merger between components with a mass ratio of approximately 2 to 1. The X-ray data show significant temperature variations from a low of 6.6+/-0.7 keV at the merging low-entropy, high-metallicity, cool core to a high of 22+/-6 keV. We also see a wake in the X-ray surface brightness and deprojected gas density caused by the passage of one cluster through the other. Archival radio data at 843 MHz reveal diffuse radio emission that, if associated with the cluster, indicates the presence of an intense double radio relic, hosted by the highest redshift cluster yet. ACT-CL J0102-4915 is possibly a high-redshift analog of the famous Bullet Cluster. Such a massive cluster at this redshift is rare, although consistent with the standard ?CDM cosmology in the lower part of its allowed mass range. Massive, highredshift mergers like ACT-CL J0102-4915 are unlikely to be reproduced in the current generation of numerical N-body cosmological simulations.

  1. THE FIRST OBSERVATIONS OF LOW-REDSHIFT DAMPED Ly{alpha} SYSTEMS WITH THE COSMIC ORIGINS SPECTROGRAPH

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

    Meiring, J. D.; Tripp, T. M.; Prochaska, J. X.

    2011-05-01

    We report on the first Cosmic Origins Spectrograph observations of damped Ly{alpha} systems (DLAs) and sub-damped Ly{alpha} systems (sub-DLAs) discovered in a new survey of the gaseous halos of low-redshift galaxies. From observations of 37 sightlines, we have discovered three DLAs and four sub-DLAs. We measure the neutral gas density {Omega}{sub HI}, and redshift density d N/d z, of DLA and sub-DLA systems at z < 0.35. We find d N/dz = 0.25{sup +0.24}-{sub 0.14} and {Omega}{sub HI} = 1.4{sup +1.3}{sub -0.7} x 10{sup -3} for DLAs, and d N/d z = 0.08{sup +0.19}{sub -0.06} with {Omega}{sub HI} = 4.2{supmore » +9.6}{sub -3.5} x 10{sup -5} for sub-DLAs over a redshift path {Delta}z = 11.9. To demonstrate the scientific potential of such systems, we present a detailed analysis of the DLA at z{sub abs} = 0.1140 in the spectrum of SDSS J1009+0713. Profile fits to the absorption lines determine log N(H I) = 20.68 {+-} 0.10 with a metallicity determined from the undepleted element sulfur of [S/H] = -0.62 {+-} 0.18. The abundance pattern of this DLA is similar to that of higher z DLAs, showing mild depletion of the refractory elements Fe and Ti with [S/Fe] = +0.24 {+-} 0.22 and [S/Ti] = +0.28 {+-} 0.15. Nitrogen is underabundant in this system with [N/H] = -1.40 {+-} 0.14, placing this DLA below the plateau of the [N/{alpha}] measurements in the local universe at similar metallicities. This DLA has a simple kinematic structure with only two components required to fit the profiles and a kinematic width of {Delta}v{sub 90} = 52 km s{sup -1}. Imaging of the QSO field with the Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 reveals a spiral galaxy at very small impact parameter to the QSO and several galaxies within 10'', or 20 comoving kpc at the redshift of the DLA. Follow-up spectra with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer on the Keck telescope reveal that none of the nearby galaxies are at the redshift of the DLA. The spiral galaxy is identified as the host galaxy of the QSO based on the near perfect alignment of the nucleus and disk of the galaxy as well as spectra of an H II region showing emission lines at the QSO redshift. A small feature appears 0.''70 from the nucleus of the QSO after point-spread function subtraction, providing another candidate for the host galaxy of the DLA system. Even with these supporting data, we are unable to unambiguously identify the host galaxy of the DLA, exemplifying some of the difficulties in determining DLA hosts even at low redshift.« less

  2. On the Evolution of High-redshift Active Galactic Nuclei

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mao, Jirong; Kim, Minsun

    2016-09-01

    We build a simple physical model to study the high-redshift active galactic nucleus (AGN) evolution within the co-evolution framework of central black holes (BHs) and their host galaxies. The correlation between the circular velocity of a dark halo V c and the velocity dispersion of a galaxy σ is used to link the dark matter halo mass and BH mass. The dark matter halo mass function is converted to the BH mass function for any given redshift. The high-redshift optical AGN luminosity functions (LFs) are constructed. At z˜ 4, the flattening feature is not shown at the faint end of the optical AGN LF. This is consistent with observational results. If the optical AGN LF at z˜ 6 can be reproduced in the case in which central BHs have the Eddington-limited accretion, it is possible for the AGN lifetime to have a small value of 2× {10}5 {{years}}. The X-ray AGN LFs and X-ray AGN number counts are also calculated at 2.0\\lt z\\lt 5.0 and z\\gt 3, respectively, using the same parameters adopted in the calculation for the optical AGN LF at z˜ 4. It is estimated that about 30 AGNs per {{{\\deg }}}2 at z\\gt 6 can be detected with a flux limit of 3× {10}-17 {erg} {{cm}}-2 {{{s}}}-1 in the 0.5-2 keV band. Additionally, the cosmic reionization is also investigated. The ultraviolet photons emitted from the high-redshift AGNs mainly contribute to the cosmic reionization, and the central BHs of the high-redshift AGNs have a mass range of {10}6{--}{10}8{M}⊙ . We also discuss some uncertainties in both the AGN LFs and AGN number counts originating from the {M}{{BH}}{--}σ relation, Eddington ratio, AGN lifetime, and X-ray attenuation in our model.

  3. THE BARYON ACOUSTIC OSCILLATION BROADBAND AND BROAD-BEAM ARRAY: DESIGN OVERVIEW AND SENSITIVITY FORECASTS

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

    Pober, Jonathan C.; Parsons, Aaron R.; McQuinn, Matthew

    2013-03-15

    This work describes a new instrument optimized for a detection of the neutral hydrogen 21 cm power spectrum between redshifts of 0.5 and 1.5: the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Broadband and Broad-beam (BAOBAB) array. BAOBAB will build on the efforts of a first generation of 21 cm experiments that are targeting a detection of the signal from the Epoch of Reionization at z {approx} 10. At z {approx} 1, the emission from neutral hydrogen in self-shielded overdense halos also presents an accessible signal, since the dominant, synchrotron foreground emission is considerably fainter than at redshift 10. The principle science driver formore » these observations are baryon acoustic oscillations in the matter power spectrum which have the potential to act as a standard ruler and constrain the nature of dark energy. BAOBAB will fully correlate dual-polarization antenna tiles over the 600-900 MHz band with a frequency resolution of 300 kHz and a system temperature of 50 K. The number of antennas will grow in staged deployments, and reconfigurations of the array will allow for both traditional imaging and high power spectrum sensitivity operations. We present calculations of the power spectrum sensitivity for various array sizes, with a 35 element array measuring the cosmic neutral hydrogen fraction as a function of redshift, and a 132 element system detecting the BAO features in the power spectrum, yielding a 1.8% error on the z {approx} 1 distance scale, and, in turn, significant improvements to constraints on the dark energy equation of state over an unprecedented range of redshifts from {approx}0.5 to 1.5.« less

  4. Charting the parameter space of the global 21-cm signal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cohen, Aviad; Fialkov, Anastasia; Barkana, Rennan; Lotem, Matan

    2017-12-01

    The early star-forming Universe is still poorly constrained, with the properties of high-redshift stars, the first heating sources and reionization highly uncertain. This leaves observers planning 21-cm experiments with little theoretical guidance. In this work, we explore the possible range of high-redshift parameters including the star formation efficiency and the minimal mass of star-forming haloes; the efficiency, spectral energy distribution and redshift evolution of the first X-ray sources; and the history of reionization. These parameters are only weakly constrained by available observations, mainly the optical depth to the cosmic microwave background. We use realistic semi-numerical simulations to produce the global 21-cm signal over the redshift range z = 6-40 for each of 193 different combinations of the astrophysical parameters spanning the allowed range. We show that the expected signal fills a large parameter space, but with a fixed general shape for the global 21-cm curve. Even with our wide selection of models, we still find clear correlations between the key features of the global 21-cm signal and underlying astrophysical properties of the high-redshift Universe, namely the Ly α intensity, the X-ray heating rate and the production rate of ionizing photons. These correlations can be used to directly link future measurements of the global 21-cm signal to astrophysical quantities in a mostly model-independent way. We identify additional correlations that can be used as consistency checks.

  5. Dust Formation, Evolution, and Obscuration Effects in the Very High-Redshift Universe

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dwek, Eli; Staguhn, Johannes; Arendt, Richard G.; Kovacs, Attila; Su, Ting; Benford, Dominic J.

    2014-01-01

    The evolution of dust at redshifts z > or approx. 9, and consequently the dust properties, differs greatly from that in the local universe. In contrast to the local universe, core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are the only source of thermally-condensed dust. Because of the low initial dust-to-gas mass ratio, grain destruction rates are low, so that CCSNe are net producers of interstellar dust. Galaxies with large initial gas mass or high mass infall rate will therefore have a more rapid net rate of dust production comported to galaxies with lower gas mass, even at the same star formation rate. The dust composition is dominated by silicates, which exhibit a strong rise in the UV opacity near the Lyman break. This "silicate-UV break" may be confused with the Lyman break, resulting in a misidentification of a galaxies' photometric redshift. In this paper we demonstrate these effects by analyzing the spectral energy distribution (SED) of MACS1149-JD, a lensed galaxy at z = 9.6. A potential 2mm counterpart of MACS1149-JD has been identified with GISMO. While additional observations are required to corroborate this identification, we use this possible association to illustrate the physical processes and the observational effects of dust in the very high redshift universe. Subject headings: galaxies: high-redshift - galaxies: evolution - galaxies: individual (MACS1149- JD) - Interstellar medium (ISM), nebulae: dust, extinction - physical data and processes: nuclear reactions, nucleosynthesis, abundances.

  6. INVISIBLE ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI. II. RADIO MORPHOLOGIES AND FIVE NEW H i 21 cm ABSORPTION LINE DETECTORS

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

    Yan, Ting; Stocke, John T.; Darling, Jeremy

    2016-03-15

    This is the second paper directed toward finding new highly redshifted atomic and molecular absorption lines at radio frequencies. To this end, we selected a sample of 80 candidates for obscured radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and presented their basic optical/near-infrared (NIR) properties in Paper I. In this paper, we present both high-resolution radio continuum images for all of these sources and H i 21 cm absorption spectroscopy for a few selected sources in this sample. A-configuration 4.9 and 8.5 GHz Very Large Array continuum observations find that 52 sources are compact or have substantial compact components with size <0.″5more » and flux densities >0.1 Jy at 4.9 GHz. The 36 most compact sources were then observed with the Very Long Baseline Array at 1.4 GHz. One definite and 10 candidate Compact Symmetric Objects (CSOs) are newly identified, which is a detection rate of CSOs ∼three times higher than the detection rate previously found in purely flux-limited samples. Based on possessing compact components with high flux densities, 60 of these sources are good candidates for absorption-line searches. Twenty-seven sources were observed for H i 21 cm absorption at their photometric or spectroscopic redshifts with only six detections (five definite and one tentative). However, five of these were from a small subset of six CSOs with pure galaxy optical/NIR spectra (i.e., any AGN emission is obscured) and for which accurate spectroscopic redshifts place the redshifted 21 cm line in a radio frequency intereference (RFI)-free spectral “window” (i.e., the percentage of H i 21 cm absorption-line detections could be as high as ∼90% in this sample). It is likely that the presence of ubiquitous RFI and the absence of accurate spectroscopic redshifts preclude H i detections in similar sources (only 1 detection out of the remaining 22 sources observed, 13 of which have only photometric redshifts); that is, H i absorption may well be present but is masked by the RFI. Future searches for highly redshifted H i and molecular absorption can easily find more distant CSOs among bright, “blank field” radio sources, but will be severely hampered by an inability to determine accurate spectroscopic redshifts due to their lack of rest-frame UV continuum.« less

  7. A Model-independent Photometric Redshift Estimator for Type Ia Supernovae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yun

    2007-01-01

    The use of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) as cosmological standard candles is fundamental in modern observational cosmology. In this Letter, we derive a simple empirical photometric redshift estimator for SNe Ia using a training set of SNe Ia with multiband (griz) light curves and spectroscopic redshifts obtained by the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS). This estimator is analytical and model-independent it does not use spectral templates. We use all the available SNe Ia from SNLS with near-maximum photometry in griz (a total of 40 SNe Ia) to train and test our photometric redshift estimator. The difference between the estimated redshifts zphot and the spectroscopic redshifts zspec, (zphot-zspec)/(1+zspec), has rms dispersions of 0.031 for 20 SNe Ia used in the training set, and 0.050 for 20 SNe Ia not used in the training set. The dispersion is of the same order of magnitude as the flux uncertainties at peak brightness for the SNe Ia. There are no outliers. This photometric redshift estimator should significantly enhance the ability of observers to accurately target high-redshift SNe Ia for spectroscopy in ongoing surveys. It will also dramatically boost the cosmological impact of very large future supernova surveys, such as those planned for the Advanced Liquid-mirror Probe for Astrophysics, Cosmology, and Asteroids (ALPACA) and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST).

  8. Far-Infrared Line Emission from High Redshift Quasars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Benford, D. J.; Cox, P.; Hunter, T. R.; Malhotra, S.; Phillips, T. G.; Yun, M. S.

    2002-01-01

    Recent millimeter and submillimeter detections of line emission in high redshift objects have yielded new information and constraints on star formation at early epochs. Only CO transitions and atomic carbon transitions have been detected from these objects, yet bright far-infrared lines such as C+ at 158 microns and N+ at 205 microns should be fairly readily detectable when redshifted into a submillimeter atmospheric window. We have obtained upper limits for C+ emission &om two high redshift quasars, BR1202-0725 at z=4.69 and BRI1335-0415 at z=4.41. These limits show that the ratio of the C+ line luminosity to the total far-infrared luminosity is less than 0.0l%, ten times smaller than has been observed locally. Additionally, we have searched for emission in the N+ 205 micron line from the Cloverleaf quasar, H1413+117, and detected emission in CO J=7-6. The N+ emission is found to be below the amount predicted based on comparison to the only previous detection of this line, in the starburst galaxy M82.

  9. The AzTEC/SMA Interferometric Imaging Survey of Submillimeter-selected High-redshift Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Younger, Joshua D.; Fazio, Giovanni G.; Huang, Jia-Sheng; Yun, Min S.; Wilson, Grant W.; Ashby, Matthew L. N.; Gurwell, Mark A.; Peck, Alison B.; Petitpas, Glen R.; Wilner, David J.; Hughes, David H.; Aretxaga, Itziar; Kim, Sungeun; Scott, Kimberly S.; Austermann, Jason; Perera, Thushara; Lowenthal, James D.

    2009-10-01

    We present results from a continuing interferometric survey of high-redshift submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) with the Submillimeter Array, including high-resolution (beam size ~2 arcsec) imaging of eight additional AzTEC 1.1 mm selected sources in the COSMOS field, for which we obtain six reliable (peak signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) >5 or peak S/N >4 with multiwavelength counterparts within the beam) and two moderate significance (peak S/N >4) detections. When combined with previous detections, this yields an unbiased sample of millimeter-selected SMGs with complete interferometric follow up. With this sample in hand, we (1) empirically confirm the radio-submillimeter association, (2) examine the submillimeter morphology—including the nature of SMGs with multiple radio counterparts and constraints on the physical scale of the far infrared—of the sample, and (3) find additional evidence for a population of extremely luminous, radio-dim SMGs that peaks at higher redshift than previous, radio-selected samples. In particular, the presence of such a population of high-redshift sources has important consequences for models of galaxy formation—which struggle to account for such objects even under liberal assumptions—and dust production models given the limited time since the big bang.

  10. The ionisation parameter of star-forming galaxies evolves with the specific star formation rate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaasinen, Melanie; Kewley, Lisa; Bian, Fuyan; Groves, Brent; Kashino, Daichi; Silverman, John; Kartaltepe, Jeyhan

    2018-04-01

    We investigate the evolution of the ionisation parameter of star-forming galaxies using a high-redshift (z ˜ 1.5) sample from the FMOS-COSMOS survey and matched low-redshift samples from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. By constructing samples of low-redshift galaxies for which the stellar mass (M*), star formation rate (SFR) and specific star formation rate (sSFR) are matched to the high-redshift sample we remove the effects of an evolution in these properties. We also account for the effect of metallicity by jointly constraining the metallicity and ionisation parameter of each sample. We find an evolution in the ionisation parameter for main-sequence, star-forming galaxies and show that this evolution is driven by the evolution of sSFR. By analysing the matched samples as well as a larger sample of z < 0.3, star-forming galaxies we show that high ionisation parameters are directly linked to high sSFRs and are not simply the byproduct of an evolution in metallicity. Our results are physically consistent with the definition of the ionisation parameter, a measure of the hydrogen ionising photon flux relative to the number density of hydrogen atoms.

  11. Tidal Disruption Events Across Cosmic Time

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fialkov, Anastasia; Loeb, Abraham

    2017-01-01

    Tidal disruption events (TDEs) of stars by single or binary super-massive black holes illuminate the environment around quiescent black holes in galactic nuclei allowing to probe dorment black holes. We predict the TDE rates expected to be detected by next-generation X-ray surveys. We include events sourced by both single and binary super-massive black holes assuming that 10% of TDEs lead to the formation of relativistic jets and are therefore observable to higher redshifts. Assigning the Eddington luminosity to each event, we show that if the occupation fraction of intermediate black holes is high, more than 90% of the brightest TDE might be associated with merging black holes which are potential sources for eLISA. Next generation telescopes with improved sensitivities should probe dim local TDE events as well as bright events at high redshifts. We show that an instrument which is 50 times more sensitive than the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) is expected to trigger ~10 times more events than BAT. Majority of these events originate at low redshifts (z<0.5) if the occupation fraction of IMBHs is high and at high-redshift (z>2) if it is low.

  12. CLASH: EXTREME EMISSION-LINE GALAXIES AND THEIR IMPLICATION ON SELECTION OF HIGH-REDSHIFT GALAXIES

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

    Huang, Xingxing; Wang, Junxian; Shu, Xinwen

    2015-03-01

    We utilize the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble observations of 25 clusters to search for extreme emission-line galaxies (EELGs). The selections are carried out in two central bands: F105W (Y {sub 105}) and F125W (J {sub 125}), as the flux of the central bands could be enhanced by the presence of [O III] λλ4959, 5007 at redshifts of ∼0.93-1.14 and 1.57-1.79, respectively. The multiband observations help to constrain the equivalent widths (EWs) of emission lines. Thanks to cluster lensing, we are able to identify 52 candidates down to an intrinsic limiting magnitude of 28.5 and to a rest-framemore » [O III] λλ4959, 5007 EW of ≅ 3700 Å. Our samples include a number of EELGs at lower luminosities that are missed in other surveys, and the extremely high EW can only be found in such faint galaxies. These EELGs can mimic a dropout feature similar to that of high-redshift galaxies and contaminate the color-color selection of high-redshift galaxies when the signal-to-noise ratio is limited or the band coverage is incomplete.« less

  13. Galaxy evolution by color-log(n) type since redshift unity in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cameron, E.; Driver, S. P.

    2009-01-01

    Aims: We explore the use of the color-log(n) (where n is the global Sérsic index) plane as a tool for subdividing the galaxy population in a physically-motivated manner out to redshift unity. We thereby aim to quantify surface brightness evolution by color-log(n) type, accounting separately for the specific selection and measurement biases against each. Methods: We construct (u-r) color-log(n) diagrams for distant galaxies in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (UDF) within a series of volume-limited samples to z=1.5. The color-log(n) distributions of these high redshift galaxies are compared against that measured for nearby galaxies in the Millennium Galaxy Catalogue (MGC), as well as to the results of visual morphological classification. Based on this analysis we divide our sample into three color-structure classes. Namely, “red, compact”, “blue, diffuse” and “blue, compact”. Luminosity-size diagrams are constructed for members of the two largest classes (“red, compact” and “blue, diffuse”), both in the UDF and the MGC. Artificial galaxy simulations (for systems with exponential and de Vaucouleurs profile shapes alternately) are used to identify “bias-free” regions of the luminosity-size plane in which galaxies are detected with high completeness, and their fluxes and sizes recovered with minimal surface brightness-dependent biases. Galaxy evolution is quantified via comparison of the low and high redshift luminosity-size relations within these “bias-free” regions. Results: We confirm the correlation between color-log(n) plane position and visual morphological type observed locally and in other high redshift studies in the color and/or structure domain. The combined effects of observational uncertainties, the morphological K-correction and cosmic variance preclude a robust statistical comparison of the shape of the MGC and UDF color-log(n) distributions. However, in the interval 0.75 < z <1.0 where the UDF i-band samples close to rest-frame B-band light (i.e., the morphological K-correction between our samples is negligible) we are able to present tentative evidence of bimodality, albiet for a very small sample size (17 galaxies). Our unique approach to quantifying selection and measurement biases in the luminosity-size plane highlights the need to consider errors in the recovery of both magnitudes and sizes, and their dependence on profile shape. Motivated by these results we divide our sample into the three color-structure classes mentioned above and quantify luminosity-size evolution by galaxy type. Specifically, we detect decreases in B-band, surface brightness of 1.57 ± 0.22 mag arcsec-2 and 1.65 ± 0.22 mag arcsec-2 for our “blue, diffuse” and “red, compact” classes respectively between redshift unity and the present day.

  14. Highly Accreting Quasars at High Redshift

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martínez-Aldama, Mary L.; Del Olmo, Ascensión; Marziani, Paola; Sulentic, Jack W.; Negrete, C. Alenka; Dultzin, Deborah; Perea, Jaime; D'Onofrio, Mauro

    2017-12-01

    We present preliminary results of a spectroscopic analysis for a sample of type 1 highly accreting quasars (LLedd>0.2) at high redshift, z 2-3. The quasars were observed with the OSIRIS spectrograph on the GTC 10.4 m telescope located at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos in La Palma. The highly accreting quasars were identified using the 4D Eigenvector 1 formalism, which is able to organize type 1 quasars over a broad range of redshift and luminosity. The kinematic and physical properties of the broad line region have been derived by fitting the profiles of strong UV emission lines such as AlIII, SiIII and CIII. The majority of our sources show strong blueshifts in the high-ionization lines and high Eddington ratios which are related with the productions of outflows. The importance of highly accreting quasars goes beyond a detailed understanding of their physics: their extreme Eddington ratio makes them candidates standard candles for cosmological studies.

  15. The Hubble Space Telescope quasar absorption line key project. v. redshift evolution of lyman limit absorption in the spectra of a large sample of quasars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stengler-Larrea, Erik A.; Boksenberg, Alec; Steidel, Charles, C.; Sargent, W. L. W.; Bacall, John N.; Bergeron, Jacqueline; Hartig, George F.; Jannuzi, Buell T.; Kirhakos, Sofia; Savage, Blair D.

    1995-01-01

    Using a sample of 119 QSOs, containing objects we have selected having previously available high quality ground-based and IUE spectral observations, together with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of 26 QSOs from Bahcall et al. (1993, 1995) and Impey et al. (1995) and new optical observations of 41 objects by Steidel & Sargent (1995), we study the redshift evolution of Lyman limit absorption systems (LLSs; tau greater than 1.0) over the reshift range 0.32 less than or equal to z(sub LLS) less than or equal to 4.11. The HST observations significantly improve the determination of the low redshift (0.4 less than or equal to z(sub LLS) less than or equal to 1.4) distribution. We find the effect which may have been responsible for the apparent strong evolution at a(sub LLS) greater than or equal to 2.5 found by Lanzetta (1991), which led him to consider a broken, not single power law as a better description of the redshift distribution of LLSs. After removing objects which may bias our sample, leaving a total of 169 QSOs, we find the distribution is well described by a single power law, and obtain for the number density as a function of redshift the form N(z) = N(sub 0)(1 + z)(exp gamma) with gamma = 1.50 =/- 0.39 and N(sub 0) = 0.25(sup -0.10)(sub +0.17), consistent with a constant comoving density of absorbers in a Firedmann universe with q(sub 0) = 0 but indicating evolution if q(sub 0) = 1/2.

  16. Probing the distance-duality relation with high- z data

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

    Holanda, R.F.L.; Busti, V.C.; Lima, F.S.

    2017-09-01

    Measurements of strong gravitational lensing jointly with type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) observations have been used to test the validity of the cosmic distance duality relation (CDDR), D{sub L}( z )/[(1+ z ){sup 2D{sub A}}( z )]=η=1, where D{sub L}(z) and D{sub A}(z) are the luminosity and the angular diameter distances to a given redshift z , respectively. However, several lensing systems lie in the interval 1.4 ≤ z ≤ 3.6 i.e., beyond the redshift range of current SNe Ia compilations ( z ≈ 1.50), which prevents this kind of test to be fully explored. In this paper, we circumventmore » this problem by testing the CDDR considering observations of strong gravitational lensing along with SNe Ia and (a subsample from) the latest gamma-ray burst distance modulus data, whose redshift range is 0.033 ≤ z ≤ 9.3. We parameterize their luminosity distances with a second degree polynomial function and search for possible deviations from the CDDR validity by using four different η( z ) functions: η( z )=1+η{sub 0z}, η( z )=1+η{sub 0z}/(1+ z ), η( z )=(1+ z ){sup η{sub 0}} and η( z )=1+η{sub 0ln}(1+ z ). Unlike previous tests done at redshifts lower than 1.50, the likelihood for η{sub 0} depends strongly on the η( z ) function considered, but we find no significant deviation from the CDDR validity (η{sub 0}=0). However, our analyses also point to the fact that caution is needed when one fits data in higher redshifts to test the CDDR as well as a better understanding of the mass distribution of lenses also is required for more accurate results.« less

  17. The Grism Lens-Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS). I. Survey Overview and First Data Release

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Treu, T.; Schmidt, K. B.; Brammer, G. B.; Vulcani, B.; Wang, X.; Bradač, M.; Dijkstra, M.; Dressler, A.; Fontana, A.; Gavazzi, R.; Henry, A. L.; Hoag, A.; Huang, K.-H.; Jones, T. A.; Kelly, P. L.; Malkan, M. A.; Mason, C.; Pentericci, L.; Poggianti, B.; Stiavelli, M.; Trenti, M.; von der Linden, A.

    2015-10-01

    We give an overview of the Grism Lens Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS), a large Hubble Space Telescope program aimed at obtaining grism spectroscopy of the fields of 10 massive clusters of galaxies at redshift z = 0.308-0.686, including the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF). The Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) yields near-infrared spectra of the cluster cores covering the wavelength range 0.81-1.69 μm through grisms G102 and G141, while the Advanced Camera for Surveys in parallel mode provides G800L spectra of the infall regions of the clusters. The WFC3 spectra are taken at two almost orthogonal position angles in order to minimize the effects of confusion. After summarizing the scientific drivers of GLASS, we describe the sample selection as well as the observing strategy and data processing pipeline. We then utilize MACS J0717.5+3745, a HFF cluster and the first one observed by GLASS, to illustrate the data quality and the high-level data products. Each spectrum brighter than {H}{{AB}}=23 is visually inspected by at least two co-authors and a redshift is measured when sufficient information is present in the spectra. Furthermore, we conducted a thorough search for emission lines through all of the GLASS WFC3 spectra with the aim of measuring redshifts for sources with continuum fainter than {H}{{AB}}=23. We provide a catalog of 139 emission-line-based spectroscopic redshifts for extragalactic sources, including three new redshifts of multiple image systems (one probable, two tentative). In addition to the data itself, we also release software tools that are helpful to navigate the data.

  18. The formation of submillimetre-bright galaxies from gas infall over a billion years.

    PubMed

    Narayanan, Desika; Turk, Matthew; Feldmann, Robert; Robitaille, Thomas; Hopkins, Philip; Thompson, Robert; Hayward, Christopher; Ball, David; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Kereš, Dušan

    2015-09-24

    Submillimetre-bright galaxies at high redshift are the most luminous, heavily star-forming galaxies in the Universe and are characterized by prodigious emission in the far-infrared, with a flux of at least five millijanskys at a wavelength of 850 micrometres. They reside in haloes with masses about 10(13) times that of the Sun, have low gas fractions compared to main-sequence disks at a comparable redshift, trace complex environments and are not easily observable at optical wavelengths. Their physical origin remains unclear. Simulations have been able to form galaxies with the requisite luminosities, but have otherwise been unable to simultaneously match the stellar masses, star formation rates, gas fractions and environments. Here we report a cosmological hydrodynamic galaxy formation simulation that is able to form a submillimetre galaxy that simultaneously satisfies the broad range of observed physical constraints. We find that groups of galaxies residing in massive dark matter haloes have increasing rates of star formation that peak at collective rates of about 500-1,000 solar masses per year at redshifts of two to three, by which time the interstellar medium is sufficiently enriched with metals that the region may be observed as a submillimetre-selected system. The intense star formation rates are fuelled in part by the infall of a reservoir gas supply enabled by stellar feedback at earlier times, not through major mergers. With a lifetime of nearly a billion years, our simulations show that the submillimetre-bright phase of high-redshift galaxies is prolonged and associated with significant mass buildup in early-Universe proto-clusters, and that many submillimetre-bright galaxies are composed of numerous unresolved components (for which there is some observational evidence).

  19. Development of Thomson scattering system on Shenguang-III prototype laser facility

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

    Gong, Tao; Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900; Li, Zhichao

    2015-02-15

    A Thomson scattering diagnostic system, using a 263 nm laser as the probe beam, is designed and implemented on Shenguang-III prototype laser facility. The probe beam is provided by an additional beam line completed recently. The diagnostic system allows simultaneous measurements of both ion feature and red-shifted electron feature from plasmas in a high-temperature (≥2 keV) and high-density (≥10{sup 21} cm{sup −3}) regime. Delicate design is made to satisfy the requirements for successful detection of the electron feature. High-quality ion feature spectra have already been diagnosed via this system in recent experiments with gas-filled hohlraums.

  20. Mg II Absorption at 2 < Z < 7 with Magellan/Fire. III. Full Statistics of Absorption toward 100 High-redshift QSOs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Shi-Fan S.; Simcoe, Robert A.; Torrey, Paul; Bañados, Eduardo; Cooksey, Kathy; Cooper, Tom; Furesz, Gabor; Matejek, Michael; Miller, Daniel; Turner, Monica; Venemans, Bram; Decarli, Roberto; Farina, Emanuele P.; Mazzucchelli, Chiara; Walter, Fabian

    2017-12-01

    We present statistics from a survey of intervening Mg II absorption toward 100 quasars with emission redshifts between z = 3.55 and z = 7.09. Using infrared spectra from Magellan/FIRE, we detect 280 cosmological Mg II absorbers, and confirm that the comoving line density of {W}r> 0.3 \\mathringA Mg II absorbers does not evolve measurably between z = 0.25 and z = 7. This is consistent with our detection of seven Mg II systems at z> 6, redshifts not covered in prior searches. Restricting to systems with {W}r> 1 Å, there is significant evidence for redshift evolution. These systems roughly double in density between z = 0 and z = 2-3, but decline by an order of magnitude from this peak by z˜ 6. This evolution mirrors that of the global star formation rate density, potentially reflecting a connection between star formation feedback and the strong Mg II absorbers. We compared our results to the Illustris cosmological simulation at z = 2-4 by assigning absorption to cataloged dark matter halos and by direct extraction of spectra from the simulation volume. Reproducing our results using the former requires circumgalactic Mg II envelopes within halos of progressively smaller mass at earlier times. This occurs naturally if we define the lower integration cutoff using SFR rather than mass. Spectra calculated directly from Illustris yield too few strong Mg II absorbers. This may arise from unresolved phase space structure of circumgalactic gas, particularly from spatially unresolved turbulent or bulk motions. The presence of circumgalactic magnesium at z> 6 suggests that enrichment of intra-halo gas may have begun before the presumed host galaxies’ stellar populations were mature and dynamically relaxed. This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.

  1. On the formation redshift of Low-Mass Star-Forming Galaxies at intermediate redshifts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gallego, Jesus; Rodriguez-Muñoz, Lucía; Pacifici, Camilla; Tresse, Laurence; Charlot, Stéphane; Gil de Paz, Armando; Barro, Guillermo; Gomez-Guijarro, Carlos; Villar, Víctor

    2015-08-01

    Dwarf galaxies play a key role in galaxy formation and evolution: (1) hierarchical models predict that low-mass systems merged to form massive galaxies (building block paradigm; Dekel & Silk 1986); (2) dwarf systems might have been responsible for the reionization of the Universe (Wyithe & Loeb 2006); (3) theoretical models are particularly sensitive to the density of low-mass systems at diferent redshifts (Mamon et al. 2011), being one of the key science cases for the future E-ELT (Evans et al. 2013). While the history of low-mass dark matter halos is relatively well understood, the formation history of dwarf galaxies is still poorly reproduced by the models due to the distinct evolution of baryonic and dark matter.We present constraints on the star formation histories (SFHs) of a sample of low-mass Star-Forming Galaxies (LMSFGs; 7.3 < log M∗/Mo < 8.0, at 0.3 < zspec < 0.9) selected by photometric stellar mass and apparent magnitude. The SFHs were obtained through the analysis of their spectral energy distributions using a novel approach (Pacifici et al. 2012) that (1) consistently combines photometric (HST and ground-based multi-broadband) and spectroscopic (equivalent widths of emission lines from VLT and GTC spectroscopy) data, and (2) uses physically motivated SFHs with non-uniform variations of the star formation rate (SFR) as a function of time.The median SFH of our LMSFGs appears to form 90% of the median stellar mass inferred for the sample in the ˜0.5-1.8 Gyr immediately preceding the observation. These results suggest a recent stellar mass assembly for dwarf SFGs, consistent with the cosmological downsizing trends. We find similar median SFH timescales for a slightly more massive secondary sample 8.0 < log M∗/Mo < 9.1).This is a pilot study for future surveys on dwarf galaxies at high redshift.

  2. The birthplace of compact groups of galaxies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ramella, Massimo; Diaferio, Antonaldo; Geller, Margaret J.; Huchra, John P.

    1994-01-01

    We use complete redshift surveys to study the redshift neighborhoods of 38 Hickson compact groups (HCGs). Twenty-nine of these HCGs (76%) are embedded in rich looser systems which we call HCG associations. Analysis of the redshift neighborhood of HCGs outside the CfA survey suggests that most HCGs are embedded in more extended physical systems. Rich loose groups extracted from the CfA survey (Ramella et al. (1994)) have physical properties similar to those of the HCG associations. These rich loose groups often contain compact configurations. N-body experiments (Diaferio (1994)) suggest that compact configurations analogous to HCGs form continually during the collapse of rich loose groups. These observational and numerical results suggest that rich loose groups are the birthplace of HCGs.

  3. ON THE ORIGIN OF THE HIGHEST REDSHIFT GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

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

    Belczynski, Krzysztof; Holz, Daniel E.; Fryer, Chris L.

    2010-01-01

    GRB 080913 and GRB 090423 are the most distant gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) known to date, with spectroscopically determined redshifts of z = 6.7 and z = 8.1, respectively. The detection of bursts at this early epoch of the universe significantly constrains the nature of GRBs and their progenitors. We perform population synthesis studies of the formation and evolution of early stars, and calculate the resulting formation rates of short- and long-duration GRBs at high redshift. The peak of the GRB rate from Population II stars occurs at z approx 7 for a model with efficient/fast mixing of metals, while itmore » is found at z approx 3 for an inefficient/slow metallicity evolution model. We show that in the redshift range 6 approx< z approx< 10, essentially all GRBs originate from Population II stars, regardless of the metallicity evolution model. These stars (having small, but non-zero metallicity) are the most likely progenitors for both long GRBs (collapsars) and short GRBs (neutron star-neutron star or blackhole-neutron star mergers) at this epoch. Although the predicted intrinsic rates of long and short GRBs are similar at these high redshifts, observational selection effects lead to higher (a factor of approx10) observed rates for long GRBs. We conclude that the two recently observed high-z GRB events are most likely long GRBs originating from Population II collapsars.« less

  4. Calibration of GRB Luminosity Relations with Cosmography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, He; Liang, Nan; Zhu, Zong-Hong

    For the use of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) to probe cosmology in a cosmology-independent way, a new method has been proposed to obtain luminosity distances of GRBs by interpolating directly from the Hubble diagram of SNe Ia, and then calibrating GRB relations at high redshift. In this paper, following the basic assumption in the interpolation method that objects at the same redshift should have the same luminosity distance, we propose another approach to calibrate GRB luminosity relations with cosmographic fitting directly from SN Ia data. In cosmography, there is a well-known fitting formula which can reflect the Hubble relation between luminosity distance and redshift with cosmographic parameters which can be fitted from observation data. Using the Cosmographic fitting results from the Union set of SNe Ia, we calibrate five GRB relations using GRB sample at z ≤ 1.4 and deduce distance moduli of GRBs at 1.4 < z ≤ 6.6 by generalizing above calibrated relations at high redshift. Finally, we constrain the dark energy parameterization models of the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (CPL) model, the Jassal-Bagla-Padmanabhan (JBP) model and the Alam model with GRB data at high redshift, as well as with the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) and the baryonic acoustic oscillation (BAO) observations, and we find the ΛCDM model is consistent with the current data in 1-σ confidence region.

  5. On mass concentrations and magnitude gaps of galaxy systems in the CS82 survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vitorelli, André Z.; Cypriano, Eduardo S.; Makler, Martín; Pereira, Maria E. S.; Erben, Thomas; Moraes, Bruno

    2018-02-01

    Galaxy systems with large magnitude gaps - defined as the difference in magnitude between the central galaxy and the brightest satellite in the central region, such as fossil groups - are claimed to have earlier formation times. In this study, we measure the mass concentration, as an indicator of the formation epoch, of ensembles of galaxy systems divided by redshift and magnitude gaps in the r band. We use cross-correlation weak-lensing measurements with NFW parametric mass profiles to measure masses and concentrations of these ensembles from a catalogue of systems built from the SDSS Coadd by the redMaPPer algorithm. The lensing shear data come from the CFHT Stripe 82 (CS82) survey, and consists of i-band images of the SDSS Stripe 82 region. We find that the stack made up of systems with larger magnitude gaps has a high probability of being more concentrated, in the lowest redshift slice (0.2 < z < 0.4), both when dividing in quartiles (P = 0.98) and tertiles (P = 0.85). These results lend credibility to the claim that systems with large magnitude gaps tend to have been formed early.

  6. Indications of a spatial variation of the fine structure constant.

    PubMed

    Webb, J K; King, J A; Murphy, M T; Flambaum, V V; Carswell, R F; Bainbridge, M B

    2011-11-04

    We previously reported Keck telescope observations suggesting a smaller value of the fine structure constant α at high redshift. New Very Large Telescope (VLT) data, probing a different direction in the Universe, shows an inverse evolution; α increases at high redshift. Although the pattern could be due to as yet undetected systematic effects, with the systematics as presently understood the combined data set fits a spatial dipole, significant at the 4.2 σ level, in the direction right ascension 17.5 ± 0.9 h, declination -58 ± 9 deg. The independent VLT and Keck samples give consistent dipole directions and amplitudes, as do high and low redshift samples. A search for systematics, using observations duplicated at both telescopes, reveals none so far which emulate this result.

  7. SIX MORE QUASARS AT REDSHIFT 6 DISCOVERED BY THE CANADA-FRANCE HIGH-z QUASAR SURVEY

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

    Willott, Chris J.; Crampton, David; Hutchings, John B.

    2009-03-15

    We present imaging and spectroscopic observations for six quasars at z {>=} 5.9 discovered by the Canada-France High-z Quasar Survey (CFHQS). The CFHQS contains subsurveys with a range of flux and area combinations to sample a wide range of quasar luminosities at z {approx} 6. The new quasars have luminosities 10-75 times lower than the most luminous Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasars at this redshift. The least luminous quasar, CFHQS J0216-0455 at z = 6.01, has absolute magnitude M {sub 1450} = -22.21, well below the likely break in the luminosity function. This quasar is not detected in a deepmore » XMM-Newton survey showing that optical selection is still a very efficient tool for finding high-redshift quasars.« less

  8. Cluster Mass Calibration at High Redshift: HST Weak Lensing Analysis of 13 Distant Galaxy Clusters from the South Pole Telescope Sunyaev-Zel’dovich Survey

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

    Schrabback, T.; Applegate, D.; Dietrich, J. P.

    Here we present an HST/Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) weak gravitational lensing analysis of 13 massive high-redshift (z median = 0.88) galaxy clusters discovered in the South Pole Telescope (SPT) Sunyaev–Zel'dovich Survey. This study is part of a larger campaign that aims to robustly calibrate mass–observable scaling relations over a wide range in redshift to enable improved cosmological constraints from the SPT cluster sample. We introduce new strategies to ensure that systematics in the lensing analysis do not degrade constraints on cluster scaling relations significantly. First, we efficiently remove cluster members from the source sample by selecting very blue galaxies in V-I colour. Our estimate of the source redshift distribution is based on Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) data, where we carefully mimic the source selection criteria of the cluster fields. We apply a statistical correction for systematic photometric redshift errors as derived from Hubble Ultra Deep Field data and verified through spatial cross-correlations. We account for the impact of lensing magnification on the source redshift distribution, finding that this is particularly relevant for shallower surveys. Finally, we account for biases in the mass modelling caused by miscentring and uncertainties in the concentration–mass relation using simulations. In combination with temperature estimates from Chandra we constrain the normalization of the mass–temperature scaling relation ln (E(z)M 500c/10 14 M ⊙) = A + 1.5ln (kT/7.2 keV) to A=1.81more » $$+0.24\\atop{-0.14}$$(stat.)±0.09(sys.), consistent with self-similar redshift evolution when compared to lower redshift samples. Additionally, the lensing data constrain the average concentration of the clusters to c 200c=5.6$$+3.7\\atop{-1.8}$$.« less

  9. Cluster Mass Calibration at High Redshift: HST Weak Lensing Analysis of 13 Distant Galaxy Clusters from the South Pole Telescope Sunyaev-Zel’dovich Survey

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

    Schrabback, T.; Applegate, D.; Dietrich, J. P.

    We present an HST/Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) weak gravitational lensing analysis of 13 massive high-redshift (z(median) = 0.88) galaxy clusters discovered in the South Pole Telescope (SPT) Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Survey. This study is part of a larger campaign that aims to robustly calibrate mass-observable scaling relations over a wide range in redshift to enable improved cosmological constraints from the SPT cluster sample. We introduce new strategies to ensure that systematics in the lensing analysis do not degrade constraints on cluster scaling relations significantly. First, we efficiently remove cluster members from the source sample by selecting very blue galaxies in Vmore » - I colour. Our estimate of the source redshift distribution is based on Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) data, where we carefully mimic the source selection criteria of the cluster fields. We apply a statistical correction for systematic photometric redshift errors as derived from Hubble Ultra Deep Field data and verified through spatial cross-correlations. We account for the impact of lensing magnification on the source redshift distribution, finding that this is particularly relevant for shallower surveys. Finally, we account for biases in the mass modelling caused by miscentring and uncertainties in the concentration-mass relation using simulations. In combination with temperature estimates from Chandra we constrain the normalization of the mass-temperature scaling relation ln (E(z) M-500c/10(14)M(circle dot)) = A + 1.5ln (kT/7.2 keV) to A = 1.81(-0.14)(+0.24)(stat.)+/- 0.09(sys.), consistent with self-similar redshift evolution when compared to lower redshift samples. Additionally, the lensing data constrain the average concentration of the clusters to c(200c) = 5.6(-1.8)(+3.7).« less

  10. Cluster Mass Calibration at High Redshift: HST Weak Lensing Analysis of 13 Distant Galaxy Clusters from the South Pole Telescope Sunyaev-Zel’dovich Survey

    DOE PAGES

    Schrabback, T.; Applegate, D.; Dietrich, J. P.; ...

