The Tully-Fisher relation of the IRAS minisurvey galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1995-01-01

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

(Almost) Dark Galaxies in the ALFALFA Survey: Isolated H I-bearing Ultra-diffuse Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leisman, Lukas; Haynes, Martha P.; Janowiecki, Steven; Hallenbeck, Gregory; Józsa, Gyula; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Adams, Elizabeth A. K.; Bernal Neira, David; Cannon, John M.; Janesh, William F.; Rhode, Katherine L.; Salzer, John J.

2017-06-01

We present a sample of 115 very low optical surface brightness, highly extended, H I-rich galaxies carefully selected from the ALFALFA survey that have similar optical absolute magnitudes, surface brightnesses, and radii to recently discovered “ultra-diffuse” galaxies (UDGs). However, these systems are bluer and have more irregular morphologies than other UDGs, are isolated, and contain significant reservoirs of H I. We find that while these sources have normal star formation rates for H I-selected galaxies of similar stellar mass, they have very low star formation efficiencies. We further present deep optical and H I-synthesis follow-up imaging of three of these H I-bearing ultra-diffuse sources. We measure H I diameters extending to ˜40 kpc, but note that while all three sources have large H I diameters for their stellar mass, they are consistent with the H I mass-H I radius relation. We further analyze the H I velocity widths and rotation velocities for the unresolved and resolved sources, respectively, and find that the sources appear to inhabit halos of dwarf galaxies. We estimate spin parameters, and suggest that these sources may exist in high spin parameter halos, and as such may be potential H I-rich progenitors to the ultra-diffuse galaxies observed in cluster environments.

Host Galaxy Properties of the Swift BAT Ultra Hard X-Ray Selected AGN

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koss, Michael; Mushotzky, Richard; Veilleux, Sylvain; Winter, Lisa M.; Baumgartner, Wayne; Tueller, Jack; Gehrels, Neil; Valencic, Lynne

2011-01-01

We have assembled the largest sample of ultra hard X-ray selected (14-195 keV) AGN with host galaxy optical data to date, with 185 nearby (z<0.05), moderate luminosity AGN from the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) sample. The BAT AGN host galaxies have intermediate optical colors (u -- r and g -- r) that are bluer than a comparison sample of inactive galaxies and optically selected AGN from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) which are chosen to have the same stellar mass. Based on morphological classifications from the RC3 and the Galaxy Zoo, the bluer colors of BAT AGN are mainly due to a higher fraction of mergers and massive spirals than in the comparison samples. BAT AGN in massive galaxies (log Stellar Mass >10.5) have a 5 to 10 times higher rate of spiral morphologies than in SDSS AGN or inactive galaxies. We also see enhanced far-IR emission in BAT AGN suggestive of higher levels of star formation compared to the comparison samples. BAT AGN are preferentially found in the most massive host galaxies with high concentration indexes indicative of large bulge-to-disk ratios and large supermassive black holes. The narrow-line (NL) BAT AGN have similar intrinsic luminosities as the SDSS NL Seyferts based on measurements of [O III] Lambda 5007. There is also a correlation between the stellar mass and X-ray emission. The BAT AGN in mergers have bluer colors and greater ultra hard X-ray emission compared to the BAT sample as whole. In agreement with the Unified Model of AGN, and the relatively unbiased nature of the BAT sources, the host galaxy colors and morphologies are independent of measures of obscuration such as X-ray column density or Seyfert type. The high fraction of massive spiral galaxies and galaxy mergers in BAT AGN suggest that host galaxy morphology is related to the activation and fueling of local AGN.

HOST GALAXY PROPERTIES OF THE SWIFT BAT ULTRA HARD X-RAY SELECTED ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS

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

Koss, Michael; Mushotzky, Richard; Veilleux, Sylvain

We have assembled the largest sample of ultra hard X-ray selected (14-195 keV) active galactic nucleus (AGN) with host galaxy optical data to date, with 185 nearby (z < 0.05), moderate luminosity AGNs from the Swift BAT sample. The BAT AGN host galaxies have intermediate optical colors (u - r and g - r) that are bluer than a comparison sample of inactive galaxies and optically selected AGNs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) which are chosen to have the same stellar mass. Based on morphological classifications from the RC3 and the Galaxy Zoo, the bluer colors of BATmore » AGNs are mainly due to a higher fraction of mergers and massive spirals than in the comparison samples. BAT AGNs in massive galaxies (log M{sub *} >10.5) have a 5-10 times higher rate of spiral morphologies than in SDSS AGNs or inactive galaxies. We also see enhanced far-infrared emission in BAT AGN suggestive of higher levels of star formation compared to the comparison samples. BAT AGNs are preferentially found in the most massive host galaxies with high concentration indexes indicative of large bulge-to-disk ratios and large supermassive black holes. The narrow-line (NL) BAT AGNs have similar intrinsic luminosities as the SDSS NL Seyferts based on measurements of [O III] {lambda}5007. There is also a correlation between the stellar mass and X-ray emission. The BAT AGNs in mergers have bluer colors and greater ultra hard X-ray emission compared to the BAT sample as a whole. In agreement with the unified model of AGNs, and the relatively unbiased nature of the BAT sources, the host galaxy colors and morphologies are independent of measures of obscuration such as X-ray column density or Seyfert type. The high fraction of massive spiral galaxies and galaxy mergers in BAT AGNs suggest that host galaxy morphology is related to the activation and fueling of local AGN.« less

Two Extremely Red Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joseph, Robert D.; Hora, Joseph; Stockton, Alan; Hu, Esther; Sanders, David

1997-01-01

This report concerns one of the major observational studies in the ISO Central Programme, the ISO Normal Galaxy Survey. This is a survey of an unbiased sample of spiral and lenticular galaxies selected from the Revised Shapley-Ames Catalog. It is therefore optically-selected, with a brightness limit of blue magnitude = 12, and otherwise randomly chosen. The original sample included 150 galaxies, but this was reduced to 74 when the allocated observing time was expended because the ISO overheads encountered in flight were much larger than predicted.

Optical Follow-up of Gravitational-wave Events with Las Cumbres Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arcavi, Iair; McCully, Curtis; Hosseinzadeh, Griffin; Howell, D. Andrew; Vasylyev, Sergiy; Poznanski, Dovi; Zaltzman, Michael; Maoz, Dan; Singer, Leo; Valenti, Stefano; Kasen, Daniel; Barnes, Jennifer; Piran, Tsvi; Fong, Wen-fai

2017-10-01

We present an implementation of the Gehrels et al. galaxy-targeted strategy for gravitational-wave (GW) follow-up using the Las Cumbres Observatory global network of telescopes. We use the Galaxy List for the Advanced Detector Era (GLADE) galaxy catalog, which we show is complete (with respect to a Schechter function) out to ˜300 Mpc for galaxies brighter than the median Schechter function galaxy luminosity. We use a prioritization algorithm to select the galaxies with the highest chance of containing the counterpart given their luminosity, their position, and their distance relative to a GW localization, and in which we are most likely to detect a counterpart given its expected brightness compared to the limiting magnitude of our telescopes. This algorithm can be easily adapted to any expected transient parameters and telescopes. We implemented this strategy during the second Advanced Detector Observing Run (O2) and followed the black hole merger GW170814 and the neutron star merger GW170817. For the latter, we identified an optical kilonova/macronova counterpart thanks to our algorithm selecting the correct host galaxy fifth in its ranked list among the 182 galaxies we identified in the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO)/Virgo localization. This also allowed us to obtain some of the earliest observations of the first optical transient ever triggered by a GW detection (as presented in a companion paper).

Optical Follow-up of Gravitational-wave Events with Las Cumbres Observatory

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

Arcavi, Iair; McCully, Curtis; Hosseinzadeh, Griffin

We present an implementation of the Gehrels et al. galaxy-targeted strategy for gravitational-wave (GW) follow-up using the Las Cumbres Observatory global network of telescopes. We use the Galaxy List for the Advanced Detector Era (GLADE) galaxy catalog, which we show is complete (with respect to a Schechter function) out to ∼300 Mpc for galaxies brighter than the median Schechter function galaxy luminosity. We use a prioritization algorithm to select the galaxies with the highest chance of containing the counterpart given their luminosity, their position, and their distance relative to a GW localization, and in which we are most likely tomore » detect a counterpart given its expected brightness compared to the limiting magnitude of our telescopes. This algorithm can be easily adapted to any expected transient parameters and telescopes. We implemented this strategy during the second Advanced Detector Observing Run (O2) and followed the black hole merger GW170814 and the neutron star merger GW170817. For the latter, we identified an optical kilonova/macronova counterpart thanks to our algorithm selecting the correct host galaxy fifth in its ranked list among the 182 galaxies we identified in the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO)/Virgo localization. This also allowed us to obtain some of the earliest observations of the first optical transient ever triggered by a GW detection (as presented in a companion paper).« less

A Search for Low Surface Brightness Galaxies in the Ultraviolet with GALEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyder, Ted K.; GALEX Science Team

2006-12-01

Low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies have traditionally been difficult to detect at visible wavelengths due to their low contrast with the night sky and their low numbers per deg2. We describe a new search for LSB galaxies using UV images from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) satellite. The images are from the GALEX Medium Imaging Survey targeting mainly areas of the sky within the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) footprint. Due to the UV sky background at high Galactic latitudes reaching levels of only approximately 28 mag arcsec-2 as well as the relatively large sky coverage from GALEX, we can potentially search for LSB galaxies that would be difficult to detect optically.After first convolving the images with a suitable kernel, we select a diameter limited set of objects which we then inspect manually in order to remove image artifacts and other spurious detections. Red galaxies that have high optical surface brightness can be identified using either the ratio of far-UV to near-UV flux or via comparison to SDSS images. We quantify our selection limits using a set of artificial galaxy tests. Our goal is to find blue, ultra-LSB galaxies that would be virtually undetectable in large optical imaging surveys. GALEX is a NASA Small Explorer, launched in April 2003. We gratefully acknowledge NASA's support for construction, operation, and science analysis for the GALEX mission.

The distant red galaxy neighbour population of 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bornancini, C.; García Lambas, D.

We study the Distant Red Galaxy (DRG, J-Ks > 2.3) neighbour population of Quasi Stellar Objects (QSOs) selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) in the redshift range 1 < z < 2. We perform a similar analysis for optically obscured AGNs (i.e. with a limiting magnitude I > 24) detected in the mid-infrared (24 microns) with the Spitzer Space Telescope and a mean redshift z~2.2 in the Flamingos Extragalactic Survey (FLAMEX). We present results on the cross-correlation function of DRGs around QSOs and optically faint mid-infrared sources. The corresponding correlation length obtained for the QSO sample targets is r_0=5.4+/-1.6 Mpc. For the optically obscured galaxy sample we find r_0=8.9+/-1.4 Mpc. These results indicate that optically faint obscured sources are located in denser environment of evolved red galaxies compare to QSOs.

Optical/Near-infrared Selection of Red Quasi-stellar Objects: Evidence for Steep Extinction Curves toward Galactic Centers?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fynbo, J. P. U.; Krogager, J.-K.; Venemans, B.; Noterdaeme, P.; Vestergaard, M.; Møller, P.; Ledoux, C.; Geier, S.

2013-01-01

We present the results of a search for red QSOs using a selection based on optical imaging from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and near-infrared imaging from UKIDSS. Our main goal with the selection is to search for QSOs reddened by foreground dusty absorber galaxies. For a sample of 58 candidates (including 20 objects fulfilling our selection criteria that already have spectra in the SDSS), 46 (79%) are confirmed to be QSOs. The QSOs are predominantly dust-reddened except for a handful at redshifts z >~ 3.5. However, the dust is most likely located in the QSO host galaxies (and for two, the reddening is primarily caused by Galactic dust) rather than in the intervening absorbers. More than half of the QSOs show evidence of associated absorption (BAL absorption). Four (7%) of the candidates turned out to be late-type stars, and another four (7%) are compact galaxies. We could not identify the remaining four objects. In terms of their optical spectra, these QSOs are similar to the QSOs selected in the FIRST-2MASS Red Quasar Survey except they are on average fainter, more distant, and only two are detected in the FIRST survey. As per the usual procedure, we estimate the amount of extinction using the SDSS QSO template reddened by Small-Magellanic-Cloud-(SMC) like dust. It is possible to get a good match to the observed (rest-frame ultraviolet) spectra, but it is not possible to match the observed near-IR photometry from UKIDSS for nearly all the reddened QSOs. The most likely reasons are that the SDSS QSO template is too red at optical wavelengths due to contaminating host galaxy light and because the assumed SMC extinction curve is too shallow. Three of the compact galaxies display old stellar populations with ages of several Gyr and masses of about 1010 M ⊙ (based on spectral energy distribution modeling). The inferred stellar densities in these galaxies exceed 1010 M ⊙ kpc-2, which is among the highest measured for early-type galaxies. Our survey has demonstrated that selection of QSOs based on near-IR photometry is an efficient way to select QSOs, including reddened QSOs, with only small contamination from late-type stars and compact galaxies. This will be useful with ongoing and future wide-field near-IR surveys such as the VISTA and EUCLID surveys. Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile, under program 088.A-0098, and on observations made with the Nordic Optical Telescope, jointly operated on the island of La Palma by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias.

VLBA Observations of Low Luminosity Flat Spectrum Radio Galaxies and BL Lac Objects: Polarisation Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bondi, M.; Dallacasa, D.; Stanghellini, C.; Marchã, M. J. M.

We obtained two-epoch VLBA observations at 5 GHz of a list of radio galaxies drawn from the 200 mJy sample (Marcha et al. 1996). The objects selected for milli-arcsecond scale observations are classified, on the basis of their optical spectroscopic and polarimetric properties, as BL Lac objects, normal weak line radio galaxies, broad line radio galaxies, and transition objects (those with intermediate properties). We present preliminary results on the radio polarization properties, on the milli-arcsecond scale, of objects with different optical properties and discuss structural variations detected from the two epochs.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: RX J105453.3+552102 cluster SDSS photometry (Aguerri+, 2011)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguerri, J. A. L.; Girardi, M.; Boschin, W.; Barrena, R.; Mendez-Abreu, J.; Sanchez-Janssen, R.; Borgani, S.; Castro-Rodriguez, N.; Corsini, E. M.; Del Burgo, C.; D'Onghia, E.; Iglesias-Paramo, J.; Napolitano, N.; Vilchez, J. M.

2011-08-01

Optical imaging of RX J105453.3+552102 was carried out at the 2.5m NOT telescope in March 2008. Optical deep images were used for studying the properties of the brightest group galaxy and for computing the photometric luminosity function of the group. We have also performed a detail dynamical analysis of the system based on redshift data for 116 galaxies. Combining galaxy velocities and positions we selected 78 group members. (1 data file).

Discovery of a population of bulgeless galaxies with extremely red MID-IR colors: Obscured AGN activity in the low-mass regime?

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

Satyapal, S.; Secrest, N. J.; McAlpine, W.

2014-04-01

In contrast to massive, bulge hosting galaxies, very few supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are known in either low-mass or bulgeless galaxies. Such a population could provide clues to the origins of SMBHs and to secular pathways for their growth. Using the all-sky Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE ) survey, and bulge-to-disk decompositions from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7, we report the discovery of a population of local (z < 0.3) bulgeless disk galaxies with extremely red mid-infrared colors which are highly suggestive of a dominant active galactic nucleus (AGN), despite having no optical AGN signatures inmore » their SDSS spectra. Using various mid-infrared selection criteria from the literature, there are between 30 and over 300 bulgeless galaxies with possible AGNs. Other known scenarios that can heat the dust to high temperatures do not appear to explain the observed colors of this sample. If these galaxies are confirmed to host AGNs, this study will provide a breakthrough in characterizing the properties of SMBHs in the low bulge mass regime and in understanding their relation with their host galaxies. Mid-infrared selection identifies AGNs that dominate their host galaxy's emission and therefore reveal a different AGN population than that uncovered by optical studies. We find that the fraction of all galaxies identified as candidate AGNs by WISE is highest at lower stellar masses and drops dramatically in higher mass galaxies, in striking contrast to the findings from optical studies.« less

(Almost) Dark Galaxies in the ALFALFA Survey: Isolated H i-bearing Ultra-diffuse Galaxies

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

Leisman, Lukas; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo

2017-06-20

We present a sample of 115 very low optical surface brightness, highly extended, H i-rich galaxies carefully selected from the ALFALFA survey that have similar optical absolute magnitudes, surface brightnesses, and radii to recently discovered “ultra-diffuse” galaxies (UDGs). However, these systems are bluer and have more irregular morphologies than other UDGs, are isolated, and contain significant reservoirs of H i. We find that while these sources have normal star formation rates for H i-selected galaxies of similar stellar mass, they have very low star formation efficiencies. We further present deep optical and H i-synthesis follow-up imaging of three of thesemore » H i-bearing ultra-diffuse sources. We measure H i diameters extending to ∼40 kpc, but note that while all three sources have large H i diameters for their stellar mass, they are consistent with the H i mass–H i radius relation. We further analyze the H i velocity widths and rotation velocities for the unresolved and resolved sources, respectively, and find that the sources appear to inhabit halos of dwarf galaxies. We estimate spin parameters, and suggest that these sources may exist in high spin parameter halos, and as such may be potential H i-rich progenitors to the ultra-diffuse galaxies observed in cluster environments.« less

Galaxy Evolution Viewed as Functions of Environment and Mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kodama, Tadayuki; Tanaka, Masayuki; Tanaka, Ichi; Kajisawa, Masaru

We present two large surveys of distant clusters currently being carried out with Subaru, making use of its great capability of wide-field study both in the optical and in the near-infrared. The optical surveys, called PISCES, have mapped out large scale structures in and around 8 distant clusters at 0.4 < z <1.3, composed of multiple filaments and clumps extended over 15-30 Mpc scale. From the photometric and spectroscopic properties of galaxies over a wide range in environment, we find that the truncation of galaxies is seen in the outskirts of clusters rather than in the cluster cores.We also see a clear environmental dependence of the down-sizing (progressively later quenching of star formation in smaller galaxies). The near-infrared surveys are being conducted with a new wide-field instrument targeting proto-clusters around high-zradio-loud galaxies up to z ~4. Most of these field are known to show a large number of Lyαand/or Hαemitters at the same redshifts of the radio galaxies. We see a clear excess of near-infrared selected galaxies (JHK s -selected galaxies as well as DRG) in these fields, and they are indeed proto-clusters with not only young emitters but also evolved populations. Spatial distribution of such NIR selected galaxies is filamentary and track similar structures traced by the emitters. There is an hint that the bright-end of the red sequence first appeared between z= 3 and 2.