    2017-10-14

    Here we present an HST/Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) weak gravitational lensing analysis of 13 massive high-redshift (z median = 0.88) galaxy clusters discovered in the South Pole Telescope (SPT) Sunyaev–Zel'dovich Survey. This study is part of a larger campaign that aims to robustly calibrate mass–observable scaling relations over a wide range in redshift to enable improved cosmological constraints from the SPT cluster sample. We introduce new strategies to ensure that systematics in the lensing analysis do not degrade constraints on cluster scaling relations significantly. First, we efficiently remove cluster members from the source sample by selecting very blue galaxies in V-I colour. Our estimate of the source redshift distribution is based on Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) data, where we carefully mimic the source selection criteria of the cluster fields. We apply a statistical correction for systematic photometric redshift errors as derived from Hubble Ultra Deep Field data and verified through spatial cross-correlations. We account for the impact of lensing magnification on the source redshift distribution, finding that this is particularly relevant for shallower surveys. Finally, we account for biases in the mass modelling caused by miscentring and uncertainties in the concentration–mass relation using simulations. In combination with temperature estimates from Chandra we constrain the normalization of the mass–temperature scaling relation ln (E(z)M 500c/10 14 M ⊙) = A + 1.5ln (kT/7.2 keV) to A=1.81more » $$+0.24\\atop{-0.14}$$(stat.)±0.09(sys.), consistent with self-similar redshift evolution when compared to lower redshift samples. Additionally, the lensing data constrain the average concentration of the clusters to c 200c=5.6$$+3.7\\atop{-1.8}$$.« less

  11. The K-Band Quasar Luminosity Function from an SDSS and UKIDSS Matched Catalog

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peth, Michael; Ross, N. P.; Schneider, D. P.

    2010-01-01

    We match the 1,015,082 quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR6 Photometric Quasar catalog to the UKIRT Infrared Digital Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey (LAS) DR3 to produce a catalog of 130,827 objects with optical (ugriz) and infrared (YJHK) measurements over an area of 1,200 sq. deg. A matching radius of 1'’ is used; the positional standard deviations of SDSS DR6 quasars and UKIDSS LAS is δRA = 0.137'’ and δDec = 0.131''. The catalog contains 74,351 K-band detections and 42,133 objects have coverage in all four NIR bands. In addition to the catalog, we present optical and NIR color-redshift and color-color plots. The photometric vs. spectroscopic redshift plots demonstrate how unreliable high reported photometric redshifts can be. This forces us to focus on z4.6 quasars are compared to our highest redshift objects. The giK color-color plot demonstrates that stellar contamination only affects a small sample of the objects. Distributions for Y,J,H,K and i-bands reveal insights into the flux limits in each magnitude. We investigate the distribution of redshifts from different data sets and investigate the legitimacy of certain measured photometric redshift regions. For in-depth analysis, we focus on the 300 sq. deg area equatorial SDSS region designated as Stripe 82. We measure the observed K-band quasar luminosity function (QLF) for a subset of 9,872, z<2.2 objects. We find the shape of the K-band QLF is very similar to that of the optical QLF, over the considered redshift ranges. Our calculated K-Band QLFs broadly match previous optical QLFs calculated from the SDSS and 2SLAQ QSO surveys and should provide important constraints linking unobscured optical quasars to Mid-Infrared detected, dusty and obscured AGNs at high-redshift.

  12. Multiple Streaming and the Probability Distribution of Density in Redshift Space

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

    Hui, Lam; Kofman, Lev; Shandarin, Sergei F.

    2000-07-01

    We examine several aspects of redshift distortions by expressing the redshift-space density in terms of the eigenvalues and orientation of the local Lagrangian deformation tensor. We explore the importance of multiple streaming using the Zeldovich approximation (ZA), and compute the average number of streams in both real and redshift space. We find that multiple streaming can be significant in redshift space but negligible in real space, even at moderate values of the linear fluctuation amplitude ({sigma}{sub l}(less-or-similar sign)1). Moreover, unlike their real-space counterparts, redshift-space multiple streams can flow past each other with minimal interactions. Such nonlinear redshift-space effects, which aremore » physically distinct from the fingers-of-God due to small-scale virialized motions, might in part explain the well-known departure of redshift distortions from the classic linear prediction by Kaiser, even at relatively large scales where the corresponding density field in real space is well described by linear perturbation theory. We also compute, using the ZA, the probability distribution function (PDF) of the density, as well as S{sub 3}, in real and redshift space, and compare it with the PDF measured from N-body simulations. The role of caustics in defining the character of the high-density tail is examined. We find that (non-Lagrangian) smoothing, due to both finite resolution or discreteness and small-scale velocity dispersions, is very effective in erasing caustic structures, unless the initial power spectrum is sufficiently truncated. (c) 2000 The American Astronomical Society.« less

  13. Disentangling Hadronic and Leptonic Cascade Scenarios from the Very-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission of Distant Hard-Spectrum Blazars

    DOE PAGES

    Takami, Hajime; Murase, Kohta; Dermer, Charles D.

    2013-06-26

    We show that recent data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope have revealed about a dozen distant hard-spectrum blazars that have very-high-energy (VHE; ≳ 100 eV) photons associated with them, but most of them have not yet been detected by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes. Most of these high-energy gamma-ray spectra, like those of other extreme high-frequency peaked BL Lac objects, can be well explained either by gamma rays emitted at the source or by cascades induced by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, as we show specifically for KUV 00311–1938. We consider the prospects for detection of the VHE sources by the plannedmore » Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) and show how it can distinguish the two scenarios by measuring the integrated flux above ~500 GeV (depending on source redshift) for several luminous sources with z ≲ 1 in the sample. Strong evidence for the origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays could be obtained from VHE observations with CTA. Depending on redshift, if the often quoted redshift of KUV 00311–1938 (z = 0.61) is believed, then preliminary H.E.S.S. data favor cascades induced by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. Lastly, accurate redshift measurements of hard-spectrum blazars are essential for this study.« less

  14. The kinematic component of the cosmological redshift

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chodorowski, Michał J.

    2011-05-01

    It is widely believed that the cosmological redshift is not a Doppler shift. However, Bunn & Hogg have recently pointed out that to solve this problem properly, one has to transport parallelly the velocity four-vector of a distant galaxy to the observer's position. Performing such a transport along the null geodesic of photons arriving from the galaxy, they found that the cosmological redshift is purely kinematic. Here we argue that one should rather transport the velocity four-vector along the geodesic connecting the points of intersection of the world-lines of the galaxy and the observer with the hypersurface of constant cosmic time. We find that the resulting relation between the transported velocity and the redshift of arriving photons is not given by a relativistic Doppler formula. Instead, for small redshifts it coincides with the well-known non-relativistic decomposition of the redshift into a Doppler (kinematic) component and a gravitational one. We perform such a decomposition for arbitrary large redshifts and derive a formula for the kinematic component of the cosmological redshift, valid for any Friedman-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) cosmology. In particular, in a universe with Ωm= 0.24 and ΩΛ= 0.76, a quasar at a redshift 6, at the time of emission of photons reaching us today had the recession velocity v= 0.997c. This can be contrasted with v= 0.96c, had the redshift been entirely kinematic. Thus, for recession velocities of such high-redshift sources, the effect of deceleration of the early Universe clearly prevails over the effect of its relatively recent acceleration. Last but not the least, we show that the so-called proper recession velocities of galaxies, commonly used in cosmology, are in fact radial components of the galaxies' four-velocity vectors. As such, they can indeed attain superluminal values, but should not be regarded as real velocities.

  15. Do Massive Galaxies at z~6 Present a Challenge for Hierarchical Merging?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Steinhardt, Charles L.; Capak, Peter L.; Masters, Daniel; Speagle, Josh S.; Splash

    2015-01-01

    The Spitzer Large Area Survey with Hyper-Suprime-Cam (SPLASH) recently released an initial view of the massive star-forming galaxy population at 4 < z < 6 over 1.8 square degrees. SPLASH found approximately 100 galaxy candidates with best-fit stellar masses over 10^11 solar. If even 10% of these are truly this massive and at such a high redshift, the corresponding number density would be inconsistent with the halo mass functions produced at these redshifts by numerical simulations. We will discuss these candidates, prospects for followup observations, and the potential implications for our understanding of the initial formation and early evolution of galaxies in the high-redshift universe.

  16. RELICS: Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey - Discovering Brightly Lensed Distant Galaxies for JWST

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coe, Dan; Bradley, Larry; Salmon, Brett; Avila, Roberto J.; Ogaz, Sara; Bradac, Marusa; Huang, Kuang-Han; Strait, Victoria; Hoag, Austin; Sharon, Keren q.; Cerny, Catherine; Paterno-Mahler, Rachel; Johnson, Traci Lin; Mahler, Guillaume; Zitrin, Adi; Sendra Server, Irene; Acebron, Ana; Cibirka, Nathália; Rodney, Steven; Strolger, Louis; Riess, Adam; Dawson, William; Jones, Christine; Andrade-Santos, Felipe; Lovisari, Lorenzo; Czakon, Nicole; Umetsu, Keiichi; Trenti, Michele; Vulcani, Benedetta; Carrasco, Daniela; Livermore, Rachael; Stark, Daniel P.; Mainali, Ramesh; Frye, Brenda; Oesch, Pascal; Lam, Daniel; Toft, Sune; Ryan, Russell; Peterson, Avery; Past, Matthew; Kikuchihara, Shotaro; Ouchi, Masami; Oguri, Masamune

    2018-01-01

    The Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey (RELICS) Hubble Treasury Program has completed observations of 41 massive galaxy clusters with 188 orbits of HST ACS and WFC3/IR imaging and 390 hours of Spitzer IRAC imaging. This poster presents an overview of the program and data releases. Reduced images, catalogs, and lens models for all clusters are now available on MAST. RELICS is studying the clusters, supernovae, and lensed high-redshift galaxies. A companion poster presents our high-redshift results: over 300 lensed z ~ 6 - 10 candidates, including some of the brightest known at these redshifts (Salmon et al. 2018). These will be excellent targets for detailed follow-up study in JWST Cycle 1 GO proposals.

  17. Observing the high redshift Universe with Euclid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laureijs, René; Euclid Collaboration

    2018-05-01

    Euclid enables the exploration of large sky areas with diffraction limited resolution in the optical and near-infrared, and is sensitive enough to detect targets at cosmological distances. This combination of capabilities gives Euclid a clear advantage over telescope facilities with larger apertures, both on ground and in space. The decision to mount in the NISP instrument one extra grism for the wavelength range 0.92-1.3 μm with a spectral resolution of R ~260 makes possible a rest-frame UV survey of the early Universe in the redshift range 6.5 < z < 9.7. Euclid's standard imaging with VIS in the 0.55-0.9 μm band and with NISP in the Y, J, H bands provide complementary photometry for further target identification and characterization. Euclid is a suitable facility to discover and map the spatial distribution of rare high-redshift targets and to collect statistically relevant samples, in particular of high redshift Lyα emitters and QSOs, which can be used as signposts of the cosmic structures. The Euclid surveys are also a starting point for deeper follow up observations of the individual high-z objects. We present the Euclid mission and discuss the detectability of high-z objects to probe the epoch of ionization.

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

    Juneau, Stéphanie; Bournaud, Frédéric; Daddi, Emanuele

    Emission line diagnostic diagrams probing the ionization sources in galaxies, such as the Baldwin-Phillips-Terlevich (BPT) diagram, have been used extensively to distinguish active galactic nuclei (AGN) from purely star-forming galaxies. However, they remain poorly understood at higher redshifts. We shed light on this issue with an empirical approach based on a z ∼ 0 reference sample built from ∼300,000 Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies, from which we mimic selection effects due to typical emission line detection limits at higher redshift. We combine this low-redshift reference sample with a simple prescription for luminosity evolution of the global galaxy population to predictmore » the loci of high-redshift galaxies on the BPT and Mass-Excitation (MEx) diagnostic diagrams. The predicted bivariate distributions agree remarkably well with direct observations of galaxies out to z ∼ 1.5, including the observed stellar mass-metallicity (MZ) relation evolution. As a result, we infer that high-redshift star-forming galaxies are consistent with having normal interstellar medium (ISM) properties out to z ∼ 1.5, after accounting for selection effects and line luminosity evolution. Namely, their optical line ratios and gas-phase metallicities are comparable to that of low-redshift galaxies with equivalent emission-line luminosities. In contrast, AGN narrow-line regions may show a shift toward lower metallicities at higher redshift. While a physical evolution of the ISM conditions is not ruled out for purely star-forming galaxies and may be more important starting at z ≳ 2, we find that reliably quantifying this evolution is hindered by selections effects. The recipes provided here may serve as a basis for future studies toward this goal. Code to predict the loci of galaxies on the BPT and MEx diagnostic diagrams and the MZ relation as a function of emission line luminosity limits is made publicly available.« less

  19. QUEST FOR COSMOS SUBMILLIMETER GALAXY COUNTERPARTS USING CARMA AND VLA: IDENTIFYING THREE HIGH-REDSHIFT STARBURST GALAXIES

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

    Smolcic, V.; Navarrete, F.; Bertoldi, F.

    2012-05-01

    We report on interferometric observations at 1.3 mm at 2''-3'' resolution using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy. We identify multi-wavelength counterparts of three submillimeter galaxies (SMGs; F{sub 1m} > 5.5 mJy) in the COSMOS field, initially detected with MAMBO and AzTEC bolometers at low, {approx}10''-30'', resolution. All three sources-AzTEC/C1, Cosbo-3, and Cosbo-8-are identified to coincide with positions of 20 cm radio sources. Cosbo-3, however, is not associated with the most likely radio counterpart, closest to the MAMBO source position, but with that farther away from it. This illustrates the need for intermediate-resolution ({approx}2'') mm-observations to identify themore » correct counterparts of single-dish-detected SMGs. All of our three sources become prominent only at NIR wavelengths, and their mm-to-radio flux based redshifts suggest that they lie at redshifts z {approx}> 2. As a proof of concept, we show that photometric redshifts can be well determined for SMGs, and we find photometric redshifts of 5.6 {+-} 1.2, 1.9{sup +0.9}{sub -0.5}, and {approx}4 for AzTEC/C1, Cosbo-3, and Cosbo-8, respectively. Using these we infer that these galaxies have radio-based star formation rates of {approx}> 1000 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}and IR luminosities of {approx}10{sup 13} L{sub Sun} consistent with properties of high-redshift SMGs. In summary, our sources reflect a variety of SMG properties in terms of redshift and clustering, consistent with the framework that SMGs are progenitors of z {approx} 2 and today's passive galaxies.« less

  20. ULTRAVIOLET SPECTROSCOPY OF RAPIDLY ROTATING SOLAR-MASS STARS: EMISSION-LINE REDSHIFTS AS A TEST OF THE SOLAR-STELLAR CONNECTION

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

    Linsky, Jeffrey L.; Bushinsky, Rachel; Ayres, Tom

    2012-07-20

    We compare high-resolution ultraviolet spectra of the Sun and thirteen solar-mass main-sequence stars with different rotational periods that serve as proxies for their different ages and magnetic field structures. In this, the second paper in the series, we study the dependence of ultraviolet emission-line centroid velocities on stellar rotation period, as rotation rates decrease from that of the Pleiades star HII314 (P{sub rot} = 1.47 days) to {alpha} Cen A (P{sub rot} = 28 days). Our stellar sample of F9 V to G5 V stars consists of six stars observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescopemore » (HST) and eight stars observed with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on HST. We find a systematic trend of increasing redshift with more rapid rotation (decreasing rotation period) that is similar to the increase in line redshift between quiet and plage regions on the Sun. The fastest-rotating solar-mass star in our study, HII314, shows significantly enhanced redshifts at all temperatures above log T = 4.6, including the corona, which is very different from the redshift pattern observed in the more slowly rotating stars. This difference in the redshift pattern suggests that a qualitative change in the magnetic-heating process occurs near P{sub rot} = 2 days. We propose that HII314 is an example of a solar-mass star with a magnetic heating rate too large for the physical processes responsible for the redshift pattern to operate in the same way as for the more slowly rotating stars. HII314 may therefore lie above the high activity end of the set of solar-like phenomena that is often called the 'solar-stellar connection'.« less

  1. On the Redshift of TeV BL Lac Objects

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

    Paiano, Simona; Falomo, Renato; Landoni, Marco

    2017-03-10

    We report results of a spectroscopic campaign carried out at the 10 m Gran Telescopio Canarias for a sample of 22 BL Lac objects detected (or candidates) at TeV energies, aiming to determine or constrain their redshift. This is of fundamental importance for the interpretation of their emission models and for population studies and is also mandatory for studying the interaction of high-energy photons with the extragalactic background light using TeV sources. Optical spectra with high signal-to-noise ratios in the range 4250–10000 Å were obtained to search for faint emission or absorption lines from both the host galaxy and themore » nucleus. We determine a new redshift for PKS 1424+240 ( z = 0.604) and a tentative one for 1ES 0033+595 ( z = 0.467). We are able to set new spectroscopic redshift lower limits for three other sources on the basis of Mg ii and Ca ii intervening absorption features: BZB J1243+3627 ( z > 0.483), BZB J1540+8155 ( z > 0.672), and BZB 0J2323+4210 ( z > 0.267). We confirm previous redshift estimates for four blazars: S3 0218+357 ( z = 0.944), 1ES 1215+303 ( z = 0.129), W Comae ( z = 0.102), and MS 1221.8+2452 ( z = 0.218). For the remaining targets, in seven cases (S2 0109+22, 3C 66A, VER J0521+211, S4 0954+65, BZB J1120+4214, S3 1227+25, BZB J2323+4210), we do not validate the proposed redshift. Finally, for all sources of still-unknown redshift, we set a lower limit based on the minimum equivalent width of absorption features expected from the host galaxy.« less

  2. Reionization of Hydrogen and Helium by Early Stars and Quasars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wyithe, J. Stuart B.; Loeb, Abraham

    2003-04-01

    We compute the reionization histories of hydrogen and helium caused by the ionizing radiation fields produced by stars and quasars. For the quasars we use a model based on halo-merger rates that reproduces all known properties of the quasar luminosity function at high redshifts. The less constrained properties of the ionizing radiation produced by stars are modeled with two free parameters: (i) a transition redshift, ztran, above which the stellar population is dominated by massive, zero-metallicity stars and below which it is dominated by a Scalo mass function; and (ii) the product of the escape fraction of stellar ionizing photons from their host galaxies and the star formation efficiency, fescf*. We constrain the allowed range of these free parameters at high redshifts on the basis of the lack of the H I Gunn-Peterson trough at z<~6 and the upper limit on the total intergalactic optical depth for electron scattering, τes<0.18, from recent cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments. We find that quasars ionize helium by a redshift z~4, but cannot reionize hydrogen by themselves before z~6. A major fraction of the allowed combinations of fescf* and ztran leads to an early peak in the ionized fraction because of the presence of metal-free stars at high redshifts. This sometimes results in two reionization epochs, namely, an early H II or He III overlap phase followed by recombination and a second overlap phase. Even if early overlap is not achieved, the peak in the visibility function for scattering of the CMB often coincides with the early ionization phase rather than with the actual reionization epoch. Consequently, τes does not correspond directly to the reionization redshift. We generically find values of τes>~7%, which should be detectable by the MAP satellite.

  3. Emerging spatial curvature can resolve the tension between high-redshift CMB and low-redshift distance ladder measurements of the Hubble constant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bolejko, Krzysztof

    2018-05-01

    The measurements of the Hubble constant reveal a tension between high-redshift (CMB) and low-redshift (distance ladder) constraints. So far neither observational systematics nor new physics has been successfully implemented to explain away this tension. This paper presents a new solution to the Hubble constant problem. The solution is based on the Simsilun simulation (relativistic simulation of the large scale structure of the Universe) with the ray-tracing algorithm implemented. The initial conditions for the Simsilun simulation were set up as perturbations around the Λ CDM model. However, unlike in the standard cosmological model (i.e., Λ CDM model +perturbations ), within the Simsilun simulation relativistic and nonlinear evolution of cosmic structures lead to the phenomenon of emerging spatial curvature, where the mean spatial curvature evolves from the spatial flatness of the early Universe towards the slightly curved present-day Universe. Consequently, the present-day expansion rate is slightly faster compared to the spatially flat Λ CDM model. The results of the ray-tracing analysis show that the Universe which starts with initial conditions consistent with the Planck constraints should have the Hubble constant H0=72.5 ±2.1 km s-1 Mpc-1 . When the Simsilun simulation was rerun with no inhomogeneities imposed, the Hubble constant inferred within such a homogeneous simulation was H0=68.1 ±2.0 km s-1 Mpc-1 . Thus, the inclusion of nonlinear relativistic evolution that leads to the emergence of the spatial curvature can explain why the low-redshift measurements favor higher values compared to the high-redshift constraints and alleviate the tension between the CMB and distance ladder measurements of the Hubble constant.

  4. The z = 0.8596 damped Ly-alpha absorbing galaxy toward PKS 0454+039

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steidel, Charles C.; Bowen, David V.; Blades, J. Chris; Dickenson, Mark

    1995-01-01

    We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ground-based data on the Z(sub abs) = 0.8596 metal-line absorption system along the line of sight to PKS 0454+0356. The system is a moderate-redshift damped Ly-alpha system, with N(H I) = (5.7 +/- 0.3) x 10(exp 20)/sq cm as measured from the Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS) spectrum. We also present ground-based images which we use to identify the galaxy which most probably gives rise to the damped system; the most likely candidate is relatively underluminous by QSO absorber standards M(sub B) approximately -19.0 for A(sub 0) = 0.5 and H(sub 0) = 50 km/s/Mpc) and lies approximately 8.5/h kpc in projection from the QSO sight line. Ground-based measurements of Zn II, Cr II, and Fe II absorption lines from this system allow us to infer abundances of (Zn/H) = -1.1, (Cr/H) = -1.2, and (Fe/H) = -1.2 indicating overall metallicity similar to damped systems at z is greater than 2, and that the depletion of Cr and Fe onto dust grains may be even less important than in many of the high-redshift systems of comparable metallicity. Limits previously placed on the 21 cm optical depth in the z = 0.8596 system, together with our new N(H I) measurement, suggest a very high spin temperature for the H I, T(sub s) is greater than 580 K.

  5. Photometric Study of Massive Evolved Galaxies in the CANDELS GOODS-S at z>3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nayyeri, Hooshang; Mobasher, B.; Ferguson, H. C.; Wiklind, T.; Hemmati, S.; De Barros, S.; Fontana, A.; Dahlen, T.; Koekemoer, A. M.

    2014-01-01

    According to the hierarchical models, galaxies assemble their mass through time with the most massive and evolved systems found in the more recent times and in the most massive dark matter halos. Understanding the evolution of mass assembly with cosmic time plays a central role in observational astronomy. Here, we use the very deep near Infra-red HST/WFC3 observations by the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) to study passively evolving, old and massive systems at high redshifts. For this we utilize the pronounced Balmer Break (an age dependent diagnostic at rest-frame 3648Å) in post-starburst galaxies to devise a Balmer Break Galaxy (BBG) selection. We use the CANDELS WFC3 1.6 μm selected catalog in the GOODS-S, generated with TFIT algorithm suitable for mixed resolution data sets, to select the candidates. We identified 24 sources as candidates for evolved systems in the redshift 3.5

  6. Automated reliability assessment for spectroscopic redshift measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jamal, S.; Le Brun, V.; Le Fèvre, O.; Vibert, D.; Schmitt, A.; Surace, C.; Copin, Y.; Garilli, B.; Moresco, M.; Pozzetti, L.

    2018-03-01

    Context. Future large-scale surveys, such as the ESA Euclid mission, will produce a large set of galaxy redshifts (≥106) that will require fully automated data-processing pipelines to analyze the data, extract crucial information and ensure that all requirements are met. A fundamental element in these pipelines is to associate to each galaxy redshift measurement a quality, or reliability, estimate. Aim. In this work, we introduce a new approach to automate the spectroscopic redshift reliability assessment based on machine learning (ML) and characteristics of the redshift probability density function. Methods: We propose to rephrase the spectroscopic redshift estimation into a Bayesian framework, in order to incorporate all sources of information and uncertainties related to the redshift estimation process and produce a redshift posterior probability density function (PDF). To automate the assessment of a reliability flag, we exploit key features in the redshift posterior PDF and machine learning algorithms. Results: As a working example, public data from the VIMOS VLT Deep Survey is exploited to present and test this new methodology. We first tried to reproduce the existing reliability flags using supervised classification in order to describe different types of redshift PDFs, but due to the subjective definition of these flags (classification accuracy 58%), we soon opted for a new homogeneous partitioning of the data into distinct clusters via unsupervised classification. After assessing the accuracy of the new clusters via resubstitution and test predictions (classification accuracy 98%), we projected unlabeled data from preliminary mock simulations for the Euclid space mission into this mapping to predict their redshift reliability labels. Conclusions: Through the development of a methodology in which a system can build its own experience to assess the quality of a parameter, we are able to set a preliminary basis of an automated reliability assessment for spectroscopic redshift measurements. This newly-defined method is very promising for next-generation large spectroscopic surveys from the ground and in space, such as Euclid and WFIRST. A table of the reclassified VVDS redshifts and reliability 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/611/A53

  7. Probabilistic selection of high-redshift quasars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mortlock, Daniel J.; Patel, Mitesh; Warren, Stephen J.; Hewett, Paul C.; Venemans, Bram P.; McMahon, Richard G.; Simpson, Chris

    2012-01-01

    High-redshift quasars (HZQs) with redshifts of z ≳ 6 are so rare that any photometrically selected sample of sources with HZQ-like colours is likely to be dominated by Galactic stars and brown dwarfs scattered from the stellar locus. It is impractical to re-observe all such candidates, so an alternative approach was developed in which Bayesian model comparison techniques are used to calculate the probability that a candidate is a HZQ, Pq, by combining models of the quasar and star populations with the photometric measurements of the object. This method was motivated specifically by the large number of HZQ candidates identified by cross-matching the UKIRT (United Kingdom Infrared Telescope) Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey (LAS) to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS): in the ? covered by the LAS in the UKIDSS Eighth Data Release (DR8) there are ˜9 × 103 real astronomical point sources with the measured colours of the target quasars, of which only ˜10 are expected to be HZQs. Applying Bayesian model comparison to the sample reveals that most sources with HZQ-like colours have Pq≲ 0.1 and can be confidently rejected without the need for any further observations. In the case of the UKIDSS DR8 LAS, there were just 107 candidates with Pq≥ 0.1; these objects were prioritized for re-observation by ranking according to Pq (and their likely redshift, which was also inferred from the photometric data). Most candidates were rejected after one or two (moderate-depth) photometric measurements by recalculating Pq using the new data. That left 12 confirmed HZQs, six of which were previously identified in the SDSS and six of which were new UKIDSS discoveries. The high efficiency of this Bayesian selection method suggests that it could usefully be extended to other HZQ surveys (e.g. searches by the Panoramic Survey Telescope And Rapid Response System, Pan-STARRS, or the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy, VISTA) as well as to other searches for rare objects.

  8. The line-locking hypothesis, absorption by intervening galaxies, and the z = 1.95 peak in redshifts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burbidge, G.

    1978-01-01

    The controversy over whether the absorption spectrum in QSOs is intrinsic or extrinsic is approached with attention to the peak of redshifts at z = 1.95. Also considered are the line-locking and the intervening galaxy hypotheses. The line locking hypothesis is based on observations that certain ratios found in absorption line QSOs are preferred, and leads inevitably to the conclusion that the absorption line systems are intrinsic. The intervening galaxy hypothesis is based on absorption redshifts resulting from given absorption cross-sections of galactic clusters and the intergalactic medium, and would lead to the theoretical conclusion that most QSOs show strong absorption, a conclusion which is not supported by empirical data. The 1.95 peak, on the other hand, is most probably an intrinsic property of QSOs. The peak is enhanced by redshift, and it is noted that both an emission and an absorption redshift peak are seen at 1.95.

  9. (Sub)millimetre-Selected Galaxies and the Cosmic Star-Formation History

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koprowski, Maciej

    2015-03-01

    Understanding the time evolution of the star formation in the Universe is one of the main aims of observational astronomy. Since a significant portion of the UV starlight is being absorbed by dust and re-emitted in the IR, we need to understand both of those regimes to properly describe the cosmic star formation history. In UV, the depth and the resolution of the data permits calculations of the star formation rate densities out to very high redshifts (z˜8-9). In IR however, the large beam sizes and the relatively shallow data limits these calculations to z˜2. In this thesis, I explore the SMA and PdBI high-resolution follow-up of 30 bright sources originally selected by AzTEC and LABOCA instruments at 1.1 mm and 870 μm respectively in conjunction with the SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey (S2CLS) deep COSMOS and wide UDS maps, where 106 and 283 sources were detected, with the signal-to-noise ratio of > 5 and > 3.5 at 850 μm respectively. I find that the (sub)mm-selected galaxies reside and the mean redshifts of z ≈ 2.5±0.05 with the exception of the brightest sources which z seem to lie at higher redshifts (z ≈ 3.5±0.2), most likely due to the apparent z correlation of the (sub)mm flux with redshift, where brighter sources tend to lie at higher redshifts. Stellar masses, M\\dot, and star formation rates, SFRs, were found (M\\dot ≥ 10^10 M⊙ and SFR ≥ 100 M⊙ yr-1 ) and used to calculate the specific SFRs. I determine that the (sub)mm-selected sources mostly lie on the high-mass end of the star formation 'main-sequence' which makes them a high-mass extension of normal star forming galaxies. I also find that the specific SFR slightly evolves at redshifts 2 - 4, suggesting that the efficiency of the star formation seems to be increasing at these redshifts. Using the S2CLS data, the bolometric IR luminosity functions (IR LFs) were found for a range of redshifts z = 1.2 - 4.2 and the contribution of the SMGs tothe total star formation rate density (SFRD) was calculated. The IR LFs were found to evolve out to redshift ∼ 2.5. The star formation activity in the Universe was found to peak at z ≈ 2 followed by a slight decline. Assuming the IR to total SFRD correction found in the literature the SFRD found in this work closely follows the best-fitting function of Madau & Dickinson (2014).

  10. The X-ray properties of high redshift, optically selected QSOs. Ph.D. Thesis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, S. F.

    1985-01-01

    In order to study the X-ray properties of high redshift QSOs, grism/grens plates covering 17 deg. of sky previously imaged to very sensitive X-ray flux levels with the Einstein Observatory were taken. Following optical selection of the QSO, the archived X-ray image is examined to extract an X-ray flux detection or a sensitive upper limit.

  11. THE SWIFT BAT SURVEY DETECTS TWO OPTICAL BROAD LINE, X-RAY HEAVILY OBSCURED ACTIVE GALAXIES: NVSS 193013+341047 AND IRAS 05218-1212

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

    Hogg, J. Drew; Winter, Lisa M.; Mushotzky, Richard F.

    2012-06-20

    The Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) is discovering interesting new objects while monitoring the sky in the 14-195 keV band. Here we present the X-ray properties and spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for two unusual active galactic nucleus sources. Both NVSS 193013+341047 and IRAS 05218-1212 are absorbed, Compton-thin, but heavily obscured (N{sub H} {approx} 10{sup 23} cm{sup -2}), X-ray sources at redshifts <0.1. The SEDs reveal these galaxies to be very red, with high extinction in the optical and UV. A similar SED is seen for the extremely red objects (EROs) detected in the higher redshift universe. This suggests that thesemore » unusual BAT-detected sources are a low-redshift (z << 1) analog to EROs, which recent evidence suggests are a class of the elusive type II quasars. Studying the multi-wavelength properties of these sources may reveal the properties of their high-redshift counterparts.« less

  12. Ecology of dark matter haloes - II. Effects of interactions on the alignment of halo pairs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    L'Huillier, Benjamin; Park, Changbom; Kim, Juhan

    2017-04-01

    We use the Horizon Run 4 cosmological N-body simulation to study the effects of distant and close interactions on the alignments of the shapes, spins and orbits of targets haloes with their neighbours, and their dependence on the local density environment and neighbour separation. Interacting targets have a significantly lower spin and higher sphericity and oblateness than all targets. Interacting pairs initially have antiparallel spins, but the spins develop parallel alignment as time goes on. Neighbours tend to evolve in the plane of rotation of the target, and in the direction of the major axis of prolate haloes. Moreover, interactions are preferentially radial, while pairs with non-radial orbits are preferentially prograde. The alignment signals are stronger at high mass and for close separations, and independent of the large-scale density. Positive alignment signals are found at redshifts up to 4, and increase with decreasing redshifts. Moreover, the orbits tend to become prograde at low redshift, while no alignment is found at high redshift (z = 4).

  13. Redshift and blueshift of GaNAs/GaAs multiple quantum wells induced by rapid thermal annealing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Yijun; Cheng, Zhiyuan; Zhou, Qiang; Sun, Ying; Sun, Jiabao; Liu, Yanhua; Wang, Meifang; Cao, Zhen; Ye, Zhi; Xu, Mingsheng; Ding, Yong; Chen, Peng; Heuken, Michael; Egawa, Takashi

    2018-02-01

    The effects of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on the optical properties of GaNAs/GaAs multiple quantum wells (MQWs) grown by chemical beam epitaxy (CBE) are studied by photoluminescence (PL) at 77 K. The results show that the optical quality of the MQWs improves significantly after RTA. With increasing RTA temperature, PL peak energy of the MQWs redshifts below 1023 K, while it blueshifts above 1023 K. Two competitive processes which occur simultaneously during RTA result in redshift at low temperature and blueshift at high temperature. It is also found that PL peak energy shift can be explained neither by nitrogen diffusion out of quantum wells nor by nitrogen reorganization inside quantum wells. PL peak energy shift can be quantitatively explained by a modified recombination coupling model in which redshift nonradiative recombination and blueshift nonradiative recombination coexist. The results obtained have significant implication on the growth and RTA of GaNAs material for high performance optoelectronic device application.

  14. THE CANDIDATE CLUSTER AND PROTOCLUSTER CATALOG (CCPC). II. SPECTROSCOPICALLY IDENTIFIED STRUCTURES SPANNING 2 <  z  < 6.6

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

    Franck, J. R.; McGaugh, S. S.

    2016-12-10

    The Candidate Cluster and Protocluster Catalog (CCPC) is a list of objects at redshifts z  > 2 composed of galaxies with spectroscopically confirmed redshifts that are coincident on the sky and in redshift. These protoclusters are identified by searching for groups in volumes corresponding to the expected size of the most massive protoclusters at these redshifts. In CCPC1 we identified 43 candidate protoclusters among 14,000 galaxies between 2.74 <  z  < 3.71. Here we expand our search to more than 40,000 galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts z  > 2.00, resulting in an additional 173 candidate structures. The most significant of these are 36 protoclusters withmore » overdensities δ {sub gal} > 7. We also identify three large proto-supercluster candidates containing multiple protoclusters at z  = 2.3, 3.5 and z  = 6.56. Eight candidates with N  ≥ 10 galaxies are found at redshifts z  > 4.0. The last system in the catalog is the most distant spectroscopic protocluster candidate known to date at z  = 6.56.« less

  15. Galaxies at redshifts 5 to 6 with systematically low dust content and high [C II] emission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Capak, P. L.; Carilli, C.; Jones, G.; Casey, C. M.; Riechers, D.; Sheth, K.; Carollo, C. M.; Ilbert, O.; Karim, A.; Lefevre, O.; Lilly, S.; Scoville, N.; Smolcic, V.; Yan, L.

    2015-06-01

    The rest-frame ultraviolet properties of galaxies during the first three billion years of cosmic time (redshift z > 4) indicate a rapid evolution in the dust obscuration of such galaxies. This evolution implies a change in the average properties of the interstellar medium, but the measurements are systematically uncertain owing to untested assumptions and the inability to detect heavily obscured regions of the galaxies. Previous attempts to measure the interstellar medium directly in normal galaxies at these redshifts have failed for a number of reasons, with two notable exceptions. Here we report measurements of the forbidden C II emission (that is, [C II]) from gas, and the far-infrared emission from dust, in nine typical star-forming galaxies about one billion years after the Big Bang (z ~ 5-6). We find that these galaxies have thermal emission that is less than 1/12 that of similar systems about two billion years later, and enhanced [C II] emission relative to the far-infrared continuum, confirming a strong evolution in the properties of the interstellar medium in the early Universe. The gas is distributed over scales of one to eight kiloparsecs, and shows diverse dynamics within the sample. These results are consistent with early galaxies having significantly less dust than typical galaxies seen at z < 3 and being comparable in dust content to local low-metallicity systems.

  16. Galaxies at redshifts 5 to 6 with systematically low dust content and high [C II] emission.

    PubMed

    Capak, P L; Carilli, C; Jones, G; Casey, C M; Riechers, D; Sheth, K; Carollo, C M; Ilbert, O; Karim, A; LeFevre, O; Lilly, S; Scoville, N; Smolcic, V; Yan, L

    2015-06-25

    The rest-frame ultraviolet properties of galaxies during the first three billion years of cosmic time (redshift z > 4) indicate a rapid evolution in the dust obscuration of such galaxies. This evolution implies a change in the average properties of the interstellar medium, but the measurements are systematically uncertain owing to untested assumptions and the inability to detect heavily obscured regions of the galaxies. Previous attempts to measure the interstellar medium directly in normal galaxies at these redshifts have failed for a number of reasons, with two notable exceptions. Here we report measurements of the forbidden C ii emission (that is, [C II]) from gas, and the far-infrared emission from dust, in nine typical star-forming galaxies about one billion years after the Big Bang (z ≈ 5-6). We find that these galaxies have thermal emission that is less than 1/12 that of similar systems about two billion years later, and enhanced [C II] emission relative to the far-infrared continuum, confirming a strong evolution in the properties of the interstellar medium in the early Universe. The gas is distributed over scales of one to eight kiloparsecs, and shows diverse dynamics within the sample. These results are consistent with early galaxies having significantly less dust than typical galaxies seen at z < 3 and being comparable in dust content to local low-metallicity systems.

  17. Low Masses and High Redshifts: The Evolution of the Mass-Metallicity Relation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Henry, Alaina; Scarlata, Claudia; Dominguez, Alberto; Malkan, Matthew; Martin, Crystal L.; Siana, Brian; Atek, Hakim; Bedregal, Alejandro G.; Colbert, James W.; Rafelski, Marc; hide

    2013-01-01

    We present the first robust measurement of the high redshift mass-metallicity (MZ) relation at 10(exp 8) < M/Stellar Mass < or approx. 10(exp 10), obtained by stacking spectra of 83 emission-line galaxies with secure redshifts between 1.3 < or approx. z < or approx. 2.3. For these redshifts, infrared grism spectroscopy with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 is sensitive to the R23 metallicity diagnostic: ([O II] (lambda)(lambda)3726, 3729 + [OIII] (lambda)(lambda)4959, 5007)/H(beta). Using spectra stacked in four mass quartiles, we find a MZ relation that declines significantly with decreasing mass, extending from 12+log(O/H) = 8.8 at M = 10(exp 9.8) Stellar Mass to 12+log(O/H)= 8.2 at M = 10(exp 8.2) Stellar Mass. After correcting for systematic offsets between metallicity indicators, we compare our MZ relation to measurements from the stacked spectra of galaxies with M > or approx. 10(exp 9.5) Stellar Mass and z approx. 2.3. Within the statistical uncertainties, our MZ relation agrees with the z approx. 2.3 result, particularly since our somewhat higher metallicities (by around 0.1 dex) are qualitatively consistent with the lower mean redshift (z = 1.76) of our sample. For the masses probed by our data, the MZ relation shows a steep slope which is suggestive of feedback from energy-driven winds, and a cosmological downsizing evolution where high mass galaxies reach the local MZ relation at earlier times. In addition, we show that our sample falls on an extrapolation of the star-forming main sequence (the SFR-M* relation) at this redshift. This result indicates that grism emission-line selected samples do not have preferentially high star formation rates (SFRs). Finally, we report no evidence for evolution of the mass-metallicity-SFR plane; our stack-averaged measurements show excellent agreement with the local relation.

  18. Evolution of the real-space correlation function from next generation cluster surveys. Recovering the real-space correlation function from photometric redshifts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sridhar, Srivatsan; Maurogordato, Sophie; Benoist, Christophe; Cappi, Alberto; Marulli, Federico

    2017-04-01

    Context. The next generation of galaxy surveys will provide cluster catalogues probing an unprecedented range of scales, redshifts, and masses with large statistics. Their analysis should therefore enable us to probe the spatial distribution of clusters with high accuracy and derive tighter constraints on the cosmological parameters and the dark energy equation of state. However, for the majority of these surveys, redshifts of individual galaxies will be mostly estimated by multiband photometry which implies non-negligible errors in redshift resulting in potential difficulties in recovering the real-space clustering. Aims: We investigate to which accuracy it is possible to recover the real-space two-point correlation function of galaxy clusters from cluster catalogues based on photometric redshifts, and test our ability to detect and measure the redshift and mass evolution of the correlation length r0 and of the bias parameter b(M,z) as a function of the uncertainty on the cluster redshift estimate. Methods: We calculate the correlation function for cluster sub-samples covering various mass and redshift bins selected from a 500 deg2 light-cone limited to H < 24. In order to simulate the distribution of clusters in photometric redshift space, we assign to each cluster a redshift randomly extracted from a Gaussian distribution having a mean equal to the cluster cosmological redshift and a dispersion equal to σz. The dispersion is varied in the range σ(z=0)=\\frac{σz{1+z_c} = 0.005,0.010,0.030} and 0.050, in order to cover the typical values expected in forthcoming surveys. The correlation function in real-space is then computed through estimation and deprojection of wp(rp). Four mass ranges (from Mhalo > 2 × 1013h-1M⊙ to Mhalo > 2 × 1014h-1M⊙) and six redshift slices covering the redshift range [0, 2] are investigated, first using cosmological redshifts and then for the four photometric redshift configurations. Results: From the analysis of the light-cone in cosmological redshifts we find a clear increase of the correlation amplitude as a function of redshift and mass. The evolution of the derived bias parameter b(M,z) is in fair agreement with theoretical expectations. We calculate the r0-d relation up to our highest mass, highest redshift sample tested (z = 2,Mhalo > 2 × 1014h-1M⊙). From our pilot sample limited to Mhalo > 5 × 1013h-1M⊙(0.4 < z < 0.7), we find that the real-space correlation function can be recovered by deprojection of wp(rp) within an accuracy of 5% for σz = 0.001 × (1 + zc) and within 10% for σz = 0.03 × (1 + zc). For higher dispersions (besides σz > 0.05 × (1 + zc)), the recovery becomes noisy and difficult. The evolution of the correlation in redshift and mass is clearly detected for all σz tested, but requires a large binning in redshift to be detected significantly between individual redshift slices when increasing σz. The best-fit parameters (r0 and γ) as well as the bias obtained from the deprojection method for all σz are within the 1σ uncertainty of the zc sample.

  19. The Role of the CMB in Redshift Related Departures from the Gao–Solomon Relation

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

    Tunnard, R.; Greve, T. R., E-mail: richard.tunnard.13@ucl.ac.uk

    A strong correlation between the far-IR and HCN(1−0) line luminosities, known as the Gao–Solomon relation, has been observed to hold over more than 10 orders of magnitude in the local universe. Departures from this relation at redshifts ≳1.5 have been interpreted as evidence for increased dense gas star formation efficiency in luminous galaxies during the period of peak of star formation in the history of the universe. We examine whether the offsets from the relation can be explained by the hotter Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) at high redshift, which, due to a loss of contrast against the hotter background, reducesmore » the observable molecular-line flux far more significantly than the far-IR continuum bands. Simple line-of-sight modeling argues for highly significant departures from the Gao–Solomon relation at high redshift for kinetic temperatures ∼15 K, while more complex toy-galaxy models based on NGC 1068 suggest a much weaker effect with the galaxy integrated HCN line flux falling by only 10% at z = 3, within the intrinsic scatter of the relation. We conclude that, while the CMB is unlikely to explain the deviations reported in the literature, it may introduce a second-order effect on the relation by raising the low-luminosity end of the Gao–Solomon relation in cooler galaxies. A similar examination of the CO-IR relation finds tantalizing signs of the CMB having a measurable effect on the integrated CO emission in high-redshift galaxies, but these signs cannot be confirmed with the current data.« less

  20. A faint galaxy redshift survey behind massive clusters

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

    Frye, Brenda Louise

    1999-05-01

    This thesis is concerned with the gravitational lensing effect by massive galaxy clusters. We have explored a new technique for measuring galaxy masses and for detecting high-z galaxies by their optical colors. A redshift survey has been obtained at the Keck for a magnitude limited sample of objects (I<23) behind three clusters, A1689, A2390, and A2218 within a radius of 0.5M pc. For each cluster we see both a clear trend of increasing flux and redshift towards the center. This behavior is the result of image magnifications, such that at fixed redshift one sees further down the luminosity function. Themore » gradient of this magnification is, unlike measurements of image distortion, sensitive to the mass profile, and found to depart strongly from a pure isothermal halo. We have found that V RI color selection can be used effectively as a discriminant for finding high-z galaxies behind clusters and present five 4.1 < z < 5.1 spectra which are of very high quality due to their high mean magnification of ~20, showing strong, visibly-saturated interstellar metal lines in some cases. We have also investigated the radio ring lens PKS 1830-211, locating the source and multiple images and detected molecular absorption at mm wavelengths. Broad molecular absorption of width 1/40kms is found toward the southwest component only, where surprisingly it does not reach the base of the continuum, which implies incomplete coverage of the SW component by molecular gas, despite the small projected size of the source, less than 1/8h pc at the absorption redshift.« less

  1. The Role of the CMB in Redshift Related Departures from the Gao-Solomon Relation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tunnard, R.; Greve, T. R.

    2017-11-01

    A strong correlation between the far-IR and HCN(1-0) line luminosities, known as the Gao-Solomon relation, has been observed to hold over more than 10 orders of magnitude in the local universe. Departures from this relation at redshifts ≳1.5 have been interpreted as evidence for increased dense gas star formation efficiency in luminous galaxies during the period of peak of star formation in the history of the universe. We examine whether the offsets from the relation can be explained by the hotter Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) at high redshift, which, due to a loss of contrast against the hotter background, reduces the observable molecular-line flux far more significantly than the far-IR continuum bands. Simple line-of-sight modeling argues for highly significant departures from the Gao-Solomon relation at high redshift for kinetic temperatures ˜15 K, while more complex toy-galaxy models based on NGC 1068 suggest a much weaker effect with the galaxy integrated HCN line flux falling by only 10% at z = 3, within the intrinsic scatter of the relation. We conclude that, while the CMB is unlikely to explain the deviations reported in the literature, it may introduce a second-order effect on the relation by raising the low-luminosity end of the Gao-Solomon relation in cooler galaxies. A similar examination of the CO-IR relation finds tantalizing signs of the CMB having a measurable effect on the integrated CO emission in high-redshift galaxies, but these signs cannot be confirmed with the current data.

  2. ON INFERRING EXTINCTION LAWS IN z {approx} 6 QUASARS AS SIGNATURES OF SUPERNOVA DUST

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

    Hjorth, Jens; Vreeswijk, Paul M.; Gall, Christa

    Unusual extinction curves of high-redshift QSOs have been taken as evidence that dust is primarily produced by supernovae at high redshift. In particular, the 3000 A Todini-Ferrara-Maiolino kink in the extinction curve of the z = 6.20 SDSS J1048+4637 has been attributed to supernova dust. Here we discuss the challenges in inferring robust extinction curves of high-redshift QSOs and critically assess previous claims of detection of supernova dust. In particular, we address the sensitivity to the choice of intrinsic QSO spectrum, the need for a long wavelength baseline, and the drawbacks in fitting theoretical extinction curves. In a sample ofmore » 21 QSOs at z {approx} 6 we detect significant ultraviolet extinction using existing broadband optical, near-infrared, and Spitzer photometry. The median extinction curve is consistent with a Small Magellanic Cloud curve with A{sub 1450} {approx} 0.7 mag and does not exhibit any conspicuous (rest frame) 2175 A or 3000 A features. For two QSOs, SDSS J1044-0125 at z = 5.78 and SDSS J1030+0524 at z = 6.31, we further present X-shooter spectra covering the wavelength range 0.9-2.5 {mu}m. The resulting non-parametric extinction curves do not exhibit the 3000 A kink. Finally, in a re-analysis of literature spectra of SDSS J1048+4637, we do not find evidence for a conspicuous kink. We conclude that the existing evidence for a 3000 A feature is weak and that the overall dust properties at high and low redshifts show no significant differences. This, however, does not preclude supernovae from dominating the dust budget at high redshift.« less

  3. On Inferring Extinction Laws in Z -approximately 6 Quasars as Signatures of Supernova Dust

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hjorth, Jens; Vreeswijk, Paul M.; Gall, Christa; Watson, Darach

    2013-01-01

    Unusual extinction curves of high-redshift QSOs have been taken as evidence that dust is primarily produced by supernovae at high redshift. In particular, the 3000 °A Todini-Ferrara-Maiolino kink in the extinction curve of the z = 6.20 SDSS J1048+4637 has been attributed to supernova dust. Here we discuss the challenges in inferring robust extinction curves of high-redshift QSOs and critically assess previous claims of detection of supernova dust. In particular, we address the sensitivity to the choice of intrinsic QSO spectrum, the need for a long wavelength baseline, and the drawbacks in fitting theoretical extinction curves. In a sample of 21 QSOs at z 6 we detect significant ultraviolet extinction using existing broad-band optical, near-infrared, and Spitzer photometry. The median extinction curve is consistent with a Small Magellanic Cloud curve with A1450 0.7 mag and does not exhibit any conspicuous (restframe) 2175 °A or 3000 °A features. For two QSOs, SDSS J1044-0125 at z = 5.78 and SDSS J1030+0524 at z = 6.31, we further present X-shooter spectra covering the wavelength range 0.9-2.5 µm. The resulting non-parametric extinction curves do not exhibit the 3000 °A kink. Finally, in a re-analysis of literature spectra of SDSS J1048+4637, we do not find evidence for a conspicuous kink. We conclude that the existing evidence for a 3000 °A feature is weak and that the overall dust properties at high and low redshift show no significant differences. This, however, does not preclude supernovae from dominating the dust budget at high redshift.

  4. OT2_smalhotr_3: Herschel Extreme Lensing Line Observations (HELLO)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malhotra, S.

    2011-09-01

    We request 59.8 hours of Herschel time to observe 20 normal star-forming galaxies in the [CII] 158 micron and [OI] 63 micron lines. These galaxies lie at high redshift (1

  5. Metal Abundances at z<1.5: Fresh Clues to the Chemical Enrichment History of Damped Lyα Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pettini, Max; Ellison, Sara L.; Steidel, Charles C.; Bowen, David V.

    1999-01-01

    We explore the redshift evolution of the metal content of damped Lyα systems (DLAs) with new observations of four absorbers at z<1.5 together with other recently published data, there is now a sample of 10 systems at intermediate redshifts for which the abundance of Zn has been measured. The main conclusion is that the column density-weighted mean metallicity, []=-1.03+/-0.23 (on a logarithmic scale), is not significantly higher at z<1.5 than at earlier epochs, despite the fact that the comoving star formation rate density of the universe was near its maximum value at this redshift. Gas of high column density and low metallicity dominates the statistics of present samples of DLAs at all redshifts. For three of the four DLAs, our observations include absorption lines of Si, Mn, Cr, Fe, and Ni, as well as Zn. We argue that the relative abundances of these elements are consistent with a moderate degree of dust depletion that, once accounted for, leaves no room for the enhancement of the α elements over iron seen in metal-poor stars in the Milky Way. This is contrary to previous assertions that DLAs have been enriched solely by Type II supernovae, but it can be understood if the rate of star formation in the systems studied proceeded more slowly than in the early history of our Galaxy. These results add to a growing body of data pointing to the conclusion that known DLAs do not trace the galaxy population responsible for the bulk of star formation. Possible reasons are that sight lines through metal-rich gas are systematically underrepresented, because the background QSOs are reddened, and that the most actively star-forming galaxies are also the most compact, presenting too small a cross-section to have been probed yet with the limited statistics of current samples. Most of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among Caltech, the University of California, and NASA. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

  6. Measurements of CaII absorption, metals and dust in a sample of z ~= 1 DLAs and subDLAs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nestor, Daniel B.; Pettini, Max; Hewett, Paul C.; Rao, Sandhya; Wild, Vivienne

    2008-11-01

    We present observations of CaII, ZnII and CrII absorption lines in 16 damped Lyman alpha (DLA) systems and six subDLAs at redshifts 0.6 < zabs < 1.3, obtained for the dual purposes of (i) clarifying the relationship between DLAs and absorption systems selected from their strong CaII lines, and (ii) increasing the still limited sample of Zn and Cr abundance determinations in this redshift range. We find only partial overlap between current samples of intermediate redshift DLAs (which are drawn from magnitude-limited surveys) and strong CaII absorbers: approximately 25 per cent of known DLAs at these redshifts have an associated CaII λ3935 line with a rest-frame equivalent width greater than 0.35 Å, the threshold of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey sample assembled by Wild and her collaborators. The lack of the strongest CaII systems (with equivalent widths greater than 0.5 Å) is consistent with these authors' conclusion that such absorbers are often missed in current DLA surveys because they redden and dim the light of the background quasi-stellar objects. We rule out the suggestion that strong CaII absorption is associated exclusively with the highest column density DLAs. Furthermore, we find no correlation between the strength of the CaII lines and either the metallicity or degree of depletion of refractory elements, although the strongest CaII absorber in our sample is also the most metal-rich DLA yet discovered, with [Zn/H] ~= solar. We conclude that a complex mix of parameters must determine the strengths of the CaII lines, including the density of particles and ultraviolet photons in the interstellar media of the galaxies hosting the DLAs. We find tentative evidence (given the small size of our sample) that strong CaII systems may preferentially sample regions of high gas density, perhaps akin to the DLAs exhibiting molecular hydrogen absorption at redshifts z > 2. If this connection is confirmed, strong CaII absorbers would trace possibly metal rich, H2 bearing columns of cool, dense gas at distances up to tens of kpc from normal galaxies. Based on the observations made with the William Herschel Telescope operated on the island of La Palma by the Isaac Newton Group in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. E-mail: dbn@ast.cam.ac.uk

  7. Galaxy formation in an intergalactic medium dominated by explosions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ostriker, J. P.; Cowie, L. L.

    1981-01-01

    The evolution of galaxies in an intergalactic medium dominated by explosions of star systems is considered analogously to star formation by nonlinearly interacting processes in the interstellar medium. Conditions for the existence of a hydrodynamic instability by which galaxy formation leads to more galaxy formation due to the propagation of the energy released at the death of massive stars are examined, and it is shown that such an explosive amplification is possible at redshifts less than about 5 and stellar system masses between 10 to the 8th and 10 to the 12th solar masses. Explosions before a redshift of about 5 are found to lead primarily to the formation of massive stars rather than galaxies, while those at a redshift close to 5 will result in objects of normal galactic scale. The model also predicts a dusty interstellar medium preventing the detection of objects of redshift greater than 3, numbers and luminosities of protogalaxies comparable to present observations, unvirialized groups of galaxies lying on two-dimensional surfaces, and a significant number of black holes in the mass range 1000-10,000 solar masses.

  8. LMT imaging of the Extended Groth Strip: a search for the high-redshift tail of the sub-mm galaxy population

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aretxaga, Itziar

    2015-08-01

    The combination of short and long-wavelength deep (sub-)mm surveys can effectively be used to identify high-redshift sub-millimeter galaxies (z>4). Having star formation rates in excess of 500 Msun/yr, these bright (sub-)mm sources have been identified with the progenitors of massive elliptical galaxies undergoing rapid growth. With this purpose in mind, we are surveying a 20 sq. arcmin field within the Extended Groth Strip with the 1.1mm AzTEC camera mounted at the Large Millimeter Telescope that overlaps with the deep 450/850um SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey and the CANDELS deep NIR imaging. The improved beamsize of the LMT (8”) over previous surveys aids the identification of the most prominent optical/IR counterparts. We discuss the high-redshift candidates found.

  9. Mean Occupation Function of High-redshift Quasars from the Planck Cluster Catalog

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chakraborty, Priyanka; Chatterjee, Suchetana; Dutta, Alankar; Myers, Adam D.

    2018-06-01

    We characterize the distribution of quasars within dark matter halos using a direct measurement technique for the first time at redshifts as high as z ∼ 1. Using the Planck Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) catalog for galaxy groups and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR12 quasar data set, we assign host clusters/groups to the quasars and make a measurement of the mean number of quasars within dark matter halos as a function of halo mass. We find that a simple power-law fit of {log}< N> =(2.11+/- 0.01) {log}(M)-(32.77+/- 0.11) can be used to model the quasar fraction in dark matter halos. This suggests that the quasar fraction increases monotonically as a function of halo mass even to redshifts as high as z ∼ 1.

  10. Planck intermediate results: XXXIX. The Planck list of high-redshift source candidates

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

    Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Arnaud, M.

    The Planck mission, thanks to its large frequency range and all-sky coverage, has a unique potential for systematically detecting the brightest, and rarest, submillimetre sources on the sky, including distant objects in the high-redshift Universe traced by their dust emission. In this paper, a novel method, based on a component-separation procedure using a combination of Planck and IRAS data, has been validated and characterized on numerous simulations, and applied to select the most luminous cold submillimetre sources with spectral energy distributions peaking between 353 and 857 GHz at 5' resolution. A total of 2151 Planck high-z source candidates (the PHZ)more » have been detected in the cleanest 26% of the sky, with flux density at 545 GHz above 500 mJy. Embedded in the cosmic infrared background close to the confusion limit, these high-z candidates exhibit colder colours than their surroundings, consistent with redshifts z > 2, assuming a dust temperature of T xgal = 35 K and a spectral index of β xgal = 1.5. Exhibiting extremely high luminosities, larger than 10 14L ⊙, the PHZ objects may be made of multiple galaxies or clumps at high redshift, as suggested by a first statistical analysis based on a comparison with number count models. Furthermore, first follow-up observations obtained from optical to submillimetre wavelengths, which can be found in companion papers, have confirmed that this list consists of two distinct populations. A small fraction (around 3%) of the sources have been identified as strongly gravitationally lensed star-forming galaxies at redshift 2 to 4, while the vast majority of the PHZ sources appear as overdensities of dusty star-forming galaxies, having colours consistent with being at z > 2, and may be considered as proto-cluster candidates. The PHZ provides an original sample, which is complementary to the Planck Sunyaev-Zeldovich Catalogue (PSZ2); by extending the population of virialized massive galaxy clusters detected below z < 1.5 through their SZ signal to a population of sources at z > 1.5, the PHZ may contain the progenitors of today’s clusters. Therefore the Planck list of high-redshift source candidates opens a new window on the study of the early stages of structure formation, particularly understanding the intensively star-forming phase at high-z.« less

  11. Planck intermediate results: XXXIX. The Planck list of high-redshift source candidates

    DOE PAGES

    Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Arnaud, M.; ...

    2016-12-12

    The Planck mission, thanks to its large frequency range and all-sky coverage, has a unique potential for systematically detecting the brightest, and rarest, submillimetre sources on the sky, including distant objects in the high-redshift Universe traced by their dust emission. In this paper, a novel method, based on a component-separation procedure using a combination of Planck and IRAS data, has been validated and characterized on numerous simulations, and applied to select the most luminous cold submillimetre sources with spectral energy distributions peaking between 353 and 857 GHz at 5' resolution. A total of 2151 Planck high-z source candidates (the PHZ)more » have been detected in the cleanest 26% of the sky, with flux density at 545 GHz above 500 mJy. Embedded in the cosmic infrared background close to the confusion limit, these high-z candidates exhibit colder colours than their surroundings, consistent with redshifts z > 2, assuming a dust temperature of T xgal = 35 K and a spectral index of β xgal = 1.5. Exhibiting extremely high luminosities, larger than 10 14L ⊙, the PHZ objects may be made of multiple galaxies or clumps at high redshift, as suggested by a first statistical analysis based on a comparison with number count models. Furthermore, first follow-up observations obtained from optical to submillimetre wavelengths, which can be found in companion papers, have confirmed that this list consists of two distinct populations. A small fraction (around 3%) of the sources have been identified as strongly gravitationally lensed star-forming galaxies at redshift 2 to 4, while the vast majority of the PHZ sources appear as overdensities of dusty star-forming galaxies, having colours consistent with being at z > 2, and may be considered as proto-cluster candidates. The PHZ provides an original sample, which is complementary to the Planck Sunyaev-Zeldovich Catalogue (PSZ2); by extending the population of virialized massive galaxy clusters detected below z < 1.5 through their SZ signal to a population of sources at z > 1.5, the PHZ may contain the progenitors of today’s clusters. Therefore the Planck list of high-redshift source candidates opens a new window on the study of the early stages of structure formation, particularly understanding the intensively star-forming phase at high-z.« less

  12. The link between quasar broad-line region and galaxy-scale outflows and accurate CIV-based black hole masses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coatman, Liam; Hewett, Paul C.; Banerji, Manda; Richards, Gordon T.; Hennawi, Joseph F.; Prochaska, Jason X.

    2017-01-01

    Accurate black-hole (BH) mass estimates for high-redshift (z>2) quasars are essential for better understanding the relationship between super-massive BH accretion and star formation. Progress is currently limited by the large systematic errors in virial BH-masses derived from the CIV broad emission line, which is often significantly blueshifted relative to systemic, most likely due to outflowing gas in the quasar broad-line region. We have assembled Balmer-line based BH masses for a large sample of 230 high-luminosity (1045.5-1048 ergs-1), redshift 1.5 3000 kms-1), blueshifted [OIII] emission. We find a strong correlation between the CIV and [OIII] blueshifts. This correlation holds even for quasars at fixed luminosity and suggests that broad line region outflows in quasars are connected to galaxy-scale winds.

  13. Redshift remapping and cosmic acceleration in dark-matter-dominated cosmological models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wojtak, Radosław; Prada, Francisco

    2017-10-01

    The standard relation between the cosmological redshift and cosmic scalefactor underlies cosmological inference from virtually all kinds of cosmological observations, leading to the emergence of the Λ cold-dark-matter (ΛCDM) cosmological model. This relation is not a fundamental theory and thus observational determination of this function (redshift remapping) should be regarded as an insightful alternative to holding its standard form in analyses of cosmological data. Here we present non-parametric reconstructions of redshift remapping in dark-matter-dominated models and constraints on cosmological parameters from a joint analysis of all primary cosmological probes including the local measurement of the Hubble constant, Type Ia supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO), Planck observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation (temperature power spectrum) and cosmic chronometers. The reconstructed redshift remapping points to an additional boost of redshift operating in late epoch of cosmic evolution, but affecting both low-redshift observations and the CMB. The model predicts a significant difference between the actual Hubble constant, h = 0.48 ± 0.02, and its local determination, hobs = 0.73 ± 0.02. The ratio of these two values coincides closely with the maximum expansion rate inside voids formed in the corresponding open cosmological model with Ωm = 0.87 ± 0.03, whereas the actual value of the Hubble constant implies the age of the Universe that is compatible with the Planck ΛCDM cosmology. The model with redshift remapping provides excellent fits to all data and eliminates recently reported tensions between the PlanckΛCDM cosmology, the local determination of the Hubble constant and the BAO measurements from the Ly α forest of high-redshift quasars.

  14. Redshift remapping and cosmic acceleration in dark-matter-dominated cosmological models

    DOE PAGES

    Wojtak, Radosław; Prada, Francisco

    2017-06-21

    The standard relation between the cosmological redshift and cosmic scale factor underlies cosmological inference from virtually all kinds of cosmological observations, leading to the emergence of the LambdaCDM cosmological model. This relation is not a fundamental theory and thus observational determination of this function (redshift remapping) should be regarded as an insightful alternative to holding its standard form in analyses of cosmological data. We present non-parametric reconstructions of redshift remapping in dark-matter-dominated models and constraints on cosmological parameters from a joint analysis of all primary cosmological probes including the local measurement of the Hubble constant, Type Ia supernovae, baryonic acousticmore » oscillations (BAO), Planck observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation (temperature power spectrum) and cosmic chronometers. The reconstructed redshift remapping points to an additional boost of redshift operating in late epoch of cosmic evolution, but affecting both low-redshift observations and the CMB. The model then predicts a significant difference between the actual Hubble constant, h=0.48±0.02, and its local determination, h obs=0.73±0.02. The ratio of these two values coincides closely with the maximum expansion rate inside voids formed in the corresponding open cosmological model with Ω m=0.87±0.03, whereas the actual value of the Hubble constant implies the age of the Universe that is compatible with the Planck LambdaCDM cosmology. The new dark-matter-dominated model with redshift remapping provides excellent fits to all data and eliminates recently reported tensions between the Planck LambdaCDM cosmology, the local determination of the Hubble constant and the BAO measurements from the Ly α forest of high-redshift quasars.« less

  15. Measuring the Clustering Around Normal and Dust-Obscured Quasars at 2 in the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey (SERVS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Kristen M.; Lacy, M.; Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey Team

    2014-01-01

    Little is known about the environments of high redshift quasars, particularly those obscured by dust. Previous work suggests that dust-shrouded (type 2) quasars are at least as common as un-obscured optical (type 1) quasars; therefore, in order to fully understand the role quasars play in the evolutionary history of the universe, we must understand both types of objects. This project seeks to explore the environments in which obscured quasars form. In this poster, we present mid-infrared clustering measurements for a sample of 45 quasars with 1.3 < z < 2.5, a redshift range that is unexplored in the literature. The objects were selected using IRAC multi-color criteria to remove low-redshift starburst and quiescent galaxies, and subsequently had spectroscopy carried out to both obtain redshifts, and to distinguish between type 1 and type 2 quasars; the high-redshift sample presented in this paper is roughly evenly distributed between the two types. We use the SERVS galaxy catalogs to estimate the cross-correlation between each quasar and its surrounding galaxies. The amplitude of this function gives us the richness of the environments in which these quasars are found, and we compare our results with a matched sample with z < 1.3.

  16. 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.

  17. AGN Populations in Large-volume X-Ray Surveys: Photometric Redshifts and Population Types Found in the Stripe 82X Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ananna, Tonima Tasnin; Salvato, Mara; LaMassa, Stephanie; Urry, C. Megan; Cappelluti, Nico; Cardamone, Carolin; Civano, Francesca; Farrah, Duncan; Gilfanov, Marat; Glikman, Eilat; Hamilton, Mark; Kirkpatrick, Allison; Lanzuisi, Giorgio; Marchesi, Stefano; Merloni, Andrea; Nandra, Kirpal; Natarajan, Priyamvada; Richards, Gordon T.; Timlin, John

    2017-11-01

    Multiwavelength surveys covering large sky volumes are necessary to obtain an accurate census of rare objects such as high-luminosity and/or high-redshift active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Stripe 82X is a 31.3 X-ray survey with Chandra and XMM-Newton observations overlapping the legacy Sloan Digital Sky Survey Stripe 82 field, which has a rich investment of multiwavelength coverage from the ultraviolet to the radio. The wide-area nature of this survey presents new challenges for photometric redshifts for AGNs compared to previous work on narrow-deep fields because it probes different populations of objects that need to be identified and represented in the library of templates. Here we present an updated X-ray plus multiwavelength matched catalog, including Spitzer counterparts, and estimated photometric redshifts for 5961 (96% of a total of 6181) X-ray sources that have a normalized median absolute deviation, σnmad=0.06, and an outlier fraction, η = 13.7%. The populations found in this survey and the template libraries used for photometric redshifts provide important guiding principles for upcoming large-area surveys such as eROSITA and 3XMM (in X-ray) and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (optical).

  18. Red nuggets grow inside-out: evidence from gravitational lensing

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

    Oldham, Lindsay; Auger, Matthew W.; Fassnacht, Christopher D.

    Here, we present a new sample of strong gravitational lens systems where both the foreground lenses and background sources are early-type galaxies. Using imaging from Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Advanced Camera for Studies (ACS) and Keck/NIRC2, we model the surface brightness distributions and show that the sources form a distinct population of massive, compact galaxies at redshifts 0.4 ≲ z ≲ 0.7, lying systematically below the size–mass relation of the global elliptical galaxy population at those redshifts. These may therefore represent relics of high-redshift red nuggets or their partly evolved descendants. We exploit the magnifying effect of lensing to investigate themore » structural properties, stellar masses and stellar populations of these objects with a view to understanding their evolution. We model these objects parametrically and find that they generally require two Sérsic components to properly describe their light profiles, with one more spheroidal component alongside a more envelope-like component, which is slightly more extended though still compact. This is consistent with the hypothesis of the inside-out growth of these objects via minor mergers. Lastly, we also find that the sources can be characterized by red-to-blue colour gradients as a function of radius which are stronger at low redshift – indicative of ongoing accretion – but that their environments generally appear consistent with that of the general elliptical galaxy population, contrary to recent suggestions that these objects are pre-dominantly associated with clusters.« less

  19. Red nuggets grow inside-out: evidence from gravitational lensing

    DOE PAGES

    Oldham, Lindsay; Auger, Matthew W.; Fassnacht, Christopher D.; ...

    2016-11-03

    Here, we present a new sample of strong gravitational lens systems where both the foreground lenses and background sources are early-type galaxies. Using imaging from Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Advanced Camera for Studies (ACS) and Keck/NIRC2, we model the surface brightness distributions and show that the sources form a distinct population of massive, compact galaxies at redshifts 0.4 ≲ z ≲ 0.7, lying systematically below the size–mass relation of the global elliptical galaxy population at those redshifts. These may therefore represent relics of high-redshift red nuggets or their partly evolved descendants. We exploit the magnifying effect of lensing to investigate themore » structural properties, stellar masses and stellar populations of these objects with a view to understanding their evolution. We model these objects parametrically and find that they generally require two Sérsic components to properly describe their light profiles, with one more spheroidal component alongside a more envelope-like component, which is slightly more extended though still compact. This is consistent with the hypothesis of the inside-out growth of these objects via minor mergers. Lastly, we also find that the sources can be characterized by red-to-blue colour gradients as a function of radius which are stronger at low redshift – indicative of ongoing accretion – but that their environments generally appear consistent with that of the general elliptical galaxy population, contrary to recent suggestions that these objects are pre-dominantly associated with clusters.« less

  20. Graphitic Nitrogen Triggers Red Fluorescence in Carbon Dots.

    PubMed

    Holá, Kateřina; Sudolská, Mária; Kalytchuk, Sergii; Nachtigallová, Dana; Rogach, Andrey L; Otyepka, Michal; Zbořil, Radek

    2017-12-26

    Carbon dots (CDs) are a stable and highly biocompatible fluorescent material offering great application potential in cell labeling, optical imaging, LED diodes, and optoelectronic technologies. Because their emission wavelengths provide the best tissue penetration, red-emitting CDs are of particular interest for applications in biomedical technologies. Current synthetic strategies enabling red-shifted emission include increasing the CD particle size (sp 2 domain) by a proper synthetic strategy and tuning the surface chemistry of CDs with suitable functional groups (e.g., carboxyl). Here we present an elegant route for preparing full-color CDs with well-controllable fluorescence at blue, green, yellow, or red wavelengths. The two-step procedure involves the synthesis of a full-color-emitting mixture of CDs from citric acid and urea in formamide followed by separation of the individual fluorescent fractions by column chromatography based on differences in CD charge. Red-emitting CDs, which had the most negative charge, were separated as the last fraction. The trend in the separation, surface charge, and red-shift of photoluminescence was caused by increasing amount of graphitic nitrogen in the CD structure, as was clearly proved by XPS, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, and DFT calculations. Importantly, graphitic nitrogen generates midgap states within the HOMO-LUMO gap of the undoped systems, resulting in significantly red-shifted light absorption that in turn gives rise to fluorescence at the low-energy end of the visible spectrum. The presented findings identify graphitic nitrogen as another crucial factor that can red-shift the CD photoluminescence.

  1. Results from the REFLEX Cluster Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bohringer, H.; Guzzo, L.; Collins, C. A.; Neumann, D. M.; Schindler, S.; Schuecker, P.; Cruddace, R.; Chincarini, G.; de Grandi, S.; Edge, A. C.; MacGillivray, H. T.; Shaver, P.; Vettolani, G.; Voges, W.

    Based on the ROSAT All-Sky Survey we have conducted a large redshift survey as an ESO key programme to identify and secure redshifts for the X-ray brightest clusters found in the southern hemisphere. We present first results for a highly controlled sample for a flux limit of 3cdot 10^{-12} erg s^{-1} cm^{-2} (0.1 - 2.4 keV) comprising 475 clusters (87% with redshifts). The logN-logS function of the sample shows an almost perfect Euclidian slope and a preliminary X-ray luminosity function is presented.

  2. Active Galactic Nuclei with James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rigby, Jane R.

    2011-01-01

    I'll discuss several ways in which JWST will probe the cosmic history of accretion onto supermassive black holes, and the co-evolution of host galaxies. Key investigations include: 1) Measurements of redshift, luminosity, and AGN fraction for obscured AGN candidates identified by other missions. 2) Measurements of AGN hosts at all redshifts, including stellar masses, morphology, interactions, and star formation rates. 3) Measurements of stellar mass and black hole mass in AGN at high redshift, to chart the early history of black hole and galaxy growth.

  3. The Systematics of Strong Lens Modeling Quantified: The Effects of Constraint Selection and Redshift Information on Magnification, Mass, and Multiple Image Predictability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, Traci L.; Sharon, Keren

    2016-11-01

    Until now, systematic errors in strong gravitational lens modeling have been acknowledged but have never been fully quantified. Here, we launch an investigation into the systematics induced by constraint selection. We model the simulated cluster Ares 362 times using random selections of image systems with and without spectroscopic redshifts and quantify the systematics using several diagnostics: image predictability, accuracy of model-predicted redshifts, enclosed mass, and magnification. We find that for models with >15 image systems, the image plane rms does not decrease significantly when more systems are added; however, the rms values quoted in the literature may be misleading as to the ability of a model to predict new multiple images. The mass is well constrained near the Einstein radius in all cases, and systematic error drops to <2% for models using >10 image systems. Magnification errors are smallest along the straight portions of the critical curve, and the value of the magnification is systematically lower near curved portions. For >15 systems, the systematic error on magnification is ∼2%. We report no trend in magnification error with the fraction of spectroscopic image systems when selecting constraints at random; however, when using the same selection of constraints, increasing this fraction up to ∼0.5 will increase model accuracy. The results suggest that the selection of constraints, rather than quantity alone, determines the accuracy of the magnification. We note that spectroscopic follow-up of at least a few image systems is crucial because models without any spectroscopic redshifts are inaccurate across all of our diagnostics.

  4. Dark energy and fate of the Universe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, XiaoDong; Wang, Shuang; Huang, QingGuo; Zhang, Xin; Li, Miao

    2012-07-01

    We explore the ultimate fate of the Universe by using a divergence-free parametrization for dark energy w( z)= w 0+ w a [ln(2 + z) / (1 + z) - ln 2]. Unlike the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder parametrization, this parametrization has well behaved, bounded behavior for both high redshifts and negative redshifts, and thus can genuinely cover many theoretical dark energy models. After constraining the parameter space of this parametrization by using the current cosmological observations, we find that, at the 95.4% confidence level, our Universe can still exist at least 16.7 Gyr before it ends in a big rip. Moreover, for the phantom energy dominated Universe, we find that a gravitationally bound system will be destroyed at a time {{t ˜eq Psqrt {2| {1 + 3w( - 1)} |} } {/ {{t ˜eq Psqrt {2| {1 + 3w( - 1)} |} } {[ {6π | {1 + w( - 1)} |} ]}}} . } {[ {6π | {1 + w( - 1)} |} ]}}, where P is the period of a circular orbit around this system, before the big rip.

  5. AGN-driven helium reionization and the incidence of extended He III regions at redshift z > 3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Compostella, Michele; Cantalupo, Sebastiano; Porciani, Cristiano

    2014-12-01

    We use hydrodynamic simulations post-processed with the radiative-transfer code RADAMESH to assess recent claims that the low He II opacity observed in z > 3 quasar spectra may be incompatible with models of He II reionization driven by the observed population of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). In particular, building upon our previous work, we consider an early population of sources and start the radiative-transfer calculation at redshifts z ≥ 5. Our model faithfully reproduces the emissivity of optically selected AGNs as inferred from measurements of their luminosity function. We find that He II reionization is very extended in redshift (Δz ≥ 2) and highly spatially inhomogeneous. In fact, mock spectra extracted from the simulations show a large variability in the evolution of the He II effective optical depth within chunks of size Δz = 0.04. Regions with low opacity (τ_ {He {II}}^eff < 3) can be found at high redshift, in agreement with the most recent observations of UV-transmitting quasars. At the highest redshift currently probed by observations (z ˜ 3.4), our updated model predicts a much lower He II effective optical depth than previous simulations in the literature relieving most of the tension with the current data, that, however, still persists at about the (Gaussian) 1σ to 2σ level. Given the very small number of observed lines of sight, our analysis indicates that current data cannot rule out a purely AGN-driven scenario with high statistical significance.

  6. Resolved Star Formation in Galaxies Using Slitless Spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pirzkal, Norbert; Finkelstein, Steven L.; Larson, Rebecca L.; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Rhoads, James E.; Ryan, Russell E.; Tilvi, Vithal; FIGS Team

    2018-06-01

    The ability to spatially resolve individual star-formation regions in distant galaxies and simultaneously extract their physical properties via emission lines is a critical step forward in studying the evolution of galaxies. While efficient, deep slitless spectroscopic observations offer a blurry view of the summed properties of galaxies. We present our studies of resolved star formation over a wide range of redshifts, including high redshift Ly-a sources. The unique capabilities of the WFC3 IR Grism and our two-dimensional emission line method (EM2D) allows us to accurately identify the specific spatial origin of emission lines in galaxies, thus creating a spatial map of star-formation sites in any given galaxy. This method requires the use of multiple position angles on the sky to accurately derive both the location and the observed wavelengths of these emission lines. This has the added benefit of producing better defined redshifts for these sources. Building on our success in applying the EM2D method towards galaxies with [OII]. [OIII], and Ha emission lines, we have also applied EM2D to high redshift (z>6) Ly-a emitting galaxies. We are also able to produce accurate 2D emission line maps (MAP2D) of the Ly-a emission in WFC3 IR grism observations, looking for evidence that a significant amount of resonant scattering is taking place in high redshift galaxies such as in a newly identified z=7.5 Faint Infrared Galaxy Survey (FIGS) Ly-a galaxy.

  7. Diaryl-substituted norbornadienes with red-shifted absorption for molecular solar thermal energy storage.

    PubMed

    Gray, Victor; Lennartson, Anders; Ratanalert, Phasin; Börjesson, Karl; Moth-Poulsen, Kasper

    2014-05-25

    Red-shifting the absorption of norbornadienes (NBDs), into the visible region, enables the photo-isomerization of NBDs to quadricyclanes (QCs) to be driven by sunlight. This is necessary in order to utilize the NBD-QC system for molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage. Reported here is a study on five diaryl-substituted norbornadienes. The introduced aryl-groups induce a significant red-shift of the UV/vis absorption spectrum of the norbornadienes, and device experiments using a solar-simulator set-up demonstrate the potential use of these compounds for MOST energy storage.

  8. The ionization parameter of star-forming galaxies evolves with the specific star formation rate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaasinen, Melanie; Kewley, Lisa; Bian, Fuyan; Groves, Brent; Kashino, Daichi; Silverman, John; Kartaltepe, Jeyhan

    2018-07-01

    We investigate the evolution of the ionization parameter of star-forming galaxies using a high-redshift (z˜ 1.5) sample from the FMOS-COSMOS (Fibre Multi-Object Spectrograph-COSMic evOlution Survey) and matched low-redshift samples from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. By constructing samples of low-redshift galaxies for which the stellar mass (M*), star formation rate (SFR), and specific star formation rate (sSFR) are matched to the high-redshift sample, we remove the effects of an evolution in these properties. We also account for the effect of metallicity by jointly constraining the metallicity and ionization parameter of each sample. We find an evolution in the ionization parameter for main-sequence, star-forming galaxies and show that this evolution is driven by the evolution of sSFR. By analysing the matched samples as well as a larger sample of z< 0.3, star-forming galaxies we show that high ionization parameters are directly linked to high sSFRs and are not simply the by-product of an evolution in metallicity. Our results are physically consistent with the definition of the ionization parameter, a measure of the hydrogen ionizing photon flux relative to the number density of hydrogen atoms.

  9. A search for moderate-redshift survivors from the population of luminous compact passive galaxies at high redshift

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

    Stockton, Alan; Shih, Hsin-Yi; Larson, Kirsten

    2014-01-10

    From a search of a ∼2400 deg{sup 2} region covered by both the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey databases, we have attempted to identify galaxies at z ∼ 0.5 that are consistent with their being essentially unmodified examples of the luminous passive compact galaxies found at z ∼ 2.5. After isolating good candidates via deeper imaging, we further refine the sample with Keck moderate-resolution spectroscopy and laser guide star adaptive-optics imaging. For four of the five galaxies that so far remain after passing through this sieve, we analyze plausible star-formation histories based on our spectramore » in order to identify galaxies that may have survived with little modification from the population formed at high redshift. We find two galaxies that are consistent with having formed ≳ 95% of their mass at z > 5. We attempt to estimate masses both from our stellar population determinations and from velocity dispersions. Given the high frequency of small axial ratios, both in our small sample and among samples found at high redshifts, we tentatively suggest that some of the more extreme examples of passive compact galaxies may have prolate morphologies.« less

  10. THE AzTEC/SMA INTERFEROMETRIC IMAGING SURVEY OF SUBMILLIMETER-SELECTED HIGH-REDSHIFT GALAXIES

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

    Younger, Joshua D.; Fazio, Giovanni G.; Huang Jiasheng

    We present results from a continuing interferometric survey of high-redshift submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) with the Submillimeter Array, including high-resolution (beam size approx2 arcsec) imaging of eight additional AzTEC 1.1 mm selected sources in the COSMOS field, for which we obtain six reliable (peak signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) >5 or peak S/N >4 with multiwavelength counterparts within the beam) and two moderate significance (peak S/N >4) detections. When combined with previous detections, this yields an unbiased sample of millimeter-selected SMGs with complete interferometric follow up. With this sample in hand, we (1) empirically confirm the radio-submillimeter association, (2) examine the submillimeter morphology-includingmore » the nature of SMGs with multiple radio counterparts and constraints on the physical scale of the far infrared-of the sample, and (3) find additional evidence for a population of extremely luminous, radio-dim SMGs that peaks at higher redshift than previous, radio-selected samples. In particular, the presence of such a population of high-redshift sources has important consequences for models of galaxy formation-which struggle to account for such objects even under liberal assumptions-and dust production models given the limited time since the big bang.« less

  11. A Snapshot Survey of The Most Massive Clusters of Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ebeling, Harald

    2007-07-01

    We propose the continuation of our highly successful SNAPshot survey of a sample of 125 very X-ray luminous clusters in the redshift range 0.3-0.7. As demonstrated by the 25 snapshots obtained so far in Cycle14 and Cycle15 these systems frequently exhibit strong gravitational lensing as well as spectacular examples of violent galaxy interactions. The proposed observations will provide important constraints on the cluster mass distributions, the physical nature of galaxy-galaxy and galaxy-gas interactions in cluster cores, and a set of optically bright, lensed galaxies for further 8-10m spectroscopy. All of our primary science goals require only the detection and characterisation of high-surface-brightness features and are thus achievable even at the reduced sensitivity of WFPC2. Because of their high redshift and thus compact angular scale our target clusters are less adversely affected by the smaller field of view of WFPC2 than more nearby systems. Acknowledging the broad community interest in this sample we waive our data rights for these observations. Due to a clerical error at STScI our approved Cycle15 SNAP program was barred from execution for 3 months and only 6 observations have been performed to date - reinstating this SNAP at Cycle16 priority is of paramount importance to reach meaningful statistics.

  12. NuSTAR Detection of the Blazar B2 1023+25 at Redshift 5.3

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sbarrato, T.; Tagliaferri, G.; Ghisellini, G.; Perri, M.; Puccetti, S.; Balokovic, M.; Nardini, M.; Stern, D.; Boggs, S. E.; Brandt, W. N.; hide

    2013-01-01

    B2 1023+25 is an extremely radio-loud quasar at zeta = 5.3 that was first identified as a likely high-redshift blazar candidate in the SDSS+FIRST quasar catalog. Here, we use the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) to investigate its non-thermal jet emission, whose high-energy component we detected in the hard X-ray energy band. The X-ray flux is approximately 5.5 × 10 (exp -14) erg cm(exp -2) s(exp -1) (5-10 keV) and the photon spectral index is Gamma(x) approx. =1.3-1.6. Modeling the full spectral energy distribution, we find that the jet is oriented close to the line of sight, with a viewing angle of approximately 3deg, and has significant Doppler boosting, with a large bulk Lorentz factor approximately 13, which confirms the identification of B2 1023+25 as a blazar. B2 1023+25 is the first object at redshift larger than 5 detected by NuSTAR, demonstrating the ability of NuSTAR to investigate the early X-ray universe and to study extremely active supermassive black holes located at very high redshift.