Subaru Weak-Lensing Survey II: Multi-Object Spectroscopy and Cluster Masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamana, Takashi; Miyazaki, Satoshi; Kashikawa, Nobunari; Ellis, Richard S.; Massey, Richard J.; Refregier, Alexandre; Taylor, James E.

2009-08-01

We present the first results of a multi-object spectroscopic campaign to follow up cluster candidates located via weak lensing. Our main goals are to search for spatial concentrations of galaxies that are plausible optical counterparts of the weak-lensing signals, and to determine the cluster redshifts from those of member galaxies. Around each of 36 targeted cluster candidates, we obtained 15-32 galaxy redshifts. For 28 of these targets, we confirmed a secure cluster identification, with more than five spectroscopic galaxies within a velocity of ±3000km s-1. This includes three cases where two clusters at different redshifts are projected along the same line-of-sight. In 6 of the 8 unconfirmed targets, we found multiple small galaxy concentrations at different redshifts, each containing at least three spectroscopic galaxies. The weak-lensing signal around those systems was thus probably created by the projection of groups or small clusters along the same line-of-sight. In both of the remaining two targets, a single small galaxy concentration was found. In some candidate super-cluster systems, we found additional evidence of filaments connecting the main density peak to an additional nearby structure. For a subsample of our most cleanly measured clusters, we investigated the statistical relation between their weak-lensing mass (MNFW, σSIS) and the velocity dispersion of their member galaxies (σv), comparing our sample with optically and X-ray selected samples from the literature. Our lensing-selected clusters are consistent with σv = σSIS, with a similar scatter to that of optically and X-ray selected clusters. We also derived an empirical relation between the cluster mass and the galaxy velocity dispersion, M200E(z) = 11.0 × 1014 × (σv/1000km s-1)3.0 h-1 Modot, which is in reasonable agreement with predictions of N-body simulations in the Λ CDM cosmology.

Faint Submillimeter Galaxies Behind Lensing Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Li-Yen; Lauchlan Cowie, Lennox; Barger, Amy J.; Desai, Vandana; Murphy, Eric J.

2017-01-01

Faint submillimeter galaxies are the major contributors to the submillimeter extragalactic background light and hence the dominant star-forming population in the dusty universe. Determining how much these galaxies overlap the optically selected samples is critical to fully account for the cosmic star formation history. Observations of massive cluster fields are the best way to explore this faint submillimeter population, thanks to gravitational lensing effects. We have been undertaking a lensing cluster survey with the SCUBA-2 camera on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope to map nine galaxy clusters, including the northern five clusters in the HST Frontier Fields program. We have also been using the Submillimeter Array and the Very Large Array to determine the accurate positions of our detected sources. Our observations have discovered high-redshift dusty galaxies with far-infrared luminosities similar to that of the Milky Way or luminous infrared galaxies. Some of these galaxies are still undetected in deep optical and near-infrared images. These results suggest that a substantial amount of star formation in even the faint submillimeter population may be hidden from rest-frame optical surveys.

Multi-wavelength seds of Herschel-selected galaxies in the cosmos field

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

Lee, Nicholas; Sanders, D. B.; Casey, Caitlin M.

2013-12-01

We combine Herschel Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer and Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver maps of the full 2 deg{sup 2} Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field with existing multi-wavelength data to obtain template and model-independent optical-to-far-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for 4218 Herschel-selected sources with log(L {sub IR}/L {sub ☉}) = 9.4-13.6 and z = 0.02-3.54. Median SEDs are created by binning the optical to far-infrared (FIR) bands available in COSMOS as a function of infrared luminosity. Herschel probes rest-frame wavelengths where the bulk of the infrared radiation is emitted, allowing us to more accurately determine fundamental dust properties ofmore » our sample of infrared luminous galaxies. We find that the SED peak wavelength (λ{sub peak}) decreases and the dust mass (M {sub dust}) increases with increasing total infrared luminosity (L {sub IR}). In the lowest infrared luminosity galaxies (log(L {sub IR}/L {sub ☉}) = 10.0-11.5), we see evidence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) features (λ ∼ 7-9 μm), while in the highest infrared luminosity galaxies (L {sub IR} > 10{sup 12} L {sub ☉}) we see an increasing contribution of hot dust and/or power-law emission, consistent with the presence of heating from an active galactic nucleus (AGN). We study the relationship between stellar mass and star formation rate of our sample of infrared luminous galaxies and find no evidence that Herschel-selected galaxies follow the SFR/M {sub *} 'main sequence' as previously determined from studies of optically selected, star-forming galaxies. Finally, we compare the mid-infrared to FIR properties of our infrared luminous galaxies using the previously defined diagnostic, IR8 ≡ L {sub IR}/L {sub 8}, and find that galaxies with L {sub IR} ≳ 10{sup 11.3} L {sub ☉} tend to systematically lie above (× 3-5) the IR8 'infrared main sequence', suggesting either suppressed PAH emission or an increasing contribution from AGN heating.« less

ON THE STAR FORMATION PROPERTIES OF VOID GALAXIES

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

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

2016-11-10

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

Obscured AGN at z ~ 1 from the zCOSMOS-Bright Survey. I. Selection and optical properties of a [Ne v]-selected sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mignoli, M.; Vignali, C.; Gilli, R.; Comastri, A.; Zamorani, G.; Bolzonella, M.; Bongiorno, A.; Lamareille, F.; Nair, P.; Pozzetti, L.; Lilly, S. J.; Carollo, C. M.; Contini, T.; Kneib, J.-P.; Le Fèvre, O.; Mainieri, V.; Renzini, A.; Scodeggio, M.; Bardelli, S.; Caputi, K.; Cucciati, O.; de la Torre, S.; de Ravel, L.; Franzetti, P.; Garilli, B.; Iovino, A.; Kampczyk, P.; Knobel, C.; Kovač, K.; Le Borgne, J.-F.; Le Brun, V.; Maier, C.; Pellò, R.; Peng, Y.; Perez Montero, E.; Presotto, V.; Silverman, J. D.; Tanaka, M.; Tasca, L.; Tresse, L.; Vergani, D.; Zucca, E.; Bordoloi, R.; Cappi, A.; Cimatti, A.; Koekemoer, A. M.; McCracken, H. J.; Moresco, M.; Welikala, N.

2013-08-01

Aims: The application of multi-wavelength selection techniques is essential for obtaining a complete and unbiased census of active galactic nuclei (AGN). We present here a method for selecting z ~ 1 obscured AGN from optical spectroscopic surveys. Methods: A sample of 94 narrow-line AGN with 0.65 < z < 1.20 was selected from the 20k-Bright zCOSMOS galaxy sample by detection of the high-ionization [Ne v] λ3426 line. The presence of this emission line in a galaxy spectrum is indicative of nuclear activity, although the selection is biased toward low absorbing column densities on narrow-line region or galactic scales. A similar sample of unobscured (type 1 AGN) was collected applying the same analysis to zCOSMOS broad-line objects. This paper presents and compares the optical spectral properties of the two AGN samples. Taking advantage of the large amount of data available in the COSMOS field, the properties of the [Ne v]-selected type 2 AGN were investigated, focusing on their host galaxies, X-ray emission, and optical line-flux ratios. Finally, a previously developed diagnostic, based on the X-ray-to-[Ne v] luminosity ratio, was exploited to search for the more heavily obscured AGN. Results: We found that [Ne v]-selected narrow-line AGN have Seyfert 2-like optical spectra, although their emission line ratios are diluted by a star-forming component. The ACS morphologies and stellar component in the optical spectra indicate a preference for our type 2 AGN to be hosted in early-type spirals with stellar masses greater than 109.5 - 10 M⊙, on average higher than those of the galaxy parent sample. The fraction of galaxies hosting [Ne v]-selected obscured AGN increases with the stellar mass, reaching a maximum of about 3% at ≈2 × 1011 M⊙. A comparison with other selection techniques at z ~ 1, namely the line-ratio diagnostics and X-ray detections, shows that the detection of the [Ne v] λ3426 line is an effective method for selecting AGN in the optical band, in particular the most heavily obscured ones, but cannot provide a complete census of type 2 AGN by itself. Finally, the high fraction of [Ne v]-selected type 2 AGN not detected in medium-deep (≈100-200 ks) Chandra observations (67%) is suggestive of the inclusion of Compton-thick (i.e., with NH > 1024 cm-2) sources in our sample. The presence of a population of heavily obscured AGN is corroborated by the X-ray-to-[Ne v] ratio; we estimated, by means of an X-ray stacking technique and simulations, that the Compton-thick fraction in our sample of type 2 AGN is 43 ± 4% (statistical errors only), which agrees well with standard assumptions by XRB synthesis models.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-11-01

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

The invisible AGN catalogue: a mid-infrared-radio selection method for optically faint active galactic nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Truebenbach, Alexandra E.; Darling, Jeremy

2017-06-01

A large fraction of active galactic nuclei (AGN) are 'invisible' in extant optical surveys due to either distance or dust-obscuration. The existence of this large population of dust-obscured, infrared (IR)-bright AGN is predicted by models of galaxy-supermassive black hole coevolution and is required to explain the observed X-ray and IR backgrounds. Recently, IR colour cuts with Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer have identified a portion of this missing population. However, as the host galaxy brightness relative to that of the AGN increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to differentiate between IR emission originating from the AGN and from its host galaxy. As a solution, we have developed a new method to select obscured AGN using their 20-cm continuum emission to identify the objects as AGN. We created the resulting invisible AGN catalogue by selecting objects that are detected in AllWISE (mid-IR) and FIRST (20 cm), but are not detected in SDSS (optical) or 2MASS (near-IR), producing a final catalogue of 46 258 objects. 30 per cent of the objects are selected by existing selection methods, while the remaining 70 per cent represent a potential previously unidentified population of candidate AGN that are missed by mid-IR colour cuts. Additionally, by relying on a radio continuum detection, this technique is efficient at detecting radio-loud AGN at z ≥ 0.29, regardless of their level of dust obscuration or their host galaxy's relative brightness.

FIR statistics of paired galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sulentic, Jack W.

1990-01-01

Much progress has been made in understanding the effects of interaction on galaxies (see reviews in this volume by Heckman and Kennicutt). Evidence for enhanced emission from galaxies in pairs first emerged in the radio (Sulentic 1976) and optical (Larson and Tinsley 1978) domains. Results in the far infrared (FIR) lagged behind until the advent of the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS). The last five years have seen numerous FIR studies of optical and IR selected samples of interacting galaxies (e.g., Cutri and McAlary 1985; Joseph and Wright 1985; Kennicutt et al. 1987; Haynes and Herter 1988). Despite all of this work, there are still contradictory ideas about the level and, even, the reality of an FIR enhancement in interacting galaxies. Much of the confusion originates in differences between the galaxy samples that were studied (i.e., optical morphology and redshift coverage). Here, the authors report on a study of the FIR detection properties for a large sample of interacting galaxies and a matching control sample. They focus on the distance independent detection fraction (DF) statistics of the sample. The results prove useful in interpreting the previously published work. A clarification of the phenomenology provides valuable clues about the physics of the FIR enhancement in galaxies.

A NEW REDUCTION OF THE BLANCO COSMOLOGY SURVEY: AN OPTICALLY SELECTED GALAXY CLUSTER CATALOG AND A PUBLIC RELEASE OF OPTICAL DATA PRODUCTS

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

Bleem, L. E.; Stalder, B.; Brodwin, M.

2015-01-01

The Blanco Cosmology Survey is a four-band (griz) optical-imaging survey of ∼80 deg{sup 2} of the southern sky. The survey consists of two fields centered approximately at (R.A., decl.) = (23{sup h}, –55°) and (5{sup h}30{sup m}, –53°) with imaging sufficient for the detection of L {sub *} galaxies at redshift z ≤ 1. In this paper, we present our reduction of the survey data and describe a new technique for the separation of stars and galaxies. We search the calibrated source catalogs for galaxy clusters at z ≤ 0.75 by identifying spatial over-densities of red-sequence galaxies and report the coordinates,more » redshifts, and optical richnesses, λ, for 764 galaxy clusters at z ≤ 0.75. This sample, >85% of which are new discoveries, has a median redshift of z = 0.52 and median richness λ(0.4 L {sub *}) = 16.4. Accompanying this paper we also release full survey data products including reduced images and calibrated source catalogs. These products are available at http://data.rcc.uchicago.edu/dataset/blanco-cosmology-survey.« less

Correlations among the properties of galaxies found in a blind HI survey, which also have SDSS optical data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Appadoo, D. A.; West, A. A.; Dalcanton, J. J.; Cortese, L.; Disney, M. J.

2009-03-01

We have used the Parkes Multibeam system and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to assemble a sample of 195 galaxies selected originally from their HI signature to avoid biases against unevolved or low surface brightness objects. For each source nine intrinsic properties are measured homogeneously, as well as inclination and an optical spectrum. The sample, which should be almost entirely free of either misidentification or confusion, includes a wide diversity of galaxies ranging from inchoate, low surface brightness dwarfs to giant spirals. Despite this diversity there are five clear correlations among their properties. They include a common dynamical mass-to-light ratio within their optical radii, a correlation between surface brightness and luminosity and a common HI surface density. Such correlation should provide strong constrains on models of galaxy formation and evolution.

The far-infrared properties of the CfA galaxy sample. I - The catalog

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thuan, T. X.; Sauvage, M.

1992-01-01

IRAS flux densities are presented for all galaxies in the Center for Astrophysics magnitude-limited sample (mB not greater than 14.5) detected in the IRAS Faint Source Survey (FSS), a total of 1544 galaxies. The detection rate in the FSS is slightly larger than in the PSC for the long-wavelength 60- and 100-micron bands, but improves by a factor of about 3 or more for the short wavelength 12- and 25-micron bands. This optically selected sample consists of galaxies which are, on average, much less IR-active than galaxies in IR-selected samples. It possesses accurate and complete redshift, morphological, and magnitude information, along with observations at other wavelengths.

Dust-obscured star formation and the contribution of galaxies escaping UV/optical color selections at z ~ 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riguccini, L.; Le Floc'h, E.; Ilbert, O.; Aussel, H.; Salvato, M.; Capak, P.; McCracken, H.; Kartaltepe, J.; Sanders, D.; Scoville, N.

2011-10-01

Context. A substantial amount of the stellar mass growth across cosmic time occurred within dust-enshrouded environments. So far, identification of complete samples of distant star-forming galaxies from the short wavelength range has been strongly biased by the effect of dust extinction. Nevertheless, the exact amount of star-forming activity that took place in high-redshift dusty galaxies but that has currently been missed by optical surveys has barely been explored. Aims: Our goal is to determine the number of luminous star-forming galaxies at 1.5 ≲ z ≲ 3 that are potentially missed by the traditional color selection techniques because of dust extinction. We also aim at quantifying the contribution of these sources to the IR luminosity and cosmic star formation density at high redshift. Methods: We based our work on a sample of 24 μm sources brighter than 80 μJy and taken from the Spitzer survey of the COSMOS field. Almost all of these sources have accurate photometric redshifts. We applied to this mid-IR selected sample the BzK and BM/BX criteria, as well as the selections of the IRAC peakers and the Optically-Faint IR-bright (OFIR) galaxies. We analyzed the fraction of sources identified with these techniques. We also computed 8 μm rest-frame luminosity from the 24 μm fluxes of our sources, and considering the relationships between L8 μm and LPaα and between L8 μm and LIR, we derived ρIR and then ρSFR for our MIPS sources. Results: The BzK criterion offers an almost complete (~90%) identification of the 24 μm sources at 1.4 < z < 2.5. In contrast, the BM/BX criterion misses 50% of the MIPS sources. We attribute this bias to the effect of extinction, which reddens the typical colors of galaxies. The contribution of these two selections to the IR luminosity density produced by all the sources brighter than 80 μJy are on the same order. Moreover the criterion based on the presence of a stellar bump in their spectra (IRAC peakers) misses up to 40% of the IR luminosity density, while only 25% of the IR luminosity density at z ~ 2 is produced by OFIR galaxies characterized by extreme mid-IR to optical flux ratios. Conclusions: Color selections of distant star-forming galaxies must be used with care given the substantial bias they can suffer. In particular, the effect of dust extinction strongly affects the completeness of identifications at the bright end of the bolometric luminosity function, which implies large and uncertain extrapolations to account for the contribution of dusty galaxies missed by these selections. In the context of forthcoming facilities that will operate at long wavelengths (e.g., JWST, ALMA, SAFARI, EVLA, SKA), this emphasizes the importance of minimizing the extinction biases when probing the activity of star formation in the early Universe.

Cosmic clocks: a tight radius-velocity relationship for H I-selected galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meurer, Gerhardt R.; Obreschkow, Danail; Wong, O. Ivy; Zheng, Zheng; Audcent-Ross, Fiona M.; Hanish, D. J.