  13. Stars and reionization: the cross-correlation of the 21 cm line and the near-infrared background

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernandez, Elizabeth R.; Zaroubi, Saleem; Iliev, Ilian T.; Mellema, Garrelt; Jelić, Vibor

    2014-05-01

    With improving telescopes, it may now be possible to observe the Epoch of Reionization in multiple ways. We examine two of these observables - the excess light in the near-infrared background that may be due to high-redshift stars and ionized HII bubbles, and the 21 cm emission from neutral hydrogen. Because these two forms of emission should result from different, mutually exclusive regions, an anticorrelation should exist between them. We discuss the strengths of using cross-correlations between these observations to learn more about high-redshift star formation and reionization history. In particular, we create simulated maps of emission from both the near-infrared background and 21 cm emission. We find that these observations are anticorrelated, with the strongest anticorrelation originating from times when the universe is half ionized. This result is robust and does not depend on the properties of the stars themselves. Rather, it depends on the ionization history. Cross-correlations can provide redshift information, which the near-infrared background cannot provide alone. In addition, cross-correlations can help separate foreground emission from the true high-redshift component, making it possible to say with greater certainty that we are indeed witnessing the Epoch of Reionization.

  14. Radio Spectroscopy Applied to a Search for Highly Redshifted Protogalactic Structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weintroub, Jonathan

    1998-11-01

    An experiment to detect proto-galactic structure at high redshift is described. We attempt to observe this in the 1420 MHz line from neutral atomic hydrogen in the redshift range 4.7<= z<5.5/ (219<ν<251 MHz). The expected signal is very weak and we need a large aperture and a very long integration time for a detection to be feasible. This is achieved by building a dedicated and specialized instrument, which allows the experiment to run continuously, in the background, at the largest single dish reflector in the world-the Arecibo radio-telescope. The motivation for the experiment is to provide an observational link between the very smooth conditions presumed to exist in the primordial universe, as confirmed by observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) at z~1000, and the clumpy conditions that we observe locally in the hierarchy of galaxies, clusters and superclusters. The introduction includes a literature survey and an outline of relevant cosmological theory. A discussion of high-redshift astronomy, including past and current searches for protoclusters, is followed by a description of our approach to the problem. For simplicity a point feed is used to illuminate the spherical reflector at Arecibo. The design of the optics is discussed-based on this analysis and the radiative characteristics of neutral hydrogen gas we estimate that it is feasible to detect a 1014Msolar cloud in a long, though not unachievable, time span. A custom designed radioastronomy receiver backs up the feed system. It includes analog front-end amplifiers and filters, local oscillators and mixers, and an eight kilochannel hybrid spectrometer with 10 kHz spectral resolution over the survey band. We have written software to automatically reduce the large quantity of data gathered. Radio frequency interference (RFI) pervades our system, and analysis problems include the development of robust methods for co-adding data in the presence of time-varying RFI, and matched filtering to recognize candidate celestial signals in noisy data by their signature in time and frequency. Our sensitivity is limited by interference rather than thermal noise. The outcome of the experiment is negative, and we conclude by setting a limit on the mass of protoclusters in our search volume.

  15. A CONSTANT LIMITING MASS SCALE FOR FLAT EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES FROM z {approx} 1 TO z = 0: DENSITY EVOLVES BUT SHAPES DO NOT

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

    Holden, Bradford P.; Van der Wel, Arjen; Rix, Hans-Walter

    2012-04-20

    We measure the evolution in the intrinsic shape distribution of early-type galaxies from z {approx} 1 to z {approx} 0 by analyzing their projected axis-ratio distributions. We extract a low-redshift sample (0.04 < z < 0.08) of early-type galaxies with very low star formation rates from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, based on a color-color selection scheme and verified through the absence of emission lines in the spectra. The inferred intrinsic shape distribution of these early-type galaxies is strongly mass dependent: the typical short-to-long intrinsic axis ratio of high-mass early-type galaxies (>10{sup 11} M{sub Sun }) is 2:3, whereas atmore » masses below 10{sup 11} M{sub Sun} this ratio narrows to 1:3, or more flattened galaxies. In an entirely analogous manner, we select a high-redshift sample (0.6 < z < 0.8) from two deep-field surveys with multi-wavelength and Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging: GEMS and COSMOS. We find a seemingly universal mass of {approx}10{sup 11} M{sub Sun} for highly flattened early-type systems at all redshifts. This implies that the process that grows an early-type galaxy above this ceiling mass, irrespective of cosmic epoch, involves forming round systems. Using both parametric and non-parametric tests, we find no evolution in the projected axis-ratio distribution for galaxies with masses >3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun} with redshift. At the same time, our samples imply an increase of 2-3 Multiplication-Sign in comoving number density for early-type galaxies at masses >3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun }, in agreement with previous studies. Given the direct connection between the axis-ratio distribution and the underlying bulge-to-disk ratio distribution, our findings imply that the number density evolution of early-type galaxies is not exclusively driven by the emergence of either bulge- or disk-dominated galaxies, but rather by a balanced mix that depends only on the stellar mass of the galaxy. The challenge for galaxy formation models is to reproduce this overall non-evolving ratio of flattened to round early-type galaxies in the context of a continually growing population.« less

  16. Intra-cluster Globular Clusters in a Simulated Galaxy Cluster

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramos-Almendares, Felipe; Abadi, Mario; Muriel, Hernán; Coenda, Valeria

    2018-01-01

    Using a cosmological dark matter simulation of a galaxy-cluster halo, we follow the temporal evolution of its globular cluster population. To mimic the red and blue globular cluster populations, we select at high redshift (z∼ 1) two sets of particles from individual galactic halos constrained by the fact that, at redshift z = 0, they have density profiles similar to observed ones. At redshift z = 0, approximately 60% of our selected globular clusters were removed from their original halos building up the intra-cluster globular cluster population, while the remaining 40% are still gravitationally bound to their original galactic halos. As the blue population is more extended than the red one, the intra-cluster globular cluster population is dominated by blue globular clusters, with a relative fraction that grows from 60% at redshift z = 0 up to 83% for redshift z∼ 2. In agreement with observational results for the Virgo galaxy cluster, the blue intra-cluster globular cluster population is more spatially extended than the red one, pointing to a tidally disrupted origin.

  17. Long High Redshift GRB and Xrt/swift Lightcurves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arkhangelskaja, Irene

    At February of 2010 the volume of Swift GRB subset with known redshift consisted of more than 150 bursts. Long GRB redshift distribution analysis has shown that confidence level of single peak approximation of this distribution is only ˜60%. Moreover, more than 40% of GRB are in very heavy tails outside 3σ level for this fit. More detailed analysis of long GRB redshift distribution reveals that at 97% confidence level at least two subgroups could be separated with following parameters: = 0.9 ± 0.1 and = 2.7 ± 0.2. It allows to make conclusion that Swift long GRB sources subset is not uniform. In the presented article attention is paid on the measure of discrepancy of long GRB with z>3 and subset of other long GRB with known redshifts. XRT/Swift lightcurves for these groups of GRB were considered and it have shown that at least 90% XRT/Swift lightcurves for GRB with z>3 are more complicated and have got a number of maxima.

  18. Multipole analysis of redshift-space distortions around cosmic voids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamaus, Nico; Cousinou, Marie-Claude; Pisani, Alice; Aubert, Marie; Escoffier, Stéphanie; Weller, Jochen

    2017-07-01

    We perform a comprehensive redshift-space distortion analysis based on cosmic voids in the large-scale distribution of galaxies observed with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. To this end, we measure multipoles of the void-galaxy cross-correlation function and compare them with standard model predictions in cosmology. Merely considering linear-order theory allows us to accurately describe the data on the entire available range of scales and to probe void-centric distances down to about 2 h-1Mpc. Common systematics, such as the Fingers-of-God effect, scale-dependent galaxy bias, and nonlinear clustering do not seem to play a significant role in our analysis. We constrain the growth rate of structure via the redshift-space distortion parameter β at two median redshifts, β(bar z=0.32)=0.599+0.134-0.124 and β(bar z=0.54)=0.457+0.056-0.054, with a precision that is competitive with state-of-the-art galaxy-clustering results. While the high-redshift constraint perfectly agrees with model expectations, we observe a mild 2σ deviation at bar z=0.32, which increases to 3σ when the data is restricted to the lowest available redshift range of 0.15

  19. VLA observations of unidentified Leiden-Berkeley Deep-Survey sources - Luminosity and redshift dependence of spectral properties

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

    Kapahi, V.K.; Kulkarni, V.K.

    1990-05-01

    VLA observations of a complete subset of the Leiden-Berkeley Deep Survey sources that have S(1.4 GHz) greater than 10 mJy and are not optically identified down to F=22 mag are reported. By comparing the spectral and structural properties of the sources with samples from the literature, an attempt was made to disentangle the luminosity and redshift dependence of the spectral indices of extended emission in radio galaxies and of the incidence of compact steep-spectrum sources. It is found that the fraction of compact sources among those with a steep spectrum is related primarily to redshift, being much larger at highmore » redshifts for sources of similar radio luminosity. Only a weak and marginally significant dependence of spectral indices of the extended sources on luminosity and redshift is found in samples selected at 1.4 and 2.7 GHz. It is pointed out that the much stronger correlation of spectral indices with luminosity may be arising partly from spectral curvature, and partly due to the preferential inclusion of very steep-spectrum sources from high redshift in low-frequency surveys. 54 refs.« less

  20. Predicting the High Redshift Galaxy Population for JWST

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flynn, Zoey; Benson, Andrew

    2017-01-01

    The James Webb Space Telescope will be launched in Oct 2018 with the goal of observing galaxies in the redshift range of z = 10 - 15. As redshift increases, the age of the Universe decreases, allowing us to study objects formed only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. This will provide a valuable opportunity to test and improve current galaxy formation theory by comparing predictions for mass, luminosity, and number density to the observed data. We have made testable predictions with the semi-analytical galaxy formation model Galacticus. The code uses Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to determine viable sets of model parameters that match current astronomical data. The resulting constrained model was then set to match the specifications of the JWST Ultra Deep Field Imaging Survey. Predictions utilizing up to 100 viable parameter sets were calculated, allowing us to assess the uncertainty in current theoretical expectations. We predict that the planned UDF will be able to observe a significant number of objects past redshift z > 9 but nothing at redshift z > 11. In order to detect these faint objects at redshifts z = 11-15 we need to increase exposure time by at least a factor of 1.66.

  1. Characterizing the galaxy populations within different environments in the RCS2319 supercluster

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delahaye, Anna; Webb, Tracy

    We present the results of a multi-wavelength photometric study of the high redshift supercluster RCS2319+00. RCS2319+00 is a high-redshift (z ~ 0.9) supercluster comprising three spectroscopically confrmed cluster cores discovered in the Red Sequence Cluster Survey (RCS) (Gladders & Yee 2005). Core proximities and merger rates estimate coalescence into a 1015 M ⊙ cluster by z ~ 0.5 (Gilbank et al. 2008). Spectroscopic studies of the system have revealed over 300 supercluster members located in the cores and several infalling groups (Faloon et al. 2013). RCS2319 presents a diverse range of dynamical systems and densities making it an ideal laboratory in which to study the effects of environment on galaxy properties. Imaging in optical and near infrared (griz' from MegaCam, JK s from WIRCam, both at CFHT), as well as 3.6 μm and 4.5μm from IRAC have enabled the assembly of a large photometric catalogue. Coupled with an extensive spectroscopic survey (Faloon et al. 2013) providing nearly 2400 redshifts across the field, photometric redshifts were determined using the template fitting code EAZY (Brammer et al. 2008). Nearly 80 000 photometric redshifts were measured providing a sample of nearly 3000 cluster members. To investigate effects of global environment, analysis was done utilizing a friend-of-friends group finding algorithm identifying several large and small infalling groups along with the three cluster cores. The cores are found to be dominated by massive, red galaxies and the field galaxies are populated by low mass, blue galaxies, as is the case in the local universe. Interestingly, the large groups exhibit intermediate properties between field and core populations, suggesting possible pre-processing as they are being accreted into the core halos. Relative fifth-nearest neighbour overdensity, log(1+δ5), is used as a proxy for local environment to investigate environmental dependence on galaxy colour. While there is an overall dependence of colour on local density, when controlled for stellar mass the dependence largely disappears. Indeed, galaxy mass is the dominant factor in determining colour, with local density a secondary effect only noticeable in lower mass galaxies at the 3 σ level for both colour and red fraction. RCS2319+00 presents a rare opportunity to probe many different densities and environments all located within the same object. We're able to investigate how galaxy evolution is affected by the environment, from field galaxies to infalling to groups to dense cluster cores, as well as the different density regions within each environment.

  2. The Extremely Luminous Quasar Survey (ELQS) in SDSS and the high-z bright-end Quasar Luminosity Function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schindler, Jan-Torge; Fan, Xiaohui; McGreer, Ian

    2018-01-01

    Studies of the most luminous quasars at high redshift directly probe the evolution of the most massive black holes in the early Universe and their connection to massive galaxy formation. Unfortunately, extremely luminous quasars at high redshift are very rare objects. Only wide area surveys have a chance to constrain their population. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) nd the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) have so far provided the most widely adopted measurements of the type I quasar luminosity function (QLF) at z>3. However, a careful re-examination of the SDSS quasar sample revealed that the SDSS quasar selection is in fact missing a significant fraction of $z~3$ quasars at the brightest end.We have identified the purely optical color selection of SDSS, where quasars at these redshifts are strongly contaminated by late-type dwarfs, and the spectroscopic incompleteness of the SDSS footprint as the main reasons. Therefore we have designed the Extremely Luminous Quasar Survey (ELQS), based on a novel near-infrared JKW2 color cut using WISE AllWISE and 2MASS all-sky photometry, to yield high completeness for very bright (i < 18.0) quasars in the redshift range of 2.8<= z<=5.0. It effectively uses Random Forest machine-learning algorithms on SDSS and WISE photometry for quasar-star classification and photometric redshift estimation.The ELQS is spectroscopically following up ~230 new quasar candidates in an area of ~12000 deg2 in the SDSS footprint, to obtain a well-defined and complete quasar sample for an accurate measurement of the bright-end quasar luminosity function (QLF) at 2.8<= z<=5.0. So far the ELQS has identified 75 bright new quasars in this redshift range and observations of the fall sky will continue until the end of the year. At the AAS winter meeting we will present the full spectroscopic results of the survey, including a re-estimation and extension of the high-z QLF toward higher luminosities.

  3. 21-cm radiation: a new probe of variation in the fine-structure constant.

    PubMed

    Khatri, Rishi; Wandelt, Benjamin D

    2007-03-16

    We investigate the effect of variation in the value of the fine-structure constant (alpha) at high redshifts (recombination > z > 30) on the absorption of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at 21 cm hyperfine transition of the neutral atomic hydrogen. We find that the 21 cm signal is very sensitive to the variations in alpha and it is so far the only probe of the fine-structure constant in this redshift range. A change in the value of alpha by 1% changes the mean brightness temperature decrement of the CMB due to 21 cm absorption by >5% over the redshift range z < 50. There is an effect of similar magnitude on the amplitude of the fluctuations in the brightness temperature. The redshift of maximum absorption also changes by approximately 5%.

  4. Physical association and periodicity in quasar families with SDSS and 2MRS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fulton, C. C.; Arp, H. C.; Hartnett, J. G.

    2018-07-01

    We have used the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data release 7 (DR7) and the 2MASS (Two Micron All Sky Survey) Redshift Survey (2MRS) Ks ≤11.75 mag data release to test for physical association of candidate companion quasars with putative parent galaxies by virtue of Karlsson periodicity in quasar redshifts. We conducted this analysis using the quasar family detection algorithm described in Fulton and Arp (Astrophys. J. 754:134, 2012) and used therein to analyze the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) and the 2dF Quasar Redshift Survey (2QZ). The SDSS and 2MRS data sets confirm the 2dF results and allow us to examine additional object behaviors also at high significance.

  5. Cosmological constraints with clustering-based redshifts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kovetz, Ely D.; Raccanelli, Alvise; Rahman, Mubdi

    2017-07-01

    We demonstrate that observations lacking reliable redshift information, such as photometric and radio continuum surveys, can produce robust measurements of cosmological parameters when empowered by clustering-based redshift estimation. This method infers the redshift distribution based on the spatial clustering of sources, using cross-correlation with a reference data set with known redshifts. Applying this method to the existing Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) photometric galaxies, and projecting to future radio continuum surveys, we show that sources can be efficiently divided into several redshift bins, increasing their ability to constrain cosmological parameters. We forecast constraints on the dark-energy equation of state and on local non-Gaussianity parameters. We explore several pertinent issues, including the trade-off between including more sources and minimizing the overlap between bins, the shot-noise limitations on binning and the predicted performance of the method at high redshifts, and most importantly pay special attention to possible degeneracies with the galaxy bias. Remarkably, we find that once this technique is implemented, constraints on dynamical dark energy from the SDSS imaging catalogue can be competitive with, or better than, those from the spectroscopic BOSS survey and even future planned experiments. Further, constraints on primordial non-Gaussianity from future large-sky radio-continuum surveys can outperform those from the Planck cosmic microwave background experiment and rival those from future spectroscopic galaxy surveys. The application of this method thus holds tremendous promise for cosmology.

  6. Definitive test of the Rh = ct universe using redshift drift

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Melia, Fulvio

    2016-11-01

    The redshift drift of objects moving in the Hubble flow has been proposed as a powerful model-independent probe of the underlying cosmology. A measurement of the first- and second-order redshift derivatives appears to be well within the reach of upcoming surveys using as the Extremely Large Telescope high resolution spectrometer (ELT-HIRES) and the Square Kilometer Phase 2 Array (SKA). Here we show that an unambiguous prediction of the Rh = ct cosmology is zero drift at all redshifts, contrasting sharply with all other models in which the expansion rate is variable. For example, multiyear monitoring of sources at redshift z = 5 with the ELT-HIRES is expected to show a velocity shift Δv = -15 cm s-1 yr-1 due to the redshift drift in Planck ΛCDM, while Δv = 0 cm s-1 yr-1 in Rh = ct. With an anticipated ELT-HIRES measurement error of ±5 cm s-1 yr-1 after 5 yr, these upcoming redshift drift measurements might therefore be able to differentiate between Rh = ct and Planck ΛCDM at ˜3σ, assuming that any possible source evolution is well understood. Such a result would provide the strongest evidence yet in favour of the Rh = ct cosmology. With a 20-yr baseline, these observations could favour one of these models over the other at better than 5σ.

  7. Probing Pre-galactic Metal Enrichment with High-redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, F. Y.; Bromm, Volker; Greif, Thomas H.; Stacy, Athena; Dai, Z. G.; Loeb, Abraham; Cheng, K. S.

    2012-11-01

    We explore high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) as promising tools to probe pre-galactic metal enrichment. We utilize the bright afterglow of a Population III (Pop III) GRB exploding in a primordial dwarf galaxy as a luminous background source, and calculate the strength of metal absorption lines that are imprinted by the first heavy elements in the intergalactic medium (IGM). To derive the GRB absorption line diagnostics, we use an existing highly resolved simulation of the formation of a first galaxy which is characterized by the onset of atomic hydrogen cooling in a halo with virial temperature >~ 104 K. We explore the unusual circumburst environment inside the systems that hosted Pop III stars, modeling the density evolution with the self-similar solution for a champagne flow. For minihalos close to the cooling threshold, the circumburst density is roughly proportional to (1 + z) with values of about a few cm-3. In more massive halos, corresponding to the first galaxies, the density may be larger, n >~ 100 cm-3. The resulting afterglow fluxes are weakly dependent on redshift at a fixed observed time, and may be detectable with the James Webb Space Telescope and Very Large Array in the near-IR and radio wavebands, respectively, out to redshift z >~ 20. We predict that the maximum of the afterglow emission shifts from near-IR to millimeter bands with peak fluxes from mJy to Jy at different observed times. The metal absorption line signature is expected to be detectable in the near future. GRBs are ideal tools for probing the metal enrichment in the early IGM, due to their high luminosities and featureless power-law spectra. The metals in the first galaxies produced by the first supernova (SN) explosions are likely to reside in low-ionization stages (C II, O I, Si II and Fe II). We show that, if the afterglow can be observed sufficiently early, analysis of the metal lines may distinguish whether the first heavy elements were produced in a pair-instability supernova or a core-collapse (Type II) SN, thus constraining the initial mass function of the first stars.

  8. Bulgeless galaxies in the COSMOS field: environment and star formation evolution at z < 1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grossi, Marco; Fernandes, Cristina A. C.; Sobral, David; Afonso, José; Telles, Eduardo; Bizzocchi, Luca; Paulino-Afonso, Ana; Matute, Israel

    2018-03-01

    Combining the catalogue of galaxy morphologies in the COSMOS field and the sample of H α emitters at redshifts z = 0.4 and z = 0.84 of the HiZELS survey, we selected ˜ 220 star-forming bulgeless systems (Sérsic index n ≤ 1.5) at both epochs. We present their star formation properties and we investigate their contribution to the star formation rate function (SFRF) and global star formation rate density (SFRD) at z < 1. For comparison, we also analyse H α emitters with more structurally evolved morphologies that we split into two classes according to their Sérsic index n: intermediate (1.5 < n ≤ 3) and bulge-dominated (n > 3). At both redshifts, the SFRF is dominated by the contribution of bulgeless galaxies and we show that they account for more than 60 per cent of the cosmic SFRD at z < 1. The decrease of the SFRD with redshift is common to the three morphological types, but it is stronger for bulge-dominated systems. Star-forming bulgeless systems are mostly located in regions of low to intermediate galaxy densities (Σ ˜ 1-4 Mpc-2) typical of field-like and filament-like environments and their specific star formation rates (sSFRs) do not appear to vary strongly with local galaxy density. Only few bulgeless galaxies in our sample have high (sSFR > 10-9 yr-1) and these are mainly low-mass systems. Above M* ˜ 1010 M⊙ bulgeless are evolving at a `normal' rate (10-9 yr-1 < sSFR < 10-10 yr-1) and in the absence of an external trigger (i.e. mergers/strong interactions) they might not be able to develop a central classical bulge.

  9. Measuring the total and baryonic mass profiles of the very massive CASSOWARY 31 strong lens. A fossil system at z ≃ 0.7?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grillo, C.; Christensen, L.; Gallazzi, A.; Rasmussen, J.

    2013-08-01

    We investigate the total and baryonic mass distributions in deflector number 31 (CSWA 31) of the Cambridge And Sloan Survey Of Wide ARcs in the skY (CASSOWARY). We confirm spectroscopically a four-image lensing system at redshift 1.4870 with Very Large Telescope/X-shooter observations. The lensed images are distributed around a bright early-type galaxy at redshift 0.683, surrounded by several smaller galaxies at similar photometric redshifts. We use available optical and X-ray data to constrain the deflector total, stellar and hot gas mass through, respectively, strong lensing, stellar population analysis and plasma modelling. We derive a total mass projected within the Einstein radius REin = 70 kpc of (40 ± 1) × 1012 M⊙, and a central logarithmic slope of -1.7 ± 0.2 for the total mass density. Despite a very high stellar mass and velocity dispersion of the central galaxy of (3 ± 1) × 1012 M⊙ and (450 ± 80) km s-1, respectively, the cumulative stellar-to-total mass profile of the deflector implies a remarkably low stellar mass fraction of 20 per cent (3-6 per cent) in projection within the central galaxy effective radius Re = 25 kpc (R = 100 kpc). We also find that the CSWA 31 deflector has properties suggesting it to be among the most distant and massive fossil systems studied so far. The unusually strong central dark matter dominance and the possible fossil nature of this system render it an interesting target for detailed tests of cosmological models and structure formation scenarios.

  10. Ultra-compact structure in intermediate-luminosity radio quasars: building a sample of standard cosmological rulers and improving the dark energy constraints up to z 3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cao, Shuo; Zheng, Xiaogang; Biesiada, Marek; Qi, Jingzhao; Chen, Yun; Zhu, Zong-Hong

    2017-09-01

    Context. Ultra-compact structure in radio sources (especially in quasars that can be observed up to very high redshifts), with milliarcsecond angular sizes measured by very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI), is becoming an important astrophysical tool for probing both cosmology and the physical properties of AGN. Aims: We present a newly compiled data set of 120 milliarcsec. compact radio sources representing intermediate-luminosity quasars covering the redshift range 0.46 < z < 2.76 and check the possibility of using these sources as independent cosmological probes. These quasars observed at 2.29 GHz show negligible dependence on redshifts and intrinsic luminosity, and thus represent a fixed comoving-length of standard ruler. Methods: For a cosmological ruler with intrinsic length lm, the angular size-redshift relation can be written as θ(z) = lm/DA(z, where θ(z) is the angular size at redshift z, and DA(z) is the corresponding angular diameter distance. We use a compilation of angular size and redshift data for ultra-compact radio sources from a well-known VLBI survey, and implement a new cosmology-independent technique to calibrate the linear size of this standard ruler, which is also used to test different cosmological models with and without the flat universe assumption. Results: We determine the linear size of this standard ruler as lm = 11.03 ± 0.25 pc, which is the typical radius at which AGN jets become opaque at the observed frequency ν 2 GHz. Our measurement of this linear size is also consistent with the previous and recent radio observations at other different frequencies. In the framework of flat ΛCDM model, we find a high value of the matter density parameter, Ωm = 0.322+0.244-0.141, and a low value of the Hubble constant, H0 = 67.6+7.8-7.4 km s-1 Mpc-1, which is in excellent agreement with the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy measurements by Planck. We obtain Ωm = 0.309+0.215-0.151, w = -0.970+0.500-1.730 at 68.3% CL for the constant w of a dynamical dark-energy model, which demonstrates no significant deviation from the concordance ΛCDM model. Consistent fitting results are also obtained for other cosmological models explaining the cosmic acceleration, like Ricci dark energy (RDE) or the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati (DGP) brane-world scenario. While no significant change in w with redshift is detected, there is still considerable room for evolution in w and the transition redshift at which w departing from -1 is located at z 2.0. Our results demonstrate that the method extensively investigated in our work on observational radio quasar data can be used to effectively derive cosmological information. Finally, we find the combination of high-redshift quasars and low-redshift clusters may provide an important source of angular diameter distances, considering the redshift coverage of these two astrophysical probes.

  11. The faint end of the red sequence galaxy luminosity function: unveiling surface brightness selection effects with the CLASH clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinet, Nicolas; Durret, Florence; Adami, Christophe; Rudnick, Gregory

    2017-08-01

    Characterizing the evolution of the faint end of the cluster red sequence (RS) galaxy luminosity function (GLF) with redshift is a milestone in understanding galaxy evolution. However, the community is still divided in that respect, hesitating between an enrichment of the RS due to efficient quenching of blue galaxies from z 1 to present-day or a scenario in which the RS is built at a higher redshift and does not evolve afterwards. Recently, it has been proposed that surface brightness (SB) selection effects could possibly solve the literature disagreement, accounting for the diminishing RS faint population in ground-based observations. We investigate this hypothesis by comparing the RS GLFs of 16 CLASH clusters computed independently from ground-based Subaru/Suprime-Cam V and Ip or Ic images and space-based HST/ACS F606W and F814W images in the redshift range 0.187 ≤ z ≤ 0.686. We stack individual cluster GLFs in two redshift bins (0.187 ≤ z ≤ 0.399 and 0.400 ≤ z ≤ 0.686) and two mass (6 × 1014M⊙ ≤ M200< 1015M⊙ and 1015M⊙ ≤ M200) bins, and also measure the evolution with the enclosing radius from 0.5 Mpc up to the virial radius for the Subaru large field of view data. Finally, we simulate the low-redshift clusters at higher redshift to investigate SB dimming effects. We find similar RS GLFs for space- and ground-based data, with a difference of 0.2σ in the faint end parameter α when stacking all clusters together and a maximum difference of 0.9σ in the case of the high-redshift stack, demonstrating a weak dependence on the type of observation in the probed range of redshift and mass. When considering the full sample, we estimate α = - 0.76 ± 0.07 and α = - 0.78 ± 0.06 with HST and Subaru, respectively. We note a mild variation of the faint end between the high- and low-redshift subsamples at a 1.7σ and 2.6σ significance. We investigate the effect of SB dimming by simulating our low-redshift galaxies at high redshift. We measure an evolution in the faint end slope of less than 1σ in this case, implying that the observed signature is larger than one would expect from SB dimming alone, and indicating a true evolution in the faint end slope. Finally, we find no variation with mass or radius in the probed range of these two parameters. We therefore conclude that quenching is mildly affecting cluster galaxies at z ≲ 0.7 leading to a small enrichment of the RS until today, and that the different faint end slopes observed in the literature are probably due to specific cluster-to-cluster variation. Based on publicly available HST data acquired with ACS through the CLASH and COSMOS surveys. Also based on Subaru Suprime-Cam archive data collected at the Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

  12. The mid-infrared properties and gas content of active galaxies over large lookback times

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Curran, S. J.; Duchesne, S. W.

    2018-05-01

    Upon an expansion of all of the searches for redshifted H I 21-cm absorption (0.002 1 ≤ z ≤ 5.19), we update recent results regarding the detection of 21-cm in the non-local Universe. Specifically, we confirm that photo-ionization of the gas is the mostly likely cause of the low detection rate at high redshift, in addition to finding that at z ≲ 0.1 there may also be a decrease in the detection rate, which we suggest is due to the dilution of the absorption strength by 21-cm emission. By assuming that associated and intervening absorbers have similar cosmological mass densities, we find evidence that the spin temperature of the gas evolves with redshift, consistent with heating by ultraviolet photons. From the near-infrared (λ = 3.4, 4.6 and 12 μm) colours, we see that radio galaxies become more quasar-like in their activity with increasing redshift. We also find that the non-detection of 21-cm absorption at high redshift is not likely to be due to the selection of gas-poor ellipticals, in addition to a strong correlation between the ionizing photon rate and the [3.4] - [4.6] colour, indicating that the UV photons arise from AGN activity. Like previous studies, we find a correlation between the detection of 21-cm absorption and the [4.6] - [12] colour, which is a tracer of star-forming activity. However, this only applies at the lowest redshifts (z ≲ 0.1), the range considered by the other studies.

  13. Cosmology with XMM galaxy clusters: the X-CLASS/GROND catalogue and photometric redshifts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ridl, J.; Clerc, N.; Sadibekova, T.; Faccioli, L.; Pacaud, F.; Greiner, J.; Krühler, T.; Rau, A.; Salvato, M.; Menzel, M.-L.; Steinle, H.; Wiseman, P.; Nandra, K.; Sanders, J.

    2017-06-01

    The XMM Cluster Archive Super Survey (X-CLASS) is a serendipitously detected X-ray-selected sample of 845 galaxy clusters based on 2774 XMM archival observations and covering an approximately 90 deg2 spread across the high-Galactic latitude (|b| > 20°) sky. The primary goal of this survey is to produce a well-selected sample of galaxy clusters on which cosmological analyses can be performed. This paper presents the photometric redshift follow-up of a high signal-to-noise ratio subset of 265 of these clusters with declination δ < +20° with Gamma-Ray Burst Optical and Near-Infrared Detector (GROND), a 7-channel (grizJHK) simultaneous imager on the MPG 2.2-m telescope at the ESO La Silla Observatory. We use a newly developed technique based on the red sequence colour-redshift relation, enhanced with information coming from the X-ray detection to provide photometric redshifts for this sample. We determine photometric redshifts for 232 clusters, finding a median redshift of z = 0.39 with an accuracy of Δz = 0.02(1 + z) when compared to a sample of 76 spectroscopically confirmed clusters. We also compute X-ray luminosities for the entire sample and find a median bolometric luminosity of 7.2 × 1043 erg s-1 and a median temperature of 2.9 keV. We compare our results to those of the XMM-XCS and XMM-XXL surveys, finding good agreement in both samples. The X-CLASS catalogue is available online at http://xmm-lss.in2p3.fr:8080/l4sdb/.

  14. The redshift evolution of major merger triggering of luminous AGNs: a slight enhancement at z ˜ 2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hewlett, Timothy; Villforth, Carolin; Wild, Vivienne; Mendez-Abreu, Jairo; Pawlik, Milena; Rowlands, Kate

    2017-09-01

    Active galactic nuclei (AGNs), particularly the most luminous AGNs, are commonly assumed to be triggered through major mergers; however, observational evidence for this scenario is mixed. To investigate any influence of galaxy mergers on AGN triggering and luminosities through cosmic time, we present a sample of 106 luminous X-ray-selected type 1 AGNs from the COSMOS survey. These AGNs occupy a large redshift range (0.5 < z < 2.2) and two orders of magnitude in X-ray luminosity (˜1043-1045 erg s-1). AGN hosts are carefully mass and redshift matched to 486 control galaxies. A novel technique for identifying and quantifying merger features in galaxies is developed, subtracting galfit galaxy models and quantifying the residuals. Comparison to visual classification confirms this measure reliably picks out disturbance features in galaxies. No enhancement of merger features with increasing AGN luminosity is found with this metric, or by visual inspection. We analyse the redshift evolution of AGNs associated with galaxy mergers and find no merger enhancement in lower redshift bins. Contrarily, in the highest redshift bin (z ˜ 2) AGNs are ˜4 times more likely to be in galaxies exhibiting evidence of morphological disturbance compared to control galaxies, at 99 per cent confidence level (˜2.4σ) from visual inspection. Since only ˜15 per cent of these AGNs are found to be in morphologically disturbed galaxies, it is implied that major mergers at high redshift make a noticeable but subdominant contribution to AGN fuelling. At low redshifts, other processes dominate and mergers become a less significant triggering mechanism.

  15. Photometric Redshifts with the LSST: Evaluating Survey Observing Strategies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Graham, Melissa L.; Connolly, Andrew J.; Ivezić, Željko; Schmidt, Samuel J.; Jones, R. Lynne; Jurić, Mario; Daniel, Scott F.; Yoachim, Peter

    2018-01-01

    In this paper we present and characterize a nearest-neighbors color-matching photometric redshift estimator that features a direct relationship between the precision and accuracy of the input magnitudes and the output photometric redshifts. This aspect makes our estimator an ideal tool for evaluating the impact of changes to LSST survey parameters that affect the measurement errors of the photometry, which is the main motivation of our work (i.e., it is not intended to provide the “best” photometric redshifts for LSST data). We show how the photometric redshifts will improve with time over the 10 year LSST survey and confirm that the nominal distribution of visits per filter provides the most accurate photo-z results. The LSST survey strategy naturally produces observations over a range of airmass, which offers the opportunity of using an SED- and z-dependent atmospheric affect on the observed photometry as a color-independent redshift indicator. We show that measuring this airmass effect and including it as a prior has the potential to improve the photometric redshifts and can ameliorate extreme outliers, but that it will only be adequately measured for the brightest galaxies, which limits its overall impact on LSST photometric redshifts. We furthermore demonstrate how this airmass effect can induce a bias in the photo-z results, and caution against survey strategies that prioritize high-airmass observations for the purpose of improving this prior. Ultimately, we intend for this work to serve as a guide for the expectations and preparations of the LSST science community with regard to the minimum quality of photo-z as the survey progresses.

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

    Kruehler, Thomas; Malesani, Daniele; Milvang-Jensen, Bo

    We present simultaneous optical and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy of 19 Swift {gamma}-ray burst (GRB) host galaxies observed with the VLT/X-shooter with the aim of measuring their redshifts. Galaxies were selected from The Optically Unbiased GRB Host (TOUGH) survey (15 of the 19 galaxies) or because they hosted GRBs without a bright optical afterglow. Here we provide emission-line redshifts for 13 of the observed galaxies with brightnesses between F606W > 27 mag and R = 22.9 mag (median R-tilde =24.6 mag). The median redshift is z-tilde =2.1 for all hosts and z-tilde =2.3 for the TOUGH hosts. Our new data significantlymore » improve the redshift completeness of the TOUGH survey, which now stands at 77% (53 out of 69 GRBs). They furthermore provide accurate redshifts for nine prototype dark GRBs (e.g., GRB 071021 at z = 2.452 and GRB 080207 at z = 2.086), which are exemplary of GRBs where redshifts are challenging to obtain via afterglow spectroscopy. This establishes X-shooter spectroscopy as an efficient tool for redshift determination of faint, star-forming, high-redshift galaxies such as GRB hosts. It is hence a further step toward removing the bias in GRB samples that is caused by optically dark events, and provides the basis for a better understanding of the conditions in which GRBs form. The distribution of column densities as measured from X-ray data (N{sub H,X}), for example, is closely related to the darkness of the afterglow and skewed toward low N{sub H,X} values in samples that are dominated by bursts with bright optical afterglows.« less

  17. The Megamaser Cosmology Project. X. High-resolution Maps and Mass Constraints for SMBHs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, W.; Braatz, J. A.; Condon, J. J.; Lo, K. Y.; Reid, M. J.; Henkel, C.; Pesce, D. W.; Greene, J. E.; Gao, F.; Kuo, C. Y.; Impellizzeri, C. M. V.

    2018-02-01

    We present high-resolution (submas) Very Long Baseline Interferometry maps of nuclear H2O megamasers for seven galaxies. In UGC 6093, the well-aligned systemic masers and high-velocity masers originate in an edge-on, flat disk and we determine the mass of the central supermassive black holes (SMBH) to be M SMBH = 2.58 × 107 M ⊙ (±7%). For J1346+5228, the distribution of masers is consistent with a disk, but the faint high-velocity masers are only marginally detected, and we constrain the mass of the SMBH to be in the range (1.5–2.0) × 107 M ⊙. The origin of the masers in Mrk 1210 is less clear, as the systemic and high-velocity masers are misaligned and show a disorganized velocity structure. We present one possible model in which the masers originate in a tilted, warped disk, but we do not rule out the possibility of other explanations including outflow masers. In NGC 6926, we detect a set of redshifted masers, clustered within a parsec of each other, and a single blueshifted maser about 4.4 pc away, an offset that would be unusually large for a maser disk system. Nevertheless, if it is a disk system, we estimate the enclosed mass to be M SMBH < 4.8 × 107 M ⊙. For NGC 5793, we detect redshifted masers spaced about 1.4 pc from a clustered set of blueshifted features. The orientation of the structure supports a disk scenario as suggested by Hagiwara et al. We estimate the enclosed mass to be M SMBH < 1.3 × 107 M ⊙. For NGC 2824 and J0350‑0127, the masers may be associated with parsec- or subparsec-scale jets or outflows.

  18. A quadruple quasar coincident with a giant Ly-alpha nebula and a protocluster at z=2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vignali, Cristian

    2016-09-01

    We propose to observe the only known quadruple AGN system in the Universe, embedded in a giant Ly-alpha nebula at z 2. These active nuclei and the large number of Ly-alpha emitting galaxies at the same redshift are clear indications that this is one of the most overdense protoclusters known z 2. We request a 140 ks Chandra exposure to (a) define the basic X-ray properties of all the AGN and then their bolometric luminosities and Eddington ratios, and compare these with those of "isolated" quasars at similar redshifts/luminosities; (b) detect the hot gas emission in the protocluster. Chandra is unique for this investigation: the close (few arcsec) distance of some of the AGN needs high spatial resolution, and the extended emission requires low background contribution.

  19. Identifications and Photometric Redshifts of the 2 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South Sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, B.; Brandt, W. N.; Xue, Y. Q.; Brusa, M.; Alexander, D. M.; Bauer, F. E.; Comastri, A.; Koekemoer, A.; Lehmer, B. D.; Mainieri, V.; Rafferty, D. A.; Schneider, D. P.; Silverman, J. D.; Vignali, C.

    2010-04-01

    We present reliable multiwavelength identifications and high-quality photometric redshifts for the 462 X-ray sources in the ≈2 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South (CDF-S) survey. Source identifications are carried out using deep optical-to-radio multiwavelength catalogs, and are then combined to create lists of primary and secondary counterparts for the X-ray sources. We identified reliable counterparts for 442 (95.7%) of the X-ray sources, with an expected false-match probability of ≈ 6.2%; we also selected four additional likely counterparts. The majority of the other 16 X-ray sources appear to be off-nuclear sources, sources associated with galaxy groups and clusters, high-redshift active galactic nuclei (AGNs), or spurious X-ray sources. A likelihood-ratio method is used for source matching, which effectively reduces the false-match probability at faint magnitudes compared to a simple error-circle matching method. We construct a master photometric catalog for the identified X-ray sources including up to 42 bands of UV-to-infrared data, and then calculate their photometric redshifts (photo-z's). High accuracy in the derived photo-z's is accomplished owing to (1) the up-to-date photometric data covering the full spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the X-ray sources, (2) more accurate photometric data as a result of source deblending for ≈10% of the sources in the infrared bands and a few percent in the optical and near-infrared bands, (3) a set of 265 galaxy, AGN, and galaxy/AGN hybrid templates carefully constructed to best represent all possible SEDs, (4) the Zurich Extragalactic Bayesian Redshift Analyzer used to derive the photo-z's, which corrects the SED templates to best represent the SEDs of real sources at different redshifts and thus improves the photo-z quality. The reliability of the photo-z's is evaluated using the subsample of 220 sources with secure spectroscopic redshifts. We achieve an accuracy of |Δz|/(1 + z) ≈ 1% and an outlier [with |Δz|/(1 + z)>0.15] fraction of ≈1.4% for sources with spectroscopic redshifts. We performed blind tests to derive a more realistic estimate of the photo-z quality for sources without spectroscopic redshifts. We expect there are ≈9% outliers for the relatively brighter sources (R <~ 26), and the outlier fraction will increase to ≈15%-25% for the fainter sources (R >~ 26). The typical photo-z accuracy is ≈6%-7%. The outlier fraction and photo-z accuracy do not appear to have a redshift dependence (for z ≈ 0-4). These photo-z's appear to be the best obtained so far for faint X-ray sources, and they have been significantly (gsim50%) improved compared to previous estimates of the photo-z's for the X-ray sources in the ≈2 Ms Chandra Deep Field-North and ≈1 Ms CDF-S.

  20. Concentrations of Simulated Dark Matter Halos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Child, Hillary

    2017-01-01

    We present the concentration-mass (c-M) relation of dark matter halos in two new high-volume high-resolution cosmological N-body simulations, Q Continuum and Outer Rim. Concentration describes the density of the central regions of halos; it is highest for low-mass halos at low redshift, decreasing at high mass and redshift. The shape of the c-M relation is an important probe of cosmology. We discuss the redshift dependence of the c-M relation, several different methods to determine concentrations of simulated halos, and potential sources of bias in concentration measurements. To connect to lensing observations, we stack halos, which also allows us to assess the suitability of the Navarro-Frenk-White profile and other profiles, such as Einasto, with an additional shape parameter. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. DGE-1144082.

  1. Age of high redshift objects—a litmus test for the dark energy models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jain, Deepak; Dev, Abha

    2006-02-01

    The discovery of the quasar, the APM 08279+5255 at z=3.91 whose age is 2 3 Gyr has once again led to “age crisis”. The noticeable fact about this object is that it cannot be accommodated in a universe with Ω=0.27, currently accepted value of matter density parameter and ω=const. In this work, we explore the concordance of various dark energy parameterizations (w(z) models) with the age estimates of the old high redshift objects. It is alarming to note that the quasar cannot be accommodated in any dark energy model even for Ω=0.23, which corresponds to 1σ deviation below the best fit value provided by WMAP. There is a need to look for alternative cosmologies or some other dark energy parameterizations which allow the existence of the high redshift objects.