2018-05-01

H I-selected galaxies obey a linear relationship between their maximum detected radius Rmax and rotational velocity. This result covers measurements in the optical, ultraviolet, and H I emission in galaxies spanning a factor of 30 in size and velocity, from small dwarf irregulars to the largest spirals. Hence, galaxies behave as clocks, rotating once a Gyr at the very outskirts of their discs. Observations of a large optically selected sample are consistent, implying this relationship is generic to disc galaxies in the low redshift Universe. A linear radius-velocity relationship is expected from simple models of galaxy formation and evolution. The total mass within Rmax has collapsed by a factor of 37 compared to the present mean density of the Universe. Adopting standard assumptions, we find a mean halo spin parameter λ in the range 0.020-0.035. The dispersion in λ, 0.16 dex, is smaller than expected from simulations. This may be due to the biases in our selection of disc galaxies rather than all haloes. The estimated mass densities of stars and atomic gas at Rmax are similar (˜0.5 M⊙ pc-2), indicating outer discs are highly evolved. The gas consumption and stellar population build time-scales are hundreds of Gyr, hence star formation is not driving the current evolution of outer discs. The estimated ratio between Rmax and disc scalelength is consistent with long-standing predictions from monolithic collapse models. Hence, it remains unclear whether disc extent results from continual accretion, a rapid initial collapse, secular evolution, or a combination thereof.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Luminosity and redshift of galaxies from WISE/SDSS (Toba+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toba, Y.; Oyabu, S.; Matsuhara, H.; Malkan, M. A.; Gandhi, P.; Nakagawa, T.; Isobe, N.; Shirahata, M.; Oi, N.; Ohyama, Y.; Takita, S.; Yamauchi, C.; Yano, K.

2017-07-01

We selected 12 and 22 um flux-limited galaxies based on the WISE (Cat. II/311) and SDSS (Cat. II/294) catalogs, and these galaxies were then classified into five types according to their optical spectroscopic information in the SDSS catalog. For spectroscopically classified galaxies, we constructed the luminosity functions using the 1/Vmax method, considering the detection limit of the WISE and SDSS catalogs. (1 data file).

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-04-01

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

High-z X-ray Obscured Quasars in Galaxies with Extreme Mid-IR/Optical Colors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piconcelli, E.; Lanzuisi, G.; Fiore, F.; Feruglio, C.; Vignali, C.; Salvato, M.; Grappioni, C.

2009-05-01

Extreme Optical/Mid-IR color cuts have been used to uncover a population of dust-enshrouded, mid-IR luminous galaxies at high redshifts. Several lines of evidence point towards the presence of an heavily absorbed, possibly Compton-thick quasar at the heart of these systems. Nonetheless, the X-ray spectral properties of these intriguing sources still remain largely unexplored. Here we present an X-ray spectroscopic study of a large sample of 44 extreme dust-obscured galaxies (EDOGs) with F24 μm/FR>2000 and F24 μm>1.3 mJy selected from a 6 deg2 region in the SWIRE fields. The application of our selection criteria to a wide area survey has been capable of unveiling a population of X-ray luminous, absorbed z>1 quasars which is mostly missed in the traditional optical/X-ray surveys performed so far. Advances in the understanding of the X-ray properties of these recently-discovered sources by Simbol-X observations will be also discussed.

Merging and Clustering of the Swift BAT AGN Sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael; Mushotzky, Richard; Veilleux, Sylvain; Winter, Lisa

2010-06-01

We discuss the merger rate, close galaxy environment, and clustering on scales up to an Mpc of the Swift BAT hard X-ray sample of nearby (z<0.05), moderate-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We find a higher incidence of galaxies with signs of disruption compared to a matched control sample (18% versus 1%) and of close pairs within 30 kpc (24% versus 1%). We also find a larger fraction with companions compared to normal galaxies and optical emission line selected AGNs at scales up to 250 kpc. We hypothesize that these merging AGNs may not be identified using optical emission line diagnostics because of optical extinction and dilution by star formation. In support of this hypothesis, in merging systems we find a higher hard X-ray to [O III] flux ratio, as well as emission line diagnostics characteristic of composite or star-forming galaxies, and a larger IRAS 60 μm to stellar mass ratio.

Dusty Star-forming Galaxies at High Redshift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Ting

2017-02-01

Star-forming galaxies, which convert large amounts of gas into stars at moderate or excessive rates, are a critical population for our understanding of galaxy evolution throughout the cosmic time. A small portion of the star-forming galaxies are defined as starburst galaxies because they have much greater star formation rates (a few hundred to a few thousand of solar masses per year), which are associate with high infrared luminosity. My thesis focuses on starburst galaxies in the intermediate/high redshift universe. In this study, I present various modeling methods of the infrared spectral energy distribution (SED) of starburst galaxies, including modified black-body models and empirical templates based on nearby galaxies. Then, I fit these models to two samples of sources to study galaxy properties and provide a comparison among different SED models. I present galaxy properties derived by the best-fit model -- a modified blackbody model with power-law temperature distribution. The first sample is nine candidate gravitationally-lensed dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) selected at 218 GHz (1.4 mm) from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) equatorial survey, with multi-wavelength detections. Among the brightest ACT sources, these represent the subset of the total ACT sample lying in Herschel SPIRE fields, and all nine of the 218 GHz detections were found to have bright Herschel counterparts. We find the sample has a higher redshift distribution (z=4.1+1.1-1.0) than "classical" starburst galaxies, as expected for 218 GHz selection, and an apparent total infrared luminosity of log10(uL_IR/L_sun) = 13.86+0.33-0.30, which suggests that they are either strongly lensed sources or unresolved collections of unlensed DSFGs. The effective apparent diameter of the sample is ud = 4.2+1.7-1.0 kpc, further evidence of strong lensing or multiplicity, since the typical diameter of dusty star-forming galaxies is 1.0-2.5 kpc. We emphasize that the effective apparent diameter derives from SED modeling without the assumption of optically thin dust (as opposed to image morphology). We find that the sources have substantial optical depth (tau = 4.2 +3.7-1.9) around the peak in the modified blackbody spectrum (lambda_obs <= 500 micron), which supports the choice of the optical thick model. The other sample is 30 starburst galaxies with spectroscopically confirmed redshift selected by sub-millimeter surveys in the redshifts range of z 4-6.5. We find that the power-law temperature of optically thick gray-body model is the best fitting method for high-z starburst galaxies. The optically thin model fitting would underestimate the dust temperature and overestimate the dust mass, while nearby starburst templates would overestimate the dust mass by an order of magnitude. For this very high redshift sample, we find a median dust mass of M_d = 2.7e8 Msun and a median infrared luminosity of L_IR = 1.1e13 Lsun which corresponds to a star formation rate of 1180 Msun/yr. The median cold dust component temperature is Tc = 41.7 K, while the median emission region diameter is d=2.4 kpc. We also present the gas mass M_G 2.6e10 Msun and dust-to-gas ratio Zd = 9.1e-3, which are consistent with the local analogues. Additionally, the FIR/radio correlation of the sample is q_IR=2.58, which is consistent with the local galaxies but slightly higher than the intermediate-z starburst galaxies.

Tidal interactions and infrared-bright QSOs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hutchings, J. B.; Neff, S. G.

1988-01-01

Deep direct images of five IRAS-selected QSOs with similar IR luminosities and spectral indices have been analyzed. The present objects possess IR luminosities similar to those of the IRAS flux-lined sample of ultraluminous galaxies, but have IR spectral indices similar to those of normal QSOs. Four of the objects are in strong tidal interaction and have blue host galaxies and reddened nuclei. It is suggested that these objects are QSOs and AGN in an intermediate stage of their activity, which lies between that of ultraluminous galaxies and optically selected QSOs.

Observations of starburst galaxies: Science and supporting technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laag, Edward Aric

In chapter 1 we report on the development of wavefront reconstruction and control algorithms for multi-conjugate adaptive optics (MCAO) and the results of testing them in the laboratory under conditions that simulate an 8 meter class telescope. The UCO/Lick Observatory Laboratory for Adaptive Optics Multi-Conjugate testbed allows us to test wide field of view adaptive optics systems as they might be instantiated in the near future on giant telescopes. In particular, we have been investigating the performance of MCAO using five laser beacons for wavefront sensing and a minimum variance algorithm for control of two conjugate deformable mirrors. We have demonstrated improved Strehl ratio and enlarged field of view performance when compared to conventional AO techniques. We have demonstrated improved MCAO performance with the implementation of a routine that minimizes the generalized isoplanatism when turbulent layers do not correspond to deformable mirror conjugate altitudes. Finally, we have demonstrated suitability of the system for closed-loop operation when configured to feed back conditional mean estimates of wavefront residuals rather than the directly measured residuals. This technique has recently been referred to as the "pseudo-open-loop" control law in the literature. Chapter 2 introduces the Multi-wavelength Extreme Starburst Sample (MESS), a new catalog of 138 star-forming galaxies (0.1 < z < 0.3) optically selected from the SDSS using emission line strength diagnostics to have SFR ≥ 50 M⊙ yr-1 based on a Kroupa IMF. The MESS was designed to complement samples of nearby star forming galaxies such as the luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs), and ultraviolet luminous galaxies (UVLGs). Observations using the multiband imaging photometer (MIPS; 24, 70, and 160mum channels) on the Spitzer Space Telescope indicate the MESS galaxies have IR luminosities similar to those of LIRGs, with an estimated median LTIR ˜ 3 x 1011 L⊙ . The selection criteria for the MESS suggests they may be less obscured than typical far-IR selected galaxies with similar estimated SFRs. We estimate the SFRs based directly on luminosities to determine the agreement for these methods in the MESS.

Dual Active Galactic Nuclei in Nearby Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Mousumi; Rubinur, Khatun; Karb, Preeti; Varghese, Ashlin; Novakkuni, Navyasree; James, Atul

2018-04-01

Galaxy mergers play a crucial role in the formation of massive galaxies and the buildup of their bulges. An important aspect of the merging process is the in-spiral of the supermassive black-holes (SMBHs) to the centre of the merger remnant and the eventual formation of a SMBH binary. If both the SMBHs are accreting they will form a dual or binary active galactic nucleus (DAGN). The final merger remnant is usually very bright and shows enhanced star formation. In this paper we summarise the current sample of DAGN from previous studies and describe methods that can be used to identify strong DAGN candidates from optical and spectroscopic surveys. These methods depend on the Doppler separation of the double peaked AGN emission lines, the nuclear velocity dispersion of the galaxies and their optical/UV colours. We describe two high resolution, radio observations of DAGN candidates that have been selected based on their double peaked optical emission lines (DPAGN). We also examine whether DAGN host galaxies have higher star formation rates (SFRs) compared to merging galaxies that do not appear to have DAGN. We find that the SFR is not higher for DAGN host galaxies. This suggests that the SFRs in DAGN host galaxies is due to the merging process itself and not related to the presence of two AGN in the system.

Starburst Galaxies. II. Imaging and Spectroscopy of a Radio-selected Sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Denise A.; Herter, Terry; Haynes, Martha P.; Beichman, C. A.; Gautier, T. N., III

1996-06-01

We present J-, H-, and K-band images and low-resolution K-band spectra of the 20 most luminous starburst galaxies from the survey of Condon, Frayer, & Broderick. Optical rotation curves are also shown for 10 of these galaxies. Near-infrared colors, optical depths, CO indices, and dynamical masses are calculated. The near-infrared colors of the starburst nuclei are significantly redder than those observed in "normal" galaxies. Together, the Brγ and radio fluxes available for five of the galaxies imply that the starbursts are heavily obscured; an average extinction of A_V_~ 25 is derived. Strong CO absorption features indicate that late-type evolved stars are present in many of the starbursts. The average dynamical mass of the starburst region is found to be (1.0 +/- 0.4) x 10^9^ M_sun_.

The Local Universe as Seen in the Far-Infrared and Far-Ultraviolet: A Global Point of View of the Local Recent Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buat, V.; Takeuchi, T. T.; Iglesias-Páramo, J.; Xu, C. K.; Burgarella, D.; Boselli, A.; Barlow, T.; Bianchi, L.; Donas, J.; Forster, K.; Friedman, P. G.; Heckman, T. M.; Lee, Y.-W.; Madore, B. F.; Martin, D. C.; Milliard, B.; Morissey, P.; Neff, S.; Rich, M.; Schiminovich, D.; Seibert, M.; Small, T.; Szalay, A. S.; Welsh, B.; Wyder, T.; Yi, S. K.

2007-12-01

We select far-infrared (FIR: 60 μm) and far-ultraviolet (FUV: 530 Å) samples of nearby galaxies in order to discuss the biases encountered by monochromatic surveys (FIR or FUV). Very different volumes are sampled by each selection, and much care is taken to apply volume corrections to all the analyses. The distributions of the bolometric luminosity of young stars are compared for both samples: they are found to be consistent with each other for galaxies of intermediate luminosities, but some differences are found for high (>5×1010 Lsolar) luminosities. The shallowness of the IRAS survey prevents us from securing a comparison at low luminosities (<2×109 Lsolar). The ratio of the total infrared (TIR) luminosity to the FUV luminosity is found to increase with the bolometric luminosity in a similar way for both samples up to 5×1010 Lsolar. Brighter galaxies are found to have a different behavior according to their selection: the LTIR/LFUV ratio of the FUV-selected galaxies brighter than 5×1010 Lsolar reaches a plateau, whereas LTIR/LFUV continues to increase with the luminosity of bright galaxies selected in FIR. The volume-averaged specific star formation rate (SFR per unit galaxy stellar mass, SSFR) is found to decrease toward massive galaxies within each selection. The mean values of the SSFR are found to be larger than those measured for optical and NIR-selected samples over the whole mass range for the FIR selection, and for masses larger than 1010 Msolar for the FUV selection. Luminous and massive galaxies selected in FIR appear as active as galaxies with similar characteristics detected at z~0.7.

An effective selection method for low-mass active black holes and first spectroscopic identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morokuma, Tomoki; Tominaga, Nozomu; Tanaka, Masaomi; Yasuda, Naoki; Furusawa, Hisanori; Taniguchi, Yuki; Kato, Takahiro; Jiang, Ji-an; Nagao, Tohru; Kuncarayakti, Hanindyo; Morokuma-Matsui, Kana; Ikeda, Hiroyuki; Blinnikov, Sergei; Nomoto, Ken'ichi; Kokubo, Mitsuru; Doi, Mamoru

2016-06-01

We present a new method for effectively selecting objects which may be low-mass active black holes (BHs) at galaxy centers using high-cadence optical imaging data, and our first spectroscopic identification of an active 2.7 × 106 M⊙ BH at z = 0.164. This active BH was originally selected due to its rapid optical variability, from a few hours to a day, based on Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam g-band imaging data taken with a 1 hr cadence. Broad and narrow Hα lines and many other emission ones are detected in our optical spectra taken with Subaru FOCAS, and the BH mass is measured via the broad Hα emission line width (1880 km s-1) and luminosity (4.2 × 1040 erg s-1) after careful correction to the atmospheric absorption around 7580-7720 Å. We measure the Eddington ratio and find it to be as low as 0.05, considerably smaller than those in a previous SDSS sample with similar BH mass and redshift, which indicates one of the special potentials of our Subaru survey. The g - r color and morphology of the extended component indicate that the host galaxy is a star-forming galaxy. We also show the effectiveness of our variability selection for low-mass active BHs.

Distant clusters of galaxies in the 2XMM/SDSS footprint: follow-up observations with the LBT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabitz, A.; Lamer, G.; Schwope, A.; Takey, A.

2017-11-01

Context. Galaxy clusters at high redshift are important to test cosmological models and models for the growth of structure. They are difficult to find in wide-angle optical surveys, however, leaving dedicated follow-up of X-ray selected candidates as one promising identification route. Aims: We aim to increase the number of galaxy clusters beyond the SDSS-limit, z 0.75. Methods: We compiled a list of extended X-ray sources from the 2XMMp catalogue within the footprint of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Fields without optical counterpart were selected for further investigation. Deep optical imaging and follow-up spectroscopy were obtained with the Large Binocular Telescope, Arizona (LBT), of those candidates not known to the literature. Results: From initially 19 candidates, selected by visually screening X-ray images of 478 XMM-Newton observations and the corresponding SDSS images, 6 clusters were found in the literature. Imaging data through r,z filters were obtained for the remaining candidates, and 7 were chosen for multi-object (MOS) spectroscopy. Spectroscopic redshifts, optical magnitudes, and X-ray parameters (flux, temperature, and luminosity) are presented for the clusters with spectroscopic redshifts. The distant clusters studied here constitute one additional redshift bin for studies of the LX-T relation, which does not seem to evolve from high to low redshifts. Conclusions: The selection method of distant galaxy clusters presented here was highly successful. It is based solely on archival optical (SDSS) and X-ray (XMM-Newton) data. Out of 19 selected candidates, 6 of the 7 candidates selected for spectroscopic follow-up were verified as distant clusters, a further candidate is most likely a group of galaxies at z 1.21. Out of the remaining 12 candidates, 6 were known previously as galaxy clusters, one object is a likely X-ray emission from an AGN radio jet, and for 5 we see no clear evidence for them to be high-redshift galaxy clusters. Based on observations obtained with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and NASA.The LBT is an international collaboration among institutions in the United States, Italy and Germany. LBT Corporation partners are: the University of Arizona on behalf of the Arizona Board of Regents; Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Italy; LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Germany, representing the Max-Planck Society, The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam, and Heidelberg University; The Ohio State University, and The Research Corporation, on behalf of The University of Notre Dame, University of Minnesota and University of Virginia - http://www.lbto.org/for-investigators.htmlThe catalogue, similar to Table A.1, is also 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/607/A56

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Physical Properties and Purity of a Galaxy Cluster Sample Selected Via the Sunyaev-Zel'Dovich Effect

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menanteau, Felipe; Gonzalez, Jorge; Juin, Jean-Baptiste; Marriage, Tobias; Reese, Erik D.; Acquaviva, Viviana; Aguirre, Paula; Appel, John Willam; Baker, Andrew J.; Barrientos, L. Felipe;

The physical properties of galaxies with unusually red mid-infrared colours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kauffmann, Guinevere

2018-02-01

The goal of this paper is to investigate the physical nature of galaxies in the redshift range 0.02 < z < 0.15 that have strong excess emission at mid-infrared wavelengths and to determine whether they host a population of accreting black holes that cannot be identified using optical emission lines. We show that at fixed stellar mass M* and Dn(4000), the distribution of [3.4]-[4.6] μm (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, W1 - W2 band) colours is sharply peaked, with a long tail to much redder W1 - W2 colours. We introduce a procedure to pull out the red outlier population based on a combination of three stellar population diagnostics. When compared with optically selected active galactic nucleus (AGN), red outliers are more likely to be found in massive galaxies, and they tend to have lower stellar mass densities, younger stellar ages and higher dust content than optically selected AGN hosts. They are twice as likely to be detected at radio wavelengths. We examine W1 - W2 colour profiles for a subset of the nearest, reddest outliers and find that most are not centrally peaked, indicating that the hot dust emission is spread throughout the galaxy. We find that radio luminosity is the quantity that is most predictive of a redder central W1 - W2 colour. Radio-loud galaxies with centrally concentrated hot dust emission are almost always morphologically disturbed, with compact, unresolved emission at 1.4 GHz. The 80 per cent of such systems are identifiable as AGN using optical emission line diagnostics.