  2. Unveiling early black holes with JWST

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Natarajan, Priyamvada

    The formation of direct collapse black hole seeds with masses ~104 - 105 ~M⊙ could help explain the assembly of supermassive black holes powering high redshift quasars. Conditions conducive to the formation of these massive initial seeds exist at high redshift. Halos hosting these massive seeds merge promptly with a nearby galaxy. These early stage mergers at high redshift produce a new class of transient galaxies that contain an accreting black hole that is over-massive compared to the newly acquired stellar component - Obese Black hole Galaxies (OBGs). During this phase, the accretion luminosity of the direct collapse black hole seed exceeds that of the acquired stellar component. Here we calculate the multi-wavelength spectrum of this short-lived OBG stage, and show that there exist unique observational signatures in long wavelengths spanning near, mid to far-infrared that should be detectable by instruments aboard the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

  3. Spectroscopic characterization of galaxy clusters in RCS-1: spectroscopic confirmation, redshift accuracy, and dynamical mass-richness relation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gilbank, David G.; Barrientos, L. Felipe; Ellingson, Erica; Blindert, Kris; Yee, H. K. C.; Anguita, T.; Gladders, M. D.; Hall, P. B.; Hertling, G.; Infante, L.; Yan, R.; Carrasco, M.; Garcia-Vergara, Cristina; Dawson, K. S.; Lidman, C.; Morokuma, T.

    2018-05-01

    We present follow-up spectroscopic observations of galaxy clusters from the first Red-sequence Cluster Survey (RCS-1). This work focuses on two samples, a lower redshift sample of ˜30 clusters ranging in redshift from z ˜ 0.2-0.6 observed with multiobject spectroscopy (MOS) on 4-6.5-m class telescopes and a z ˜ 1 sample of ˜10 clusters 8-m class telescope observations. We examine the detection efficiency and redshift accuracy of the now widely used red-sequence technique for selecting clusters via overdensities of red-sequence galaxies. Using both these data and extended samples including previously published RCS-1 spectroscopy and spectroscopic redshifts from SDSS, we find that the red-sequence redshift using simple two-filter cluster photometric redshifts is accurate to σz ≈ 0.035(1 + z) in RCS-1. This accuracy can potentially be improved with better survey photometric calibration. For the lower redshift sample, ˜5 per cent of clusters show some (minor) contamination from secondary systems with the same red-sequence intruding into the measurement aperture of the original cluster. At z ˜ 1, the rate rises to ˜20 per cent. Approximately ten per cent of projections are expected to be serious, where the two components contribute significant numbers of their red-sequence galaxies to another cluster. Finally, we present a preliminary study of the mass-richness calibration using velocity dispersions to probe the dynamical masses of the clusters. We find a relation broadly consistent with that seen in the local universe from the WINGS sample at z ˜ 0.05.

  4. Sky Mining - Application to Photomorphic Redshift Estimation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nayak, Pragyansmita

    The field of astronomy has evolved from the ancient craft of observing the sky. In it's present form, astronomers explore the cosmos not just by observing through the tiny visible window used by our eyes, but also by exploiting the electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays. The domain is undoubtedly at the forefront of data-driven science. The data growth rate is expected to be around 50%--100% per year. This data explosion is attributed largely to the large-scale wide and deep surveys of the different regions of the sky at multiple wavelengths (both ground and space-based surveys). This dissertation describes the application of machine learning methods to the estimation of galaxy redshifts leveraging such a survey data. Galaxy is a large system of stars held together by mutual gravitation and isolated from similar systems by vast regions of space. Our view of the universe is closely tied to our understanding of galaxy formation. Thus, a better understanding of the relative location of the multitudes of galaxies is crucial. The position of each galaxy can be characterized using three coordinates. Right Ascension (ra) and Declination (dec) are the two coordinates that locate the galaxy in two dimensions on the plane of the sky. It is relatively straightforward to measure them. In contrast, fixing the third coordinate that is the galaxy's distance from the observer along the line of sight (redshift 'z') is considerably more challenging. "Spectroscopic redshift" method gives us accurate and precise measurements of z. However, it is extremely time-intensive and unusable for faint objects. Additionally, the rate at which objects are being identified via photometric surveys far exceeds the rate at which the spectroscopic redshift measurements can keep pace in determining their distance. As the surveys go deeper into the sky, the proportion of faint objects being identified also continues to increase. In order to tackle both these drawbacks increasing in severity every day, alternative method "Photometric redshift" has been studied in the past. It uses the brightness of the object viewed through various standard filters, each of which lets through a relatively broad spectrum of colors. However, these methods are bound by the degeneracy problem (objects with different color profiles have the same redshift) which leads to low predictive accuracy. As part of our study, we are looking beyond color attributes to identify other measured attributes as degeneracy resolvers as well as generate estimators that are highly accurate; termed as "Photomorphic redshift" estimators. The present study investigates the photometric information of the objects such as color and magnitude (= observed flux) and morphology attributes such as shape, size, orientation and concentration in the different wavelengths. The specific type of magnitude used in this study are the PSF, Fiber and Petrosian magnitude. The morphology attributes are the ratio of Fiber to Petrosian magnitude, concentration index and Petrosian radius. All these attributes are in the five bands ugriz of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Machine learning techniques based on Naive Bayes (NB), Bayesian Network (BN) and Generalized Linear Model (GLM) are researched to better understand their applicability, advantages and resulting predictive performance in terms of efficiency and accuracy. Note: The SDSS Data Release (DR) 10 data was used in the executed experiments (total of 700,777 galaxies with forty-five attributes associated with each galaxy). The significant findings of the present work are as follows: 1. Magnitude and morphology attributes have been found to be successful degeneracy resolvers. 2. Magnitude and morphology attributes have been found to be better redshift estimators than color attributes alone. 3. Naive Bayes, Bayesian Network and GLM have been found to be viable redshift estimation methods. Attribute selection is an important factor in computational performance. 4. In addition to the redshift estimate, the likelihood distribution of the estimate is even more useful, and my Bayesian Network models provide that information. This is particularly useful in ensemble methods as well as the kernel for mass distribution in the universe. 5. The generated Bayesian Network models can be applied to any of the variables, not just limited to redshift. Example applications include quality analysis and missing value imputation. Different types of Bayesian Network learning algorithms---constraint-based, score-based and hybrid---were investigated in detail.

  5. OT2_eegami_6: SPIRE Snapshot Survey II: Using SPT/CODEX Massive Clusters as Powerful Gravitational Lenses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Egami, E.

    2011-09-01

    On the extragalactic side, one of the most remarkable results coming out of Herschel is the discovery of extremely bright (>100 mJy in the SPIRE bands) gravitationally lensed galaxies. The great sensitivity and mapping speed of SPIRE have enabled us to find these rare extraordinary objects. What is truly exciting about these bright lensed galaxies is that they enable a variety of detailed multi-wavelength follow-up observations, shedding new light on the physical properties of these high-redshift sources. In this regard, our OT1 program, "SPIRE Snapshot Survey of Massive Galaxy Clusters" turned out to be a great success. After imaging ~50 galaxies out of 279 in the program, we have already found two spectacularly bright lensed galaxies, one of which is at a redshift of 4.69. This type of cluster-lensed sources are not only bright but also spatially stretched over a large scale, so ALMA (or NOEMA in the north) is likely to be able to study them at the level of individual GMCs. Such studies will open up a new frontier in the study of high-redshift galaxies. Here, we propose to extend this highly efficient and effective survey of gravitationally lensed galaxies to another 353 clusters carefully chosen from the SPT and CODEX cluster samples. These samples contain newly discovered high-redshift (z>0.3) massive (>3-4e14 Msun) clusters, which can be used as powerful gravitational lenses to magnify sources at high redshift. With the OT1 and OT2 surveys together, we expect to find ~20 highly magnified SPIRE sources with exceptional brightnesses (assuming a discovery rate of ~1/30). Such a unique sample of extraordinary objects will enable a variety of follow-up sciences, and will therefore remain as a great legacy of the Herschel mission for years to come.

  6. 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.

  7. Evolution Of The Galaxy Major Merger Rate Since Z 6 In The Muse Hubble Ultra Deep Field Survey.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ventou, E.; Contini, T.; MUSE-GTO Collaboration

    2017-06-01

    Over the past two decades, strong evidence that galaxies have undergone a significant evolution over cosmic time were found. Do galaxy mergers, one of the main driving mechanisms behind the growth of galaxies, played a key role in their evolution at significant look-back time? Due to the difficulty to identify these violent interactions between galaxies at high redshifts, the major merger rate, involving two galaxies of similar masses, was constrained so far up to redshift z 3, from previous studies of spectrocopic pair counts. Thanks to MUSE, which is perfectly suited to identify close pairs of galaxies with secure spectroscopic redshifts, we are now able to extend such studies up to z 6. I will present the results obtained from deep (10-30h) MUSE observations in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. We provide the first constraints on the galaxy major merger evolution over 12 Gyrs (0.2 < z < 6) and over a broad range of stellar masses, showing that there is a flattening of the major merger rate evolution at very high redshift.

  8. Selection of High-Redshift QSOs using Subaru and CFHT Photometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Victoria; White, Cameron; Hasinger, Guenther; Hu, Esther

    2018-01-01

    We present 31 high redshift (5.0 ≤ z ≤ 6.0) quasar candidates using photometry from the Subaru and Canada France Hawaii telescopes. These candidates were observed as part of the Hawaii EROsita Ecliptic Pole Survey (HEROES) of the North Ecliptic Pole in 2016 and again in 2017. The ongoing HEROES survey is gathering ground-based imaging data in preparation for the eROSITA X-Ray mission. For this selection, we utilized optical-near IR imaging data of a 36 square degree field in one narrowband and five broadband filters on Subaru’s Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC). We also utilized less complete coverage of the field in the U and J bands from CFHT’s MegaCam and WIRCam respectively. Photometric redshifts were calculated using SED fitting techniques in comparison with stellar, quasar, and galaxy models. Selections were then made through extendedness cuts, color-color comparisons, and color-redshift plots. Follow-up spectroscopic observations of these candidates with the DEIMOS spectrograph on Keck and X-Ray observations with eROSITA in the coming years will allow for reliable classifications of our selected candidates.

  9. The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Cross-Correlation of Cosmic Microwave Background Lensing and Quasars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sherwin, Blake D; Das, Sudeep; Haijian, Amir; Addison, Graeme; Bond, Richard; Crichton, Devin; Devlin, Mark J.; Dunkley, Joanna; Gralla, Megan B.; Halpern, Mark; hide

    2012-01-01

    We measure the cross-correlation of Atacama cosmology telescope cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing convergence maps with quasar maps made from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR8 SDSS-XDQSO photometric catalog. The CMB lensing quasar cross-power spectrum is detected for the first time at a significance of 3.8 sigma, which directly confirms that the quasar distribution traces the mass distribution at high redshifts z > 1. Our detection passes a number of null tests and systematic checks. Using this cross-power spectrum, we measure the amplitude of the linear quasar bias assuming a template for its redshift dependence, and find the amplitude to be consistent with an earlier measurement from clustering; at redshift z ap 1.4, the peak of the distribution of quasars in our maps, our measurement corresponds to a bias of b = 2.5 +/- 0.6. With the signal-to-noise ratio on CMB lensing measurements likely to improve by an order of magnitude over the next few years, our results demonstrate the potential of CMB lensing crosscorrelations to probe astrophysics at high redshifts.

  10. A High Space Density of Luminous Lyman Alpha Emitters at z ∼ 6.5

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bagley, Micaela B.; Scarlata, Claudia; Henry, Alaina; Rafelski, Marc; Malkan, Matthew; Teplitz, Harry; Dai, Y. Sophia; Baronchelli, Ivano; Colbert, James; Rutkowski, Michael; Mehta, Vihang; Dressler, Alan; McCarthy, Patrick; Bunker, Andrew; Atek, Hakim; Garel, Thibault; Martin, Crystal L.; Hathi, Nimish; Siana, Brian

    2017-03-01

    We present the results of a systematic search for Lyα emitters (LAEs) at 6≲ z≲ 7.6 using the HST WFC3 Infrared Spectroscopic Parallel (WISP) Survey. Our total volume over this redshift range is ∼ 8× {10}5 Mpc3, comparable to many of the narrowband surveys despite their larger area coverage. We find two LAEs at z = 6.38 and 6.44 with line luminosities of {L}Lyα }∼ 4.7× {10}43 erg s‑1, putting them among the brightest LAEs discovered at these redshifts. Taking advantage of the broad spectral coverage of WISP, we are able to rule out almost all lower-redshift contaminants. The WISP LAEs have a high number density of 7.7× {10}-6 Mpc‑3. We argue that the LAEs reside in megaparsec-scale ionized bubbles that allow the Lyα photons to redshift out of resonance before encountering the neutral intergalactic medium. We discuss possible ionizing sources and conclude that the observed LAEs alone are not sufficient to ionize the bubbles.

  11. Are High-redshift Galaxies Hot? Temperature of z > 5 Galaxies and Implications for Their Dust Properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faisst, Andreas L.; Capak, Peter L.; Yan, Lin; Pavesi, Riccardo; Riechers, Dominik A.; Barišić, Ivana; Cooke, Kevin C.; Kartaltepe, Jeyhan S.; Masters, Daniel C.

    2017-09-01

    Recent studies have found a significant evolution and scatter in the relationship between the UV spectral slope (β UV) and the infrared excess (IRX; L IR/L UV) at z > 4, suggesting different dust properties of these galaxies. The total far-infrared (FIR) luminosity is key for this analysis, but it is poorly constrained in normal (main-sequence) star-forming z > 5 galaxies, where often only one single FIR point is available. To better inform estimates of the FIR luminosity, we construct a sample of local galaxies and three low-redshift analogues of z > 5 systems. The trends in this sample suggest that normal high-redshift galaxies have a warmer infrared (IR) spectral energy distribution (SED) compared to average z < 4 galaxies that are used as priors in these studies. The blueshifted peak and mid-IR excess emission could be explained by a combination of a larger fraction of metal-poor interstellar medium being optically thin to ultraviolet (UV) light and a stronger UV radiation field due to high star formation densities. Assuming a maximally warm IR SED suggests a 0.6 dex increase in total FIR luminosities, which removes some tension between the dust attenuation models and observations of the IRX-β relation at z > 5. Despite this, some galaxies still fall below the minimum IRX-β relation derived with standard dust cloud models. We propose that radiation pressure in these highly star-forming galaxies causes a spatial offset between dust clouds and young star-forming regions within the lifetime of O/B stars. These offsets change the radiation balance and create viewing-angle effects that can change UV colors at fixed IRX. We provide a modified model that can explain the location of these galaxies on the IRX-β diagram.

  12. Energy transfer networks: Quasicontinuum photoluminescence linked to high densities of defects

    DOE PAGES

    Laurence, Ted A.; Ly, Sonny; Bude, Jeff D.; ...

    2017-11-06

    In a series of studies related to laser-induced damage of optical materials and deposition of plastics, we discovered a broadly emitting photoluminescence with fast lifetimes that we termed quasicontinuum photoluminescence (QC-PL). Here in this paper, we suggest that a high density of optically active defects leads to QC-PL, where interactions between defects affect the temporal and spectral characteristics of both excitation and emission. We develop a model that predicts the temporal characteristics of QC-PL, based on energy transfer interactions between high densities of defects. Our model does not explain all spectral broadening and redshifts found in QC-PL, since we domore » not model spectral changes in defects due to proximity to other defects. However, we do provide an example of a well-defined system that exhibits the QC-PL characteristics of a distribution in shortened lifetimes and broadened, redshifted energy levels: an organic chromophore (fluorescein) that has been dried rapidly on a fused silica surface. Recently, we showed that regions of fused silica exposed to up to 1 billion high-fluence laser shots at 351 rm nm at subdamage fluences exhibit significant transmission losses at the surface. Here, we find that these laser-exposed regions also exhibit QC-PL. Increases in the density of induced defects on these laser-exposed surfaces, as measured by the local transmission loss, lead to decreases in the observed lifetime and redshifts in the spectrum of the QC-PL, consistent with our explanation for QC-PL. In conclusion, we have found QC-PL in an increasing variety of situations and materials, and we believe it is a phenomenon commonly found on surfaces and nanostructured materials.« less

  13. Energy transfer networks: Quasicontinuum photoluminescence linked to high densities of defects

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

    Laurence, Ted A.; Ly, Sonny; Bude, Jeff D.

    In a series of studies related to laser-induced damage of optical materials and deposition of plastics, we discovered a broadly emitting photoluminescence with fast lifetimes that we termed quasicontinuum photoluminescence (QC-PL). Here in this paper, we suggest that a high density of optically active defects leads to QC-PL, where interactions between defects affect the temporal and spectral characteristics of both excitation and emission. We develop a model that predicts the temporal characteristics of QC-PL, based on energy transfer interactions between high densities of defects. Our model does not explain all spectral broadening and redshifts found in QC-PL, since we domore » not model spectral changes in defects due to proximity to other defects. However, we do provide an example of a well-defined system that exhibits the QC-PL characteristics of a distribution in shortened lifetimes and broadened, redshifted energy levels: an organic chromophore (fluorescein) that has been dried rapidly on a fused silica surface. Recently, we showed that regions of fused silica exposed to up to 1 billion high-fluence laser shots at 351 rm nm at subdamage fluences exhibit significant transmission losses at the surface. Here, we find that these laser-exposed regions also exhibit QC-PL. Increases in the density of induced defects on these laser-exposed surfaces, as measured by the local transmission loss, lead to decreases in the observed lifetime and redshifts in the spectrum of the QC-PL, consistent with our explanation for QC-PL. In conclusion, we have found QC-PL in an increasing variety of situations and materials, and we believe it is a phenomenon commonly found on surfaces and nanostructured materials.« less

  14. Energy transfer networks: Quasicontinuum photoluminescence linked to high densities of defects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laurence, Ted A.; Ly, Sonny; Bude, Jeff D.; Baxamusa, Salmaan H.; Lepró, Xavier; Ehrmann, Paul

    2017-11-01

    In a series of studies related to laser-induced damage of optical materials and deposition of plastics, we discovered a broadly emitting photoluminescence with fast lifetimes that we termed quasicontinuum photoluminescence (QC-PL). Here, we suggest that a high density of optically active defects leads to QC-PL, where interactions between defects affect the temporal and spectral characteristics of both excitation and emission. We develop a model that predicts the temporal characteristics of QC-PL, based on energy transfer interactions between high densities of defects. Our model does not explain all spectral broadening and redshifts found in QC-PL, since we do not model spectral changes in defects due to proximity to other defects. However, we do provide an example of a well-defined system that exhibits the QC-PL characteristics of a distribution in shortened lifetimes and broadened, redshifted energy levels: an organic chromophore (fluorescein) that has been dried rapidly on a fused silica surface. Recently, we showed that regions of fused silica exposed to up to 1 billion high-fluence laser shots at 351 rm nm at subdamage fluences exhibit significant transmission losses at the surface. Here, we find that these laser-exposed regions also exhibit QC-PL. Increases in the density of induced defects on these laser-exposed surfaces, as measured by the local transmission loss, lead to decreases in the observed lifetime and redshifts in the spectrum of the QC-PL, consistent with our explanation for QC-PL. We have found QC-PL in an increasing variety of situations and materials, and we believe it is a phenomenon commonly found on surfaces and nanostructured materials.

  15. Improving Photometric Redshifts for Hyper Suprime-Cam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Speagle, Josh S.; Leauthaud, Alexie; Eisenstein, Daniel; Bundy, Kevin; Capak, Peter L.; Leistedt, Boris; Masters, Daniel C.; Mortlock, Daniel; Peiris, Hiranya; HSC Photo-z Team; HSC Weak Lensing Team

    2017-01-01

    Deriving accurate photometric redshift (photo-z) probability distribution functions (PDFs) are crucial science components for current and upcoming large-scale surveys. We outline how rigorous Bayesian inference and machine learning can be combined to quickly derive joint photo-z PDFs to individual galaxies and their parent populations. Using the first 170 deg^2 of data from the ongoing Hyper Suprime-Cam survey, we demonstrate our method is able to generate accurate predictions and reliable credible intervals over ~370k high-quality redshifts. We then use galaxy-galaxy lensing to empirically validate our predicted photo-z's over ~14M objects, finding a robust signal.

  16. Reconstructing the dark sector interaction with LISA

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

    Cai, Rong-Gen; Yang, Tao; Tamanini, Nicola, E-mail: cairg@itp.ac.cn, E-mail: nicola.tamanini@cea.fr, E-mail: yangtao@itp.ac.cn

    We perform a forecast analysis of the ability of the LISA space-based interferometer to reconstruct the dark sector interaction using gravitational wave standard sirens at high redshift. We employ Gaussian process methods to reconstruct the distance-redshift relation in a model independent way. We adopt simulated catalogues of standard sirens given by merging massive black hole binaries visible by LISA, with an electromagnetic counterpart detectable by future telescopes. The catalogues are based on three different astrophysical scenarios for the evolution of massive black hole mergers based on the semi-analytic model of E. Barausse, Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc. 423 (2012) 2533.more » We first use these standard siren datasets to assess the potential of LISA in reconstructing a possible interaction between vacuum dark energy and dark matter. Then we combine the LISA cosmological data with supernovae data simulated for the Dark Energy Survey. We consider two scenarios distinguished by the time duration of the LISA mission: 5 and 10 years. Using only LISA standard siren data, the dark sector interaction can be well reconstructed from redshift z ∼1 to z ∼3 (for a 5 years mission) and z ∼1 up to z ∼5 (for a 10 years mission), though the reconstruction is inefficient at lower redshift. When combined with the DES datasets, the interaction is well reconstructed in the whole redshift region from 0 z ∼ to z ∼3 (5 yr) and z ∼0 to z ∼5 (10 yr), respectively. Massive black hole binary standard sirens can thus be used to constrain the dark sector interaction at redshift ranges not reachable by usual supernovae datasets which probe only the z ∼< 1.5 range. Gravitational wave standard sirens will not only constitute a complementary and alternative way, with respect to familiar electromagnetic observations, to probe the cosmic expansion, but will also provide new tests to constrain possible deviations from the standard ΛCDM dynamics, especially at high redshift.« less

  17. THE AGE SPREAD OF QUIESCENT GALAXIES WITH THE NEWFIRM MEDIUM-BAND SURVEY: IDENTIFICATION OF THE OLDEST GALAXIES OUT TO z {approx} 2

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

    Whitaker, Katherine E.; Van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Brammer, Gabriel

    2010-08-20

    With a complete, mass-selected sample of quiescent galaxies from the NEWFIRM Medium-Band Survey, we study the stellar populations of the oldest and most massive galaxies (>10{sup 11} M{sub sun}) to high redshift. The sample includes 570 quiescent galaxies selected based on their extinction-corrected U - V colors out to z = 2.2, with accurate photometric redshifts, {sigma} {sub z}/(1 + z) {approx} 2%, and rest-frame colors, {sigma}{sub U-V} {approx} 0.06 mag. We measure an increase in the intrinsic scatter of the rest-frame U - V colors of quiescent galaxies with redshift. This scatter in color arises from the spread inmore » ages of the quiescent galaxies, where we see both relatively quiescent red, old galaxies and quiescent blue, younger galaxies toward higher redshift. The trends between color and age are consistent with the observed composite rest-frame spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of these galaxies. The composite SEDs of the reddest and bluest quiescent galaxies are fundamentally different, with remarkably well-defined 4000 A and Balmer breaks, respectively. Some of the quiescent galaxies may be up to four times older than the average age and up to the age of the universe, if the assumption of solar metallicity is correct. By matching the scatter predicted by models that include growth of the red sequence by the transformation of blue galaxies to the observed intrinsic scatter, the data indicate that most early-type galaxies formed their stars at high redshift with a burst of star formation prior to migrating to the red sequence. The observed U - V color evolution with redshift is weaker than passive evolution predicts; possible mechanisms to slow the color evolution include increasing amounts of dust in quiescent galaxies toward higher redshift, red mergers at z {approx}< 1, and a frosting of relatively young stars from star formation at later times.« less

  18. Hiding in Plain Sight: An Abundance of Compact Massive Spheroids in the Local Universe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Graham, Alister W.; Dullo, Bililign T.; Savorgnan, Giulia A. D.

    2015-05-01

    It has been widely remarked that compact, massive, elliptical-like galaxies are abundant at high redshifts but exceedingly rare in the universe today, implying significant evolution such that their sizes at z ˜ 2 ± 0.6 have increased by factors of 3 to 6 to become today’s massive elliptical galaxies. These claims have been based on studies that measured the half-light radii of galaxies as though they are all single-component systems. Here we identify 21 spheroidal stellar systems within 90 Mpc that have half-light, major-axis radii {{R}e}≲ 2 kpc, stellar masses 0.7× {{10}11}\\lt {{M}*}/ {{M}⊙ }\\lt 1.4× {{10}11}, and Sérsic indices typically around a value of n = 2-3. This abundance of compact, massive spheroids in our own backyard—with a number density of 6.9× {{10}-6} Mpc-3 (or 3.5 × 10-5 Mpc-3 per unit dex-1 in stellar mass)—and with the same physical properties as the high-redshift galaxies, had been overlooked because they are encased in stellar disks that usually result in galaxy sizes notably larger than 2 kpc. Moreover, this number density is a lower limit because it has not come from a volume-limited sample. The actual density may be closer to 10-4, although further work is required to confirm this. We therefore conclude that not all massive “spheroids” have undergone dramatic structural and size evolution since z ˜ 2 ± 0.6. Given that the bulges of local early-type disk galaxies are known to consist of predominantly old stars that existed at z ˜ 2, it seems likely that some of the observed high-redshift spheroids did not increase in size by building (three-dimensional) triaxial envelopes as commonly advocated, and that the growth of (two-dimensional) disks has also been important over the past 9-11 billion years.

  19. Atomic and molecular far-infrared lines from high redshift galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vallini, L.

    2015-03-01

    The advent of Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA), with its unprecedented sensitivity, makes it possible the detection of far-infrared (FIR) metal cooling and molecular lines from the first galaxies that formed after the Big Bang. These lines represent a powerful tool to shed light on the physical properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) in high-redshift sources. In what follows we show the potential of a physically motivated theoretical approach that we developed to predict the ISM properties of high redshift galaxies. The model allows to infer, as a function of the metallicity, the luminosities of various FIR lines observable with ALMA. It is based on high resolution cosmological simulations of star-forming galaxies at the end of the Epoch of Reionization (z˜eq6) , further implemented with sub-grid physics describing the cooling and the heating processes that take place in the neutral diffuse ISM. Finally we show how a different approach based on semi-analytical calculations can allow to predict the CO flux function at z>6.

  20. THE SYSTEMATICS OF STRONG LENS MODELING QUANTIFIED: THE EFFECTS OF CONSTRAINT SELECTION AND REDSHIFT INFORMATION ON MAGNIFICATION, MASS, AND MULTIPLE IMAGE PREDICTABILITY

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

    Johnson, Traci L.; Sharon, Keren, E-mail: tljohn@umich.edu

    Until now, systematic errors in strong gravitational lens modeling have been acknowledged but have never been fully quantified. Here, we launch an investigation into the systematics induced by constraint selection. We model the simulated cluster Ares 362 times using random selections of image systems with and without spectroscopic redshifts and quantify the systematics using several diagnostics: image predictability, accuracy of model-predicted redshifts, enclosed mass, and magnification. We find that for models with >15 image systems, the image plane rms does not decrease significantly when more systems are added; however, the rms values quoted in the literature may be misleading asmore » to the ability of a model to predict new multiple images. The mass is well constrained near the Einstein radius in all cases, and systematic error drops to <2% for models using >10 image systems. Magnification errors are smallest along the straight portions of the critical curve, and the value of the magnification is systematically lower near curved portions. For >15 systems, the systematic error on magnification is ∼2%. We report no trend in magnification error with the fraction of spectroscopic image systems when selecting constraints at random; however, when using the same selection of constraints, increasing this fraction up to ∼0.5 will increase model accuracy. The results suggest that the selection of constraints, rather than quantity alone, determines the accuracy of the magnification. We note that spectroscopic follow-up of at least a few image systems is crucial because models without any spectroscopic redshifts are inaccurate across all of our diagnostics.« less

  1. The HectoMAP Cluster Survey. I. redMaPPer Clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sohn, Jubee; Geller, Margaret J.; Rines, Kenneth J.; Hwang, Ho Seong; Utsumi, Yousuke; Diaferio, Antonaldo

    2018-04-01

    We use the dense HectoMAP redshift survey to explore the properties of 104 redMaPPer cluster candidates. The redMaPPer systems in HectoMAP cover the full range of richness and redshift (0.08 < z < 0.60). Fifteen of the systems included in the Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam public data release are bona fide clusters. The median number of spectroscopic members per cluster is ∼20. We include redshifts of 3547 member candidates listed in the redMaPPer catalog whether they are cluster members or not. We evaluate the redMaPPer membership probability spectroscopically. The purity (number of real systems) in redMaPPer exceeds 90% even at the lowest richness. Three massive galaxy clusters (M ∼ 2 × 1013 M ⊙) associated with X-ray emission in the HectoMAP region are not included in the public redMaPPer catalog with λ rich > 20, because they lie outside the cuts for this catalog.

  2. The HectoMAP Cluster Survey. I. redMaPPer Clusters

    DOE PAGES

    Sohn, Jubee; Geller, Margaret J.; Rines, Kenneth J.; ...

    2018-04-05

    We use the dense HectoMAP redshift survey to explore the properties of 104 redMaPPer cluster candidates. The redMaPPer systems in HectoMAP cover the full range of richness and redshift (0.08 < z < 0.60). Fifteen of the systems included in the Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam public data release are bona fide clusters. The median number of spectroscopic members per cluster is ~20. We include redshifts of 3547 member candidates listed in the redMaPPer catalog whether they are cluster members or not. Here, we evaluate the redMaPPer membership probability spectroscopically. The purity (number of real systems) in redMaPPer exceeds 90% even at themore » lowest richness. Three massive galaxy clusters (M ~ 2 × 10 13 M ⊙) associated with X-ray emission in the HectoMAP region are not included in the public redMaPPer catalog with λ rich > 20, because they lie outside the cuts for this catalog.« less

  3. The HectoMAP Cluster Survey. I. redMaPPer Clusters

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

    Sohn, Jubee; Geller, Margaret J.; Rines, Kenneth J.

    We use the dense HectoMAP redshift survey to explore the properties of 104 redMaPPer cluster candidates. The redMaPPer systems in HectoMAP cover the full range of richness and redshift (0.08 < z < 0.60). Fifteen of the systems included in the Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam public data release are bona fide clusters. The median number of spectroscopic members per cluster is ~20. We include redshifts of 3547 member candidates listed in the redMaPPer catalog whether they are cluster members or not. Here, we evaluate the redMaPPer membership probability spectroscopically. The purity (number of real systems) in redMaPPer exceeds 90% even at themore » lowest richness. Three massive galaxy clusters (M ~ 2 × 10 13 M ⊙) associated with X-ray emission in the HectoMAP region are not included in the public redMaPPer catalog with λ rich > 20, because they lie outside the cuts for this catalog.« less

  4. VizieR Online Data Catalog: QSOs narrow absorption line variability (Hacker+, 2013)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hacker, T. L.; Brunner, R. J.; Lundgren, B. F.; York, D. G.

    2013-06-01

    Catalogues of 2,522 QAL systems and 33 variable NAL systems detected in SDSS DR7 quasars with repeat observations. The object identifiers, position coordinates, and plate-MJD-fibre designations are taken from the SpecObjAll table in the SDSS Catalogue Archive Server (CAS) while the quasar redshifts (zqso) are from Hewett & Wild (2010, Cat. J/MNRAS/405/2302). The absorption system redshift (zabs), system grade, and detected lines are outputs of the York et al. (2013, in. prep.) QAL detection pipeline. Some absorption lines are flagged based on alternate identifications (a), proximity of masked pixels (b), or questionable continuum fits (c). (3 data files).

  5. High-precision Predictions for the Acoustic Scale in the Nonlinear Regime

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seo, Hee-Jong; Eckel, Jonathan; Eisenstein, Daniel J.; Mehta, Kushal; Metchnik, Marc; Padmanabhan, Nikhil; Pinto, Phillip; Takahashi, Ryuichi; White, Martin; Xu, Xiaoying

    2010-09-01

    We measure shifts of the acoustic scale due to nonlinear growth and redshift distortions to a high precision using a very large volume of high-force-resolution simulations. We compare results from various sets of simulations that differ in their force, volume, and mass resolution. We find a consistency within 1.5σ for shift values from different simulations and derive shift α(z) - 1 = (0.300 ± 0.015) %[D(z)/D(0)]2 using our fiducial set. We find a strong correlation with a non-unity slope between shifts in real space and in redshift space and a weak correlation between the initial redshift and low redshift. Density-field reconstruction not only removes the mean shifts and reduces errors on the mean, but also tightens the correlations. After reconstruction, we recover a slope of near unity for the correlation between the real and redshift space and restore a strong correlation between the initial and the low redshifts. We derive propagators and mode-coupling terms from our N-body simulations and compare with the Zel'dovich approximation and the shifts measured from the χ2 fitting, respectively. We interpret the propagator and the mode-coupling term of a nonlinear density field in the context of an average and a dispersion of its complex Fourier coefficients relative to those of the linear density field; from these two terms, we derive a signal-to-noise ratio of the acoustic peak measurement. We attempt to improve our reconstruction method by implementing 2LPT and iterative operations, but we obtain little improvement. The Fisher matrix estimates of uncertainty in the acoustic scale is tested using 5000 h -3 Gpc3 of cosmological Particle-Mesh simulations from Takahashi et al. At an expected sample variance level of 1%, the agreement between the Fisher matrix estimates based on Seo and Eisenstein and the N-body results is better than 10%.

  6. Weak lensing magnification of SpARCS galaxy clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tudorica, A.; Hildebrandt, H.; Tewes, M.; Hoekstra, H.; Morrison, C. B.; Muzzin, A.; Wilson, G.; Yee, H. K. C.; Lidman, C.; Hicks, A.; Nantais, J.; Erben, T.; van der Burg, R. F. J.; Demarco, R.

    2017-12-01

    Context. Measuring and calibrating relations between cluster observables is critical for resource-limited studies. The mass-richness relation of clusters offers an observationally inexpensive way of estimating masses. Its calibration is essential for cluster and cosmological studies, especially for high-redshift clusters. Weak gravitational lensing magnification is a promising and complementary method to shear studies, that can be applied at higher redshifts. Aims: We aim to employ the weak lensing magnification method to calibrate the mass-richness relation up to a redshift of 1.4. We used the Spitzer Adaptation of the Red-Sequence Cluster Survey (SpARCS) galaxy cluster candidates (0.2 < z < 1.4) and optical data from the Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) to test whether magnification can be effectively used to constrain the mass of high-redshift clusters. Methods: Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) selected using the u-band dropout technique and their colours were used as a background sample of sources. LBG positions were cross-correlated with the centres of the sample of SpARCS clusters to estimate the magnification signal, which was optimally-weighted using an externally-calibrated LBG luminosity function. The signal was measured for cluster sub-samples, binned in both redshift and richness. Results: We measured the cross-correlation between the positions of galaxy cluster candidates and LBGs and detected a weak lensing magnification signal for all bins at a detection significance of 2.6-5.5σ. In particular, the significance of the measurement for clusters with z> 1.0 is 4.1σ; for the entire cluster sample we obtained an average M200 of 1.28 -0.21+0.23 × 1014 M⊙. Conclusions: Our measurements demonstrated the feasibility of using weak lensing magnification as a viable tool for determining the average halo masses for samples of high redshift galaxy clusters. The results also established the success of using galaxy over-densities to select massive clusters at z > 1. Additional studies are necessary for further modelling of the various systematic effects we discussed.

  7. Detection of molecular gas in the quasar BR1202 - 0725 at redshift z = 4.69.

    PubMed

    Ohta, K; Yamada, T; Nakanishi, K; Kohno, K; Akiyama, M; Kawabe, R

    1996-08-01

    Although great efforts have been made to locate molecular gas--the material out of which stars form--in the early Universe, there have been only two firm detections at high redshift. Both are gravitationally lensed objects at redshift z approximately = 2.5 (refs 9-14). Here we report the detection of CO emission from the radio-quiet quasar BR1202 - 0725, which is at redshift z = 4.69. From the observed CO luminosity, we estimate that almost 10(11) solar masses of molecular hydrogen are associated with the quasar; this is comparable to the stellar mass of a present-day luminous galaxy. Our results suggest that BR1202 - 0725 is a massive galaxy, in which the gas is largely concentrated in the central region, and that is currently undergoing a large burst of star formation.

  8. LOFAR-Boötes: properties of high- and low-excitation radio galaxies at 0.5 < z < 2.0

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, W. L.; Calistro Rivera, G.; Best, P. N.; Hardcastle, M. J.; Röttgering, H. J. A.; Duncan, K. J.; de Gasperin, F.; Jarvis, M. J.; Miley, G. K.; Mahony, E. K.; Morabito, L. K.; Nisbet, D. M.; Prandoni, I.; Smith, D. J. B.; Tasse, C.; White, G. J.

    2018-04-01

    This paper presents a study of the redshift evolution of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) as a function of the properties of their galaxy hosts in the Boötes field. To achieve this we match low-frequency radio sources from deep 150-MHz LOFAR (LOw Frequency ARray) observations to an I-band-selected catalogue of galaxies, for which we have derived photometric redshifts, stellar masses, and rest-frame colours. We present spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to determine the mid-infrared AGN contribution for the radio sources and use this information to classify them as high- versus low-excitation radio galaxies (HERGs and LERGs) or star-forming galaxies. Based on these classifications, we construct luminosity functions for the separate redshift ranges going out to z = 2. From the matched radio-optical catalogues, we select a sub-sample of 624 high power (P150 MHz > 1025 W Hz-1) radio sources between 0.5 ≤ z < 2. For this sample, we study the fraction of galaxies hosting HERGs and LERGs as a function of stellar mass and host galaxy colour. The fraction of HERGs increases with redshift, as does the fraction of sources in galaxies with lower stellar masses. We find that the fraction of galaxies that host LERGs is a strong function of stellar mass as it is in the local Universe. This, combined with the strong negative evolution of the LERG luminosity functions over this redshift range, is consistent with LERGs being fuelled by hot gas in quiescent galaxies.

  9. A unified model for galactic discs: star formation, turbulence driving, and mass transport

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krumholz, Mark R.; Burkhart, Blakesley; Forbes, John C.; Crocker, Roland M.

    2018-06-01

    We introduce a new model for the structure and evolution of the gas in galactic discs. In the model the gas is in vertical pressure and energy balance. Star formation feedback injects energy and momentum, and non-axisymmetric torques prevent the gas from becoming more than marginally gravitationally unstable. From these assumptions we derive the relationship between galaxies' bulk properties (gas surface density, stellar content, and rotation curve) and their star formation rates, gas velocity dispersions, and rates of radial inflow. We show that the turbulence in discs can be powered primarily by star formation feedback, radial transport, or a combination of the two. In contrast to models that omit either radial transport or star formation feedback, the predictions of this model yield excellent agreement with a wide range of observations, including the star formation law measured in both spatially resolved and unresolved data, the correlation between galaxies' star formation rates and velocity dispersions, and observed rates of radial inflow. The agreement holds across a wide range of galaxy mass and type, from local dwarfs to extreme starbursts to high-redshift discs. We apply the model to galaxies on the star-forming main sequence, and show that it predicts a transition from mostly gravity-driven turbulence at high redshift to star-formation-driven turbulence at low redshift. This transition and the changes in mass transport rates that it produces naturally explain why galaxy bulges tend to form at high redshift and discs at lower redshift, and why galaxies tend to quench inside-out.

  10. Dusty Quasars at High Redshifts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weedman, Daniel; Sargsyan, Lusine

    2016-09-01

    A population of quasars at z ˜ 2 is determined based on dust luminosities νL ν (7.8 μm) that includes unobscured, partially obscured, and obscured quasars. Quasars are classified by the ratio νL ν (0.25 μm)/νL ν (7.8 μm) = UV/IR, assumed to measure obscuration of UV luminosity by the dust that produces IR luminosity. Quasar counts at rest-frame 7.8 μm are determined for quasars in the Boötes field of the NOAO Deep Wide Field Survey using 24 μm sources with optical redshifts from the AGN and Galaxy Evolution Survey (AGES) or infrared redshifts from the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph. Spectral energy distributions are extended to far-infrared wavelengths using observations from the Herschel Space Observatory Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE), and new SPIRE photometry is presented for 77 high-redshift quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. It is found that unobscured and obscured quasars have similar space densities at rest-frame 7.8 μm, but the ratio L ν (100 μm)/L ν (7.8 μm) is about three times higher for obscured quasars than for unobscured, so that far-infrared or submillimeter quasar detections are dominated by obscured quasars. We find that only ˜5% of high-redshift submillimeter sources are quasars and that existing 850 μm surveys or 2 mm surveys should already have detected sources at z ˜ 10 if quasar and starburst luminosity functions remain the same from z = 2 until z = 10.

  11. 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

  12. The Lyman continuum escape fraction of low mass star-forming galaxies at z~1.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rutkowski, Michael J.; Scarlata, Claudia; Haardt, Francesco; Siana, Brian D.; Rafelski, Marc; Henry, Alaina L.; Hayes, Matthew; Salvato, Mara; Pahl, Anthony; Mehta, Vihang; Beck, Melanie; Malkan, Matthew Arnold; Teplitz, Harry I.

    2016-01-01

    Star-forming galaxies (SFGs) in the high redshift universe (z>6) are believed to ionize neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium during the epoch of reionization. We tested this assumption by studying likely analogs of these SFGs in archival HST grism spectroscopy with GALEX UV and ground-based optical images at the redshift range in which we can directly measure the rest-frame Lyman continuum (λ<912Å, LyC) emission. We selected ~1400 SFGs for study on the presence of strong Hα emission and strongly selected against those SFGs whose GALEX FUV photometry could be contaminated by low redshift interlopers along the line of sight to produce a sample of ~600 z~1 SFGs. We made no unambiguous detection of escaping Lyman continuum radiation in individual galaxies in this sample, and stacked the individual non-detections in order to constrain the absolute Lyman continuum escape fraction, fesc<2% (3σ). We sub-divided this sample and stacked SFGs to measure upper limits to fesc with respect to stellar mass,luminosity and relative orientation. For z~1 high Hα equivalent width (EW>200Å) SFGs, we found for the first time an upper limit to fesc<9%. We discuss the implications of these limits for the ionizing emissivity of high redshift SFGs during the epoch of reionization. We conclude that reionization by SFGs is only marginally consistent with independent Planck observations of the CMB electron scattering opacity unless the LyC escape fraction of SFGs increases with redshift and an unobserved population of faint (MUV<-13 AB) SFGs contributes significantly to the UV background.

  13. Direct Shear Mapping: Prospects for Weak Lensing Studies of Individual Galaxy-Galaxy Lensing Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Burgh-Day, C. O.; Taylor, E. N.; Webster, R. L.; Hopkins, A. M.