A new reduction of the blanco cosmology survey: An optically selected galaxy cluster catalog and a

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

Bleem, L. E.; Stalder, B.; Brodwin, M.

2015-01-01

The Blanco Cosmology Survey is a four-band (griz) optical-imaging survey of ≈80 deg2 of the southern sky. The survey consists of two fields centered approximately at (R.A., decl.) = (23h, -55°) and (5h30m, -53°) with imaging sufficient for the detection of Lmore » $$\\star$$ galaxies at redshift z ≤ 1. In this paper, we present our reduction of the survey data and describe a new technique for the separation of stars and galaxies. We search the calibrated source catalogs for galaxy clusters at z ≤ 0.75 by identifying spatial over-densities of red-sequence galaxies and report the coordinates, redshifts, and optical richnesses, λ, for 764 galaxy clusters at z ≤ 0.75. This sample, >85% of which are new discoveries, has a median redshift of z = 0.52 and median richness λ(0.4L$$\\star$$) = 16.4. Accompanying this paper we also release full survey data products including reduced images and calibrated source catalogs. These products are available at http://data.rcc.uchicago.edu/dataset/blanco-cosmology-survey.« less

Adaptive Optics Imaging Survey of Luminous Infrared Galaxies

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

Laag, E A; Canalizo, G; van Breugel, W

2006-03-13

We present high resolution imaging observations of a sample of previously unidentified far-infrared galaxies at z < 0.3. The objects were selected by cross-correlating the IRAS Faint Source Catalog with the VLA FIRST catalog and the HST Guide Star Catalog to allow for adaptive optics observations. We found two new ULIGs (with L{sub FIR} {ge} 10{sup 12} L{sub {circle_dot}}) and 19 new LIGs (with L{sub FIR} {ge} 10{sup 11} L{sub {circle_dot}}). Twenty of the galaxies in the sample were imaged with either the Lick or Keck adaptive optics systems in H or K{prime}. Galaxy morphologies were determined using the twomore » dimensional fitting program GALFIT and the residuals examined to look for interesting structure. The morphologies reveal that at least 30% are involved in tidal interactions, with 20% being clear mergers. An additional 50% show signs of possible interaction. Line ratios were used to determine powering mechanism; of the 17 objects in the sample showing clear emission lines--four are active galactic nuclei and seven are starburst galaxies. The rest exhibit a combination of both phenomena.« less

Gas, Stars, and Star Formation in Alfalfa Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, Shan; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Brinchmann, Jarle; Stierwalt, Sabrina; Neff, Susan G.

2012-01-01

We examine the global properties of the stellar and Hi components of 229 low H i mass dwarf galaxies extracted from the ALFALFA survey, including a complete sample of 176 galaxies with H i masses <10(sup 7.7) solar mass and Hi line widths <80 kilometers per second. Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data are combined with photometric properties derived from Galaxy Evolution Explorer to derive stellar masses (M*) and star formation rates (SFRs) by fitting their UV-optical spectral energy distributions (SEDs). In optical images, many of the ALFALFA dwarfs are faint and of low surface brightness; only 56% of those within the SDSS footprint have a counterpart in the SDSS spectroscopic survey. A large fraction of the dwarfs have high specific star formation rates (SSFRs), and estimates of their SFRs and M* obtained by SED fitting are systematically smaller than ones derived via standard formulae assuming a constant SFR. The increased dispersion of the SSFR distribution at M* approximately less than10(exp 8)M(sub 0) is driven by a set of dwarf galaxies that have low gas fractions and SSFRs; some of these are dE/dSphs in the Virgo Cluster. The imposition of an upper Hi mass limit yields the selection of a sample with lower gas fractions for their M* than found for the overall ALFALFA population. Many of the ALFALFA dwarfs, particularly the Virgo members, have H i depletion timescales shorter than a Hubble time. An examination of the dwarf galaxies within the full ALFALFA population in the context of global star formation (SF) laws is consistent with the general assumptions that gas-rich galaxies have lower SF efficiencies than do optically selected populations and that Hi disks are more extended than stellar ones.

Improved optical mass tracer for galaxy clusters calibrated using weak lensing measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes, R.; Mandelbaum, R.; Hirata, C.; Bahcall, N.; Seljak, U.

2008-11-01

We develop an improved mass tracer for clusters of galaxies from optically observed parameters, and calibrate the mass relation using weak gravitational lensing measurements. We employ a sample of ~13000 optically selected clusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) maxBCG catalogue, with photometric redshifts in the range 0.1-0.3. The optical tracers we consider are cluster richness, cluster luminosity, luminosity of the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) and combinations of these parameters. We measure the weak lensing signal around stacked clusters as a function of the various tracers, and use it to determine the tracer with the least amount of scatter. We further use the weak lensing data to calibrate the mass normalization. We find that the best mass estimator for massive clusters is a combination of cluster richness, N200, and the luminosity of the BCG, LBCG: , where is the observed mean BCG luminosity at a given richness. This improved mass tracer will enable the use of galaxy clusters as a more powerful tool for constraining cosmological parameters.

Tracing accelerated galaxy formation in a proto-cluster at z=3.8 with GMOS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handel Hughes, David; Lowenthal, James; Wilson, Grant; Yun, Min S.; Fazio, Giovanni G.; Huang, Jiasheng; Aretxaga, Itziar; Porras, Alicia; Smail, Ian; Ivison, Rob J.; Stevens, Jason; Dunlop, James S.

2007-08-01

The 1.1mm AzTEC camera has recently conducted the largest and most sensitive survey at mm-wavelengths towards a powerful high-redshift radio galaxy: 4C41.17 at z 3.8. The 1.1mm map reveals a significant over-density of luminous, massive dust-enshrouded galaxies, a factor of 10 more numerous than the blank-field mm-galaxy population, which statistically is expected to lie at lower-redshifts, z 2.2. The AzTEC sources are expected to trace the bulk of the elliptical galaxy formation within a massive protocluster at z 3.8, over an unprecedentedly large area of 6 x 6 Mpc^2. We propose to acquire multi-object spectroscopic observations over 3 adjacent GMOS fields to provide redshifts for 5 SMA/AzTEC sources, which have sub-arcsec interferometric precisions, identifying unambiguously their optical/IR counterparts, which are inferred to be forming stars at rates in excess of 500 M_sun/yr ( L(FIR) > 10^13 L_sun ). Although these are dusty objects, we expect most of them to have patchy obscuration, and thus be able to detect emission-lines from the star-forming regions, as has been achieved with the mm-selected blank-field population. Additional slitlets in the 3 GMOS masks will also simultaneously measure the redshift of 30 neighbouring (< 20") optical/Spitzer selected galaxies that could be associated with the haloes of these SMA detected AzTEC sources, and 60 additional optical/Spitzer sources that, through photo-z, are likely to be at z 3.8 and be associated with other mm-galaxies that lie within the AzTEC map. These GMOS data will identify whether small groups of dynamically-interacting galaxies in the local environment (dark matter haloes) of the gas-rich, luminous starburst AzTEC sources are stimulating the accelerated levels of galaxy formation observed towards this biased region (protocluster) in the early Universe.

Far-ultraviolet and optical spectrophotometry of X-ray selected Seyfert galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clarke, J. T.; Bowyer, S.; Grewing, M.

1986-01-01

Five X-ray selected Seyfert galaxies were examined via near-simultaneous far-ultraviolet and optical spectrophotometry in an effort to test models for excitation of emission lines by X-ray and ultraviolet continuum photoionization. The observed Ly-alpha/H-beta ratio in the present sample averages 22, with an increase found toward the high-velocity wings of the H lines in the spectrum of at least one of the Seyfert I nuclei. It is suggested that Seyfert galaxies with the most high-velocity gas exhibit the highest Ly-alpha/H-beta ratios at all velocities in the line profiles, and that sometimes this ratio may be highest for the highest velocity material in the broad-line clouds. Since broad-lined objects are least affected by Ly-alpha trapping effects, they have Ly-alpha/H-beta ratios much closer to those predicted by early photoionization calculations.

Submillimeter Follow-up of WISE-selected Hyperluminous Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2012-09-01

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

Submillimeter Follow-Up of WISE-Selected Hyperluminous Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

Submillimeter Follow-up of Wise-Selected Hyperluminous Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2012-10-01

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

An XMM-Newton spectral survey of 12 μm selected galaxies - II. Implications for AGN selection and unification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brightman, Murray; Nandra, Kirpal

2011-07-01

We present a multi-waveband analysis of a 126-galaxy sub-sample of the 12 μm galaxy sample (12MGS), for which we have carried out a detailed X-ray spectral analysis in a previous paper. We determine the activity class of the galaxies by way of optical-line ratio diagnostics and characterize the optical classes by their X-ray, 12 μm and [O III] luminosities and X-ray spectral properties. Our most interesting results from this investigation are as follows. (i) Seyfert (Sy) 1s and Sy2s show a significantly different X-ray luminosity distributions from each other. (ii) Sy2 galaxies with a detection of a hidden broad-line region show a significantly higher X-ray luminosity than those without a detection, supporting the findings of Tran. (iii) Sy1s also present a significantly different 12 μm luminosity distribution from both intermediate Sy types and Sy2s. (iv) The Sy2 fraction decreases towards high X-ray luminosities. (v) X-ray indications of active galactic nuclei (AGN) power agree well with the optical classifications. (vi) There is X-ray evidence for the presence of an AGN in 17 per cent of H II/AGN composite galaxies and 40 per cent of LINERs. (vii) We advocate the use of a 2-10 keV X-ray luminosity of 1041 erg s-1 in the X-ray selection of AGN, rather than 1042 erg s-1, which we find gives a contamination rate of only 3 per cent from star-forming galaxies. (viii) From an analysis of the X-ray power-law index, Γ, we find that Sy1s and Sy2 have the same intrinsic distributions, implying that the central engines are the same, in support of AGN unification schemes. (ix) In 24 per cent of cases the absorption measured in the X-ray spectra does not correspond directly to that implied in the optical band from the visibility of the broad-line regions (BLRs), which is in conflict with AGN unification schemes. (x) We confirm the previous work showing that the obscured fraction in AGN declines at high X-ray luminosity, but also find a decrease at low luminosity having peaked at LX˜ 1042 erg s-1, suggesting that source luminosity has a large effect on the obscuring material, therefore also calling for a modification to unified schemes. (xi) The average obscured and Compton-thick fractions for this sample are 62 ± 5 per cent and 20 ± 4 per cent, respectively, which are higher than hard X-ray and optically selected samples, therefore supporting mid-infrared (MIR) selection as a relatively unbiased method of selecting AGN. (xii) We assess the use of the 'T' ratio (?) for selecting Compton-thick candidates. We conclude here that this quantity can often be unreliable due to uncertainties in the extinction corrections to the [O III] flux. These results have important impacts on AGN selection and unification, and the results from the 12MGS are particularly useful as a local analogue to Spitzer/MIPS 24 μm samples selected at z= 1, as observed 24 μm emission originates at rest-frame 12 μm in sources at this redshift.

Final Report for "Non-Accelerator Physics – Research in High Energy Physics: Dark Energy Research on DES"

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

Ritz, Steve; Jeltema, Tesla

One of the greatest mysteries in modern cosmology is the fact that the expansion of the universe is observed to be accelerating. This acceleration may stem from dark energy, an additional energy component of the universe, or may indicate that the theory of general relativity is incomplete on cosmological scales. The growth rate of large-scale structure in the universe and particularly the largest collapsed structures, clusters of galaxies, is highly sensitive to the underlying cosmology. Clusters will provide one of the single most precise methods of constraining dark energy with the ongoing Dark Energy Survey (DES). The accuracy of themore » cosmological constraints derived from DES clusters necessarily depends on having an optimized and well-calibrated algorithm for selecting clusters as well as an optical richness estimator whose mean relation and scatter compared to cluster mass are precisely known. Calibrating the galaxy cluster richness-mass relation and its scatter was the focus of the funded work. Specifically, we employ X-ray observations and optical spectroscopy with the Keck telescopes of optically-selected clusters to calibrate the relationship between optical richness (the number of galaxies in a cluster) and underlying mass. This work also probes aspects of cluster selection like the accuracy of cluster centering which are critical to weak lensing cluster studies.« less

Spectroscopy of luminous infrared galaxies at 2 microns: 1. The ultraluminous galaxies (L(sub IR) approximately greater than 10 (exp 12) solar luminosity)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldader, Jeffrey D.; Joseph, R. D.; Doyon, Rene; Sanders, D. B.

1995-01-01

We present high-quality spectra covering the K window at a resolving power of 340 for a sample of 13 ultraluminous (L(sub IR) approximately greater than 10(exp 12) solar luminosity) infrared-selected galaxies, and line fluxes for a comparison sample of 24 lower luminosity galaxies. The 2 micrometers spectra of 10 of the ultraluminous galaxies are characterized by emission and absorption features commonly associated with stars and star formation; two others have the red power-law spectra and Br gamma line widths of Seyfert 1 galaxies; the final galaxy has strong emission from hot dust. We have found no broad-line active nuclei not already known from optical observations, despite the fact that the extinction at 2 micrometers is 1/10 that at optical wavelengths; any putative Seyfert 1 nuclei must be deeply buried. Powerful continua and emission lines from H2 and Br gamma are detected in all the ultraluminous galaxies. Comparing the H2 1-0 S(1), Br gamma, and 2 micrometers and far-infrared luminosities to those of the lower luminosity galaxies yields several major results. First, the dereddened Br gamma emission, relative to the far-infrared luminosity is significantly depressed in the ultraluminous sample, when compared to the lower luminosity galaxies. Five of the ultraluminous galaxies have L(sub Br gamma)L(sub IR) ratios lower than for any of the comparison objects. Second, the H2 1-0 S(1) luminosity is also responsible, directly or indirectly, for producing the excited H2, and that the H2 apparently comes from optically thin regions in both classes of objects. Third, eight of the 13 ultraluminous systems have lower 2 micrometers/far-infrared luminosity ratios than any of the lower luminosity galaxies, and five of these are the galaxies also deficient in Br gamma. These three findings may be understood if the the H2, Br gamma, and 2 mircometers continua in the ultraluminous galaxies arise from spatially distinct regions, with the continuum and Br gamma largely coming from volumes optically thick even at 2 micrometers, and obscured in such a fashion that the extinctions measured using optical spectroscopy do not properly measure the true optical depths. If this is the case, then even near-infrared spectroscopy may be unable to exclude the presence of undetected powerful active galactive nuclei in the ultraluminous galaxies.

Spectroscopic confirmation of a galaxy cluster associated with 7C 1756+6520 at z = 1.416

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galametz, A.; Stern, D.; Stanford, S. A.; De Breuck, C.; Vernet, J.; Griffith, R. L.; Harrison, F. A.

2010-06-01

We present spectroscopic follow-up of an overdensity of galaxies photometrically selected to be at 1.4 < z < 2.5 found in the vicinity of the radio galaxy 7C 1756+6520 at z = 1.4156. Using the DEIMOS optical multi-object spectrograph on the Keck 2 telescope, we observed a total of 129 BzK-selected sources, comprising 82 blue, star-forming galaxy candidates (sBzK) and 47 red, passively-evolving galaxy candidates (pBzK*), as well as 11 mid-infrared selected AGN candidates. We obtain robust spectroscopic redshifts for 36 blue galaxies, 7 red galaxies and 9 AGN candidates. Assuming all foreground interlopers were identified, we find that only 16% (9%) of the sBzK (pBzK*) galaxies are at z < 1.4. Therefore, the BzK criteria are shown to be relatively robust at identifying galaxies at moderate redshifts. Twenty-one galaxies, including the radio galaxy, four additional AGN candidates and three red galaxy candidates are found with 1.4156 ± 0.025, forming a large scale structure at the redshift of the radio galaxy. Of these, eight have projected offsets <2 Mpc relative to the radio galaxy position and have velocity offsets <1000 km s-1 relative to the radio galaxy redshift. This confirms that 7C 1756+6520 is associated with a high-redshift galaxy cluster. A second compact group of four galaxies is found at z ~ 1.437, forming a sub-group offset by Δv ~ 3000 km s-1 and approximately 1.'5 east of the radio galaxy.

The active galactic nucleus population in X-ray-selected galaxy groups at 0.5 < Z < 1.1

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

Oh, Semyeong; Woo, Jong-Hak; Matsuoka, Kenta

2014-07-20

We use Chandra data to study the incidence and properties of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in 16 intermediate redshift (0.5 < z < 1.1) X-ray-selected galaxy groups in the Chandra Deep Field-South. We measure an AGN fraction of f(L{sub X,H}>10{sup 42};M{sub R}<−20)=8.0{sub −2.3}{sup +3.0}% at z-bar ∼0.74, approximately a factor of two higher than the AGN fraction found for rich clusters at comparable redshift. This extends the trend found at low redshift for groups to have higher AGN fractions than clusters. Our estimate of the AGN fraction is also more than a factor of three higher than that of lowmore » redshift X-ray-selected groups. Using optical spectra from various surveys, we also constrain the properties of emission-line selected AGNs in these groups. In contrast to the large population of X-ray AGNs (N(L{sub X,{sub H}} > 10{sup 41} erg s{sup –1}) = 25), we find only four emission-line AGNs, three of which are also X-ray bright. Furthermore, most of the X-ray AGNs in our groups are optically dull (i.e., lack strong emission-lines), similar to those found in low redshift X-ray groups and clusters of galaxies. This contrasts with the AGN population found in low redshift optically selected groups which are dominated by emission-line AGNs. The differences between the optically and X-ray-selected AGNs populations in groups are consistent with a scenario where most AGNs in the densest environments are currently in a low accretion state.« less

Looking for Galaxies in All the Right Places: A Search for Stellar Populations in ALFALFA’s Ultra-compact High Velocity Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janesh, William; Rhode, Katherine L.; Salzer, John J.; Janowiecki, Steven; Adams, Elizabeth; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Cannon, John M.

2018-01-01

Nearby gas-rich dwarf galaxies are excellent laboratories for investigating the baryonic feedback processes that govern star formation and galaxy evolution in galaxies at the extreme end of the mass function. Detecting and studying such objects may help resolve the well-known tension between cosmological model predictions for low-mass dark matter halos and observations. The ALFALFA neutral hydrogen (Hi) survey has detected a sample of isolated ultra-compact high-velocity Hi clouds (UCHVCs) with kinematic properties that make them likely members of the Local Volume, but that have no optical counterparts in existing optical surveys. This UCHVC sample possesses Hi properties (at 1 Mpc, Hi masses of ~105-106 M⊙, Hi diameters of ~2-3 kpc, and dynamical masses of ~107-108 M⊙) similar to other known ultra-faint dwarf galaxies like Leo T. Following the discovery of Leo P, an extremely metal-poor, gas-rich star-forming dwarf galaxy associated with an ALFALFA UCHVC, we have initiated a campaign to obtain deep optical imaging of 56 UCHVCs using the wide field-of-view, high-resolution ODI camera on the WIYN 3.5-m telescope. Here we present a brief overview of our campaign to search for resolved stellar populations associated with the UCHVCs in our optical images, and initial results from our survey.After creating a stellar catalog from the pipeline-reduced and stacked ODI g- and i-band images, we apply a color-magnitude filter tuned for old, metal-poor stellar populations to select red giant branch stars at distances between 250 kpc and 2 Mpc. The spatial distribution of the stars selected by the filter is then smoothed, and overdensities in the fields are identified. Of the 22 targets analyzed to date, seven have associated stellar populations detected at a high confidence (92% to 99.9% significance). The detected objects have a range of distances (from 350 kpc to 1.6 Mpc) and have optical properties similar to those of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies. These objects have extreme Hi-to-stellar mass ratios, and given their isolation, may represent a progenitor population to the ultra-faint dwarfs. They also help constrain the conditions needed for star formation in the lowest-mass galaxies.

Identification of dusty massive stars in star-forming dwarf irregular galaxies in the Local Group with mid-IR photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Britavskiy, N. E.; Bonanos, A. Z.; Mehner, A.; Boyer, M. L.; McQuinn, K. B. W.

2015-12-01

Context. Increasing the statistics of spectroscopically confirmed evolved massive stars in the Local Group enables the investigation of the mass loss phenomena that occur in these stars in the late stages of their evolution. Aims: We aim to complete the census of luminous mid-IR sources in star-forming dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies of the Local Group. To achieve this we employed mid-IR photometric selection criteria to identify evolved massive stars, such as red supergiants (RSGs) and luminous blue variables (LBVs), by using the fact that these types of stars have infrared excess due to dust. Methods: The method is based on 3.6 μm and 4.5 μm photometry from archival Spitzer Space Telescope images of nearby galaxies. We applied our criteria to four dIrr galaxies: Pegasus, Phoenix, Sextans A, and WLM, selecting 79 point sources that we observed with the VLT/FORS2 spectrograph in multi-object spectroscopy mode. Results: We identified 13 RSGs, of which 6 are new discoveries, as well as two new emission line stars, and one candidate yellow supergiant. Among the other observed objects we identified carbon stars, foreground giants, and background objects, such as a quasar and an early-type galaxy that contaminate our survey. We use the results of our spectroscopic survey to revise the mid-IR and optical selection criteria for identifying RSGs from photometric measurements. The optical selection criteria are more efficient in separating extragalactic RSGs from foreground giants than mid-IR selection criteria, but the mid-IR selection criteria are useful for identifying dusty stars in the Local Group. This work serves as a basis for further investigation of the newly discovered dusty massive stars and their host galaxies. Based on observations made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory under programme IDs 090.D-0009 and 091.D-0010.Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

ULTRAVIOLET EXTINCTION AT HIGH GALACTIC LATITUDES

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

Peek, J. E. G.; Schiminovich, David, E-mail: jegpeek@gmail.com

In order to study the properties and effects of high Galactic latitude dust, we present an analysis of 373,303 galaxies selected from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer All-Sky Survey and Wide-field Infrared Explorer All-Sky Data Release. By examining the variation in aggregate ultraviolet colors and number density of these galaxies, we measure the extinction curve at high latitude. We additionally consider a population of spectroscopically selected galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to measure extinction in the optical. We find that dust at high latitude is neither quantitatively nor qualitatively consistent with standard reddening laws. Extinction in the FUV andmore » NUV is {approx}10% and {approx}35% higher than expected, with significant variation across the sky. We find that no single R{sub V} parameter fits both the optical and ultraviolet extinction at high latitude, and that while both show detectable variation across the sky, these variations are not related. We propose that the overall trends we detect likely stem from an increase in very small silicate grains in the interstellar medium.« less

Chandra Observations of Galaxy Zoo Mergers: Frequency of Binary Active Nuclei in Massive Mergers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teng, Stacy H.; Schawinski, Kevin; Urry, C. Megan; Darg, Dan W.; Kaviraj, Sugata; Oh, Kyuseok; Bonning, Erin W.; Cardamone, Carolin N.; Keel, William C.; Lintott, Chris J.;

Galaxies in the Diffuse Baryon Field Approaching Reionization: A Joint Study with JWST, HST, and Large Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simcoe, Robert

2017-08-01

Our team is conducting a dedicated survey for emission-line galaxies at 5 < z < 7 in six fields containing the best and brightest z > 6 quasars, using JWST/NIRCAM's slitless grism in a 110 hour GTO allocation. We have acquired deep near-IR spectra of the QSOs, revealing multiple heavy-element absorption systems and probing the HI optical depth within each object's survey volume. These data will provide the first systematic view of the circumgalactic medium at z > 4, allowing us to study early metal enrichment, correlations of the intergalactic HI optical depth with galaxy density, and the environment of the quasar hosts. These fields generally do not have deep multicolor photometry that would facilitate selection of broadband dropout galaxies for future observation with JWST/NIRSPEC. However during long spectroscopic integrations with NIRCAM's long channel we will obtain deep JWST photometry in F115W and F200W, together with F356W for wavelength calibration. Here we request 30 orbits with HST/ACS to acquire deep optical photometry that (together with the JWST IR bands) will constrain SED models and enable dropout selection of fainter objects. For lower redshift objects the rest-UV ACS data will improve estimates of star formation rate and stellar mass. Within a Small-GO program scope we will obtain sensitivity similar to CANDELS-Deep in all six fields, and approximately double the size of our galaxy sample appropriate for JWST/NIRSPEC followup at redshifts approaching the reionization epoch.

Optical spectroscopy and initial mass function of z = 0.4 red galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Baitian; Worthey, Guy

2017-05-01

Spectral absorption features can be used to constrain the stellar initial mass function (IMF) in the integrated light of galaxies. Spectral indices used at low redshift are in the far red, and therefore increasingly hard to detect at higher and higher redshifts as they pass out of atmospheric transmission and CCD detector wavelength windows. We employ IMF-sensitive indices at bluer wavelengths. We stack spectra of red, quiescent galaxies around z = 0.4 from the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey. The z = 0.4 red galaxies have 2 Gyr average ages so that they cannot be passively evolving precursors of nearby galaxies. They are slightly enhanced in C and Na, and slightly depressed in Ti. Split by luminosity, the fainter half appears to be older, a result that should be checked with larger samples in the future. We uncover no evidence for IMF evolution between z = 0.4 and now, but we highlight the importance of sample selection, finding that an SDSS sample culled to select archetypal elliptical galaxies at z ˜ 0 is offset towards a more bottom-heavy IMF. Other samples, including our DEEP2 sample, show an offset towards a more spiral galaxy-like IMF. All samples confirm that the reddest galaxies look bottom-heavy compared with bluer ones. Sample selection also influences age-colour trends: red, luminous galaxies always look old and metal rich, but the bluer ones can be more metal poor, the same abundance or more metal rich, depending on how they are selected.

A MULTIWAVELENGTH STUDY OF TADPOLE GALAXIES IN THE HUBBLE ULTRA DEEP FIELD

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

Straughn, Amber N.; Eufrasio, Rafael T.; Gardner, Jonathan P.

2015-12-01

Multiwavelength data are essential in order to provide a complete picture of galaxy evolution and to inform studies of galaxies’ morphological properties across cosmic time. Here we present the results of a multiwavelength investigation of the morphologies of “tadpole” galaxies at intermediate redshift (0.314 < z < 3.175) in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. These galaxies were previously selected from deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) F775W data based on their distinct asymmetric knot-plus-tail morphologies. Here we use deep Wide Field Camera 3 near-infrared imaging in addition to the HST optical data in order to study the rest-frame UV/optical morphologies ofmore » these galaxies across the redshift range 0.3 < z < 3.2. This study reveals that the majority of these galaxies do retain their general asymmetric morphology in the rest-frame optical over this redshift range, if not the distinct “tadpole” shape. The average stellar mass of tadpole galaxies is lower than that of field galaxies, with the effect being slightly greater at higher redshift within the errors. Estimated from spectral energy distribution fits, the average age of tadpole galaxies is younger than that of field galaxies in the lower-redshift bin, and the average metallicity is lower (whereas the specific star formation rate for tadpoles is roughly the same as field galaxies across the redshift range probed here). These average effects combined support the conclusion that this subset of galaxies is in an active phase of assembly, either late-stage merging or cold gas accretion causing localized clumpy star formation.« less

The distant red galaxy neighbour population of 1 <~ z <~ 2 QSOs and optically obscured sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bornancini, Carlos G.; García Lambas, Diego

2007-05-01

We study the distant red galaxy (DRG; J - Ks > 2.3) neighbour population of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) in the redshift range 1 <~ z <~ 2. We perform a similar analysis for optically obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs; i.e. with a limiting magnitude I > 24) detected in the mid-infrared (24 μm) with the Spitzer Space Telescope and a mean redshift z ~ 2.2 in the Flamingos Extragalactic Survey (FLAMEX). Both QSOs and obscured AGN target samples cover 4.7 deg2 in the same region of the sky. We find a significant difference in the environment of these two target samples. Neighbouring galaxies close to QSOs tend to be bluer than galaxies in optically obscured source environments. We also present results on the cross-correlation function of DRGs around QSOs and optically faint mid-infrared sources. The corresponding correlation length obtained for the QSO sample targets is r0 = 5.4 +/- 1.6 Mpc h-1 and a slope of γ = 1.94 +/- 0.10. For the optically obscured galaxy sample, we find r0 = 8.9 +/- 1.4 Mpc h-1 and a slope of γ = 2.27 +/- 0.20. These results indicate that optically faint obscured sources are located in denser environment of evolved red galaxies compared to QSOs. Based on observations and/or data products by the Flamingos Extragalactic Survey. FLAMINGOS was designed and constructed by the IR instrumentation group (PI: R. Elston) at the University of Florida, Department of Astronomy, with support from NSF grant AST97-31180 and Kitt Peak National Observatory. E-mail: bornancini@oac.uncor.edu

Faint Submillimeter Galaxies Identified through Their Optical/Near-infrared Colors. I. Spatial Clustering and Halo Masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chian-Chou; Smail, Ian; Swinbank, A. M.; Simpson, James M.; Almaini, Omar; Conselice, Christopher J.; Hartley, Will G.; Mortlock, Alice; Simpson, Chris; Wilkinson, Aaron

2016-11-01

The properties of submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) that are fainter than the confusion limit of blank-field single-dish surveys ({S}850 ≲ 2 mJy) are poorly constrained. Using a newly developed color selection technique, Optical-Infrared Triple Color (OIRTC), that has been shown to successfully select such faint SMGs, we identify a sample of 2938 OIRTC-selected galaxies, dubbed Triple Color Galaxies (TCGs), in the UKIDSS-UDS field. We show that these galaxies have a median 850 μm flux of {S}850=0.96+/- 0.04 mJy (equivalent to a star formation rate SFR ˜ 60{--}100 {M}⊙ yr-1 based on spectral energy distribution fitting), representing the first large sample of faint SMGs that bridges the gap between bright SMGs and normal star-forming galaxies in S 850 and L IR. We assess the basic properties of TCGs and their relationship with other galaxy populations at z˜ 2. We measure the two-point autocorrelation function for this population and derive a typical halo mass of log10({M}{halo}) = {12.9}-0.3+0.2, {12.7}-0.2+0.1, and {12.9}-0.3+0.2 {h}-1 {M}⊙ at z=1{--}2, 2-3, and 3-5, respectively. Together with the bright SMGs ({S}850≳ 2 mJy) and a comparison sample of less far-infrared luminous star-forming galaxies, we find a lack of dependence between spatial clustering and S 850 (or SFR), suggesting that the difference between these populations may lie in their local galactic environment. Lastly, on the scale of ˜ 8{--}17 {kpc} at 1\\lt z\\lt 5 we find a tentative enhancement of the clustering of TCGs over the comparison star-forming galaxies, suggesting that some faint SMGs are physically associated pairs, perhaps reflecting a merging origin in their triggering.

Gas and galaxies in filaments between clusters of galaxies. The study of A399-A401

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonjean, V.; Aghanim, N.; Salomé, P.; Douspis, M.; Beelen, A.

2018-01-01

We have performed a multi-wavelength analysis of two galaxy cluster systems selected with the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ) effect and composed of cluster pairs and an inter-cluster filament. We have focused on one pair of particular interest: A399-A401 at redshift z 0.073 seperated by 3 Mpc. We have also performed the first analysis of one lower-significance newly associated pair: A21-PSZ2 G114.09-34.34 at z 0.094, separated by 4.2 Mpc. We have characterised the intra-cluster gas using the tSZ signal from Planck and, when possible, the galaxy optical and infrared (IR) properties based on two photometric redshift catalogues: 2MPZ and WISExSCOS. From the tSZ data, we measured the gas pressure in the clusters and in the inter-cluster filaments. In the case of A399-A401, the results are in perfect agreement with previous studies and, using the temperature measured from the X-rays, we further estimate the gas density in the filament and find n0 = (4.3 ± 0.7) × 10-4 cm-3. The optical and IR colour-colour and colour-magnitude analyses of the galaxies selected in the cluster system, together with their star formation rate, show no segregation between galaxy populations, both in the clusters and in the filament of A399-A401. Galaxies are all passive, early type, and red and dead. The gas and galaxy properties of this system suggest that the whole system formed at the same time and corresponds to a pre-merger, with a cosmic filament gas heated by the collapse. For the other cluster system, the tSZ analysis was performed and the pressure in the clusters and in the inter-cluster filament was constrained. However, the limited or nonexistent optical and IR data prevent us from concluding on the presence of an actual cosmic filament or from proposing a scenario.

The SEDs and Host Galaxies of the Dustiest GRB Afterglows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kruhler, T.; Greiner, J.; Schady, P.; Savaglio, S.; Afonso, P. M. J.; Clemens, C.; Elliott, J.; Filgas, R.; Gruber, D.; Kann, D. A.;

Surface Brightness Profiles and Energetics of Intracluster Gas in Cool Galaxy Clusters and ROSAT Observations of Bright, Early-Type Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Raymond E., III

1994-01-01

Preliminary results on the elliptical galaxy NGC 1407 were published in the proceedings of the first ROSAT symposium. NGC 1407 is embedded in diffuse X-ray-emitting gas which is extensive enough that it is likely to be related to the surrounding group of galaxies, rather than just NGC 1407. Spectral data for NGC 1407 (AO2) and IC 1459 (AO3) are also included in a complete sample of elliptical galaxies I compiled in collaboration with David Davis. This allowed us to construct the first complete X-ray sample of optically-selected elliptical galaxies. The complete sample allows us to apply Malmquist bias corrections to the observed correlation between X-ray and optical luminosities. I continue to work on the implications of this first complete X-ray sample of elliptical galaxies. Paul Eskridge Dave Davis and I also analyzed three long ROSAT PSPC observations of the small (but not dwarf) elliptical galaxy M32. We found the X-ray spectra and variability to be consistent with either a Low Mass X-Ray Binary (LMXRB) or a putative 'micro"-AGN.

The Galaxy Color-Magnitude Diagram in the Local Universe from GALEX and SDSS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyder, T. K.; GALEX Science Team

2005-12-01

We present the relative density of galaxies in the local universe as a function of their r-band absolute magnitudes and ultraviolet minus r-band colors. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) main galaxy sample selected in the r-band was matched with a sample of galaxies from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) Medium Imaging Survey in both the far-UV (FUV) and near-UV (NUV) bands. Simlar to previous optical studies, the distribution of galaxies in (FUV-r) and (NUV-r) is bimodal with well-defined blue and red sequences. We compare the distribution of galaxies in these colors with both the D4000 index measured from the SDSS spectra as well as the SDSS (u-r) color.

Multiwavelength Search and Studies of Active Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, A. M.

2016-06-01

Since 1950s, Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) has always been one of the centres for surveys and studies of active galaxies. Here I review our search and studies of active galaxies during last 30 years using various wavelength ranges, as well as some recent related works. These projects since late 1980s were focused on multiwavelength search and studies of AGN and Starbursts (SB). 1103 blue stellar objects (BSOs) on the basis of their UV-excess were selected using Markarian Survey (First Byurakan Survey, FBS) plates and Markarian's criteria used for the galaxies. Among many blue stars, QSOs and Seyfert galaxies were found by follow-up observations. 1577 IRAS point sources were optically identified using FBS low-dispersion spectra and many AGN, SB and high-luminosity IR galaxies (LIRG/ULIRG) were discovered. 32 extremely high IR/opt flux ratio galaxies were studies with Spitzer. 2791 ROSAT FSC sources were optically identified using Hamburg Quasar Survey (HQS) low-dispersion spectra and many AGN were discovered by follow-up observations. Fine analysis of emission line spectra was carried out using spectral line decomposition software to establish true profiles and calculate physical parameters for the emitting regions, as well as to study the spectral variability of these objects. X-ray and radio selection criteria were used to find new AGN and variable objects for further studies. Multiwavelength approach allowed revealing many new AGN and SB and obtaining a number of interesting relations using their observational characteristics and physical properties.