    2015-11-01

    Using both a theoretical and an empirical approach, we have investigated the frequency of low redshift galaxy-galaxy lensing systems in which the signature of 3D weak lensing might be directly detectable. We find good agreement between these two approaches. Using data from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly redshift survey we estimate the frequency of detectable weak lensing at low redshift. We find that below a redshift of z ~ 0.6, the probability of a galaxy being weakly lensed by γ ⩾ 0.02 is ~ 0.01. We have also investigated the feasibility of measuring the scatter in the M * - Mh relation using shear statistics. We estimate that for a shear measurement error of Δγ = 0.02 (consistent with the sensitivity of the Direct Shear Mapping technique), with a sample of ~50,000 spatially and spectrally resolved galaxies, the scatter in the M * - Mh relation could be measured. While there are currently no existing IFU surveys of this size, there are upcoming surveys that will provide this data (e.g The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), surveys with Hector, and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)).

  14. Comparative Ab-Initio Study of Substituted Norbornadiene-Quadricyclane Compounds for Solar Thermal Storage.

    PubMed

    Kuisma, Mikael J; Lundin, Angelica M; Moth-Poulsen, Kasper; Hyldgaard, Per; Erhart, Paul

    2016-02-25

    Molecular photoswitches that are capable of storing solar energy, so-called molecular solar thermal storage systems, are interesting candidates for future renewable energy applications. In this context, substituted norbornadiene-quadricyclane systems have received renewed interest due to recent advances in their synthesis. The optical, thermodynamic, and kinetic properties of these systems can vary dramatically depending on the chosen substituents. The molecular design of optimal compounds therefore requires a detailed understanding of the effect of individual substituents as well as their interplay. Here, we model absorption spectra, potential energy storage, and thermal barriers for back-conversion of several substituted systems using both single-reference (density functional theory using PBE, B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, M06, M06-2x, and M06-L functionals as well as MP2 calculations) and multireference methods (complete active space techniques). Already the diaryl substituted compound displays a strong red-shift compared to the unsubstituted system, which is shown to result from the extension of the conjugated π-system upon substitution. Using specific donor/acceptor groups gives rise to a further albeit relatively smaller red-shift. The calculated storage energy is found to be rather insensitive to the specific substituents, although solvent effects are likely to be important and require further study. The barrier for thermal back-conversion exhibits strong multireference character and as a result is noticeably correlated with the red-shift. Two possible reaction paths for the thermal back-conversion of diaryl substituted quadricyclane are identified and it is shown that among the compounds considered the path via the acceptor side is systematically favored. Finally, the present study establishes the basis for high-throughput screening of norbornadiene-quadricyclane compounds as it provides guidelines for the level of accuracy that can be expected for key properties from several different techniques.

  15. Strong-lensing analysis of A2744 with MUSE and Hubble Frontier Fields images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahler, G.; Richard, J.; Clément, B.; Lagattuta, D.; Schmidt, K.; Patrício, V.; Soucail, G.; Bacon, R.; Pello, R.; Bouwens, R.; Maseda, M.; Martinez, J.; Carollo, M.; Inami, H.; Leclercq, F.; Wisotzki, L.

    2018-01-01

    We present an analysis of Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations obtained on the massive Frontier Fields (FFs) cluster A2744. This new data set covers the entire multiply imaged region around the cluster core. The combined catalogue consists of 514 spectroscopic redshifts (with 414 new identifications). We use this redshift information to perform a strong-lensing analysis revising multiple images previously found in the deep FF images, and add three new MUSE-detected multiply imaged systems with no obvious Hubble Space Telescope counterpart. The combined strong-lensing constraints include a total of 60 systems producing 188 images altogether, out of which 29 systems and 83 images are spectroscopically confirmed, making A2744 one of the most well-constrained clusters to date. Thanks to the large amount of spectroscopic redshifts, we model the influence of substructures at larger radii, using a parametrization including two cluster-scale components in the cluster core and several group scale in the outskirts. The resulting model accurately reproduces all the spectroscopic multiple systems, reaching an rms of 0.67 arcsec in the image plane. The large number of MUSE spectroscopic redshifts gives us a robust model, which we estimate reduces the systematic uncertainty on the 2D mass distribution by up to ∼2.5 times the statistical uncertainty in the cluster core. In addition, from a combination of the parametrization and the set of constraints, we estimate the relative systematic uncertainty to be up to 9 per cent at 200 kpc.

  16. High resolution frequency analysis techniques with application to the redshift experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Decher, R.; Teuber, D.

    1975-01-01

    High resolution frequency analysis methods, with application to the gravitational probe redshift experiment, are discussed. For this experiment a resolution of .00001 Hz is required to measure a slowly varying, low frequency signal of approximately 1 Hz. Major building blocks include fast Fourier transform, discrete Fourier transform, Lagrange interpolation, golden section search, and adaptive matched filter technique. Accuracy, resolution, and computer effort of these methods are investigated, including test runs on an IBM 360/65 computer.

  17. ETHOS - an effective theory of structure formation: predictions for the high-redshift Universe - abundance of galaxies and reionization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lovell, Mark R.; Zavala, Jesús; Vogelsberger, Mark; Shen, Xuejian; Cyr-Racine, Francis-Yan; Pfrommer, Christoph; Sigurdson, Kris; Boylan-Kolchin, Michael; Pillepich, Annalisa

    2018-07-01

    We contrast predictions for the high-redshift galaxy population and reionization history between cold dark matter (CDM) and an alternative self-interacting dark matter model based on the recently developed ETHOS framework that alleviates the small-scale CDM challenges within the Local Group. We perform the highest resolution hydrodynamical cosmological simulations (a 36 Mpc3 volume with gas cell mass of ˜ 105 M_{⊙} and minimum gas softening of ˜180 pc) within ETHOS to date - plus a CDM counterpart - to quantify the abundance of galaxies at high redshift and their impact on reionization. We find that ETHOS predicts galaxies with higher ultraviolet (UV) luminosities than their CDM counterparts and a faster build-up of the faint end of the UV luminosity function. These effects, however, make the optical depth to reionization less sensitive to the power spectrum cut-off: the ETHOS model differs from the CDM τ value by only 10 per cent and is consistent with Planck limits if the effective escape fraction of UV photons is 0.1-0.5. We conclude that current observations of high-redshift luminosity functions cannot differentiate between ETHOS and CDM models, but deep James Webb Space Telescope surveys of strongly lensed, inherently faint galaxies have the potential to test non-CDM models that offer attractive solutions to CDM's Local Group problems.

  18. Detection strategies for the first supernovae with JWST

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hartwig, Tilman; Bromm, Volker; Loeb, Abraham

    2018-06-01

    Pair-instability supernovae (PISNe) are very luminous explosions of massive, low metallicity stars. They can potentially be observed out to high redshifts due to their high explosion energies, thus providing a probe of the Universe prior to reionization. The near-infrared camera, NIRCam, on board the James Webb Space Telescope is ideally suited for detecting their redshifted ultraviolet emission. We calculate the photometric signature of high-redshift PISNe and derive the optimal detection strategy for identifying their prompt emission and possible afterglow. We differentiate between PISNe and other sources that could have a similar photometric signature, such as active galactic nuclei or high-redshift galaxies. We demonstrate that the optimal strategy, which maximizes the visibility time of the PISN lightcurve per invested exposure time, consists of the two wide-band filters F200W and F356W with an exposure time of 600 s. For such exposures, we expect one PISN at z ≲ 7.5 per at least 50,000 different field of view, which can be accomplished with parallel observations and an extensive archival search. The PISN afterglow, caused by nebular emission and reverberation, is very faint and requires unfeasibly long exposure times to be uniquely identified. However, this afterglow would be visible for several hundred years, about two orders of magnitude longer than the prompt emission, rendering PISNe promising targets for future, even more powerful telescopes.

  19. The luminosity function of quasars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pei, Yichuan C.

    1995-01-01

    We propose a new evolutionary model for the optical luminosity function of quasars. Our analytical model is derived from fits to the empirical luminosity function estimated by Hartwick and Schade and Warren, Hewett, and Osmer on the basis of more than 1200 quasars over the range of redshifts 0 approximately less than z approximately less than 4.5. We find that the evolution of quasars over this entire redshift range can be well fitted by a Gaussian distribution, while the shape of the luminosity function can be well fitted by either a double power law or an exponential L(exp 1/4) law. The predicted number counts of quasars, as a function of either apparent magnitude or redshift, are fully consistent with the observed ones. Our model indicates that the evolution of quasars reaches its maximum at z approximately = 2.8 and declines at higher redshifts. An extrapolation of the evolution to z approximately greater than 4.5 implies that quasars may have started their cosmic fireworks at z(sub f) approximately = 5.2-5.5. Forthcoming surveys of quasars at these redshifts will be critical to constrain the epoch of quasar formation. All the results we derived are based on observed quasars and are therefore subject to the bias of obscuration by dust in damped Ly alpha systems. Future surveys of these absorption systems at z approximately greater than 3 will also be important if the formation epoch of quasars is to be known unambiguously.

  20. A perturbative approach to the redshift space correlation function: beyond the Standard Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bose, Benjamin; Koyama, Kazuya

    2017-08-01

    We extend our previous redshift space power spectrum code to the redshift space correlation function. Here we focus on the Gaussian Streaming Model (GSM). Again, the code accommodates a wide range of modified gravity and dark energy models. For the non-linear real space correlation function used in the GSM we use the Fourier transform of the RegPT 1-loop matter power spectrum. We compare predictions of the GSM for a Vainshtein screened and Chameleon screened model as well as GR. These predictions are compared to the Fourier transform of the Taruya, Nishimichi and Saito (TNS) redshift space power spectrum model which is fit to N-body data. We find very good agreement between the Fourier transform of the TNS model and the GSM predictions, with <= 6% deviations in the first two correlation function multipoles for all models for redshift space separations in 50Mpch <= s <= 180Mpc/h. Excellent agreement is found in the differences between the modified gravity and GR multipole predictions for both approaches to the redshift space correlation function, highlighting their matched ability in picking up deviations from GR. We elucidate the timeliness of such non-standard templates at the dawn of stage-IV surveys and discuss necessary preparations and extensions needed for upcoming high quality data.

  1. High-redshift Luminous Red Galaxies clustering analysis in SDSS Stripe82

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nikoloudakis, N.

    2012-01-01

    We have measured the clustering of Luminous Red Galaxies in Stripe 82 using the angular correlation function. We have selected 130000 LRGs via colour cuts in R-I:I-K with the K band data coming from UKIDSS LAS. We have used the cross-correlation technique of Newman (2008) to establish the redshift distribution of the LRGs as a function of colour cut, cross-correlating the LRGs with SDSS QSOs, DEEP2 and VVDS galaxies. We also used the AUS LRG redshift survey to establish the n(z) at z<1. We then compare the w(theta) results to the results of Sawangwit et al (2010) from 3 samples of SDSS LRGs at lower redshift to measure the dependence of clustering on redshift and LRG luminosity. We have compared the results for luminosity-matched LRG samples with simple evolutionary models, such as those expected from long-lived, passive models for LRGs and for the HOD models of Wake et al (2009) and find that the long-lived model may be a poorer fit than at lower redshifts. We find some evidence for evolution in the LRG correlation function slope in that the 2-halo term appears to flatten in slope at z>1. We present arguments that this is not caused by systematics.

  2. Multipole analysis of redshift-space distortions around cosmic voids

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

    Hamaus, Nico; Weller, Jochen; Cousinou, Marie-Claude

    We perform a comprehensive redshift-space distortion analysis based on cosmic voids in the large-scale distribution of galaxies observed with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. To this end, we measure multipoles of the void-galaxy cross-correlation function and compare them with standard model predictions in cosmology. Merely considering linear-order theory allows us to accurately describe the data on the entire available range of scales and to probe void-centric distances down to about 2 h {sup −1}Mpc. Common systematics, such as the Fingers-of-God effect, scale-dependent galaxy bias, and nonlinear clustering do not seem to play a significant role in our analysis. We constrainmore » the growth rate of structure via the redshift-space distortion parameter β at two median redshifts, β( z-bar =0.32)=0.599{sup +0.134}{sub −0.124} and β( z-bar =0.54)=0.457{sup +0.056}{sub −0.054}, with a precision that is competitive with state-of-the-art galaxy-clustering results. While the high-redshift constraint perfectly agrees with model expectations, we observe a mild 2σ deviation at z-bar =0.32, which increases to 3σ when the data is restricted to the lowest available redshift range of 0.15< z <0.33.« less

  3. THE PRISM MULTI-OBJECT SURVEY (PRIMUS). I. SURVEY OVERVIEW AND CHARACTERISTICS

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

    Coil, Alison L.; Moustakas, John; Aird, James

    2011-11-01

    We present the PRIsm MUlti-object Survey (PRIMUS), a spectroscopic faint galaxy redshift survey to z {approx} 1. PRIMUS uses a low-dispersion prism and slitmasks to observe {approx}2500 objects at once in a 0.18 deg{sup 2} field of view, using the Inamori Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph camera on the Magellan I Baade 6.5 m telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. PRIMUS covers a total of 9.1 deg{sup 2} of sky to a depth of i{sub AB} {approx} 23.5 in seven different deep, multi-wavelength fields that have coverage from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, Spitzer, and either XMM or Chandra, as well asmore » multiple-band optical and near-IR coverage. PRIMUS includes {approx}130,000 robust redshifts of unique objects with a redshift precision of {sigma}{sub z}/(1 + z) {approx} 0.005. The redshift distribution peaks at z {approx} 0.6 and extends to z = 1.2 for galaxies and z = 5 for broad-line active galactic nuclei. The motivation, observational techniques, fields, target selection, slitmask design, and observations are presented here, with a brief summary of the redshift precision; a forthcoming paper presents the data reduction, redshift fitting, redshift confidence, and survey completeness. PRIMUS is the largest faint galaxy survey undertaken to date. The high targeting fraction ({approx}80%) and large survey size will allow for precise measures of galaxy properties and large-scale structure to z {approx} 1.« less

  4. The KMOS Redshift One Spectroscopic Survey (KROSS): the origin of disc turbulence in z ≈ 1 star-forming galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, H. L.; Harrison, C. M.; Swinbank, A. M.; Tiley, A. L.; Stott, J. P.; Bower, R. G.; Smail, Ian; Bunker, A. J.; Sobral, D.; Turner, O. J.; Best, P.; Bureau, M.; Cirasuolo, M.; Jarvis, M. J.; Magdis, G.; Sharples, R. M.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Catinella, B.; Cortese, L.; Croom, S. M.; Federrath, C.; Glazebrook, K.; Sweet, S. M.; Bryant, J. J.; Goodwin, M.; Konstantopoulos, I. S.; Lawrence, J. S.; Medling, A. M.; Owers, M. S.; Richards, S.

    2018-03-01

    We analyse the velocity dispersion properties of 472 z ˜ 0.9 star-forming galaxies observed as part of the KMOS Redshift One Spectroscopic Survey (KROSS). The majority of this sample is rotationally dominated (83 ± 5 per cent with vC/σ0 > 1) but also dynamically hot and highly turbulent. After correcting for beam smearing effects, the median intrinsic velocity dispersion for the final sample is σ0 = 43.2 ± 0.8 km s-1 with a rotational velocity to dispersion ratio of vC/σ0 = 2.6 ± 0.1. To explore the relationship between velocity dispersion, stellar mass, star formation rate, and redshift, we combine KROSS with data from the SAMI survey (z ˜ 0.05) and an intermediate redshift MUSE sample (z ˜ 0.5). Whilst there is, at most, a weak trend between velocity dispersion and stellar mass, at fixed mass there is a strong increase with redshift. At all redshifts, galaxies appear to follow the same weak trend of increasing velocity dispersion with star formation rate. Our results are consistent with an evolution of galaxy dynamics driven by discs that are more gas rich, and increasingly gravitationally unstable, as a function of increasing redshift. Finally, we test two analytic models that predict turbulence is driven by either gravitational instabilities or stellar feedback. Both provide an adequate description of the data, and further observations are required to rule out either model.

  5. Probing galaxy growth through metallicity scaling relations over the past 12 Gyr of cosmic history

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanders, Ryan; MOSDEF team

    2018-01-01

    A primary goal of galaxy evolution studies is to understand the processes governing the growth of the baryonic content of galaxies over cosmic history. Observations of galaxy metallicity scaling relations and their evolution with redshift, in combination with chemical evolution models, provide unique insight into the interplay between star formation, gas accretion, and feedback/outflows. I present measurements of the stellar mass-gas phase metallicity relation and its evolution over the past 12 Gyr from z~0 to z~3.5, utilizing data from the Mosfire Deep Evolution Field survey that uniquely provides rest-frame optical spectra of >1000 uniformly-selected galaxies at z=1.3-3.8. We find evolution towards lower metallicity at fixed stellar mass with increasing redshift that is consistent with current cosmological simulations including chemical evolution, with a large evolution of ~0.3 dex from z~0 to z~2.5 and minor evolution of <0.1 dex from z~2.5 to z~3.5. We unambiguously confirm the existence of star-formation rate dependence of the mass-metallicity relation at high redshift for the first time. A clear view of cosmic chemical evolution requires accounting for systematic biases in galaxy metallicity measurements at both low and high redshifts. We use a set of empirically-based models to correct for diffuse ionized gas contamination that biases metallicity estimates from z~0 global galaxy spectra. Evolving properties of ionized gas such as electron density, ionization parameter, hardness of the ionizing spectrum, and chemical abundance patterns may render locally-calibrated metallicity estimators unreliable at high redshifts. Using strong-line ratios alone, it is extremely difficult to break degenerate solutions between pure metallicity evolution and additional evolution of the ionization parameter and/or shape of the ionizing spectrum. Temperature-sensitive auroral-line measurements provide a way to directly and independently measure metallicities, breaking these degeneracies. We present measurements of auroral [OIII]4363 and direct-method metallicities at z>2, and discuss the potential of current and next-generation observational facilities to obtain statistical auroral-line samples at high redshifts.

  6. Gemini Spectroscopy of Supernovae from the Supernova Legacy Survey: Improving High-Redshift Supernova Selection and Classification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howell, D. A.; Sullivan, M.; Perrett, K.; Bronder, T. J.; Hook, I. M.; Astier, P.; Aubourg, E.; Balam, D.; Basa, S.; Carlberg, R. G.; Fabbro, S.; Fouchez, D.; Guy, J.; Lafoux, H.; Neill, J. D.; Pain, R.; Palanque-Delabrouille, N.; Pritchet, C. J.; Regnault, N.; Rich, J.; Taillet, R.; Knop, R.; McMahon, R. G.; Perlmutter, S.; Walton, N. A.

    2005-12-01

    We present new techniques for improving the efficiency of supernova (SN) classification at high redshift using 64 candidates observed at Gemini North and South during the first year of the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS). The SNLS is an ongoing 5 year project with the goal of measuring the equation of state of dark energy by discovering and following over 700 high-redshift SNe Ia using data from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey. We achieve an improvement in the SN Ia spectroscopic confirmation rate: at Gemini 71% of candidates are now confirmed as SNe Ia, compared to 54% using the methods of previous surveys. This is despite the comparatively high redshift of this sample, in which the median SN Ia redshift is z=0.81 (0.155<=z<=1.01). These improvements were realized because we use the unprecedented color coverage and light curve sampling of the SNLS to predict whether a candidate is a SN Ia and to estimate its redshift, before obtaining a spectrum, using a new technique called the ``SN photo-z.'' In addition, we have improved techniques for galaxy subtraction and SN template χ2 fitting, allowing us to identify candidates even when they are only 15% as bright as the host galaxy. The largest impediment to SN identification is found to be host galaxy contamination of the spectrum-when the SN was at least as bright as the underlying host galaxy the target was identified more than 90% of the time. However, even SNe in bright host galaxies can be easily identified in good seeing conditions. When the image quality was better than 0.55", the candidate was identified 88% of the time. Over the 5 year course of the survey, using the selection techniques presented here, we will be able to add ~170 more confirmed SNe Ia than would be possible using previous methods. APC, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France. DSM/DAPNIA, CEA/Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.

  7. Far-Infrared Extragalactic Surveys: Past, Present, and Future

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moseley, Samuel H., Jr.; Fisher, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    As much as one third of the luminosity of the local universe is emitted in the far infrared. In order to understand the history of energy release in the universe, it is crucial to characterize this rest-frame far-infrared contribution from the present back to the era of initial galaxy formation. Over the redshift range from 0 to 10, this energy is received in the 80 micrometers to 1 mm spectral region. In the 1980's the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) all-sky survey provided the first comprehensive view of the far infrared emission from the local universe. The diffuse background measurements by Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite (COBE) have provided constraints on the integral contributions from the high redshift universe. In the past five years, submillimeter measurements made using the SCUBA instrument have revealed powerful high redshift sources. To develop a clear history of energy release in the universe, we need numbers and redshifts of representative populations of energetically important objects. The near future will bring the Space Infrared Telescope Facility Multiband Imaging Photometer (SIRTF)(MIPS) survey, which will cover about 100 square degrees at wavelengths out to 160 micrometers, providing a large sample of energetically important galaxies out to z of approx.3. In 2005, the Japanese IRIS survey will provide a 160 micrometers full sky survey, which will provide larger samples of the high z galaxy populations and will find intrinsically rare high luminosity objects. The SPIRE instrument on the FIRST facility will extend these surveys to longer wavelengths, providing a view of the universe at higher redshifts in three spectral bands. A concept for an all-sky submillimeter survey is under development, called the Survey of Infrared Cosmic Evolution (SIRCE). With a 2 m cryogenic telescope, it can map the entire sky to the confusion limit in the 100 to 500 micrometers range in six months. This survey will provide photometric redshifts, number counts, and will find the most luminous objects in the universe. In the next decade, the opening of the submillimeter, combined with the near infrared capability of NGST will provide us with a clear picture of energy release in the early universe.

  8. 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.

  9. The High Redshift Universe Seen Through the Eyes of ALMA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wiklind, Tommy

    2012-07-01

    The Atacama Large Millimeter/submm Array (ALMA) is an interferometric telescope currently under construction on the Chajnantor Plateau in northern Chile. It is situated at an altitude of 5000m, in one of the driest places in the world. The combination of the meteorological conditions, increased total collecting area and the use of state-of-the-art receivers means that the fully operational ALMA is a factor 10-1000 more sensitive than existing facilities, depending on the wavelength. When completed in 2013, ALMA will consists of 66 antennas, with maximum baselines of up to 15 km and it will be able to observe at wavelengths from 10 millimeter to ~350micron. ALMA will be able to provide an angular resolution of ~0.05 arcseconds. ALMA is still under construction, but has started producing science in an 'Early Science' phase. The goal with ALMA has from the beginning been to provide very high sensitivity as well as an angular resolution matching that of space based optical observatories such as the HST. One of three main drivers when designing ALMA has been the ability to study the high redshift universe. The main reason behind this is that almost half of the integrated background radiation comes from the far-infrared wavelength regime. This emission is interpreted as originating from dust re-radiated stellar emission in high redshift galaxies. Interstellar dust is almost invariably associated with molecular gas, that can be studied using molecular rotational transitions. The shape of the dust spectral energy distribution ensures that the observed flux at a fixed wavelength long-ward of the far-infrared peak (about 100micron) remains more or less constant over a redshift range z=1-10. This aspect makes dust continuum emission extraordinarily important for studying galaxies and Active Galactic Nuclei at high redshift. Through observations of line emission from molecular transitions it is possible to study the associated molecular gas distribution and its kinematics. The large spectral coverage of ALMA makes it possible to observe the most common molecules, such as CO, at any redshift. The neutral and ionized gas components can be studied through several atomic fine-structure lines. For instance, the CII fine-structure line at a rest-wavelength of 158micron is one of the most important cooling agents for ionized gas. It can be targeted with ALMA over a large fraction of cosmic history. Other atomic fine-structure lines can provide important data for studying the emergence of super-massive black holes at high redshift. In this presentation I will discuss the potential of ALMA for studying the early universe, the potential synergies with current and planned space mission (e.g. HST and JWST) and, hopefully, some results from the Early Science observations.

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

    Wojtak, Radosław; Prada, Francisco

    The standard relation between the cosmological redshift and cosmic scale factor underlies cosmological inference from virtually all kinds of cosmological observations, leading to the emergence of the LambdaCDM cosmological model. This relation is not a fundamental theory and thus observational determination of this function (redshift remapping) should be regarded as an insightful alternative to holding its standard form in analyses of cosmological data. We present non-parametric reconstructions of redshift remapping in dark-matter-dominated models and constraints on cosmological parameters from a joint analysis of all primary cosmological probes including the local measurement of the Hubble constant, Type Ia supernovae, baryonic acousticmore » oscillations (BAO), Planck observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation (temperature power spectrum) and cosmic chronometers. The reconstructed redshift remapping points to an additional boost of redshift operating in late epoch of cosmic evolution, but affecting both low-redshift observations and the CMB. The model then predicts a significant difference between the actual Hubble constant, h=0.48±0.02, and its local determination, h obs=0.73±0.02. The ratio of these two values coincides closely with the maximum expansion rate inside voids formed in the corresponding open cosmological model with Ω m=0.87±0.03, whereas the actual value of the Hubble constant implies the age of the Universe that is compatible with the Planck LambdaCDM cosmology. The new dark-matter-dominated model with redshift remapping provides excellent fits to all data and eliminates recently reported tensions between the Planck LambdaCDM cosmology, the local determination of the Hubble constant and the BAO measurements from the Ly α forest of high-redshift quasars.« less

  11. High Redshift QSOs in the UKIDSS Large Area Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Venemans, B. P.

    2007-12-01

    In this proceeding, I will present the first results on our ongoing search for z⪆6 quasars in the UKIDSS Large Area Survey (LAS). The unique infrared sky coverage of the LAS combined with SDSS i and z observations allows us to efficiently search for high redshift quasars with minimal contamination from foreground objects, e.g. galactic cool stars. Analysis of 106 deg^2 of sky from UKIDSS Data Release 1 (DR1) has resulted in the discovery of ULAS J020332.38+001229.2, a luminous (J_{AB}=20.0, M_{1450}=-26.2) quasar at z=5.86. The quasar is not present in the SDSS DR5 catalogue and the continuum spectral index of α=-1.4 (F_{ν}∝ν^{α}) is redder than a composite of SDSS quasars at similar redshifts (α=-0.5). Although it is difficult to draw any strong conclusions regarding the space density of quasars from one object, the discovery of this quasar in ˜100 deg^2 in a complete sample within our selection criteria down to a median depth of Y_{AB}=20.4 (7σ) is consistent with existing SDSS results. Finally, I will present the expected number density of high redshift z>6.5 quasars using future infrared surveys with VISTA.

  12. Dust Formation, Evolution, and Obscuration Effects in the Very High-Redshift Universe

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dwek, Eli; Staguhn, Johannes; Arendt, Richard G.; Kovacks, Attila; Su, Ting; Benford, Dominic J.

    2014-01-01

    The evolution of dust at redshifts z > or approx. 9, and consequently the dust properties, differs greatly from that in the local universe. In contrast to the local universe, core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are the only source of thermally-condensed dust. Because of the low initial dust-togas mass ratio, grain destruction rates are low, so that CCSNe are net producers of interstellar dust. Galaxies with large initial gas mass or high mass infall rate will therefore have a more rapid net rate of dust production comported to galaxies with lower gas mass, even at the same star formation rate. The dust composition is dominated by silicates, which exhibit a strong rise in the UV opacity near the Lyman break. This "silicate-UV break" may be confused with the Lyman break, resulting in a misidentification of a galaxies' photometric redshift. In this paper we demonstrate these effects by analyzing the spectral energy distribution (SED) of MACS1149-JD, a lensed galaxy at z = 9.6. A potential 2mm counterpart of MACS1149-JD has been identified with GISMO. While additional observations are required to corroborate this identification, we use this possible association to illustrate the physical processes and the observational effects of dust in the very high redshift universe.

  13. Planck intermediate results. XXXIX. The Planck list of high-redshift source candidates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Planck Collaboration; Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Arnaud, M.; Aumont, J.; Baccigalupi, C.; Banday, A. J.; Barreiro, R. B.; Bartolo, N.; Battaner, E.; Benabed, K.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Bernard, J.-P.; Bersanelli, M.; Bielewicz, P.; Bonaldi, A.; Bonavera, L.; Bond, J. R.; Borrill, J.; Bouchet, F. R.; Boulanger, F.; Burigana, C.; Butler, R. C.; Calabrese, E.; Catalano, A.; Chiang, H. C.; Christensen, P. R.; Clements, D. L.; Colombo, L. P. L.; Couchot, F.; Coulais, A.; Crill, B. P.; Curto, A.; Cuttaia, F.; Danese, L.; Davies, R. D.; Davis, R. J.; de Bernardis, P.; de Rosa, A.; de Zotti, G.; Delabrouille, J.; Dickinson, C.; Diego, J. M.; Dole, H.; Doré, O.; Douspis, M.; Ducout, A.; Dupac, X.; Elsner, F.; Enßlin, T. A.; Eriksen, H. K.; Falgarone, E.; Finelli, F.; Flores-Cacho, I.; Frailis, M.; Fraisse, A. A.; Franceschi, E.; Galeotta, S.; Galli, S.; Ganga, K.; Giard, M.; Giraud-Héraud, Y.; Gjerløw, E.; González-Nuevo, J.; Górski, K. M.; Gregorio, A.; Gruppuso, A.; Gudmundsson, J. E.; Hansen, F. K.; Harrison, D. L.; Helou, G.; Hernández-Monteagudo, C.; Herranz, D.; Hildebrandt, S. R.; Hivon, E.; Hobson, M.; Hornstrup, A.; Hovest, W.; Huffenberger, K. M.; Hurier, G.; Jaffe, A. H.; Jaffe, T. R.; Keihänen, E.; Keskitalo, R.; Kisner, T. S.; Kneissl, R.; Knoche, J.; Kunz, M.; Kurki-Suonio, H.; Lagache, G.; Lamarre, J.-M.; Lasenby, A.; Lattanzi, M.; Lawrence, C. R.; Leonardi, R.; Levrier, F.; Liguori, M.; Lilje, P. B.; Linden-Vørnle, M.; López-Caniego, M.; Lubin, P. M.; Macías-Pérez, J. F.; Maffei, B.; Maggio, G.; Maino, D.; Mandolesi, N.; Mangilli, A.; Maris, M.; Martin, P. G.; Martínez-González, E.; Masi, S.; Matarrese, S.; Melchiorri, A.; Mennella, A.; Migliaccio, M.; Mitra, S.; Miville-Deschênes, M.-A.; Moneti, A.; Montier, L.; Morgante, G.; Mortlock, D.; Munshi, D.; Murphy, J. A.; Nati, F.; Natoli, P.; Nesvadba, N. P. H.; Noviello, F.; Novikov, D.; Novikov, I.; Oxborrow, C. A.; Pagano, L.; Pajot, F.; Paoletti, D.; Partridge, B.; Pasian, F.; Pearson, T. J.; Perdereau, O.; Perotto, L.; Pettorino, V.; Piacentini, F.; Piat, M.; Plaszczynski, S.; Pointecouteau, E.; Polenta, G.; Pratt, G. W.; Prunet, S.; Puget, J.-L.; Rachen, J. P.; Reinecke, M.; Remazeilles, M.; Renault, C.; Renzi, A.; Ristorcelli, I.; Rocha, G.; Rosset, C.; Rossetti, M.; Roudier, G.; Rubiño-Martín, J. A.; Rusholme, B.; Sandri, M.; Santos, D.; Savelainen, M.; Savini, G.; Scott, D.; Spencer, L. D.; Stolyarov, V.; Stompor, R.; Sudiwala, R.; Sunyaev, R.; Suur-Uski, A.-S.; Sygnet, J.-F.; Tauber, J. A.; Terenzi, L.; Toffolatti, L.; Tomasi, M.; Tristram, M.; Tucci, M.; Türler, M.; Umana, G.; Valenziano, L.; Valiviita, J.; Van Tent, F.; Vielva, P.; Villa, F.; Wade, L. A.; Wandelt, B. D.; Wehus, I. K.; Welikala, N.; Yvon, D.; Zacchei, A.; Zonca, A.

    2016-12-01

    The Planck mission, thanks to its large frequency range and all-sky coverage, has a unique potential for systematically detecting the brightest, and rarest, submillimetre sources on the sky, including distant objects in the high-redshift Universe traced by their dust emission. A novel method, based on a component-separation procedure using a combination of Planck and IRAS data, has been validated and characterized on numerous simulations, and applied to select the most luminous cold submillimetre sources with spectral energy distributions peaking between 353 and 857 GHz at 5' resolution. A total of 2151 Planck high-z source candidates (the PHZ) have been detected in the cleanest 26% of the sky, with flux density at 545 GHz above 500 mJy. Embedded in the cosmic infrared background close to the confusion limit, these high-z candidates exhibit colder colours than their surroundings, consistent with redshifts z > 2, assuming a dust temperature of Txgal = 35 K and a spectral index of βxgal = 1.5. Exhibiting extremely high luminosities, larger than 1014L⊙, the PHZ objects may be made of multiple galaxies or clumps at high redshift, as suggested by a first statistical analysis based on a comparison with number count models. Furthermore, first follow-up observations obtained from optical to submillimetre wavelengths, which can be found in companion papers, have confirmed that this list consists of two distinct populations. A small fraction (around 3%) of the sources have been identified as strongly gravitationally lensed star-forming galaxies at redshift 2 to 4, while the vast majority of the PHZ sources appear as overdensities of dusty star-forming galaxies, having colours consistent with being at z > 2, and may be considered as proto-cluster candidates. The PHZ provides an original sample, which is complementary to the Planck Sunyaev-Zeldovich Catalogue (PSZ2); by extending the population of virialized massive galaxy clusters detected below z < 1.5 through their SZ signal to a population of sources at z > 1.5, the PHZ may contain the progenitors of today's clusters. Hence the Planck list of high-redshift source candidates opens a new window on the study of the early stages of structure formation, particularly understanding the intensively star-forming phase at high-z. The catalogue 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/596/A100

  14. The most distant, luminous, dusty star-forming galaxies: redshifts from NOEMA and ALMA spectral scans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fudamoto, Y.; Ivison, R. J.; Oteo, I.; Krips, M.; Zhang, Z.-Y.; Weiss, A.; Dannerbauer, H.; Omont, A.; Chapman, S. C.; Christensen, L.; Arumugam, V.; Bertoldi, F.; Bremer, M.; Clements, D. L.; Dunne, L.; Eales, S. A.; Greenslade, J.; Maddox, S.; Martinez-Navajas, P.; Michalowski, M.; Pérez-Fournon, I.; Riechers, D.; Simpson, J. M.; Stalder, B.; Valiante, E.; van der Werf, P.

    2017-12-01

    We present 1.3- and/or 3-mm continuum images and 3-mm spectral scans, obtained using Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) and Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), of 21 distant, dusty, star-forming galaxies. Our sample is a subset of the galaxies selected by Ivison et al. on the basis of their extremely red far-infrared (far-IR) colours and low Herschel flux densities; most are thus expected to be unlensed, extraordinarily luminous starbursts at z ≳ 4, modulo the considerable cross-section to gravitational lensing implied by their redshift. We observed 17 of these galaxies with NOEMA and four with ALMA, scanning through the 3-mm atmospheric window. We have obtained secure redshifts for seven galaxies via detection of multiple CO lines, one of them a lensed system at z = 6.027 (two others are also found to be lensed); a single emission line was detected in another four galaxies, one of which has been shown elsewhere to lie at z = 4.002. Where we find no spectroscopic redshifts, the galaxies are generally less luminous by 0.3-0.4 dex, which goes some way to explaining our failure to detect line emission. We show that this sample contains the most luminous known star-forming galaxies. Due to their extreme star-formation activity, these galaxies will consume their molecular gas in ≲ 100 Myr, despite their high molecular gas masses, and are therefore plausible progenitors of the massive, 'red-and-dead' elliptical galaxies at z ≈ 3.

  15. The Lyα properties of faint galaxies at z ∼ 2-3 with systemic redshifts and velocity dispersions from Keck-MOSFIRE

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

    Erb, Dawn K.; Steidel, Charles C.; Trainor, Ryan F.

    2014-11-01

    We study the Lyα profiles of 36 spectroscopically detected Lyα-emitters (LAEs) at z ∼ 2-3, using Keck MOSFIRE to measure systemic redshifts and velocity dispersions from rest-frame optical nebular emission lines. The sample has a median optical magnitude R=26.0, and ranges from R≃23 to R>27, corresponding to rest-frame UV absolute magnitudes M {sub UV} ≅ –22 to M {sub UV} > –18.2. Dynamical masses range from M {sub dyn} < 1.3 × 10{sup 8} M {sub ☉} to M {sub dyn} = 6.8 × 10{sup 9} M {sub ☉}, with a median value of M {sub dyn} = 6.3 ×more » 10{sup 8} M {sub ☉}. Thirty of the 36 Lyα emission lines are redshifted with respect to the systemic velocity with at least 1σ significance, and the velocity offset with respect to systemic Δv {sub Lyα} is correlated with the R-band magnitude, M {sub UV}, and the velocity dispersion measured from nebular emission lines with >3σ significance: brighter galaxies with larger velocity dispersions tend to have larger values of Δv {sub Lyα}. We also make use of a comparison sample of 122 UV-color-selected R<25.5 galaxies at z ∼ 2, all with Lyα emission and systemic redshifts measured from nebular emission lines. Using the combined LAE and comparison samples for a total of 158 individual galaxies, we find that Δv {sub Lyα} is anti-correlated with the Lyα equivalent width with 7σ significance. Our results are consistent with a scenario in which the Lyα profile is determined primarily by the properties of the gas near the systemic redshift; in such a scenario, the opacity to Lyα photons in lower mass galaxies may be reduced if large gaseous disks have not yet developed and if the gas is ionized by the harder spectrum of young, low metallicity stars.« less

  16. Baryon acoustic oscillations in 2D. II. Redshift-space halo clustering in N-body simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nishimichi, Takahiro; Taruya, Atsushi

    2011-08-01

    We measure the halo power spectrum in redshift space from cosmological N-body simulations, and test the analytical models of redshift distortions particularly focusing on the scales of baryon acoustic oscillations. Remarkably, the measured halo power spectrum in redshift space exhibits a large-scale enhancement in amplitude relative to the real-space clustering, and the effect becomes significant for the massive or highly biased halo samples. These findings cannot be simply explained by the so-called streaming model frequently used in the literature. By contrast, a physically motivated perturbation theory model developed in the previous paper reproduces the halo power spectrum very well, and the model combining a simple linear scale-dependent bias can accurately characterize the clustering anisotropies of halos in two dimensions, i.e., line-of-sight and its perpendicular directions. The results highlight the significance of nonlinear coupling between density and velocity fields associated with two competing effects of redshift distortions, i.e., Kaiser and Finger-of-God effects, and a proper account of this effect would be important in accurately characterizing the baryon acoustic oscillations in two dimensions.

  17. Dipolar modulation in the size of galaxies: the effect of Doppler magnification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonvin, Camille; Andrianomena, Sambatra; Bacon, David; Clarkson, Chris; Maartens, Roy; Moloi, Teboho; Bull, Philip

    2017-12-01

    Objects falling into an overdensity appear larger on its near side and smaller on its far side than other objects at the same redshift. This produces a dipolar pattern of magnification, primarily as a consequence of the Doppler effect. At low redshift, this Doppler magnification completely dominates the usual integrated gravitational lensing contribution to the lensing magnification. We show that one can optimally observe this pattern by extracting the dipole in the cross-correlation of number counts and galaxy sizes. This dipole allows us to almost completely remove the contribution from gravitational lensing up to redshift ≲0.5, and even at high redshift z ≃ 1, the dipole picks up the Doppler magnification predominantly. Doppler magnification should be easily detectable in current and upcoming optical and radio surveys; by forecasting for telescopes such as the SKA, we show that this technique is competitive with using peculiar velocities via redshift-space distortions to constrain dark energy. It produces similar yet complementary constraints on the cosmological model to those found using measurements of the cosmic shear.

  18. Relativistically Skewed Iron Emission and Disk Reflection in Galactic Microquasar XTE J1748-288

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, J. M.; Fox, D. W.; DiMatteo, T.; Wijnands, R.; Belloni, T.; Kouveliotou, C.; Lewin, W. H. G.

    2000-01-01

    We report evidence for an Fe K-alpha fluorescence line feature in the Very High, High, and Low state X-ray spectra of the galactic microquasar XTE JI748-288 during its June 1998 outburst. Spectral analyses were made on observations spread across the outburst, gathered with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. Gaussian line. disk emission line, relativistic disk emission line, and disk reflection models are fit to the data. In the Very High State, the line profile is strongly redshifted and consistent with emission from the innermost radius of a maximally rotating Kerr black hole, 1.235 R(sub g). The line profile is less redshifted in the High State, but increasingly prominent. In the Low State, the line profile is very strong and centered af approx. 6.7 keV; disk line emission models constrain the inner edge of the disk to fluctuate between approx.20 and approx.59 R(sub g). We trace the disk reflection fraction across the full outburst of this source, and find well-constrained fractions below those observed in AGN in the Very High and High States, but consistent with other galactic sources in the Low State. We discuss the possible implications for black hole X-ray binary system dynamics and accretion flow geometry.

  19. How Dead are Dead Galaxies? Mid-Infrared Fluxes of Quiescent Galaxies at Redshift 0.3< Z< 2.5: Implications for Star Formation Rates and Dust Heating

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fumagalli, Mattia; Labbe, Ivo; Patel, Shannon G.; Franx, Marijn; vanDokkum, Pieter; Brammer, Gabriel; DaCunha, Elisabete; FoersterSchreiber, Natascha M.; Kriek, Mariska; Quadri, Ryan; hide

    2013-01-01

    We investigate star formation rates of quiescent galaxies at high redshift (0.3 < z < 2.5) using 3D-HST WFC3 grism spectroscopy and Spitzer mid-infrared data. We select quiescent galaxies on the basis of the widely used UVJ color-color criteria. Spectral energy distribution fitting (rest frame optical and near-IR) indicates very low star formation rates for quiescent galaxies (sSFR approx. 10(exp -12)/yr. However, SED fitting can miss star formation if it is hidden behind high dust obscuration and ionizing radiation is re-emitted in the mid-infrared. It is therefore fundamental to measure the dust-obscured SFRs with a mid-IR indicator. We stack the MIPS-24 micron images of quiescent objects in five redshift bins centered on z = 0.5, 0.9, 1.2, 1.7, 2.2 and perform aperture photometry. Including direct 24 micron detections, we find sSFR approx. 10(exp -11.9) × (1 + z)(sup 4)/yr. These values are higher than those indicated by SED fitting, but at each redshift they are 20-40 times lower than those of typical star forming galaxies. The true SFRs of quiescent galaxies might be even lower, as we show that the mid-IR fluxes can be due to processes unrelated to ongoing star formation, such as cirrus dust heated by old stellar populations and circumstellar dust. Our measurements show that star formation quenching is very efficient at every redshift. The measured SFR values are at z > 1.5 marginally consistent with the ones expected from gas recycling (assuming that mass loss from evolved stars refuels star formation) and well above that at lower redshifts.