THE TEAM KECK REDSHIFT SURVEY 2: MOSFIRE SPECTROSCOPY OF THE GOODS-NORTH FIELD

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

Wirth, Gregory D.; Kassis, Marc; Lyke, Jim

We present the Team Keck Redshift Survey 2 (TKRS2), a near-infrared spectral observing program targeting selected galaxies within the CANDELS subsection of the GOODS-North Field. The TKRS2 program exploits the unique capabilities of the Multi-Object Spectrometer For Infra-Red Exploration (MOSFIRE), which entered service on the Keck I telescope in 2012 and contributes substantially to the study of galaxy spectral features at redshifts inaccessible to optical spectrographs. The TKRS2 project targets 97 galaxies drawn from samples that include z ≈ 2 emission-line galaxies with features observable in the JHK bands as well as lower-redshift targets with features in the Y band.more » We present a detailed measurement of MOSFIRE’s sensitivity as a function of wavelength, including the effects of telluric features across the YJHK filters. The largest utility of our survey is in providing rest-frame-optical emission lines for z > 1 galaxies, and we demonstrate that the ratios of strong, optical emission lines of z ≈ 2 galaxies suggest the presence of either higher N/O abundances than are found in z ≈ 0 galaxies or low-metallicity gas ionized by an active galactic nucleus. We have released all TKRS2 data products into the public domain to allow researchers access to representative raw and reduced MOSFIRE spectra.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-02-01

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

Revealing strong bias in common measures of galaxy properties using new inclination-independent structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devour, Brian M.; Bell, Eric F.

2017-06-01

Accurate measurement of galaxy structures is a prerequisite for quantitative investigation of galaxy properties or evolution. Yet, the impact of galaxy inclination and dust on commonly used metrics of galaxy structure is poorly quantified. We use infrared data sets to select inclination-independent samples of disc and flattened elliptical galaxies. These samples show strong variation in Sérsic index, concentration and half-light radii with inclination. We develop novel inclination-independent galaxy structures by collapsing the light distribution in the near-infrared on to the major axis, yielding inclination-independent 'linear' measures of size and concentration. With these new metrics we select a sample of Milky Way analogue galaxies with similar stellar masses, star formation rates, sizes and concentrations. Optical luminosities, light distributions and spectral properties are all found to vary strongly with inclination: When inclining to edge-on, r-band luminosities dim by >1 magnitude, sizes decrease by a factor of 2, 'dust-corrected' estimates of star formation rate drop threefold, metallicities decrease by 0.1 dex and edge-on galaxies are half as likely to be classified as star forming. These systematic effects should be accounted for in analyses of galaxy properties.

The Metal Abundances across Cosmic Time (MACT) Survey. I. Optical Spectroscopy in the Subaru Deep Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ly, Chun; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Malkan, Matthew A.; Rigby, Jane R.; Kashikawa, Nobunari; de los Reyes, Mithi A.; Rhoads, James E.

2016-09-01

Deep rest-frame optical spectroscopy is critical for characterizing and understanding the physical conditions and properties of the ionized gas in galaxies. Here, we present a new spectroscopic survey called “Metal Abundances across Cosmic Time” or { M }{ A }{ C }{ T }, which will obtain rest-frame optical spectra for ˜3000 emission-line galaxies. This paper describes the optical spectroscopy that has been conducted with MMT/Hectospec and Keck/DEIMOS for ≈1900 z = 0.1-1 emission-line galaxies selected from our narrowband and intermediate-band imaging in the Subaru Deep Field. In addition, we present a sample of 164 galaxies for which we have measured the weak [O III]λ4363 line (66 with at least 3σ detections and 98 with significant upper limits). This nebular emission line determines the gas-phase metallicity by measuring the electron temperature of the ionized gas. This paper presents the optical spectra, emission-line measurements, interstellar properties (e.g., metallicity, gas density), and stellar properties (e.g., star formation rates, stellar mass). Paper II of the { M }{ A }{ C }{ T } survey (Ly et al.) presents the first results on the stellar mass-gas metallicity relation at z ≲ 1 using the sample with [O III]λ4363 measurements.

Quiescent Galaxies in the 3D-HST Survey: Spectroscopic Confirmation of a Large Number of Galaxies with Relatively Old Stellar Populations at z ~ 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitaker, Katherine E.; van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Brammer, Gabriel; Momcheva, Ivelina G.; Skelton, Rosalind; Franx, Marijn; Kriek, Mariska; Labbé, Ivo; Fumagalli, Mattia; Lundgren, Britt F.; Nelson, Erica J.; Patel, Shannon G.; Rix, Hans-Walter

2013-06-01

Quiescent galaxies at z ~ 2 have been identified in large numbers based on rest-frame colors, but only a small number of these galaxies have been spectroscopically confirmed to show that their rest-frame optical spectra show either strong Balmer or metal absorption lines. Here, we median stack the rest-frame optical spectra for 171 photometrically quiescent galaxies at 1.4 < z < 2.2 from the 3D-HST grism survey. In addition to Hβ (λ4861 Å), we unambiguously identify metal absorption lines in the stacked spectrum, including the G band (λ4304 Å), Mg I (λ5175 Å), and Na I (λ5894 Å). This finding demonstrates that galaxies with relatively old stellar populations already existed when the universe was ~3 Gyr old, and that rest-frame color selection techniques can efficiently select them. We find an average age of 1.3^{+0.1}_{-0.3} Gyr when fitting a simple stellar population to the entire stack. We confirm our previous result from medium-band photometry that the stellar age varies with the colors of quiescent galaxies: the reddest 80% of galaxies are dominated by metal lines and have a relatively old mean age of 1.6^{+0.5}_{-0.4} Gyr, whereas the bluest (and brightest) galaxies have strong Balmer lines and a spectroscopic age of 0.9^{+0.2}_{-0.1} Gyr. Although the spectrum is dominated by an evolved stellar population, we also find [O III] and Hβ emission. Interestingly, this emission is more centrally concentrated than the continuum with {L_{{O}\\,\\scriptsize{III}}}=1.7+/- 0.3\\times 10^{40} erg s-1, indicating residual central star formation or nuclear activity.

Quiescent Galaxies in the 3D-HST Survey: Spectroscopic Confirmation of a Large Number of Galaxies With Relatively Old Stellar Populations at z Approx. 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tease, Katherine Whitaker; vanDokkum, Pieter G.; Brammer, Gabriel; Momcheva, Ivelina; Skelton, Rosalind; Franx, Marijin; Kriek, Mariska; Labbe, Ivo; Fumagalli, Mattia; Lundgren, Britt F.;

Quiescent Galaxies in the 3D-HST Survey: Spectroscopic Confirmation of a Large Number of Galaxies with Relatively Old Stellar Populations at Z approx. 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tease, Katherine Whitaker; VanDokkum, Pieter G.; Brammer, Gabriel; Momcheva, Ivelina G.; Skelton, Rosalind; Franx, Marijn; Kriek, Mariska; Labbe, Ivo; Fumagalli, Mattia; Lundgren, Britt F.;

Challenges in Finding AGNs in the Low Luminosity Regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satyapal, Shobita; Abel, Nick; Secrest, Nathan; Singh, Amrit; Ellison, Sara

2016-08-01

Low luminosity AGNs are an important component of the AGN population. They are often found in the lowest mass galaxies or galaxies that lack classical bulges, a demographic that places important constraints to models of supermassive black hole seed formation and merger-free models of AGN fueling. The detection of AGNs in this low luminosity regime is challenging both because star formation in the host galaxy can dominate the optical spectrum and gas and dust can obscure the central engine at both optical and X-ray wavelengths. Thus while mid-infrared color selection and X-ray observations at energies <10 keV are often powerful tools in uncovering optically unidentified AGNs at higher luminosities, this is not the case in the low luminosity regime. In this talk, I will review the effectiveness of uncovering AGNs in the low luminosity regime using multiwavength investigations, with a focus on infrared spectroscopic signatures.

Host Galaxy Morphologies Of Hard X-ray Selected AGN From The Swift BAT Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael; Mushotzky, R.; Veilleux, S.

2009-01-01

Surveys of AGN taken in the optical, UV, and soft X-rays miss an important population of obscured AGN only visible in the hard X-rays and mid-IR wavelengths. The SWIFT BAT survey in the hard X-ray range (14-195 keV) has provided a uniquely unbiased sample of 258 AGN unaffected by galactic or circumnuclear absorption. Optical imaging of this unbiased sample provides a new opportunity to understand how the environments of the host galaxies are linked to AGN. For these host galaxies, only a fraction, 29%, have high quality optical images, predominately from the SDSS. In addition, about 33% show peculiar morphologies and interaction. In 2008, we observed 110 of these targets at Kitt Peak with the 2.1m in the SDSS bands over 17 nights. Using these observations and SDSS data we review the relationships between color, morphology, merger activity, star formation, and AGN luminosity.

A Study of Galaxies and Quasars in the Background of the Andromeda Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhara, Atirath; McConnell, Kaela; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Roy, Namrata; Waite, Jurij

2018-01-01

The SPLASH (Spectroscopic and Photometric Landscape of Andromeda’s Stellar Halo) survey is based on wide-field ground-based optical images (KPNO 4-m/Mosaic, CFHT 3.6-m/MegaCam imager, and Subaru 8-m/Suprime-Cam), deep Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet/optical/near infrared images (ACS and WFC3), and medium resolution spectra (Keck II 10-m/DEIMOS). The SPLASH survey data set contains two main categories of (non-M31) contaminants (SPLASH trash, if you will): foreground Milky Way stars and compact background galaxies/quasars. In this poster, we present the discovery and characterization of galaxies and quasars behind M31. Such objects were identified based on the presence of redshifted emission lines and other galaxy/quasar spectral features (e.g., Ca H+K absorption and IGM absorption). The redshift of each galaxy was measured by cross-correlating its spectrum against an emission line galaxy spectral template. The cross-correlation results (spectrum and best-fit template) were visually inspected to identify cases of incorrect matching of emission lines. Many of these incorrect redshift estimates were corrected by using the second or third highest cross-correlation peak. Quasar redshifts were determined based on cross-correlation against a quasar spectral template. Most of the galaxies in our sample are star forming galaxies with strong emission lines. We analyze their emission line flux ratios in a BPT diagram to learn more about the ionization source and metallicity. Finally, the properties of these compact galaxies behind M31 are compared to those of galaxies selected in a more standard way in the DEEP2 redshift survey to explore the effects of morphological pre-selection (compact vs. extended) on the properties of the resulting galaxy sample.This research was supported by NASA/STScI and the National Science Foundation. Most of this work was carried out by high school students working under the auspices of the Science Internship Program (SIP) at UC Santa Cruz.

VLA+WSRT HI Imaging of Two "Almost Dark" Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ball, Catie; Singer, Quinton; Cannon, John M.; Leisman, Luke; Haynes, Martha P.; Adams, Elizabeth A.; Bernal Neira, David; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Hallenbeck, Gregory L.; Janesh, William; Janowiecki, Steven; Jozsa, Gyula; Rhode, Katherine L.; Salzer, John Joseph

2017-01-01

We present sensitive HI imaging of the "Almost Dark" galaxies AGC229385 and AGC229101. Selected from the ALFALFA survey, "Almost Dark" galaxies have significant HI reservoirs but lack an obvious stellar counterpart in survey-depth ground-based optical imaging. Deeper ground- and space-based imaging reveals very low surface brightness optical counterparts in both systems. The resulting M_HI/L_B ratios are among the highest ever measured for individual galaxies. Here we combine VLA and WSRT imaging of these two systems, allowing us to preserve surface brightness sensitivity while working at high angular resolution. The resulting maps of HI mass surface density, velocity field, and velocity dispersion are compared to deep optical and ultraviolet imaging. In both systems the highest column density HI gas is clumpy and resolved into multiple components. In the case of AGC229385, the kinematics are inconsistent with a simple rotating disk and may be the result of either an infall episode or an interaction between two HI-rich disks.Support for this work was provided by NSF grant 1211683 to JMC at Macalester College.

Galaxy collisions and shocks in compact groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Sullivan, Ewan

2017-09-01

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

Tracing Star Formation in the Mid-infrared

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Ronin

One of the most important missions of the 20th century in astrophysics is the launch of the Spitzer Space Telescope in August 2003. Since then, with its unprecedented sensitivity and spatial resolution in the infrared, this earth--trailing satellite has significantly improved our understanding of star--formation history and the composition of the interstellar medium from an extragalactic perspective. In this thesis, I present the statistical studies of several star--formation tracers and properties of star--forming galaxies using the photometric and spectroscopic data taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope. The first approach I take in understanding the mid-infrared star--forming tracers is studying the aromatic features at 7.7mum. Aromatic features are the dominant emission lines in the mid-infrared spectra of star--forming galaxies, but these features are much weaker in galaxies of low--luminosity. I combine the infrared and the optical imaging data to demonstrate this trend. Comparison with optical spectroscopic data shows that the strength of the 7.7mum aromatic feature is closely related to the stellar mass of galaxies. Our analysis shows that both oxygen abundance and radiation hardness affect the strength of this feature. However, the generally low oxygen abundance in low--luminosity galaxy interstellar environments, which prevents the synthesis of aromatic molecules, appears to have the stronger effect. The second approach I take is the analysis of the Spitzer SDSS Statistical Spectroscopic Survey (S5), a multi-wavelength study of ˜300 homogeneously selected star--forming galaxies at redshifts 0.05 < z < 0.1. The S5 galaxies span the color range of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and span two orders of magnitudes in stellar mass. The key goal of the survey is to provide a deeper understanding of the properties of warm interstellar medium by comparing the optical and mid-infrared spectra of galaxies that are structurally similar. The S5 survey contains a significant fraction of galaxies that show composite properties of star--forming and AGN. I explain the data analysis for this survey and present comparisons of optical and mid-infrared AGN/star--forming diagnostics and discuss possible heating mechanisms for aromatic features and molecular hydrogen in galaxies of different types. Molecular hydrogen is the simplest and most abundant molecule in the Universe. Stars are formed from molecular gas through gravitational condensation. The abundance of molecular hydrogen is a direct indicator for the star--forming ability of galaxies. In the third and last part of this thesis, I present the first mass function of molecular hydrogen directly measured using the molecule's rotational lines in the mid-infrared for galaxies in the homogeneously selected, S5 sample.

Tending the Fire, A Legacy Survey of Molecular Gas Fueling in Powerful Nearby AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael; BASS Team

2018-01-01

Over the last 30 years the importance of host galaxy molecular gas for growing black holes has been intensely debated. We have observed a a volume-limited sample of over 200 nearby powerful AGN (0.01 < z < 0.05, Lbol;AGN > 10^44 erg/s) using the CO 2-1 line with the JCMT and APEX telescopes to definitively address this issue. The AGN are selected from the Swift-BAT all sky hard X-ray survey which is superior to optical or IR selection since high energy X-rays (14-195 keV) are almost independent of host galaxy properties and obscuration. We compare our samples molecular gas properties to inactive galaxies selected with the IRAM 30m COLD GASS survey to understand the general trends with AGN activity.

GAS, STARS, AND STAR FORMATION IN ALFALFA DWARF GALAXIES

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

Huang Shan; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo

2012-06-15

We examine the global properties of the stellar and H I components of 229 low H I mass dwarf galaxies extracted from the ALFALFA survey, including a complete sample of 176 galaxies with H I masses <10{sup 7.7} M{sub Sun} and H I line widths <80 km s{sup -1}. Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data are combined with photometric properties derived from Galaxy Evolution Explorer to derive stellar masses (M{sub *}) and star formation rates (SFRs) by fitting their UV-optical spectral energy distributions (SEDs). In optical images, many of the ALFALFA dwarfs are faint and of low surface brightness; onlymore » 56% of those within the SDSS footprint have a counterpart in the SDSS spectroscopic survey. A large fraction of the dwarfs have high specific star formation rates (SSFRs), and estimates of their SFRs and M{sub *} obtained by SED fitting are systematically smaller than ones derived via standard formulae assuming a constant SFR. The increased dispersion of the SSFR distribution at M{sub *} {approx}< 10{sup 8} M{sub Sun} is driven by a set of dwarf galaxies that have low gas fractions and SSFRs; some of these are dE/dSphs in the Virgo Cluster. The imposition of an upper H I mass limit yields the selection of a sample with lower gas fractions for their M{sub *} than found for the overall ALFALFA population. Many of the ALFALFA dwarfs, particularly the Virgo members, have H I depletion timescales shorter than a Hubble time. An examination of the dwarf galaxies within the full ALFALFA population in the context of global star formation (SF) laws is consistent with the general assumptions that gas-rich galaxies have lower SF efficiencies than do optically selected populations and that H I disks are more extended than stellar ones.« less

Multi-Wavelength Analysis of Active Galactic Nuclei and Host Galaxies Physical Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azadi, Mojegan

In this dissertation we study the properties of active galactic nuclei (AGN), which are powered by the accretion activity of supermassive black holes residing at the centers of galaxies. While observations propose that growth of AGN and galaxies are globally tied, we investigate whether this connection exists in individual galaxies. We also investigate various AGN selection techniques and star formation rate (SFR) estimates using multi-wavelength data from Chandra, Spitzer and rest-frame optical spectra from the Keck telescope. We find that combining multi-wavelength identification techniques provides a more complete AGN sample, as each selection method suffers from selection biases. In particular, all selection techniques are biased against identifying AGN in lower mass galaxies. Once stellar mass selection biases are taken into account, we find that AGN reside in galaxies with similar physical properties (i.e., SFR) as inactive galaxies. We find that while AGN are prevalent in both star-forming and quiescent galaxies, AGN of a given accretion rate are more likely to reside in star-forming galaxies. The probability of fueling an AGN does not strongly depend on SFR for a star-forming galaxy, though it decreases when star formation is shut down in quiescent galaxies. We also find no evidence for a strong correlation between SFR or stellar mass of the host galaxy and AGN luminosity. These results indicate that while both AGN and galaxy growth are reliant on the same fuel, enhanced star formation activity does not necessarily go hand-in-hand with increased AGN activity. While the star formation activity of galaxies can be traced with various indicators, our investigations indicate that extrapolations from mid-infrared data using calibrations based on local galaxies overestimates SFRs at higher redshift. We show that a combina- tion of mid-infrared and far-infrared data provide a more reliable SFR estimation than the mid-infrared data alone. We also find that the robustness of UV-based SFRs depends on the extinction correction method used. We find a relatively small fraction of z 2 galaxies have SFRs from infrared observations that are elevated relative to other SFR tracers, and we do not find any contribution from AGN in this excess.

CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS OF GALAXY ZOO MERGERS: FREQUENCY OF BINARY ACTIVE NUCLEI IN MASSIVE MERGERS

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

Teng, Stacy H.; Schawinski, Kevin; Urry, C. Megan

We present the results from a Chandra pilot study of 12 massive galaxy mergers selected from Galaxy Zoo. The sample includes major mergers down to a host galaxy mass of 10{sup 11} M{sub Sun} that already have optical active galactic nucleus (AGN) signatures in at least one of the progenitors. We find that the coincidences of optically selected active nuclei with mildly obscured (N{sub H} {approx}< 1.1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 22} cm{sup -2}) X-ray nuclei are relatively common (8/12), but the detections are too faint (<40 counts per nucleus; f{sub 2-10keV} {approx}< 1.2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -13} erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2})more » to reliably separate starburst and nuclear activity as the origin of the X-ray emission. Only one merger is found to have confirmed binary X-ray nuclei, though the X-ray emission from its southern nucleus could be due solely to star formation. Thus, the occurrences of binary AGNs in these mergers are rare (0%-8%), unless most merger-induced active nuclei are very heavily obscured or Compton thick.« less

SUBMILLIMETER FOLLOW-UP OF WISE-SELECTED HYPERLUMINOUS GALAXIES

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

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

2012-09-01

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

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-06-01

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

The 1000 Brightest HIPASS Galaxies: H I Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koribalski, B. S.; Staveley-Smith, L.; Kilborn, V. A.; Ryder, S. D.; Kraan-Korteweg, R. C.; Ryan-Weber, E. V.; Ekers, R. D.; Jerjen, H.; Henning, P. A.; Putman, M. E.; Zwaan, M. A.; de Blok, W. J. G.; Calabretta, M. R.; Disney, M. J.; Minchin, R. F.; Bhathal, R.; Boyce, P. J.; Drinkwater, M. J.; Freeman, K. C.; Gibson, B. K.; Green, A. J.; Haynes, R. F.; Juraszek, S.; Kesteven, M. J.; Knezek, P. M.; Mader, S.; Marquarding, M.; Meyer, M.; Mould, J. R.; Oosterloo, T.; O'Brien, J.; Price, R. M.; Sadler, E. M.; Schröder, A.; Stewart, I. M.; Stootman, F.; Waugh, M.; Warren, B. E.; Webster, R. L.; Wright, A. E.

2004-07-01

We present the HIPASS Bright Galaxy Catalog (BGC), which contains the 1000 H I brightest galaxies in the southern sky as obtained from the H I Parkes All-Sky Survey (HIPASS). The selection of the brightest sources is based on their H I peak flux density (Speak>~116 mJy) as measured from the spatially integrated HIPASS spectrum. The derived H I masses range from ~107 to 4×1010 Msolar. While the BGC (z<0.03) is complete in Speak, only a subset of ~500 sources can be considered complete in integrated H I flux density (FHI>~25 Jy km s-1). The HIPASS BGC contains a total of 158 new redshifts. These belong to 91 new sources for which no optical or infrared counterparts have previously been cataloged, an additional 51 galaxies for which no redshifts were previously known, and 16 galaxies for which the cataloged optical velocities disagree. Of the 91 newly cataloged BGC sources, only four are definite H I clouds: while three are likely Magellanic debris with velocities around 400 km s-1, one is a tidal cloud associated with the NGC 2442 galaxy group. The remaining 87 new BGC sources, the majority of which lie in the zone of avoidance, appear to be galaxies. We identified optical counterparts to all but one of the 30 new galaxies at Galactic latitudes |b|>10deg. Therefore, the BGC yields no evidence for a population of ``free-floating'' intergalactic H I clouds without associated optical counterparts. HIPASS provides a clear view of the local large-scale structure. The dominant features in the sky distribution of the BGC are the Supergalactic Plane and the Local Void. In addition, one can clearly see the Centaurus Wall, which connects via the Hydra and Antlia Clusters to the Puppis Filament. Some previously hardly noticable galaxy groups stand out quite distinctly in the H I sky distribution. Several new structures, including some not behind the Milky Way, are seen for the first time.

A photometrically and spectroscopically confirmed population of passive spiral galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraser-McKelvie, Amelia; Brown, Michael J. I.; Pimbblet, Kevin A.; Dolley, Tim; Crossett, Jacob P.; Bonne, Nicolas J.

2016-10-01

We have identified a population of passive spiral galaxies from photometry and integral field spectroscopy. We selected z < 0.035 spiral galaxies that have WISE colours consistent with little mid-infrared emission from warm dust. Matched aperture photometry of 51 spiral galaxies in ultraviolet, optical and mid-infrared show these galaxies have colours consistent with passive galaxies. Six galaxies form a spectroscopic pilot study and were observed using the Wide-Field Spectrograph to check for signs of nebular emission from star formation. We see no evidence of substantial nebular emission found in previous red spiral samples. These six galaxies possess absorption-line spectra with 4000 Å breaks consistent with an average luminosity-weighted age of 2.3 Gyr. Our photometric and integral field spectroscopic observations confirm the existence of a population of local passive spiral galaxies, implying that transformation into early-type morphologies is not required for the quenching of star formation.

The Rest-frame Optical Spectroscopic Properties of Lyalpha-emitters at Z~2.5: The Physical Origins of Strong Lyalpha Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trainor, Ryan F.; Strom, Allison L.; Steidel, Charles C.; Rudie, Gwen C.

2016-12-01

We present the rest-frame optical spectroscopic properties of 60 faint (R AB ˜ 27; L ˜ 0.1 L *) Lyα-selected galaxies (LAEs) at z ≈ 2.56. These LAEs also have rest-UV spectra of their Lyα emission line morphologies, which trace the effects of interstellar and circumgalactic gas on the escape of Lyα photons. We find that the LAEs have diverse rest-optical spectra, but their average spectroscopic properties are broadly consistent with the extreme low-metallicity end of the populations of continuum-selected galaxies selected at z ≈ 2-3. In particular, the LAEs have extremely high [O III] λ5008/Hβ ratios (log([O III]/Hβ) ˜ 0.8) and low [N II] λ6585/Hα ratios (log([N II]/Hα) < 1.15). Coupled with a detection of the [O III] λ4364 auroral line, these measurements indicate that the star-forming regions in faint LAEs are characterized by high electron temperatures (T e ≈ 1.8 × 104 K), low oxygen abundances (12 + log(O/H) ≈ 8.04, Z neb ≈ 0.22Z ⊙), and high excitations with respect to their more luminous continuum-selected analogs. Several of our faintest LAEs have line ratios consistent with even lower metallicities, including six with 12 + log(O/H) ≈ 6.9-7.4 (Z neb ≈ 0.02-0.05Z ⊙). We interpret these observations in light of new models of stellar evolution (including binary interactions) that have been shown to produce long-lived populations of hot, massive stars at low metallicities. We find that strong, hard ionizing continua are required to reproduce our observed line ratios, suggesting that faint galaxies are efficient producers of ionizing photons and important analogs of reionization-era galaxies. Furthermore, we investigate the physical trends accompanying Lyα emission across the largest current sample of combined Lyα and rest-optical galaxy spectroscopy, including both the 60 KBSS-Lyα LAEs and 368 more luminous galaxies at similar redshifts. We find that the net Lyα emissivity (parameterized by the Lyα equivalent width) is strongly correlated with nebular excitation and ionization properties and weakly correlated with dust attenuation, suggesting that metallicity plays a strong role in determining the observed properties of these galaxies by modulating their stellar spectra, nebular excitation, and dust content. 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.

THE REST-FRAME OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPIC PROPERTIES OF LY α -EMITTERS AT z  ∼ 2.5: THE PHYSICAL ORIGINS OF STRONG LY α EMISSION

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

Trainor, Ryan F.; Strom, Allison L.; Steidel, Charles C.

We present the rest-frame optical spectroscopic properties of 60 faint ( R {sub AB} ∼ 27; L ∼ 0.1 L {sub *}) Ly α -selected galaxies (LAEs) at z  ≈ 2.56. These LAEs also have rest-UV spectra of their Ly α emission line morphologies, which trace the effects of interstellar and circumgalactic gas on the escape of Ly α photons. We find that the LAEs have diverse rest-optical spectra, but their average spectroscopic properties are broadly consistent with the extreme low-metallicity end of the populations of continuum-selected galaxies selected at z  ≈ 2–3. In particular, the LAEs have extremely high [O iii]more » λ 5008/H β ratios (log([O iii]/H β ) ∼ 0.8) and low [N ii] λ 6585/H α ratios (log([N ii]/H α ) < 1.15). Coupled with a detection of the [O iii] λ 4364 auroral line, these measurements indicate that the star-forming regions in faint LAEs are characterized by high electron temperatures (T{sub e} ≈ 1.8 × 10{sup 4} K), low oxygen abundances (12 + log(O/H) ≈ 8.04, Z{sub neb} ≈ 0.22 Z {sub ⊙}), and high excitations with respect to their more luminous continuum-selected analogs. Several of our faintest LAEs have line ratios consistent with even lower metallicities, including six with 12 + log(O/H) ≈ 6.9–7.4 (Z {sub neb} ≈ 0.02–0.05 Z{sub ⊙}). We interpret these observations in light of new models of stellar evolution (including binary interactions) that have been shown to produce long-lived populations of hot, massive stars at low metallicities. We find that strong, hard ionizing continua are required to reproduce our observed line ratios, suggesting that faint galaxies are efficient producers of ionizing photons and important analogs of reionization-era galaxies. Furthermore, we investigate the physical trends accompanying Ly α emission across the largest current sample of combined Ly α and rest-optical galaxy spectroscopy, including both the 60 KBSS-Ly α LAEs and 368 more luminous galaxies at similar redshifts. We find that the net Ly α emissivity (parameterized by the Ly α equivalent width) is strongly correlated with nebular excitation and ionization properties and weakly correlated with dust attenuation, suggesting that metallicity plays a strong role in determining the observed properties of these galaxies by modulating their stellar spectra, nebular excitation, and dust content.« less

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.

The Optical Green Valley Versus Mid-infrared Canyon in Compact Groups

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Lisa May; Butterfield, Natalie; Johnson, Kelsey; Zucker, Catherine; Gallagher, Sarah; Konstantopoulos, Iraklis; Zabludoff, Ann; Hornschemeier, Ann E.; Tzanavaris, Panayiotis; Charlton, Jane C.

2013-01-01

Compact groups of galaxies provide conditions similar to those experienced by galaxies in the earlier universe. Recent work on compact groups has led to the discovery of a dearth of mid-infrared transition galaxies (MIRTGs) in Infrared Array Camera (3.6-8.0 micrometers) color space as well as at intermediate specific star formation rates. However, we find that in compact groups these MIRTGs have already transitioned to the optical ([g-r]) red sequence. We investigate the optical color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of 99 compact groups containing 348 galaxies and compare the optical CMD with mid-infrared (mid-IR) color space for compact group galaxies. Utilizing redshifts available from Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we identified new galaxy members for four groups. By combining optical and mid-IR data, we obtain information on both the dust and the stellar populations in compact group galaxies. We also compare with more isolated galaxies and galaxies in the Coma Cluster, which reveals that, similar to clusters, compact groups are dominated by optically red galaxies. While we find that compact group transition galaxies lie on the optical red sequence, LVL (Local Volume Legacy) + (plus) SINGS (Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey) mid-IR (infrared) transition galaxies span the range of optical colors. The dearth of mid-IR transition galaxies in compact groups may be due to a lack of moderately star-forming low mass galaxies; the relative lack of these galaxies could be due to their relatively small gravitational potential wells. This makes them more susceptible to this dynamic environment, thus causing them to more easily lose gas or be accreted by larger members.

NEUTRAL HYDROGEN OPTICAL DEPTH NEAR STAR-FORMING GALAXIES AT z Almost-Equal-To 2.4 IN THE KECK BARYONIC STRUCTURE SURVEY

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

Rakic, Olivera; Schaye, Joop; Steidel, Charles C.

We study the interface between galaxies and the intergalactic medium by measuring the absorption by neutral hydrogen in the vicinity of star-forming galaxies at z Almost-Equal-To 2.4. Our sample consists of 679 rest-frame UV-selected galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts that have impact parameters <2 (proper) Mpc to the line of sight of one of the 15 bright, background QSOs and that fall within the redshift range of its Ly{alpha} forest. We present the first two-dimensional maps of the absorption around galaxies, plotting the median Ly{alpha} pixel optical depth as a function of transverse and line-of-sight separation from galaxies. The Ly{alpha} opticalmore » depths are measured using an automatic algorithm that takes advantage of all available Lyman series lines. The median optical depth, and hence the median density of atomic hydrogen, drops by more than an order of magnitude around 100 kpc, which is similar to the virial radius of the halos thought to host the galaxies. The median remains enhanced, at the >3{sigma} level, out to at least 2.8 Mpc (i.e., >9 comoving Mpc), but the scatter at a given distance is large compared with the median excess optical depth, suggesting that the gas is clumpy. Within 100 (200) kpc, and over {+-}165 km s{sup -1}, the covering fraction of gas with Ly{alpha} optical depth greater than unity is 100{sup +0}{sub -32}% (66% {+-} 16%). Absorbers with {tau}{sub Ly{alpha}} > 0.1 are typically closer to galaxies than random. The mean galaxy overdensity around absorbers increases with the optical depth and also as the length scale over which the galaxy overdensity is evaluated is decreased. Absorbers with {tau}{sub Ly{alpha}} {approx} 1 reside in regions where the galaxy number density is close to the cosmic mean on scales {>=}0.25 Mpc. We clearly detect two types of redshift space anisotropies. On scales <200 km s{sup -1}, or <1 Mpc, the absorption is stronger along the line of sight than in the transverse direction. This 'finger of God' effect may be due to redshift errors, but is probably dominated by gas motions within or very close to the halos. On the other hand, on scales of 1.4-2.0 Mpc the absorption is compressed along the line of sight (with >3{sigma} significance), an effect that we attribute to large-scale infall (i.e., the Kaiser effect).« less

Spatially offset AGN candidates in the CLASS survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skipper, Chris J.; Browne, Ian W. A.

2018-04-01

Prompted by a recent claim by Barrows et al. that X-ray active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are often found significantly offset from the centres of their host galaxies, we have looked for examples of compact radio sources that are offset from the optical centroids of nearby (z < 0.2) galaxies. We have selected a sample of 345 galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) galaxy catalogue, which have nearby compact radio sources listed in the Cosmic-Lens All Sky Survey (CLASS) catalogue. We find only three matches (˜0.87 per cent of the sample) with offsets greater than 600 milliarcsec (mas), which is considerably fewer than we would have expected from the Barrows et al. X-ray survey. We fit our histogram of offsets with a Rayleigh distribution with σ = 60.5 mas, but find that there is an excess of objects with separations greater than ˜150 mas. Assuming that this excess represents AGNs with real offsets, we place an upper limit of ˜17 per cent on the fraction of offset AGNs in our radio-selected sample. We select 38 objects with offsets greater than 150 mas, and find they have some diverse properties: Some are well known, such as Mrk 273 and Arp 220, some have dust lanes, which may have affected the optical astrometry, and a few are strong new candidates for offset AGNs.

Luminosity and Stellar Mass Functions from the 6dF Galaxy Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colless, M.; Jones, D. H.; Peterson, B. A.; Campbell, L.; Saunders, W.; Lah, P.

2007-12-01

The completed 6dF Galaxy Survey includes redshifts for over 124,000 galaxies. We present luminosity functions in optical and near-infrared passbands that span a range of 10^4 in luminosity. These luminosity functions show systematic deviations from the Schechter form. The corresponding luminosity densities in the optical and near-infrared are consistent with an old stellar population and a moderately declining star formation rate. Stellar mass functions, derived from the K band luminosities and simple stellar population models selected by b_J-r_F colour, lead to an estimate of the present-day stellar mass density of ρ_* = (5.00 ± 0.11) × 10^8 h M_⊙ Mpc^{-3}, corresponding to Ω_* h = (1.80 ± 0.04) × 10^{-3}.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-02-01

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

Neutral Hydrogen Optical Depth near Star-forming Galaxies at z ≈ 2.4 in the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakic, Olivera; Schaye, Joop; Steidel, Charles C.; Rudie, Gwen C.