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

    Ferreras, Ignacio; Trujillo, Ignacio, E-mail: i.ferreras@ucl.ac.uk

    At the core of the standard cosmological model lies the assumption that the redshift of distant galaxies is independent of photon wavelength. This invariance of cosmological redshift with wavelength is routinely found in all galaxy spectra with a precision of Δ z ∼ 10{sup −4}. The combined use of approximately half a million high-quality galaxy spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) allows us to explore this invariance down to a nominal precision in redshift of 10{sup −6} (statistical). Our analysis is performed over the redshift interval 0.02 < z < 0.25. We use the centroids of spectral linesmore » over the 3700–6800 Å rest-frame optical window. We do not find any difference in redshift between the blue and red sides down to a precision of 10{sup −6} at z ≲ 0.1 and 10{sup −5} at 0.1 ≲ z ≲ 0.25 (i.e., at least an order of magnitude better than with single galaxy spectra). This is the first time the wavelength-independence of the (1 + z ) redshift law is confirmed over a wide spectral window at this precision level. This result holds independently of the stellar population of the galaxies and their kinematical properties. This result is also robust against wavelength calibration issues. The limited spectral resolution ( R ∼ 2000) of the SDSS data, combined with the asymmetric wavelength sampling of the spectral features in the observed restframe due to the (1 + z ) stretching of the lines, prevent our methodology from achieving a precision higher than 10{sup −5}, at z > 0.1. Future attempts to constrain this law will require high quality galaxy spectra at higher resolution ( R ≳ 10,000).« less

  1. The Constant Average Relationship Between Dust-obscured Star Formation and Stellar Mass from z=0 to z=2.5

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whitaker, Katherine E.; Pope, Alexandra; Cybulski, Ryan; Casey, Caitlin M.; Popping, Gergo; Yun, Min; 3D-HST Collaboration

    2018-01-01

    The total star formation budget of galaxies consists of the sum of the unobscured star formation, as observed in the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV), together with the obscured component that is absorbed and re-radiated by dust grains in the infrared. We explore how the fraction of obscured star formation depends (SFR) and stellar mass for mass-complete samples of galaxies at 0 < z < 2.5. We combine GALEX and WISE photometry for SDSS-selected galaxies with the 3D-HST treasury program and Spitzer/MIPS 24μm photometry in the well-studied 5 extragalactic CANDELS fields. We find a strong dependence of the fraction of obscured star formation (f_obscured=SFR_IR/SFR_UV+IR) on stellar mass, with remarkably little evolution in this fraction with redshift out to z=2.5. 50% of star formation is obscured for galaxies with log(M/M⊙)=9.4 although unobscured star formation dominates the budget at lower masses, there exists a tail of low mass extremely obscured star-forming galaxies at z > 1. For log(M/M⊙)>10.5, >90% of star formation is obscured at all redshifts. We also show that at fixed total SFR, f_obscured is lower at higher redshift. At fixed mass, high-redshift galaxies are observed to have more compact sizes and much higher star formation rates, gas fractions and hence surface densities (implying higher dust obscuration), yet we observe no redshift evolution in f_obscured with stellar mass. This poses a challenge to theoretical models to reproduce, where the observed compact sizes at high redshift seem in tension with lower dust obscuration.

  2. The Constant Average Relationship between Dust-obscured Star Formation and Stellar Mass from z = 0 to z = 2.5

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whitaker, Katherine E.; Pope, Alexandra; Cybulski, Ryan; Casey, Caitlin M.; Popping, Gergö; Yun, Min S.

    2017-12-01

    The total star formation budget of galaxies consists of the sum of the unobscured star formation, as observed in the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV), together with the obscured component that is absorbed and re-radiated by dust grains in the infrared. We explore how the fraction of obscured star formation depends on stellar mass for mass-complete samples of galaxies at 0< z< 2.5. We combine GALEX and WISE photometry for SDSS-selected galaxies with the 3D-HST treasury program and Spitzer/MIPS 24 μm photometry in the well-studied five extragalactic Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) fields. We find a strong dependence of the fraction of obscured star formation (f obscured = SFRIR/SFRUV+IR) on stellar mass, with remarkably little evolution in this fraction with redshift out to z = 2.5. 50% of star formation is obscured for galaxies with log(M/M ⊙) = 9.4 although unobscured star formation dominates the budget at lower masses, there exists a tail of low-mass, extremely obscured star-forming galaxies at z> 1. For log(M/M ⊙) > 10.5, >90% of star formation is obscured at all redshifts. We also show that at fixed total SFR, {f}{obscured} is lower at higher redshift. At fixed mass, high-redshift galaxies are observed to have more compact sizes and much higher star formation rates, gas fractions, and hence surface densities (implying higher dust obscuration), yet we observe no redshift evolution in {f}{obscured} with stellar mass. This poses a challenge to theoretical models, where the observed compact sizes at high redshift seem in tension with lower dust obscuration.

  3. Redshift measurement of Fermi blazars for the Cherenkov telescope array

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pita, S.; Goldoni, P.; Boisson, C.; Cotter, G.; Lefaucheur, J.; Lenain, J.-P.; Lindfors, E.; Williams, D. A.

    2017-01-01

    Blazars are active galactic nuclei, and the most numerous High Energy (HE) and Very High Energy (VHE) γ-ray emitters. Their optical emission is often dominated by non-thermal, and, in the case of BL Lacs, featureless continuum radiation. This makes the determination of their redshift extremely difficult. Indeed, as of today only about 50% of γ-ray blazars have a measured spectroscopic redshift. The knowledge of redshift is fundamental because it allows the precise modeling of the VHE emission and also of its interaction with the extragalactic background light (EBL). The beginning of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) operations in the near future will allow the detection of several hundreds of new blazars. Using the Fermi catalogue of sources above 50 GeV (2FHL), we performed simulations which indicate that a significant fraction of the 2FHL blazars detectable by CTA will not have a measured redshift. As a matter of fact, the organization of observing campaigns to measure the redshift of these blazars has been recognized as a necessary support for the AGN Key Science Project of CTA. We are planning such an observing campaign. In order to optimize our chances of success, we will perform preliminary deep imaging observations aimed at detecting or setting upper limits to the host galaxy. We will then take spectra of the candidates with the brightest host galaxies. Taking advantage of the recent success of an X-shooter GTO observing campaign, these observations will be different with respect to previous ones due to the use of higher resolution spectrographs and of 8 meter class telescopes. We are starting to submit proposals for these observations. In this paper we briefly describe how candidates are selected and the corresponding observation program.

  4. The Cosmic Web around the Brightest Galaxies during the Epoch of Reionization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, Keven; Trenti, Michele; Mutch, Simon J.

    2018-03-01

    The most luminous galaxies at high redshift are generally considered to be hosted in massive dark-matter halos of comparable number density, hence residing at the center of over-densities/protoclusters. We assess the validity of this assumption by investigating the clustering around the brightest galaxies populating the cosmic web at redshift z ∼ 8–9 through a combination of semi-analytic modeling and Monte Carlo simulations of mock Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 observations. The innovative aspect of our approach is the inclusion of a log-normal scatter parameter Σ in the galaxy luminosity versus halo mass relation, extending the conditional luminosity function framework extensively used at low redshift to high z. Our analysis shows that the larger the value of Σ, the less likely it is that the brightest source in a given volume is hosted in the most massive halo, and hence the weaker the overdensity of neighbors. We derive a minimum value of Σ as a function of redshift by considering stochasticity in the halo assembly times, which affects galaxy ages and star formation rates in our modeling. We show that Σmin(z) ∼ 0.15–0.3, with Σmin increasing with redshift as a consequence of shorter halo assembly periods at higher redshifts. Current observations (m AB ∼ 27) of the environment of spectroscopically confirmed bright sources at z > 7.5 do not show strong evidence of clustering and are consistent with our modeling predictions for Σ ≥ Σmin. Deeper future observations reaching m AB ∼ 28.2–29 would have the opportunity to clearly quantify the clustering strength and hence to constrain Σ, investigating the physical processes that drive star formation in the early universe.

  5. Photon underproduction crisis and the redshift evolution of escape fraction of hydrogen ionizing photons from galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khaire, Vikram; Srianand, Raghunathan

    2016-01-01

    In the standard picture, the only sources of cosmic UV background are the quasars and the star forming galaxies. The hydrogen ionizing emissivity from galaxies depends on a parameter known as escape fraction (fesc). It is the ratio of the escaping hydrogen ionizing photons from galaxies to the total produced by their stellar population. Using available multi-wavelength and multi-epoch galaxy luminosity function measurements, we update the galaxy emissivity by estimating a self-consistent combination of the star formation rate density and dust attenuation. Using the recent quasar luminosity function measurements, we present an updated hydrogen ionizing emissivity from quasars which shows a factor of ~2 increase as compared to the previous estimates at z<2. We use these in a cosmological radiative transfer code developed by us to generate the UV background and show that the recently inferred high values of hydrogen photoionization rates at low redshifts can be easily obtained with reasonable values of fesc. This resolves the problem of 'photon underproduction crisis' and shows that there is no need to invoke non-standard sources of the UV background such as decaying dark matter particles. We will present the implications of this updated quasar and galaxy emissivity on the values of fesc at high redshifts and on the cosmic reionization. We will also present the effect of the updated UV background on the inferred properties of the intergalactic medium, especially on the Lyman alpha forest and the metal line absorption systems.

  6. Shining Light into Cosmic Dark Ages

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fialkov, Anastasia

    2018-06-01

    Exploration of the early Universe is ongoing. One of the most interesting probes of the epoch is the redshifted 21-cm line of neutral hydrogen. Modeling of this signal is difficult due to large uncertainties in both astrophysical and cosmological parameters that describe the high redshift Universe. In my talk I will discuss current theoretical understanding and the status of modeling.

  7. MC 2 : galaxy imaging and redshift analysis of the merging cluster Ciza J2242.8+5301

    DOE PAGES

    Dawson, William A.; Jee, M. James; Stroe, Andra; ...

    2015-05-28

    X-ray and radio observations of CIZA J2242.8+5301 suggest that it is a major cluster merger. Despite being well studied in the X-ray, and radio, little has been presented on the cluster structure and dynamics inferred from its galaxy population. We carried out a deep (i < 25) broad band imaging survey of the system with Subaru SuprimeCam (g & i bands) and the Canada France Hawaii Telescope (r band) as well as a comprehensive spectroscopic survey of the cluster area (505 redshifts) using Keck DEIMOS. We use this data to perform a comprehensive galaxy/redshift analysis of the system, which ismore » the first step to a proper understanding the geometry and dynamics of the merger, as well as using the merger to constrain self-interacting dark matter.« less

  8. The effect of Cd substitution doping on the bandgap and absorption spectrum of ZnO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hou, Qingyu; Li, Yong; Qu, Lingfeng; Zhao, Chunwang

    2016-08-01

    Many research papers have reported that in the ultraviolet area of 290-360 nm wavelength range, blueshift and redshift in the absorption spectrum occurred in ZnO with Cd doping; however, there is no reasonable theoretical explanation to this so far. To solve this problem, this study investigates the differences of blueshift and redshift in doping system by adopting plane-wave ultrasoft pseudopotential technology based on the density functional theory and applying LDA + U method to calculate band structures, density of states and absorption spectrum distribution of the models, which is on the basis of model geometry optimization. By increasing the Cd doping concentration, the following results are obtained: increased volume of the mixed system, raised total energy, a decrease in stability, narrowed bandgaps and a significant redshift in the absorption spectrum in the ultraviolet or visible light area.

  9. Ultrahigh precision cosmology from gravitational waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cutler, Curt; Holz, Daniel E.

    2009-11-01

    We show that the Big Bang Observer (BBO), a proposed space-based gravitational-wave (GW) detector, would provide ultraprecise measurements of cosmological parameters. By detecting ˜3×105 compact-star binaries, and utilizing them as standard sirens, BBO would determine the Hubble constant to ˜0.1%, and the dark-energy parameters w0 and wa to ˜0.01 and ˜0.1, respectively. BBO’s dark-energy figure-of-merit would be approximately an order of magnitude better than all other proposed, dedicated dark-energy missions. To date, BBO has been designed with the primary goal of searching for gravitational waves from inflation, down to the level ΩGW˜10-17; this requirement determines BBO’s frequency band (deci-Hz) and its sensitivity requirement (strain measured to ˜10-24). To observe an inflationary GW background, BBO would first have to detect and subtract out ˜3×105 merging compact-star binaries, out to a redshift z˜5. It is precisely this carefully measured foreground which would enable high-precision cosmology. BBO would determine the luminosity distance to each binary to ˜ percent accuracy. In addition, BBO’s angular resolution would be sufficient to uniquely identify the host galaxy for the majority of binaries; a coordinated optical/infrared observing campaign could obtain the redshifts. Combining the GW-derived distances and the electromagnetically-derived redshifts for such a large sample of objects, out to such high redshift, naturally leads to extraordinarily tight constraints on cosmological parameters. We emphasize that such “standard siren” measurements of cosmology avoid many of the systematic errors associated with other techniques: GWs offer a physics-based, absolute measurement of distance. In addition, we show that BBO would also serve as an exceptionally powerful gravitational-lensing mission, and we briefly discuss other astronomical uses of BBO, including providing an early warning system for all short/hard gamma-ray bursts.

  10. The HEMP QSO Monitoring Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Welsh, William F.; Robinson, E. L.

    2000-02-01

    Many AGN are highly variable sources. Some of these show a pronounced time delay between variations seen in their optical continuum and in their emission lines. ``Echo mapping'' is a technique that uses these time delays to measure the geometry and kinematics of the gas inside the AGN, near the supermassive black hole. The technique is immensely powerful, but the results so far have been modest due to relatively low quality data. We have initiated a long--term project to echo map QSOs. We will examine nearby (but intrinsically faint) QSOs as well as QSOs at high redshift. The high--z QSOs present a problem: it is not known ahead of time which of these are variable sources. Thus we have started a campaign to monitor about 60 high-redshift QSOs for the purpose of determining their variability characteristics. We request SSTO time on the 0.9m telescope for long--term monitoring of high--redshift QSOs to: (i) test their suitability as viable echo mapping candidates; and (ii) measure (for the first time) their variability properties, which is of intrinsic value itself.

  11. 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.

  12. MALS–NOT: Identifying Radio-bright Quasars for the MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krogager, J.-K.; Gupta, N.; Noterdaeme, P.; Ranjan, A.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Srianand, R.; Petitjean, P.; Combes, F.; Mahabal, A.

    2018-03-01

    We present a preparatory spectroscopic survey to identify radio-bright, high-redshift quasars for the MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey. The candidates have been selected on the basis of a single flux density limit at 1.4 GHz (>200 mJy), together with mid-infrared color criteria from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. Through spectroscopic observations using the Nordic Optical Telescope, we identify 72 quasars out of 99 candidates targeted. We measure the spectroscopic redshifts based on characteristic, broad emission lines present in the spectra. Of these 72 quasars, 64 and 48 objects are at sufficiently high redshift (z > 0.6 and z > 1.4) to be used for the L-band and UHF-band spectroscopic follow-up with the Square Kilometre Array precursor in South Africa: the MeerKAT.

  13. Constraints on a possible variation of the fine structure constant from galaxy cluster data

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

    Holanda, R.F.L.; Landau, S.J.; Sánchez G, I.E.

    2016-05-01

    We propose a new method to probe a possible time evolution of the fine structure constant α from X-ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich measurements of the gas mass fraction ( f {sub gas}) in galaxy clusters. Taking into account a direct relation between variations of α and violations of the distance-duality relation, we discuss constraints on α for a class of dilaton runaway models. Although not yet competitive with bounds from high- z quasar absorption systems, our constraints, considering a sample of 29 measurements of f {sub gas}, in the redshift interval 0.14 < z < 0.89, provide an independent estimate ofmore » α variation at low and intermediate redshifts. Furthermore, current and planned surveys will provide a larger amount of data and thus allow to improve the limits on α variation obtained in the present analysis.« less

  14. The Cycle of Dust in the Milky Ways: Clues from the High-Redshift and the Local Universe

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dwek, Eli

    2008-01-01

    Massive amount of dust has been observed at high-redshifts when the universe was a mere 900 Myr old. The formation and evolution of dust is there dominated by massive stars and interstellar processes. In contrast, in the local universe lower mass stars, predominantly 2-5 Msun AGB stars, play the dominant role in the production of interstellar dust. These two extreme environments offer fascinating clues about the evolution of dust in the Milky Way galaxy

  15. Lyman-alpha fractions in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field at 4 < z < 6

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harish, Santosh; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Rhoads, James; Christensen, Lise; Tilvi, Vithal; Finkelstein, Steven; Pharo, John

    2018-01-01

    Lyman-alpha (Lya) emitting galaxies at high-redshifts serve as a good probe of neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium (IGM). Here we present measurements of the Lya fraction using a sample of Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) between 4 < z < 6 with deep HST grism observations from the GRAPES/PEARS projects as well as spectroscopic observations from the MUSE integral-field spectrograph. The sample of LBGs at z~5 & 6 are spectroscopically confirmed with deep HST grism data from the GRAPES and PEARS projects. We also measure Lya fractions using a sample of photometrically-selected LBGs for the same redshift range. In addition, we study the EW distribution in relation to continuum and line luminosities, as well as the relation between photometric and spectroscopic redshift. We find that objects with higher EWs tend to have larger differences between photometric and spectroscopic redshifts.

  16. See Change: Cosmology Analysis Update for the Supernova Cosmology Project High-z Cluster Supernova Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hayden, Brian; Aldering, Gregory; Amanullah, Rahman; Barbary, Kyle; Bohringer, Hans; Boone, Kyle Robert; Brodwin, Mark; Cunha, Carlos; Currie, Miles; Deustua, Susana; Dixon, Samantha; Eisenhardt, Peter; Fassbender, Rene; Fruchter, Andrew; Gladders, Michael; Gonzalez, Anthony; Goobar, Ariel; Hildebrandt, Hendrik; Hilton, Matt; Hoekstra, Henk; Hook, Isobel; Huang, Xiaosheng; Huterer, Dragan; Jee, Myungkook James; Kim, Alex; Kowalski, Marek; Lidman, Chris; Linder, Eric; Luther, Kyle; Meyers, Joshua; Muzzin, Adam; Nordin, Jakob; Pain, Reynald; Perlmutter, Saul; Richard, Johan; Rosati, Piero; Rozo, Eduardo; Rubin, David; Ruiz-Lapuente, Pilar; Rykoff, Eli; Santos, Joana; Myers Saunders, Clare; Sofiatti, Caroline; Spadafora, Anthony L.; Stanford, Spencer; Stern, Daniel; Suzuki, Nao; Webb, Tracy; Wechsler, Risa; Williams, Steven; Willis, Jon; Wilson, Gillian; Yen, Mike

    2018-01-01

    The Supernova Cosmology Project has finished executing a large (174 orbits, cycles 22-23) Hubble Space Telescope program, which has measured ~30 type Ia Supernovae above z~1 in the highest-redshift, most massive galaxy clusters known to date. We present the status of the ongoing blinded cosmology analysis, demonstrating substantial improvement to the uncertainty on the Dark Energy density above z~1. Our extensive HST and ground-based campaign has already produced unique results; we have confirmed several of the highest redshift cluster members known to date, confirmed the redshift of one of the most massive galaxy clusters expected across the entire sky, and characterized one of the most extreme starburst environments yet known in a z~1.7 cluster. We have also discovered a lensed SN Ia at z=2.22 magnified by a factor of ~2.8, which is the highest spectroscopic redshift SN Ia currently known.

  17. Molecular gas in the host galaxy of a quasar at redshift z = 6.42.

    PubMed

    Walter, Fabian; Bertoldi, Frank; Carilli, Chris; Cox, Pierre; Lo, K Y; Neri, Roberto; Fan, Xiaohui; Omont, Alain; Strauss, Michael A; Menten, Karl M

    2003-07-24

    Observations of molecular hydrogen in quasar host galaxies at high redshifts provide fundamental constraints on galaxy evolution, because it is out of this molecular gas that stars form. Molecular hydrogen is traced by emission from the carbon monoxide molecule, CO; cold H2 itself is generally not observable. Carbon monoxide has been detected in about ten quasar host galaxies with redshifts z > 2; the record-holder is at z = 4.69 (refs 1-3). Here we report CO emission from the quasar SDSS J114816.64 + 525150.3 (refs 5, 6) at z = 6.42. At that redshift, the Universe was only 1/16 of its present age, and the era of cosmic reionization was just ending. The presence of about 2 x 1010 M\\circ of H2 in an object at this time demonstrates that molecular gas enriched with heavy elements can be generated rapidly in the youngest galaxies.

  18. Why do high-redshift galaxies show diverse gas-phase metallicity gradients?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Xiangcheng; Hopkins, Philip F.; Feldmann, Robert; Torrey, Paul; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Kereš, Dušan

    2017-04-01

    Recent spatially resolved observations of galaxies at z ˜ 0.6-3 reveal that high-redshift galaxies show complex kinematics and a broad distribution of gas-phase metallicity gradients. To understand these results, we use a suite of high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations from the Feedback in Realistic Environments project, which include physically motivated models of the multiphase interstellar medium, star formation and stellar feedback. Our simulations reproduce the observed diversity of kinematic properties and metallicity gradients, broadly consistent with observations at z ˜ 0-3. Strong negative metallicity gradients only appear in galaxies with a rotating disc, but not all rotationally supported galaxies have significant gradients. Strongly perturbed galaxies with little rotation always have flat gradients. The kinematic properties and metallicity gradient of a high-redshift galaxy can vary significantly on short time-scales, associated with starburst episodes. Feedback from a starburst can destroy the gas disc, drive strong outflows and flatten a pre-existing negative metallicity gradient. The time variability of a single galaxy is statistically similar to the entire simulated sample, indicating that the observed metallicity gradients in high-redshift galaxies reflect the instantaneous state of the galaxy rather than the accretion and growth history on cosmological time-scales. We find weak dependence of metallicity gradient on stellar mass and specific star formation rate (sSFR). Low-mass galaxies and galaxies with high sSFR tend to have flat gradients, likely due to the fact that feedback is more efficient in these galaxies. We argue that it is important to resolve feedback on small scales in order to produce the diverse metallicity gradients observed.

  19. Beyond the plane-parallel and Newtonian approach: wide-angle redshift distortions and convergence in general relativity

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

    Bertacca, Daniele; Maartens, Roy; Raccanelli, Alvise

    We extend previous analyses of wide-angle correlations in the galaxy power spectrum in redshift space to include all general relativistic effects. These general relativistic corrections to the standard approach become important on large scales and at high redshifts, and they lead to new terms in the wide-angle correlations. We show that in principle the new terms can produce corrections of nearly 10% on Gpc scales over the usual Newtonian approximation. General relativistic corrections will be important for future large-volume surveys such as SKA and Euclid, although the problem of cosmic variance will present a challenge in observing this.

  20. Revisiting Abell 2744: a powerful synergy of GLASS spectroscopy and HFF photometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Xin; Wang

    We present new emission line identifications and improve the lensing reconstruction of the mass distribution of galaxy cluster Abell 2744 using the Grism Lens-Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS) spectroscopy and the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) imaging. We performed blind and targeted searches for faint line emitters on all objects, including the arc sample, within the field of view (FoV) of GLASS prime pointings. We report 55 high quality spectroscopic redshifts, 5 of which are for arc images. We also present an extensive analysis based on the HFF photometry, measuring the colors and photometric redshifts of all objects within the FoV, and comparing the spectroscopic and photometric redshift estimates. In order to improve the lens model of Abell 2744, we develop a rigorous algorithm to screen arc images, based on their colors and morphology, and selecting the most reliable ones to use. As a result, 25 systems (corresponding to 72 images) pass the screening process and are used to reconstruct the gravitational potential of the cluster pixellated on an adaptive mesh. The resulting total mass distribution is compared with a stellar mass map obtained from the Spitzer Frontier Fields data in order to study the relative distribution of stars and dark matter in the cluster.

  1. Clustering of High-Redshift Quasars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Timlin, John D., III

    In this work, we investigate the clustering of faint quasars in the early Universe and use the clustering strength to gain a better understanding of quasar feedback mechanisms and the growth of central supermassive black holes at early times in the history of the Universe. It has long been understood (e.g., Hopkins et al. 2007a) that the clustering of distant quasars can be used as a probe of different feedback models; however, until now, there was no sample of faint, high-redshift quasars with sufficient density to accurately measure the clustering strength. Therefore we conducted a new survey to increase the number density of these objects. Here, we describe the Spitzer -IRAC Equatorial Survey (SpIES) which is a moderately deep, large-area Spitzer survey which was designed to discover faint, high-redshift (2.9 ≤ z ≤ 5.1) quasars. SpIES spans 115 deg 2 in the equatorial "Stripe 82" region of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and probes to 5sigma depths of 6.13 microJy (21.93 AB magnitude) and 5.75 microJy (22.0 AB magnitude) at 3.6 and 4.5 microns. At these depths, SpIES is able to observe faint quasars, and we show that SpIES recovers 94% of the high-redshift (z ≥ 3.5), spectroscopically-confirmed quasars that lie within its footprint. SpIES is also ideally located on Stripe 82 for two reasons: It surrounds existing infrared data from the Spitzer-HETDEX Exploratory Large-area (SHELA) survey which increases the area of infrared coverage, and there is a wide range of multi-wavelength, multi-epoch ancillary data on Stripe 82 which we can use together to select high-redshift quasar candidates. To photometrically identify quasar candidates, we combined the optical data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the infrared data from SpIES and SHELA and employed three machine learning algorithms. These algorithms were trained on the optical/infrared colors of known, high-redshift quasars. Using this method, we generate a sample of 1378 objects that are both faint (i ≥ 20.2) and high-redshift (2.9 ≤ z ≤ 5.1) which we use to compute the angular two-point correlation function. We fit a single power-law model with an index of delta = 1.39 +/- 0.618 and amplitude of theta0 = 0.71 +/- 0.546 arcmin to the correlation function, as well as a dark matter model with a bias of b = 6.78 +/- 1.79. The bias in our investigation suggests a model of quasar feedback that considers quasar activity as an intermittent phase in galaxy evolution. If this model is correct, quasar feedback is strong enough to periodically halt the accretion of gas onto the central supermassive black hole of the quasar, which shuts down quasar activity and causes the black hole to stop growing, however it is not strong enough to completely shut down the quasar in the early Universe.

  2. MEASUREMENTS OF CO REDSHIFTS WITH Z-SPEC FOR LENSED SUBMILLIMETER GALAXIES DISCOVERED IN THE H-ATLAS SURVEY

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

    Lupu, R. E.; Scott, K. S.; Aguirre, J. E.

    2012-10-01

    We present new observations from Z-Spec, a broadband 185-305 GHz spectrometer, of five submillimeter bright lensed sources selected from the Herschel-Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey science demonstration phase catalog. We construct a redshift-finding algorithm using combinations of the signal to noise of all the lines falling in the Z-Spec bandpass to determine redshifts with high confidence, even in cases where the signal to noise in individual lines is low. We measure the dust continuum in all sources and secure CO redshifts for four out of five (z {approx} 1.5-3). In one source, SDP.17, we tentatively identify two independent redshifts andmore » a water line, confirmed at z = 2.308. Our sources have properties characteristic of dusty starburst galaxies, with magnification-corrected star formation rates of 10{sup 2-3} M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}. Lower limits for the dust masses ({approx} a few 10{sup 8} M{sub Sun }) and spatial extents ({approx}1 kpc equivalent radius) are derived from the continuum spectral energy distributions, corresponding to dust temperatures between 54 and 69 K. In the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) approximation, we derive relatively low CO excitation temperatures ({approx}< 100 K) and optical depths ({tau} {approx}< 1). Performing a non-LTE excitation analysis using RADEX, we find that the CO lines measured by Z-Spec (from J = 4 {yields} 3 to 10 {yields} 9, depending on the galaxy) localize the best solutions to either a high-temperature/low-density region or a low/temperature/high-density region near the LTE solution, with the optical depth varying accordingly. Observations of additional CO lines, CO(1-0) in particular, are needed to constrain the non-LTE models.« less

  3. The evolving far-IR galaxy luminosity function and dust-obscured star formation rate density out to z≃5.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koprowski, M. P.; Dunlop, J. S.; Michałowski, M. J.; Coppin, K. E. K.; Geach, J. E.; McLure, R. J.; Scott, D.; van der Werf, P. P.

    2017-11-01

    We present a new measurement of the evolving galaxy far-IR luminosity function (LF) extending out to redshifts z ≃ 5, with resulting implications for the level of dust-obscured star formation density in the young Universe. To achieve this, we have exploited recent advances in sub-mm/mm imaging with SCUBA-2 on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array, which together provide unconfused imaging with sufficient dynamic range to provide meaningful coverage of the luminosity-redshift plane out to z > 4. Our results support previous indications that the faint-end slope of the far-IR LF is sufficiently flat that comoving luminosity density is dominated by bright objects (≃L*). However, we find that the number density/luminosity of such sources at high redshifts has been severely overestimated by studies that have attempted to push the highly confused Herschel SPIRE surveys beyond z ≃ 2. Consequently, we confirm recent reports that cosmic star formation density is dominated by UV-visible star formation at z > 4. Using both direct (1/Vmax) and maximum likelihood determinations of the LF, we find that its high-redshift evolution is well characterized by continued positive luminosity evolution coupled with negative density evolution (with increasing redshift). This explains why bright sub-mm sources continue to be found at z > 5, even though their integrated contribution to cosmic star formation density at such early times is very small. The evolution of the far-IR galaxy LF thus appears similar in form to that already established for active galactic nuclei, possibly reflecting a similar dependence on the growth of galaxy mass.

  4. Intensity Mapping of the [CII] Fine Structure Line during the Epoch of Reionization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gong, Yan; Cooray, A.; Silva, M.; Santos, M. G.; Bock, J.; Bradford, M.; Zemcov, M.

    2012-01-01

    The atomic CII fine-structure line is one of the brightest lines in a typical star-forming galaxy spectrum with a luminosity 0.1% to 1% of the bolometric luminosity. It is otentially a reliable tracer of the dense gas distribution at high edshifts and could provide an additional probe to the era of reionization. By taking into account of the spontaneous, stimulated and collisional emission of the CII line, we calculate the spin temperature and the mean intensity as a function of the redshift. When averaged over a cosmologically large volume, we find that the CII emission from ionized carbon in individual galaxies is larger than the signal generated by carbon in the intergalactic medium (IGM). Assuming that the CII luminosity is proportional to the carbon mass in dark matter halos, we also compute the power spectrum of the CII line intensity at various redshifts. In order to avoid the contamination from CO rotational lines at low redshift when targeting a CII survey at high redshifts, we propose the cross-correlation of CII and 21-cm line emission from high redshifts. To explore the detectability of the CII signal from reionization, we also evaluate the expected errors on the CII power spectrum and CII-21 cm cross power spectrum based on the design of the future milimeter surveys. We note that the CII-21 cm cross power spectrum contains interesting features that captures physics during reionization, including the ionized bubble sizes and the mean ionization fraction, which are challenging to measure from 21-cm data alone. We propose an instrumental concept for the reionization CII experiment targeting the frequency range of 200 to 300 GHz with 1, 3 and 10 meter apertures and a bolometric spectrometer array with 64 independent spectral pixels with about 20,000 bolometers.

  5. The Isophotal Structure of Star-forming Galaxies at 0.5 < z < 1.8 in CANDELS: Implications for the Evolution of Galaxy Structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Dongfei; Liu, F. S.; Zheng, Xianzhong; Yesuf, Hassen M.; Koo, David C.; Faber, S. M.; Guo, Yicheng; Koekemoer, Anton M.; Wang, Weichen; Fang, Jerome J.; Barro, Guillermo; Jia, Meng; Tong, Wei; Liu, Lu; Meng, Xianmin; Kocevski, Dale; McGrath, Elizabeth J.; Hathi, Nimish P.

    2018-02-01

    We have measured the radial profiles of isophotal ellipticity (ε) and disky/boxy parameter A 4 out to radii of about three times the semimajor axes for ∼4600 star-forming galaxies (SFGs) between redshift 0.5 and 1.8 in the CANDELS/GOODS-S and UDS fields. Based on the average size–mass relation in each redshift bin, we divide our galaxies at a given mass into Small SFGs (SSFGs; smaller than the average) and Large SFGs (LSFGs; larger than the average). We show that, at low masses ({M}* < {10}10{M}ȯ ), the SSFGs generally have nearly flat ε and A 4 profiles in both edge-on and face-on views, especially at z> 1. Moreover, the median A 4 values at all radii are almost zero. In contrast, the highly inclined low-mass LSFGs in the same mass-redshift bins generally have monotonically increasing ε profiles with radius and disky feature dominated in the intermediate regions. These findings imply that at these redshifts, the low-mass SSFGs are not disk-like, whereas the low-mass LSFGs likely harbour disk-like components flattened by significant rotations. At high masses ({M}* > {10}10{M}ȯ ), both highly inclined SSFGs and LSFGs generally exhibit distinct trends in both ε and A 4 profiles, which increase at lower radii, reach maxima, then decrease at larger radii. Such the feature is more prevalent for more massive ({M}* > {10}10.5{M}ȯ ) galaxies or at lower redshifts (z< 1.4). This feature can be simply explained if galaxies possess all three components: central bulges, disks in the intermediate regions, and halo-like stellar components in the outskirts.

  6. 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.

  7. The role of submillimetre galaxies in galaxy evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pope, Erin Alexandra

    2007-08-01

    This thesis presents a comprehensive study of high redshift submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) using the deepest multi-wavelength observations. The submm sample consists of galaxies detected at 850 mm with the Submillimetre Common User Bolometer Array (SCUBA) in the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey- North region. Using the deep Spitzer Space Telescope images and new data and reductions of the Very Large Array radio data, I find statistically secure counterparts for 60% of the submm sample, and identify tentative counterparts for most of the remaining objects. This is the largest sample of submm galaxies with statistically secure counterparts detected in the radio and with Spitzer . This thesis presents spectral energy distributions (SEDs), Spitzer colours, and infrared (IR) luminosities for the SMGs. A composite rest-frame SED shows that the submm sources peak at longer wavelengths than those of local ultraluminous IR galaxies (ULIRGs), i.e. they appear to be cooler than local ULIRGs of the same luminosity. This demonstrates the strong selection effects, both locally and at high redshift, which may lead to an incomplete census of the ULIRG population. The SEDs of submm galaxies are also different from those of their high redshift neighbours, the near-IR selected BzK galaxies, whose mid-IR to radio SEDs are more like those of local ULIRGs. I fit templates that span the mid-IR through radio to derive the integrated 1R luminosities of the submm galaxies and find a median value of L IR (8-1000 mm) = 6.0 x 10 12 [Special characters omitted.] . I also find that submm flux densities by themselves systematically overpredict L IR when using templates which obey the local ULIRG temperature-luminosity relation. The SED fits show that SMGs are consistent with the correlation between radio and IR luminosity observed in local galaxies. Because the shorter Spitzer wavelengths sample the stellar bump at the redshifts of the submm sources, one can obtain a model independent estimate of the redshift, s(D z /(1 + z )) = 0.07. The median redshift of the secure submm counterparts is 2.0. Using X-ray and mid-IR imaging data, only 5% of the secure counterparts show strong evidence for an active galactic nucleus (AGN) dominating the IR luminosity. This thesis also presents deep Spitzer mid-IR spectroscopy of 13 of these SMGs in order to determine the contribution from AGN and starburst emission to the IR luminosity. I find strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission features in all of the targets, while only 2/13 SMGs have a significant mid-IR rising power-law component which would indicate an AGN. In the high signal-to- noise ratio composite spectrum of the SMGs I find that the AGN component contributes at most 30% of the mid-IR luminosity, implying that the total LIR in SMGs is dominated by star formation and not AGN emission. I also find that the SMGs lie on the relation between the luminosity of the main PAH features and L IR established for local starburst galaxies, confirming that the PAH luminosity can be used as a proxy for the star formation rate. Interestingly, local ULIRGs, which are often thought to be the low redshift analogues of SMGs, lie off these relations, as they appear deficient in PAH luminosity for a given L IR . In terms of an evolutionary scenario for IR luminous galaxies, SMGs are consistent with being an earlier phase in the massive merger (compared with other local or high redshift ULIRGs) in which the AGN has not yet become strong enough to heat the dust and dilute the PAH emission. I further investigate the overlap between high redshift infrared and submm populations using a statistical stacking analysis to measure the contribution of near- and mid-IR galaxy populations to the 850 mm submm background. For the first time, it is found that the 850 mm background can be completely resolved into individual galaxies and the bulk of these galaxies lie at z [Special characters omitted.] 3. Additionally I present a detailed study of the most distant SMG discovered to date, which I call GN20. This unusually bright source led to the discovery of a high redshift galaxy cluster, which is likely to be lensing the SMG. I discuss the potential for using bright SMGs in future submm surveys to identify high redshift clusters. Finally, for this complete sample of SMGs, I present the cumulative flux distribution at X-ray, optical, IR and radio wavelengths and I determine the depths at which one can expect to detect the majority of submm galaxies in future mm/submm surveys, such as with SCUBA-2, the successor to SCUBA.

  8. Patchy intergalactic He II absorption in HE 2347-4342. II. The possible discovery of the epoch of He-reionization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reimers, D.; Kohler, S.; Wisotzki, L.; Groote, D.; Rodriguez-Pascual, P.; Wamsteker, W.

    1997-11-01

    We report on observations of redshifted Heii303.8 Angstroms absorption in the high-redshift QSO HE2347-4342 (z=2.885, V=16.1) with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph on board HST in its low resolution mode (bigtriangleup lambda = 0.7 Angstroms). With f_λ=3.6\\ 10(-15) ergcm(-2) s(-1) Angstroms(-1) at the expected position of Heii304 Angstroms absorption it is the most UV-bright high redshift QSO discovered so far. We show that the Heii opacity as a function of redshift is patchy showing spectral regions with low Heii opacity (``voids'') and regions with high Heii opacity (blacked-out ``troughs'') and no detectable flux. Combination with high-resolution optical spectra of the Lyalpha forest using CASPEC at the 3.6m telescope shows that the voids can be explained either exclusively by Lyalpha forest cloud absorption with a moderate N_{subs {He{sc ii}}}/N_{subs {H{sc i}}} ratio eta <=100 and turbulent line broadening or by a combination of Lyalpha forest with eta = 45 and thermal broadening plus a diffuse medium with tau_ {subs {GP}}({subs {He{sc ) ii}}} ~ 0.3. Since the latter is a minimum assumption for the Lyalpha forest, a strict upper limit to a diffuse medium is Omega_ {subs {diff}}<0.02 h50(-1.5) at z=2.8. In the troughs in addition to the Lyalpha forest opacity a continuous Heii 304 Angstroms opacity tau = 4.8(+infty }_{-2) is required. In case of photoionization, the troughs would require a diffuse component with a density close to Omega =~ 0.077(eta /45)(-0.5) h50(-1.5) , i.e. all baryons in the universe, which is inconsistent, however, with the observed absence of such a component in the voids. A tentative interpretation is that we observe the epoch of partial Heii reionization of the universe with patches not yet reionized. In that case a diffuse component with Omega_ {subs {diff}}>= 1.3\\ 10(-4) h(-1}_{50) would be sufficient to explain the ``trough'' opacity. The size of the 1163--1172 Angstroms trough is ~ 6 h50(-1) Mpc or ~ 2300 kms(-1) , respectively. We also discuss partially resolved Heii absorption of a high-ionization associated absorption system. Despite its high luminosity HE2347-4342 does not show a Heii proximity effect. A possible reason is that the strong associated system shields the Heii ionizing continuum. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile (ESO No.\\ 58.B--0116). Based on IUE observations collected at the ESA VILSPA ground station near Madrid, Spain. Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by Aura, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5--26\\,555.

  9. Absorption line indices in the UV. I. Empirical and theoretical stellar population models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maraston, C.; Nieves Colmenárez, L.; Bender, R.; Thomas, D.

    2009-01-01

    Aims: Stellar absorption lines in the optical (e.g. the Lick system) have been extensively studied and constitute an important stellar population diagnostic for galaxies in the local universe and up to moderate redshifts. Proceeding towards higher look-back times, galaxies are younger and the ultraviolet becomes the relevant spectral region where the dominant stellar populations shine. A comprehensive study of ultraviolet absorption lines of stellar population models is however still lacking. With this in mind, we study absorption line indices in the far and mid-ultraviolet in order to determine age and metallicity indicators for UV-bright stellar populations in the local universe as well as at high redshift. Methods: We explore empirical and theoretical spectral libraries and use evolutionary population synthesis to compute synthetic line indices of stellar population models. From the empirical side, we exploit the IUE-low resolution library of stellar spectra and system of absorption lines, from which we derive analytical functions (fitting functions) describing the strength of stellar line indices as a function of gravity, temperature and metallicity. The fitting functions are entered into an evolutionary population synthesis code in order to compute the integrated line indices of stellar populations models. The same line indices are also directly evaluated on theoretical spectral energy distributions of stellar population models based on Kurucz high-resolution synthetic spectra, In order to select indices that can be used as age and/or metallicity indicators for distant galaxies and globular clusters, we compare the models to data of template globular clusters from the Magellanic Clouds with independently known ages and metallicities. Results: We provide synthetic line indices in the wavelength range ~1200 Å to ~3000 Å for stellar populations of various ages and metallicities.This adds several new indices to the already well-studied CIV and SiIV absorptions. Based on the comparison with globular cluster data, we select a set of 11 indices blueward of the 2000 Å rest-frame that allows us to recover well the ages and the metallicities of the clusters. These indices are ideal to study ages and metallicities of young galaxies at high redshift. We also provide the synthetic high-resolution stellar population SEDs.

  10. Fast γ-Ray Variability in Blazars beyond Redshift 3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Shang; Xia, Zi-Qing; Liang, Yun-Feng; Liao, Neng-Hui; Fan, Yi-Zhong

    2018-02-01

    High-redshift blazars are one of the most powerful sources in the universe and γ-ray variability carries crucial information about their relativistic jets. In this work we present results of the first systematical temporal analysis of Fermi-LAT data of all known seven γ-ray blazars beyond redshift 3. Significant long-term γ-ray variability is found from five sources in monthly γ-ray light curves, in which three of them are reported for the first time. Furthermore, intraday γ-ray variations are detected from NVSS J053954‑283956 and NVSS J080518+614423. The doubling variability timescale of the former source is limited as short as ≲1 hr (at the source frame). Together with variability amplitude over one order of magnitude, NVSS J053954‑283956 is the most distant γ-ray flaring blazar so far. Meanwhile, intraday optical variability of NVSS J163547+362930 is found based on an archival PTF/iPTF light curve. Benefiting from the multi-wavelength activity of these sources, constraints on their Doppler factors, as well as the locations of the γ-ray radiation region and indications for the SDSS high redshift jetted active galactic nuclei deficit are discussed.

  11. Testing the accuracy of redshift-space group-finding algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frederic, James J.

    1995-04-01

    Using simulated redshift surveys generated from a high-resolution N-body cosmological structure simulation, we study algorithms used to identify groups of galaxies in redshift space. Two algorithms are investigated; both are friends-of-friends schemes with variable linking lengths in the radial and transverse dimenisons. The chief difference between the algorithms is in the redshift linking length. The algorithm proposed by Huchra & Geller (1982) uses a generous linking length designed to find 'fingers of god,' while that of Nolthenius & White (1987) uses a smaller linking length to minimize contamination by projection. We find that neither of the algorithms studied is intrinsically superior to the other; rather, the ideal algorithm as well as the ideal algorithm parameters depends on the purpose for which groups are to be studied. The Huchra & Geller algorithm misses few real groups, at the cost of including some spurious groups and members, while the Nolthenius & White algorithm misses high velocity dispersion groups and members but is less likely to include interlopers in its group assignments. Adjusting the parameters of either algorithm results in a trade-off between group accuracy and completeness. In a companion paper we investigate the accuracy of virial mass estimates and clustering properties of groups identified using these algorithms.

  12. Red, redder, reddest: SCUBA-2 imaging of colour-selected Herschel sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duivenvoorden, S.; Oliver, S.; Scudder, J. M.; Greenslade, J.; Riechers, D. A.; Wilkins, S. M.; Buat, V.; Chapman, S. C.; Clements, D. L.; Cooray, A.; Coppin, K. E. K.; Dannerbauer, H.; De Zotti, G.; Dunlop, J. S.; Eales, S. A.; Efstathiou, A.; Farrah, D.; Geach, J. E.; Holland, W. S.; Hurley, P. D.; Ivison, R. J.; Marchetti, L.; Petitpas, G.; Sargent, M. T.; Scott, D.; Symeonidis, M.; Vaccari, M.; Vieira, J. D.; Wang, L.; Wardlow, J.; Zemcov, M.

    2018-06-01

    High-redshift, luminous, dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) constrain the extremity of galaxy formation theories. The most extreme are discovered through follow-up on candidates in large area surveys. Here, we present extensive 850 μm SCUBA-2 follow-up observations of 188 red DSFG candidates from the Herschel Multitiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES) Large Mode Survey, covering 274 deg2. We detected 87 per cent with a signal-to-noise ratio >3 at 850 μm. We introduce a new method for incorporating the confusion noise in our spectral energy distribution fitting by sampling correlated flux density fluctuations from a confusion limited map. The new 850 μm data provide a better constraint on the photometric redshifts of the candidates, with photometric redshift errors decreasing from σz/(1 + z) ≈ 0.21 to 0.15. Comparison spectroscopic redshifts also found little bias (<(z - zspec)/(1 + zspec)> = 0.08). The mean photometric redshift is found to be 3.6 with a dispersion of 0.4 and we identify 21 DSFGs with a high probability of lying at z > 4. After simulating our selection effects we find number counts are consistent with phenomenological galaxy evolution models. There is a statistically significant excess of WISE-1 and SDSS sources near our red galaxies, giving a strong indication that lensing may explain some of the apparently extreme objects. Nevertheless, our sample includes examples of galaxies with the highest star formation rates in the Universe (≫103 M⊙ yr-1).

  13. 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.

  14. Relativistic corrections and non-Gaussianity in radio continuum surveys

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

    Maartens, Roy; Zhao, Gong-Bo; Bacon, David

    Forthcoming radio continuum surveys will cover large volumes of the observable Universe and will reach to high redshifts, making them potentially powerful probes of dark energy, modified gravity and non-Gaussianity. We consider the continuum surveys with LOFAR, WSRT and ASKAP, and examples of continuum surveys with the SKA. We extend recent work on these surveys by including redshift space distortions and lensing convergence in the radio source auto-correlation. In addition we compute the general relativistic (GR) corrections to the angular power spectrum. These GR corrections to the standard Newtonian analysis of the power spectrum become significant on scales near andmore » beyond the Hubble scale at each redshift. We find that the GR corrections are at most percent-level in LOFAR, WODAN and EMU surveys, but they can produce O(10%) changes for high enough sensitivity SKA continuum surveys. The signal is however dominated by cosmic variance, and multiple-tracer techniques will be needed to overcome this problem. The GR corrections are suppressed in continuum surveys because of the integration over redshift — we expect that GR corrections will be enhanced for future SKA HI surveys in which the source redshifts will be known. We also provide predictions for the angular power spectra in the case where the primordial perturbations have local non-Gaussianity. We find that non-Gaussianity dominates over GR corrections, and rises above cosmic variance when f{sub NL}∼>5 for SKA continuum surveys.« less

  15. SEDEBLEND: a new method for deblending spectral energy distributions in confused imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    MacKenzie, Todd P.; Scott, Douglas; Swinbank, Mark

    2016-11-01

    For high-redshift submillimetre or millimetre sources detected with single-dish telescopes, interferometric follow-up has shown that many are multiple submillimetre galaxies blended together. Confusion-limited Herschel observations of such targets are also available, and these sample the peak of their spectral energy distribution (SED) in the far-infrared. Many methods for analysing these data have been adopted, but most follow the traditional approach of extracting fluxes before model SEDs are fit, which has the potential to erase important information on degeneracies among fitting parameters and glosses over the intricacies of confusion noise. Here, we adapt the forward-modelling method that we originally developed to disentangle a high-redshift strongly lensed galaxy group, in order to tackle this general problem in a more statistically rigorous way, by combining source deblending and SED fitting into the same procedure. We call this method `SEDeblend'. As an application, we derive constraints on far-infrared luminosities and dust temperatures for sources within the ALMA follow-up of the LABOCA Extended Chandra Deep Field South Submillimetre Survey. We find an average dust temperature for an 870-μm-selected sample of (33.9 ± 2.4) K for the full survey. When selection effects of the sample are considered, we find no evidence that the average dust temperature evolves with redshift for sources with redshifts greater than about 1.5, when compared to those with redshifts between 0.1 and 1.5.

  16. Nitrogen-to-oxygen as a tracer of the chemical evolution of the Local and young Universe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pérez-Montero, E.

    2013-05-01

    Oxygen optical emission-lines are used exhaustively as tracers of the metal content in gaseous nebulae ionized during different episodes of massive star formation. The high luminosity of these lines make them to be detected from the Local Universe up to starbursts at high redshift. Occasionally, in those cases where these lines cannot be measured due to the spectral coverage or to the redshift, nitrogen emission-lines are used instead. However, both nitrogen and oxygen have different nucleosynthetic origins, so the study of chemical abundances from nitrogen emission-lines introduces variables depending on the star formation history of each galaxy that must be taken into account. This contribution summarizes those risks involved in using metallicity tracers based on optical nitrogen emission lines and also describes the advantages of using instead the nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio as a tracer itself, based mainly on its independence on star formation rate, avoiding selection effects at high redshift.

  17. THINK OUTSIDE THE COLOR BOX: PROBABILISTIC TARGET SELECTION AND THE SDSS-XDQSOQUASAR TARGETING CATALOG

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

    BOVY, J.; Sheldon, E.; Hennawi, J.F.

    2011-03-10

    We present the SDSS-XDQSO quasar targeting catalog for efficient flux-based quasar target selection down to the faint limit of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) catalog, even at medium redshifts (2.5 {approx}< z {approx}< 3) where the stellar contamination is significant. We build models of the distributions of stars and quasars in flux space down to the flux limit by applying the extreme-deconvolution method to estimate the underlying density. We convolve this density with the flux uncertainties when evaluating the probability that an object is a quasar. This approach results in a targeting algorithm that is more principled, more efficient,more » and faster than other similar methods. We apply the algorithm to derive low-redshift (z < 2.2), medium-redshift (2.2 {le} z {le} 3.5), and high-redshift (z > 3.5) quasar probabilities for all 160,904,060 point sources with dereddened i-band magnitude between 17.75 and 22.45 mag in the 14,555 deg{sup 2} of imaging from SDSS Data Release 8. The catalog can be used to define a uniformly selected and efficient low- or medium-redshift quasar survey, such as that needed for the SDSS-III's Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey project. We show that the XDQSO technique performs as well as the current best photometric quasar-selection technique at low redshift, and outperforms all other flux-based methods for selecting the medium-redshift quasars of our primary interest. We make code to reproduce the XDQSO quasar target selection publicly available.« less

  18. TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA DISTANCE MODULUS BIAS AND DISPERSION FROM K-CORRECTION ERRORS: A DIRECT MEASUREMENT USING LIGHT CURVE FITS TO OBSERVED SPECTRAL TIME SERIES

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

    Saunders, C.; Aldering, G.; Aragon, C.

    2015-02-10

    We estimate systematic errors due to K-corrections in standard photometric analyses of high-redshift Type Ia supernovae. Errors due to K-correction occur when the spectral template model underlying the light curve fitter poorly represents the actual supernova spectral energy distribution, meaning that the distance modulus cannot be recovered accurately. In order to quantify this effect, synthetic photometry is performed on artificially redshifted spectrophotometric data from 119 low-redshift supernovae from the Nearby Supernova Factory, and the resulting light curves are fit with a conventional light curve fitter. We measure the variation in the standardized magnitude that would be fit for a givenmore » supernova if located at a range of redshifts and observed with various filter sets corresponding to current and future supernova surveys. We find significant variation in the measurements of the same supernovae placed at different redshifts regardless of filters used, which causes dispersion greater than ∼0.05 mag for measurements of photometry using the Sloan-like filters and a bias that corresponds to a 0.03 shift in w when applied to an outside data set. To test the result of a shift in supernova population or environment at higher redshifts, we repeat our calculations with the addition of a reweighting of the supernovae as a function of redshift and find that this strongly affects the results and would have repercussions for cosmology. We discuss possible methods to reduce the contribution of the K-correction bias and uncertainty.« less

  19. Quantifying the abundance of faint, low-redshift satellite galaxies in the COSMOS survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xi, ChengYu; Taylor, James E.; Massey, Richard J.; Rhodes, Jason; Koekemoer, Anton; Salvato, Mara

    2018-06-01

    Faint dwarf satellite galaxies are important as tracers of small-scale structure, but remain poorly characterized outside the Local Group, due to the difficulty of identifying them consistently at larger distances. We review a recently proposed method for estimating the average satellite population around a given sample of nearby bright galaxies, using a combination of size and magnitude cuts (to select low-redshift dwarf galaxies preferentially) and clustering measurements (to estimate the fraction of true satellites in the cut sample). We test this method using the high-precision photometric redshift catalog of the COSMOS survey, exploring the effect of specific cuts on the clustering signal. The most effective of the size-magnitude cuts considered recover the clustering signal around low-redshift primaries (z < 0.15) with about two-thirds of the signal and 80% of the signal-to-noise ratio obtainable using the full COSMOS photometric redshifts. These cuts are also fairly efficient, with more than one third of the selected objects being clustered satellites. We conclude that structural selection represents a useful tool in characterizing dwarf populations to fainter magnitudes and/or over larger areas than are feasible with spectroscopic surveys. In reviewing the low-redshift content of the COSMOS field, we also note the existence of several dozen objects that appear resolved or partially resolved in the HST imaging, and are confirmed to be local (at distances of ˜250 Mpc or less) by their photometric or spectroscopic redshifts. This underlines the potential for future space-based surveys to reveal local populations of intrinsically faint galaxies through imaging alone.

  20. MAPPING THE GALAXY COLOR–REDSHIFT RELATION: OPTIMAL PHOTOMETRIC REDSHIFT CALIBRATION STRATEGIES FOR COSMOLOGY SURVEYS

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

    Masters, Daniel; Steinhardt, Charles; Faisst, Andreas

    2015-11-01

    Calibrating the photometric redshifts of ≳10{sup 9} galaxies for upcoming weak lensing cosmology experiments is a major challenge for the astrophysics community. The path to obtaining the required spectroscopic redshifts for training and calibration is daunting, given the anticipated depths of the surveys and the difficulty in obtaining secure redshifts for some faint galaxy populations. Here we present an analysis of the problem based on the self-organizing map, a method of mapping the distribution of data in a high-dimensional space and projecting it onto a lower-dimensional representation. We apply this method to existing photometric data from the COSMOS survey selectedmore » to approximate the anticipated Euclid weak lensing sample, enabling us to robustly map the empirical distribution of galaxies in the multidimensional color space defined by the expected Euclid filters. Mapping this multicolor distribution lets us determine where—in galaxy color space—redshifts from current spectroscopic surveys exist and where they are systematically missing. Crucially, the method lets us determine whether a spectroscopic training sample is representative of the full photometric space occupied by the galaxies in a survey. We explore optimal sampling techniques and estimate the additional spectroscopy needed to map out the color–redshift relation, finding that sampling the galaxy distribution in color space in a systematic way can efficiently meet the calibration requirements. While the analysis presented here focuses on the Euclid survey, similar analysis can be applied to other surveys facing the same calibration challenge, such as DES, LSST, and WFIRST.« less

  1. Galaxy growth from redshift 5 to 0 at fixed comoving number density

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van de Voort, Freeke

    2016-10-01

    Studying the average properties of galaxies at a fixed comoving number density over a wide redshift range has become a popular observational method, because it may trace the evolution of galaxies statistically. We test this method by comparing the evolution of galaxies at fixed number density and by following individual galaxies through cosmic time (z = 0-5) in cosmological, hydrodynamical simulations from the OverWhelmingly Large Simulations project. Comparing progenitors, descendants, and galaxies selected at fixed number density at each redshift, we find differences of up to a factor of 3 for galaxy and interstellar medium (ISM) masses. The difference is somewhat larger for black hole masses. The scatter in ISM mass increases significantly towards low redshift with all selection techniques. We use the fixed number density technique to study the assembly of dark matter, gas, stars, and black holes and the evolution in accretion and star formation rates. We find three different regimes for massive galaxies, consistent with observations: at high redshift the gas accretion rate dominates, at intermediate redshifts the star formation rate is the highest, and at low redshift galaxies grow mostly through mergers. Quiescent galaxies have much lower ISM masses (by definition) and much higher black hole masses, but the stellar and halo masses are fairly similar. Without active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback, massive galaxies are dominated by star formation down to z = 0 and most of their stellar mass growth occurs in the centre. With AGN feedback, stellar mass is only added to the outskirts of galaxies by mergers and they grow inside-out.

  2. Cosmic Dawn with WFIRST

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rhoads, James

    Central objectives: WFIRST-AFTA has tremendous potential for studying the epoch of "Cosmic Dawn" the period encompassing the formation of the first galaxies and quasars, and their impact on the surrounding universe through cosmological reionization. Our goal is to ensure that this potential is realized through the middle stages of mission planning, culminating in designs for both WFIRST and its core surveys that meet the core objectives in dark energy and exoplanet science, while maximizing the complementary Cosmic Dawn science. Methods: We will consider a combined approach to studying Cosmic Dawn using a judicious mixture of guest investigator data analysis of the primary WFIRST surveys, and a specifically designed Guest Observer program to complement those surveys. The Guest Observer program will serve primarily to obtain deep field observations, with particular attention to the capabilities of WFIRST for spectroscopic deep fields using the WFI grism. We will bring to bear our years of experience with slitless spectroscopy on the Hubble Space Telescope, along with an expectation of JWST slitless grism spectroscopy. We will use this experience to examine the implications of WFIRST’s grism resolution and wavelength coverage for deep field observations, and if appropriate, to suggest potential modifications of these parameters to optimize the science return on WFIRST. We have assembled a team of experts specializing in (1) Lyman Break Galaxies at redshifts higher than 7 (2) Quasars at high redshifts (3) Lyman-alpha galaxies as probes of reionization (4) Theoretical simulations of high-redshift galaxies (5) Simulations of grism observations (6) post-processing analysis to find emission line galaxies and high redshift galaxies (7) JWST observations and calibrations. With this team we intend to do end-to-end simulations starting with halo populations and expected spectra of high redshift galaxies and finally extracting what we can learn about (a) reionization using the Lyman-alpha test (b) the sources of reionization - both galaxies and AGN and (c) how to optimize WFIRST-AFTA surveys to maximize scientific output of this mission. Along the way, we will simulate the galaxy and AGN populations expected beyond redshift 7, and will simulate observations and data analysis of these populations with WFIRST. Significance of work: Cosmic Dawn is one of the central pillars of the "New Worlds, New Horizons" decadal survey. WFIRST's highly sensitive and wide-field near-infrared capabilities offer a natural tool to obtain statistically useful samples of faint galaxies and AGN beyond redshift 7. Thus, we expect Cosmic Dawn observations will constitute a major component of the GO program ultimately executed by WFIRST. By supporting our Science Investigation Team to consider the interplay between the mission parameters and the ultimate harvest of Cosmic Dawn science, NASA will help ensure the success of WFIRST as a broadly focused flagship mission.

  3. Zooming in on star formation in the brightest galaxies of the early Universe discovered with the Planck and Herschel satellites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Canameras, Raoul

    2016-09-01

    Strongly gravitationally lensed galaxies offer an outstanding opportunity to characterize the most intensely star-forming galaxies in the high-redshift universe. In the most extreme cases, one can probe the mechanisms that underlie the intense star formation on the scales of individual star-forming regions. This requires very fortuitous gravitational lensing configurations offering magnification factors >>10, which are particularly rare toward the high-redshift dusty star-forming galaxies. The Planck's Dusty GEMS (Gravitationally Enhanced subMillimeter Sources) sample contains eleven of the brightest high-redshift galaxies discovered with the Planck submillimeter all-sky survey, with flux densities between 300 and 1000 mJy at 350 microns, factors of a few brighter than the majority of lensed sources previously discovered with other surveys. Six of them are above the 90% completeness limit of the Planck Catalog of Compact Sources (PCCS), suggesting that they are among the brightest high-redshift sources on the sky selected by their active star formation. This thesis comes within the framework of the extensive multi-wavelength follow-up programme designed to determine the overall properties of the high-redshift sources and to probe the lensing configurations. Firstly, to characterize the intervening lensing structures and calculate lensing models, I use optical and near/mid-infrared imaging and spectroscopy. I deduce that our eleven GEMS are aligned with intervening matter overdensities at intermediate redshift, either massive isolated galaxies or galaxy groups and clusters. The foreground sources exhibit evolved stellar populations of a few giga years, characteristic of early-type galaxies. Moreover, the first detailed models of the light deflection toward the GEMS suggest magnification factors systematically >10, and >20 for some lines-of-sight. Secondly, we observe the GEMS in the far-infrared and sub-millimeter domains in order to characterize the background sources. The sub-arcsec resolution IRAM and SMA interferometry shows distorded morphologies which definitively confirm that the eleven sources are strongly lensed. I obtain dust temperatures between 33 and 50 K, and outstanding far-infrared luminosities of up to 2x1014 solar luminosities before correcting for the gravitational magnification. The relationship between dust temperatures and far-infrared luminosities also confirms that the GEMS are brighter than field galaxies at a given dust temperature. I conclude that dust heating seems to be strongly dominated by the star formation activity with an AGN contamination systematically below 30%. We find secure spectroscopic redshifts between 2.2 and 3.6 for the eleven targets thanks to the detection of at least two CO emission lines per source. Finally, I focus on the three gravitationally lensed sources showing the most remarkable properties including the brightest GEMS, a maximal starburst with star formation surface densities near the Eddington limit.

  4. Galaxy Clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, Christopher J. Miller

    2012-03-01

    There are many examples of clustering in astronomy. Stars in our own galaxy are often seen as being gravitationally bound into tight globular or open clusters. The Solar System's Trojan asteroids cluster at the gravitational Langrangian in front of Jupiter’s orbit. On the largest of scales, we find gravitationally bound clusters of galaxies, the Virgo cluster (in the constellation of Virgo at a distance of ˜50 million light years) being a prime nearby example. The Virgo cluster subtends an angle of nearly 8◦ on the sky and is known to contain over a thousand member galaxies. Galaxy clusters play an important role in our understanding of theUniverse. Clusters exist at peaks in the three-dimensional large-scale matter density field. Their sky (2D) locations are easy to detect in astronomical imaging data and their mean galaxy redshifts (redshift is related to the third spatial dimension: distance) are often better (spectroscopically) and cheaper (photometrically) when compared with the entire galaxy population in large sky surveys. Photometric redshift (z) [Photometric techniques use the broad band filter magnitudes of a galaxy to estimate the redshift. Spectroscopic techniques use the galaxy spectra and emission/absorption line features to measure the redshift] determinations of galaxies within clusters are accurate to better than delta_z = 0.05 [7] and when studied as a cluster population, the central galaxies form a line in color-magnitude space (called the the E/S0 ridgeline and visible in Figure 16.3) that contains galaxies with similar stellar populations [15]. The shape of this E/S0 ridgeline enables astronomers to measure the cluster redshift to within delta_z = 0.01 [23]. The most accurate cluster redshift determinations come from spectroscopy of the member galaxies, where only a fraction of the members need to be spectroscopically observed [25,42] to get an accurate redshift to the whole system. If light traces mass in the Universe, then the locations of galaxy clusters will be at locations of the peaks in the true underlying (mostly) dark matter density field. Kaiser (1984) [19] called this the high-peak model, which we demonstrate in Figure 16.1. We show a two-dimensional representation of a density field created by summing plane-waves with a predetermined power and with random wave-vector directions. In the left panel, we plot only the largest modes, where we see the density peaks (black) and valleys (white) in the combined field. In the right panel, we allow for smaller modes. You can see that the highest density peaks in the left panel contain smaller-scale, but still high-density peaks. These are the locations of future galaxy clusters. The bottom panel shows just these cluster-scale peaks. As you can see, the peaks themselves are clustered, and instead of just one large high-density peak in the original density field (see the left panel), the smaller modes show that six peaks are "born" within the broader, underlying large-scale density modes. This exemplifies the "bias" or amplified structure that is traced by galaxy clusters [19]. Clusters are rare, easy to find, and their member galaxies provide good distance estimates. In combination with their amplified clustering signal described above, galaxy clusters are considered an efficient and precise tracer of the large-scale matter density field in the Universe. Galaxy clusters can also be used to measure the baryon content of the Universe [43]. They can be used to identify gravitational lenses [38] and map the distribution of matter in clusters. The number and spatial distribution of galaxy clusters can be used to constrain cosmological parameters, like the fraction of the energy density in the Universe due to matter (Omega_matter) or the variation in the density field on fixed physical scales (sigma_8) [26,33]. The individual clusters act as “Island Universes” and as such are laboratories here we can study the evolution of the properties of the cluster, like the hot, gaseous intra-cluster medium or shapes, colors, and star-formation histories of the member galaxies [17].

  5. The 1984 ASEE-NASA summer faculty fellowship program (aeronautics and research)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dah-Nien, F.; Hodge, J. R.; Emad, F. P.

    1984-01-01

    The 1984 NASA-ASEE Faculty Fellowship Program (SFFP) is reported. The report includes: (1) a list of participants; (2) abstracts of research projects; (3) seminar schedule; (4) evaluation questionnaire; and (5) agenda of visitation by faculty programs committee. Topics discussed include: effects of multiple scattering on laser beam propagation; information management; computer techniques; guidelines for writing user documentation; 30 graphics software; high energy electron and antiproton cosmic rays; high resolution Fourier transform infrared spectrum; average monthly annual zonal and global albedos; laser backscattering from ocean surface; image processing systems; geomorphological mapping; low redshift quasars; application of artificial intelligence to command management systems.

  6. MAPPING THE CLUMPY STRUCTURES WITHIN SUBMILLIMETER GALAXIES USING LASER-GUIDE STAR ADAPTIVE OPTICS SPECTROSCOPY

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

    Menendez-Delmestre, Karin; Goncalves, Thiago S.; Blain, Andrew W.

    2013-04-20

    We present the first integral-field spectroscopic observations of high-redshift submillimeter-selected galaxies (SMGs) using Laser-Guide Star Adaptive Optics. We target H{alpha} emission of three SMGs at redshifts z {approx} 1.4-2.4 with the OH-Suppressing Infrared Imaging Spectrograph on Keck. The spatially resolved spectroscopy of these galaxies reveals unresolved broad-H{alpha} line regions (FWHM >1000 km s{sup -1}) likely associated with an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and regions of diffuse star formation traced by narrow-line H{alpha} emission (FWHM {approx}< 500 km s{sup -1}) dominated by multiple H{alpha}-bright stellar clumps, each contributing 1%-30% of the total clump-integrated H{alpha} emission. We find that these SMGs hostmore » high star formation rate surface densities, similar to local extreme sources, such as circumnuclear starbursts and luminous infrared galaxies. However, in contrast to these local environments, SMGs appear to be undergoing such intense activity on significantly larger spatial scales as revealed by extended H{alpha} emission over 4-16 kpc. H{alpha} kinematics show no evidence of ordered global motion as would be found in a disk, but rather large velocity offsets ({approx}few Multiplication-Sign 100 km s{sup -1}) between the distinct stellar clumps. Together with the asymmetric distribution of the stellar clumps around the AGN in these objects, it is unlikely that we are unveiling a clumpy disk structure as has been suggested in other high-redshift populations of star-forming galaxies. The SMG clumps in this sample may correspond to remnants of originally independent gas-rich systems that are in the process of merging, hence triggering the ultraluminous SMG phase.« less

  7. A perturbative approach to the redshift space correlation function: beyond the Standard Model

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

    Bose, Benjamin; Koyama, Kazuya, E-mail: benjamin.bose@port.ac.uk, E-mail: kazuya.koyama@port.ac.uk

    We extend our previous redshift space power spectrum code to the redshift space correlation function. Here we focus on the Gaussian Streaming Model (GSM). Again, the code accommodates a wide range of modified gravity and dark energy models. For the non-linear real space correlation function used in the GSM we use the Fourier transform of the RegPT 1-loop matter power spectrum. We compare predictions of the GSM for a Vainshtein screened and Chameleon screened model as well as GR. These predictions are compared to the Fourier transform of the Taruya, Nishimichi and Saito (TNS) redshift space power spectrum model whichmore » is fit to N-body data. We find very good agreement between the Fourier transform of the TNS model and the GSM predictions, with ≤ 6% deviations in the first two correlation function multipoles for all models for redshift space separations in 50Mpc h ≤ s ≤ 180Mpc/ h . Excellent agreement is found in the differences between the modified gravity and GR multipole predictions for both approaches to the redshift space correlation function, highlighting their matched ability in picking up deviations from GR. We elucidate the timeliness of such non-standard templates at the dawn of stage-IV surveys and discuss necessary preparations and extensions needed for upcoming high quality data.« less

  8. New High-z BL Lacs Using the Photometric Method with Swift and SARA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaur, A.; Rau, A.; Ajello, M.; Domínguez, A.; Paliya, V. S.; Greiner, J.; Hartmann, D. H.; Schady, P.

    2018-06-01

    BL Lacertae (BL Lac) objects are prominent members of the third Fermi Large Area Telescope catalog of γ-ray sources. Half of the members of the BL Lac population (∼300) lack redshift measurements, which is due to the absence of lines in their optical spectra, thereby making it difficult to utilize spectroscopic methods. Our photometric dropout technique can be used to establish the redshift for a fraction of these sources. This work employed six filters mounted on the Swift-UVOT and four optical filters on two telescopes, the 0.65 m SARA-CTIO in Chile and 1.0 m SARA-ORM in the Canary Islands, Spain. A sample of 15 sources was extracted from the Swift archival data for which six filter UVOT observations were conducted. By complementing the Swift observations with the SARA ones, we were able to discover two high-redshift sources: 3FGL J1155.4-3417 and 3FGL J1156.7–2250 at z={1.83}-0.13+0.10 and z={1.73}-0.19+0.11, respectively, resulting from the dropouts in the power-law template fits to these data. The discoveries add to the important (26 total) sample of high-redshift BL Lacs. While the sample of high-z BL Lacs is still rather small, these objects do not seem to fit well within known schemes of the blazar population and represent the best probes of the extragalactic background light.

  9. Perspectives on Gamma-Ray Burst Physics and Cosmology with Next Generation Facilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Weimin; Amati, Lorenzo; Cannizzo, John K.; Cordier, Bertrand; Gehrels, Neil; Ghirlanda, Giancarlo; Götz, Diego; Produit, Nicolas; Qiu, Yulei; Sun, Jianchao; Tanvir, Nial R.; Wei, Jianyan; Zhang, Chen

    2016-12-01

    High-redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) beyond redshift {˜}6 are potentially powerful tools to probe the distant early Universe. Their detections in large numbers and at truly high redshifts call for the next generation of high-energy wide-field instruments with unprecedented sensitivity at least one order of magnitude higher than the ones currently in orbit. On the other hand, follow-up observations of the afterglows of high-redshift GRBs and identification of their host galaxies, which would be difficult for the currently operating telescopes, require new, extremely large facilities of at multi-wavelengths. This chapter describes future experiments that are expected to advance this exciting field, both being currently built and being proposed. The legacy of Swift will be continued by SVOM, which is equipped with a set of space-based multi-wavelength instruments as well as and a ground segment including a wide angle camera and two follow-up telescopes. The established Lobster-eye X-ray focusing optics provides a promising technology for the detection of faint GRBs at very large distances, based on which the THESEUS, Einstein Probe and other mission concepts have been proposed. Follow-up observations and exploration of the reionization era will be enabled by large facilities such as SKA in the radio, the 30 m class telescopes in the optical/near-IR, and the space-borne WFIRST and JWST in the optical/near-IR/mid-IR. In addition, the X-ray and γ-ray polarization experiment POLAR is also introduced.

  10. Detection of H-alpha emission in the hot white dwarf G191-B2B

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reid, Neill; Wegner, Gary

    1988-12-01

    High-resolution spectra of G191-B2B, the hottest known DA white dwarf were obtained which reveal emission in the core of the H-alpha line. The observations show little variation in the line profile over a period of four days, ruling out line-doubling in a close binary as an explanation. The observed emission cannot be due to a nearby red dwarf companion, while the absence of any spatially extended emission argues against either a planetary nebula remnant or local ionization of the interstellar medium. The determination of the systemic velocity, using the companion red dwarf G191-B2A, is 5 + or - 2 km/s and shows that both the H-alpha emission and the high-excitation species observed in the ultraviolet are redshifted by 19 + or - 3 km/s, suggesting a photospheric origin. The low redshift implies a mass of 0.45 solar mass for this hot white dwarf, although the uncertainties in the effective temperature and parallax permit masses in the range 0.29 to 0.60 solar mass.

  11. Gamma-ray bursts, QSOs and active galaxies.

    PubMed

    Burbidge, Geoffrey

    2007-05-15

    The similarity of the absorption spectra of gamma-ray burst (GRB) sources or afterglows with the absorption spectra of quasars (QSOs) suggests that QSOs and GRB sources are very closely related. Since most people believe that the redshifts of QSOs are of cosmological origin, it is natural to assume that GRBs or their afterglows also have cosmological redshifts. For some years a few of us have argued that there is much optical evidence suggesting a very different model for QSOs, in which their redshifts have a non-cosmological origin, and are ejected from low-redshift active galaxies. In this paper I extend these ideas to GRBs. In 2003, Burbidge (Burbidge 2003 Astrophys. J. 183, 112-120) showed that the redshift periodicity in the spectra of QSOs appears in the redshift of GRBs. This in turn means that both the QSOs and the GRB sources are similar objects ejected from comparatively low-redshift active galaxies. It is now clear that many of the GRBs of low redshift do appear in, or very near, active galaxies.A new and powerful result supporting this hypothesis has been produced by Prochter et al. (Prochter et al. 2006 Astrophys. J. Lett. 648, L93-L96). They show that in a survey for strong MgII absorption systems along the sightlines to long-duration GRBs, nearly every sightline shows at least one absorber. If the absorbers are intervening clouds or galaxies, only a small fraction should show absorption of this kind. The number found by Prochter et al. is four times higher than that normally found for the MgII absorption spectra of QSOs. They believe that this result is inconsistent with the intervening hypothesis and would require a statistical fluctuation greater than 99.1% probability. This is what we expect if the absorption is intrinsic to the GRBs and the redshifts are not associated with their distances. In this case, the absorption must be associated with gas ejected from the QSO. This in turn implies that the GRBs actually originate in comparatively low-redshift active galaxies and are ejected in the same way as are the QSOs. This relates these phenomena to a supernova origin for the GRBs. The current situation based on the latest observational data will be discussed.

  12. THE CLUSTER LENSING AND SUPERNOVA SURVEY WITH HUBBLE (CLASH): STRONG-LENSING ANALYSIS OF A383 FROM 16-BAND HST/WFC3/ACS IMAGING

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

    Zitrin, A.; Broadhurst, T.; Coe, D.

    2011-12-01

    We examine the inner mass distribution of the relaxed galaxy cluster A383 (z = 0.189), in deep 16 band Hubble Space Telescope/ACS+WFC3 imaging taken as part of the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) multi-cycle treasury program. Our program is designed to study the dark matter distribution in 25 massive clusters, and balances depth with a wide wavelength coverage, 2000-16000 A, to better identify lensed systems and generate precise photometric redshifts. This photometric information together with the predictive strength of our strong-lensing analysis method identifies 13 new multiply lensed images and candidates, so that a total of 27more » multiple images of nine systems are used to tightly constrain the inner mass profile gradient, dlog {Sigma}/dlog r {approx_equal} -0.6 {+-} 0.1 (r < 160 kpc). We find consistency with the standard distance-redshift relation for the full range spanned by the lensed images, 1.01 < z < 6.03, with the higher-redshift sources deflected through larger angles as expected. The inner mass profile derived here is consistent with the results of our independent weak-lensing analysis of wide-field Subaru images, with good agreement in the region of overlap ({approx}0.7-1 arcmin). Combining weak and strong lensing, the overall mass profile is well fitted by a Navarro-Frenk-White profile with M{sub vir} = (5.37{sup +0.70}{sub -0.63} {+-} 0.26) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 14} M{sub Sun} h{sup -1} and a relatively high concentration, c{sub vir} = 8.77{sup +0.44}{sub -0.42} {+-} 0.23, which lies above the standard c-M relation similar to other well-studied clusters. The critical radius of A383 is modest by the standards of other lensing clusters, r{sub E} {approx_equal} 16 {+-} 2'' (for z{sub s} = 2.55), so the relatively large number of lensed images uncovered here with precise photometric redshifts validates our imaging strategy for the CLASH survey. In total we aim to provide similarly high-quality lensing data for 25 clusters, 20 of which are X-ray-selected relaxed clusters, enabling a precise determination of the representative mass profile free from lensing bias.« less

  13. Clustering redshift distributions for the Dark Energy Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Helsby, Jennifer

    Accurate determination of photometric redshifts and their errors is critical for large scale structure and weak lensing studies for constraining cosmology from deep, wide imaging surveys. Current photometric redshift methods suffer from bias and scatter due to incomplete training sets. Exploiting the clustering between a sample of galaxies for which we have spectroscopic redshifts and a sample of galaxies for which the redshifts are unknown can allow us to reconstruct the true redshift distribution of the unknown sample. Here we use this method in both simulations and early data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) to determine the true redshift distributions of galaxies in photometric redshift bins. We find that cross-correlating with the spectroscopic samples currently used for training provides a useful test of photometric redshifts and provides reliable estimates of the true redshift distribution in a photometric redshift bin. We discuss the use of the cross-correlation method in validating template- or learning-based approaches to redshift estimation and its future use in Stage IV surveys.

  14. Searching for intermediate groups of galaxies with Suzaku in Bootes field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tawara, Yuzuru; Mitsuishi, Ikuyuki

    2016-07-01

    To investigate redshift evolution of groups of galaxies is significant also in terms of galaxy evolution. Recent observational studies show that an AGN fraction and a magnitude gap between the first and the second brightest group galaxies increase in group environments at lower redshifts (Oh et al. 2014 & Gozaliasl et al. 2014). Thus, comprehension for the evolution of the systems will bring us to hints on both morphological evolution of galaxies and galaxy-galaxy interactions. However, observational samples of groups of galaxies at higher redshifts are limited due to its low flux and surface brightness. Thus, we aimed at searching for new samples using both X-ray and optical data. To identify the group systems at higher redshifts, deep optical imaging and spectroscopic data are needed. Bootes field is one of the best regions for this purpose because there are up to 17 bands of data available per source from infrared, optical, UV, and X-ray (e.g., Kenter et al. 2005, Chung et al. 2014). XBootes survey was conducted in 2003 using Chandra (Murray et al. 2005) and X-ray extended sources were detected around intermediate optically-identified groups of galaxies even though Chandra could not reveal their origins due to poor photon statistics. Thus, we conducted X-ray follow-up observations using Suzaku which has low and stable background and thus is optimum for such low surface brightness sources for brightest 6 group candidates with redshifts of 0.15-0.42. Consequently, Suzaku detected excess emissions from all the targets in their images and spectral analysis reveals that 6 sources are originated from group- or poor-cluster-scale halos with temperatures, abundances and luminosities of 1.6-3.0 keV, <0.3 solar and ~1044 erg s-1, respectively. In this conference, we will report on the details of our analysis and results using multiwavelength data such as radio, optical and X-ray to examine the AGN fractions and magnitude gaps in our samples and discuss the redshift evolution.

  15. Detectability of [C II] 158 μm Emission from High-Redshift Galaxies: Predictions for ALMA and SPICA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nagamine, Kentaro; Wolfe, Arthur M.; Hernquist, Lars

    2006-08-01

    We discuss the detectability of high-redshift galaxies via [C II] 158 μm line emission by coupling an analytic model with cosmological smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations that are based on the concordance Λ cold dark matter (CDM) model. Our analytic model describes a multiphase interstellar medium (ISM) irradiated by the far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation from local star-forming regions, and it calculates thermal and ionization equilibrium between cooling and heating. The model allows us to predict the mass fraction of a cold neutral medium (CNM) embedded in a warm neutral medium (WNM). Our cosmological SPH simulations include a treatment of radiative cooling/heating, star formation, and feedback effects from supernovae and galactic winds. Using our method, we make predictions for the [C II] luminosity from high-redshift galaxies that can be directly compared with upcoming observations by the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and the Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA). We find that the number density of high-redshift galaxies detectable by ALMA and SPICA via [C II] emission depends significantly on the amount of neutral gas, which is highly uncertain. Our calculations suggest that, in a CDM universe, most [C II] sources at z=3 are faint objects with Sν<0.01 mJy. Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) brighter than RAB=23.5 mag are expected to have flux densities Sν=1-3 mJy depending on the strength of galactic wind feedback. The recommended observing strategy for ALMA and SPICA is to aim at very bright LBGs or star-forming DRG/BzK galaxies.

  16. High redshift signatures in the 21 cm forest due to cosmic string wakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tashiro, Hiroyuki; Sekiguchi, Toyokazu; Silk, Joseph

    2014-01-01

    Cosmic strings induce minihalo formation in the early universe. The resultant minihalos cluster in string wakes and create a ``21 cm forest'' against the cosmic microwave background (CMB) spectrum. Such a 21 cm forest can contribute to angular fluctuations of redshifted 21 cm signals integrated along the line of sight. We calculate the root-mean-square amplitude of the 21 cm fluctuations due to strings and show that these fluctuations can dominate signals from minihalos due to primordial density fluctuations at high redshift (zgtrsim10), even if the string tension is below the current upper bound, Gμ < 1.5 × 10-7. Our results also predict that the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) can potentially detect the 21 cm fluctuations due to strings with Gμ ≈ 7.5 × 10-8 for the single frequency band case and 4.0 × 10-8 for the multi-frequency band case.

  17. Constraining Both the Star-Formation History and Metal-Enrichment History of Galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heap, Sara

    2005-07-01

    Using 380 stellar spectra from Hubble's Next Generation Spectral Library {NGSL; PI=Michael Gregg; GO 9088, 9786} incorporated in our stellar population synthesis code {Bruzual & Charlot 2003}, we propose to constrain simultaneously the star-formation history and mean age, stellar metallicity and mass of galaxies over a wide redshift interval {z= 0 -2}. The main advantages of the NGSL are the high-quality spectrophotometry {S/N >50} and broad wavelength coverage {2000-10, 000 Ang} of the STIS spectra. The NGSL enables mid-UV as well as optical spectral indices to be used, thereby increasing the redshift interval of their application. It also guarantees consistency in treating low- and high-redshift galaxies, since the same stars are used as spectral templates. To realize the full potential of the NGSL, however, will require significant custom data-processing, calibration, and evaluation of the STIS data.

  18. The Overdense Environments of WISE-selected, ultra-luminous, high-redshift AGN in the submillimetre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Suzy F.

    2017-11-01

    The environments around WISE-selected hot dust obscured galaxies (Hot DOGs) and WISE/radio-selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at average redshifts of z = 2.7 and z = 1.7, respectively, were found to have overdensities of companion submillimetre-selected sources. The overdensities were of ˜ 2 - 3 and ˜ 5 - 6 , respectively, compared with blank field submm surveys. The space densities in both samples were found to be overdense compared to normal star-forming galaxies and submillimetre galaxies (SMGs). All of the companion sources have consistent mid-IR colours and mid-IR to submm ratios to SMGs. Monte Carlo simulations show no angular correlation, which could indicate protoclusters on scales larger than the SCUBA-2 1.5 arcmin scale maps. WISE-selected AGNs appear to be good indicators of overdense areas of active galaxies at high redshift.

  19. A critical analysis of high-redshift, massive, galaxy clusters. Part I

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

    Hoyle, Ben; Jimenez, Raul; Verde, Licia

    2012-02-01

    We critically investigate current statistical tests applied to high redshift clusters of galaxies in order to test the standard cosmological model and describe their range of validity. We carefully compare a sample of high-redshift, massive, galaxy clusters with realistic Poisson sample simulations of the theoretical mass function, which include the effect of Eddington bias. We compare the observations and simulations using the following statistical tests: the distributions of ensemble and individual existence probabilities (in the > M, > z sense), the redshift distributions, and the 2d Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Using seemingly rare clusters from Hoyle et al. (2011), and Jee etmore » al. (2011) and assuming the same survey geometry as in Jee et al. (2011, which is less conservative than Hoyle et al. 2011), we find that the ( > M, > z) existence probabilities of all clusters are fully consistent with ΛCDM. However assuming the same survey geometry, we use the 2d K-S test probability to show that the observed clusters are not consistent with being the least probable clusters from simulations at > 95% confidence, and are also not consistent with being a random selection of clusters, which may be caused by the non-trivial selection function and survey geometry. Tension can be removed if we examine only a X-ray selected sub sample, with simulations performed assuming a modified survey geometry.« less

  20. A CONSTRAINT ON QUASAR CLUSTERING AT z = 5 FROM A BINARY QUASAR

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

    McGreer, Ian D.; Fan, Xiaohui; Eftekharzadeh, Sarah

    2016-03-15

    We report the discovery of a quasar pair at z = 5 separated by 21″. Both objects were identified as quasar candidates using simple color selection techniques applied to photometric catalogs from the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) Legacy Survey (CFHTLS). Spectra obtained with the MMT present no discernible offset in redshift between the two objects; on the other hand, there are clear differences in the emission line profiles and in the multiwavelength spectral energy distributions that strongly disfavor the hypothesis that they are gravitationally lensed images of a single quasar. Both quasars are surprisingly bright given their proximity (a projected separation of ∼135more » kpc), with i = 19.4 and i = 21.4. Previous measurements of the luminosity function demonstrate that luminous quasars are extremely rare at z = 5; the existence of this pair suggests that quasars have strong small-scale clustering at high redshift. Assuming a real-space correlation function of the form ξ(r) ∝ (r/r{sub 0}){sup −2}, this discovery implies a correlation length of r{sub 0} ≳ 20h{sup −1} Mpc, consistent with a rapid strengthening of quasar clustering at high redshift as seen in previous observations and predicted by theoretical models where feedback effects are inefficient at shutting down black hole growth at high redshift.« less

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