2012-06-01

We study the interface between galaxies and the intergalactic medium by measuring the absorption by neutral hydrogen in the vicinity of star-forming galaxies at z ≈ 2.4. Our sample consists of 679 rest-frame UV-selected galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts that have impact parameters <2 (proper) Mpc to the line of sight of one of the 15 bright, background QSOs and that fall within the redshift range of its Lyα forest. We present the first two-dimensional maps of the absorption around galaxies, plotting the median Lyα pixel optical depth as a function of transverse and line-of-sight separation from galaxies. The Lyα optical depths are measured using an automatic algorithm that takes advantage of all available Lyman series lines. The median optical depth, and hence the median density of atomic hydrogen, drops by more than an order of magnitude around 100 kpc, which is similar to the virial radius of the halos thought to host the galaxies. The median remains enhanced, at the >3σ level, out to at least 2.8 Mpc (i.e., >9 comoving Mpc), but the scatter at a given distance is large compared with the median excess optical depth, suggesting that the gas is clumpy. Within 100 (200) kpc, and over ±165 km s-1, the covering fraction of gas with Lyα optical depth greater than unity is 100+0 - 32% (66% ± 16%). Absorbers with τLyα > 0.1 are typically closer to galaxies than random. The mean galaxy overdensity around absorbers increases with the optical depth and also as the length scale over which the galaxy overdensity is evaluated is decreased. Absorbers with τLyα ~ 1 reside in regions where the galaxy number density is close to the cosmic mean on scales >=0.25 Mpc. We clearly detect two types of redshift space anisotropies. On scales <200 km s-1, or <1 Mpc, the absorption is stronger along the line of sight than in the transverse direction. This "finger of God" effect may be due to redshift errors, but is probably dominated by gas motions within or very close to the halos. On the other hand, on scales of 1.4-2.0 Mpc the absorption is compressed along the line of sight (with >3σ significance), an effect that we attribute to large-scale infall (i.e., the Kaiser effect). 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.

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

Tracing the Mass-Dependent Star Formation History of Late-Type Galaxies using X-ray Emission: Results from the CHANDRA Deep Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lehmer, B.D; Brandt, W.N.; Schneider, D.P.; Steffen, A.T.; Alexander, D.M.; Bell, E.F.; Hornschemeier, A.E.; McIntosh, D.H.; Bauer, F.E.; Gilli, R.;

Discovery of a dual active galactic nucleus with ˜8 kpc separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellison, Sara L.; Secrest, Nathan J.; Mendel, J. Trevor; Satyapal, Shobita; Simard, Luc

2017-09-01

Targeted searches for dual active galactic nuclei (AGNs), with separations 1-10 kpc, have yielded relatively few successes. A recent pilot survey by Satyapal et al. has demonstrated that mid-infrared (mid-IR) pre-selection has the potential to significantly improve the success rate for dual AGN confirmation in late stage galaxy mergers. In this Letter, we combine mid-IR selection with spatially resolved optical AGN diagnostics from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory survey to identify a candidate dual AGN in the late stage major galaxy merger SDSS J140737.17+442856.2 at z = 0.143. The nature of the dual AGN is confirmed with Chandra X-ray observations that identify two hard X-ray point sources with intrinsic (corrected for absorption) 2-10 keV luminosities of 4 × 1041 and 3.5 × 1043 erg s-1 separated by 8.3 kpc. The neutral hydrogen absorption (˜1022 cm-2) towards the two AGNs is lower than in duals selected solely on their mid-IR colours, indicating that strategies that combine optical and mid-IR diagnostics may complement techniques that identify the highly obscured dual phase, such as at high X-ray energies or mid-IR only.

A DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF THE BARYONIC MASS FUNCTION OF GALAXIES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE GALACTIC BARYON FRACTION

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

Papastergis, Emmanouil; Huang, Shan; Giovanelli, Riccardo

We use both an H I-selected and an optically selected galaxy sample to directly measure the abundance of galaxies as a function of their 'baryonic' mass (stars + atomic gas). Stellar masses are calculated based on optical data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and atomic gas masses are calculated using atomic hydrogen (H I) emission line data from the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA survey. By using the technique of abundance matching, we combine the measured baryonic function of galaxies with the dark matter halo mass function in a {Lambda}CDM universe, in order to determine the galactic baryon fraction asmore » a function of host halo mass. We find that the baryon fraction of low-mass halos is much smaller than the cosmic value, even when atomic gas is taken into account. We find that the galactic baryon deficit increases monotonically with decreasing halo mass, in contrast with previous studies which suggested an approximately constant baryon fraction at the low-mass end. We argue that the observed baryon fractions of low-mass halos cannot be explained by reionization heating alone, and that additional feedback mechanisms (e.g., supernova blowout) must be invoked. However, the outflow rates needed to reproduce our result are not easily accommodated in the standard picture of galaxy formation in a {Lambda}CDM universe.« less

Optical Substructure and BCG Offsets of Sunyaev-Zel'dovich and X-ray Selected Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopes, Paulo AA; Trevisan, M.; Laganá, T. F.; Durret, F.; Ribeiro, A. LB; Rembold, S. B.

2018-05-01

We used optical imaging and spectroscopic data to derive substructure estimates for local Universe (z < 0.11) galaxy clusters from two different samples. The first was selected through the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect by the Planck satellite and the second is an X-ray selected sample. In agreement to X-ray substructure estimates we found that the SZ systems have a larger fraction of substructure than the X-ray clusters. We have also found evidence that the higher mass regime of the SZ clusters, compared to the X-ray sample, explains the larger fraction of disturbed objects in the Planck data. Although we detect a redshift evolution in the substructure fraction, it is not sufficient to explain the different results between the higher-z SZ sample and the X-ray one. We have also verified a good agreement (˜60%) between the optical and X-ray substructure estimates. However, the best level of agreement is given by the substructure classification given by measures based on the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG), either the BCG-X-ray centroid offset, or the magnitude gap between the first and second BCGs. We advocate the use of those two parameters as the most reliable and cheap way to assess cluster dynamical state. We recommend an offset cut of ˜0.01 ×R500 to separate relaxed and disturbed clusters. Regarding the magnitude gap the separation can be done at Δm12 = 1.0. The central galaxy paradigm (CGP) may not be valid for ˜20% of relaxed massive clusters. This fraction increases to ˜60% for disturbed systems.

Panchromatic properties of 99000 galaxies detected by SDSS, and (some by) ROSAT, GALEX, 2MASS, IRAS, GB6, FIRST, NVSS and WENSS surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obrić, M.; Ivezić, Ž.; Best, P. N.; Lupton, R. H.; Tremonti, C.; Brinchmann, J.; Agüeros, M. A.; Knapp, G. R.; Gunn, J. E.; Rockosi, C. M.; Schlegel, D.; Finkbeiner, D.; Gaćeša, M.; Smolčić, V.; Anderson, S. F.; Voges, W.; Jurić, M.; Siverd, R. J.; Steinhardt, W.; Jagoda, A. S.; Blanton, M. R.; Schneider, D. P.

2006-08-01

We discuss the panchromatic properties of 99088 galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 1 `main' spectroscopic sample (a flux-limited sample for 1360deg2). These galaxies are positionally matched to sources detected by ROSAT, Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS), Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), Green Bank GB6 survey (GB6), Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-centimetres (FIRST), NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) and Westerbork Northern Sky Survey (WENSS). The matching fraction varies from <1 per cent for ROSAT and GB6 to ~40 per cent for GALEX and 2MASS. In addition to its size, the advantages of this sample are well-controlled selection effects, faint flux limits and the wealth of measured parameters, including accurate X-ray to radio photometry, angular sizes and optical spectra. We find strong correlations between the detection fraction at other wavelengths and optical properties such as flux, colours and emission-line strengths. For example, ~2/3 of SDSS `main' galaxies classified as active galactic nucleus (AGN) using emission-line strengths are detected by 2MASS, while the corresponding fraction for star-forming galaxies (SFs) is only ~1/10. Similarly, over 90 per cent of galaxies detected by IRAS display strong emission lines in their optical spectra, compared to ~50 per cent for the whole SDSS sample. Using GALEX, SDSS and 2MASS data, we construct the ultraviolet-infrared (UV-IR) broad-band spectral energy distributions for various types of galaxies, and find that they form a nearly one-parameter family. For example, the SDSS u- and r-band data, supplemented with redshift, can be used to `predict' K-band magnitudes measured by 2MASS with an rms scatter of only 0.2mag. When a dust content estimate determined from SDSS spectra with the aid of models is also utilized, this scatter decreases to 0.1mag and can be fully accounted for by measurement uncertainties. We demonstrate that this interstellar dust content, inferred from optical SDSS spectra by Kauffmann et al., is indeed higher for galaxies detected by IRAS and that it can be used to `predict' measured IRAS 60μm flux density within a factor of 2 using only SDSS data. We also show that the position of a galaxy in the emission-line-based Baldwin-Phillips-Terlevich diagram is correlated with the optical light concentration index and u - r colour determined from the SDSS broad-band imaging data, and discuss changes in the morphology of this diagram induced by requiring detections at other wavelengths. Notably, we find that SDSS `main' galaxies detected by GALEX include a non-negligible fraction (10-30 per cent) of AGNs, and hence do not represent a clean sample of starburst galaxies. We study the IR-radio correlation and find evidence that its slope may be different for AGN and SFs and related to the Hα/Hβ line-strength ratio.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

1999-07-01

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

HI-bearing Ultra Diffuse Galaxies in the ALFALFA Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leisman, Lukas; Janowiecki, Steven; Jones, Michael G.; ALFALFA Almost Darks Team

2018-01-01

The Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (Arecibo L-band Feed Array) extragalactic HI survey, with over 30,000 high significance extragalactic sources, is well positioned to locate gas-bearing, low surface brightness sources missed by optical detection algorithms. We investigate the nature of a population of HI-bearing sources in ALFALFA with properties similar to "ultra-diffuse" galaxies (UDGs): galaxies with stellar masses of dwarf galaxies, but radii of L* galaxies. These "HI-bearing ultra-diffuse" sources (HUDS) constitute a small, but pertinent, fraction of the dwarf-mass galaxies in ALFALFA. They are bluer and have more irregular morphologies than the optically-selected UDGs found in clusters, and they appear to be gas-rich for their stellar mass, indicating low star formation efficiency. To illuminate potential explanations for the extreme properties of these sources we explore their environments and estimate their halo properties. We conclude that environmental mechanism are unlikely the cause of HUDS' properties, as they exist in environments equivalent to that of the other ALFALFA sources of similar HI-masses, however, we do find some suggestion that these HUDS may reside in high spin parameter halos, a potential explanation for their "ultra-diffuse" nature.

A high-significance measurement of correlation between unresolved IRAS sources and optically-selected galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hincks, Adam D.; Hajian, Amir; Addison, Graeme E.

2013-05-01

We cross-correlate the 100 μm Improved Reprocessing of the IRAS Survey (IRIS) map and galaxy clusters at 0.1 < z < 0.3 in the maxBCG catalogue taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, measuring an angular cross-power spectrum over multipole moments 150 < l < 3000 at a total significance of over 40σ. The cross-spectrum, which arises from the spatial correlation between unresolved dusty galaxies that make up the cosmic infrared background (CIB) in the IRIS map and the galaxy clusters, is well-fit by a single power law with an index of -1.28±0.12, similar to the clustering of unresolved galaxies from cross-correlating far-infrared and submillimetre maps at longer wavelengths. Using a recent, phenomenological model for the spectral and clustering properties of the IRIS galaxies, we constrain the large-scale bias of the maxBCG clusters to be 2.6±1.4, consistent with existing analyses of the real-space cluster correlation function. The success of our method suggests that future CIB-optical cross-correlations using Planck and Herschel data will significantly improve our understanding of the clustering and redshift distribution of the faint CIB sources.

Interstellar matter in Shapley-Ames elliptical galaxies. IV. A diffusely distributed component of dust and its effect on colour gradients.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goudfrooij, P.; de Jong, T.

1995-06-01

We have investigated IRAS far-infrared observations of a complete, blue magnitude limited sample of 56 elliptical galaxies selected from the Revised Shapley-Ames Catalog. Data from a homogeneous optical CCD imaging survey as well as published X-ray data from the EINSTEIN satellite are used to constrain the infrared data. Dust masses as determined from the IRAS flux densities are found to be roughly an order of magnitude higher than those determined from optical extinction values of dust lanes and patches, in strong contrast with the situation in spiral galaxies. This "mass discrepancy" is found to be independent of the (apparent) inclination of the dust lanes. To resolve this dilemma we postulate that the majority of the dust in elliptical galaxies exists as a diffusely distributed component of dust which is undetectable at optical wavelengths. Using observed radial optical surface brightness profiles, we have systematically investigated possible heating mechanisms for the dust within elliptical galaxies. We find that heating of the dust in elliptical galaxies by the interstellar radiation field is generally sufficient to account for the dust temperatures as indicated by the IRAS flux densities. Collisions of dust grains with hot electrons in elliptical galaxies which are embedded in a hot, X-ray-emitting gas is found to be another effective heating mechanism for the dust. Employing model calculations which involve the transfer of stellar radiation in a spherical distribution of stars mixed with a diffuse distribution of dust, we show that the observed infrared luminosities imply total dust optical depths of the postulated diffusely distributed dust component in the range 0.1<~τ_V_<~0.7 and radial colour gradients 0.03<~{DELTA}(B-I)/{DELTA}log r<~0.25. The observed IRAS flux densities can be reproduced within the 1σ uncertainties in virtually all ellipticals in this sample by this newly postulated dust component, diffusely distributed over the inner few kpc of the galaxies, and heated by optical photons and/or hot electrons. The radial colour gradients implied by the diffuse dust component are found to be smaller than or equal to the observed colour gradients. Thus, we argue that the effect of dust extinction should be taken seriously in the interpretation of colour gradients in elliptical galaxies. We show that the amount of dust observed in luminous elliptical galaxies is generally higher than that expected from production by mass loss of stars within elliptical galaxies and destruction by sputtering in hot gas. This suggests that most of the dust in elliptical galaxies generally has an external origin.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: NIR spectral analysis of star-forming galaxies (Genzel+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genzel, R.; Forster Schreiber, N. M.; Rosario, D.; Lang, P.; Lutz, D.; Wisnioski, E.; Wuyts, E.; Wuyts, S.; Bandara, K.; Bender, R.; Berta, S.; Kurk, J.; Mendel, J. T.; Tacconi, L. J.; Wilman, D.; Beifiori, A.; Brammer, G.; Burkert, A.; Buschkamp, P.; Chan, J.; Carollo, C. M.; Davies, R.; Eisenhauer, F.; Fabricius, M.; Fossati, M.; Kriek, M.; Kulkarni, S.; Lilly, S. J.; Mancini, C.; Momcheva, I.; Naab, T.; Nelson, E. J.; Renzini, A.; Saglia, R.; Sharples, R. M.; Sternberg, A.; Tacchella, S.; van Dokkum, P.

2017-02-01

For the analysis in this paper, we included a total of 110 SFGs at z~1-3 with near-IR integral field or slit spectroscopy covering the Hα+[NII] line emission from surveys carried out with SINFONI, KMOS, LUCI, and GNIRS. The targets for these surveys were originally drawn from rest-frame optical, UV, and near-IR selected samples in broadband imaging surveys with optical spectroscopic redshifts, and from stellar mass-selected samples with near-IR or optical spectroscopic redshifts. (2 data files).

NUCLEAR ACTIVITY IS MORE PREVALENT IN STAR-FORMING GALAXIES

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

Rosario, D. J.; Lutz, D.; Berta, S.

2013-07-01

We explore the question of whether low and moderate luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are preferentially found in galaxies that are undergoing a transition from active star formation (SF) to quiescence. This notion has been suggested by studies of the UV-optical colors of AGN hosts, which find them to be common among galaxies in the so-called Green Valley, a region of galaxy color space believed to be composed mostly of galaxies undergoing SF quenching. Combining the deepest current X-ray and Herschel/PACS far-infrared (FIR) observations of the two Chandra Deep Fields with redshifts, stellar masses, and rest-frame photometry derived from themore » extensive and uniform multi-wavelength data in these fields, we compare the rest-frame U - V color distributions and star formation rate distributions of AGNs and carefully constructed samples of inactive control galaxies. The UV-to-optical colors of AGNs are consistent with equally massive inactive galaxies at redshifts out to z {approx} 2, but we show that such colors are poor tracers of SF. While the FIR distributions of both star-forming AGNs and star-forming inactive galaxies are statistically similar, we show that AGNs are preferentially found in star-forming host galaxies, or, in other words, AGNs are less likely to be found in weakly star-forming or quenched galaxies. We postulate that, among X-ray-selected AGNs of low and moderate accretion luminosities, the supply of cold gas primarily determines the accretion rate distribution of the nuclear black holes.« less

EVOLUTION IN THE H I GAS CONTENT OF GALAXY GROUPS: PRE-PROCESSING AND MASS ASSEMBLY IN THE CURRENT EPOCH

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

Hess, Kelley M.; Wilcots, Eric M., E-mail: hess@ast.uct.ac.za, E-mail: ewilcots@astro.wisc.edu

We present an analysis of the neutral hydrogen (H I) content and distribution of galaxies in groups as a function of their parent dark matter halo mass. The Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA survey α.40 data release allows us, for the first time, to study the H I properties of over 740 galaxy groups in the volume of sky common to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and ALFALFA surveys. We assigned ALFALFA H I detections a group membership based on an existing magnitude/volume-limited SDSS Data Release 7 group/cluster catalog. Additionally, we assigned group ''proximity' membership to H I detected objectsmore » whose optical counterpart falls below the limiting optical magnitude—thereby not contributing substantially to the estimate of the group stellar mass, but significantly to the total group H I mass. We find that only 25% of the H I detected galaxies reside in groups or clusters, in contrast to approximately half of all optically detected galaxies. Further, we plot the relative positions of optical and H I detections in groups as a function of parent dark matter halo mass to reveal strong evidence that H I is being processed in galaxies as a result of the group environment: as optical membership increases, groups become increasingly deficient of H I rich galaxies at their center and the H I distribution of galaxies in the most massive groups starts to resemble the distribution observed in comparatively more extreme cluster environments. We find that the lowest H I mass objects lose their gas first as they are processed in the group environment, and it is evident that the infall of gas rich objects is important to the continuing growth of large scale structure at the present epoch, replenishing the neutral gas supply of groups. Finally, we compare our results to those of cosmological simulations and find that current models cannot simultaneously predict the H I selected halo occupation distribution for both low and high mass halos.« less

Constraints on submicrojansky radio number counts based on evolving VLA-COSMOS luminosity functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novak, M.; Smolčić, V.; Schinnerer, E.; Zamorani, G.; Delvecchio, I.; Bondi, M.; Delhaize, J.

2018-06-01

We present an investigation of radio luminosity functions (LFs) and number counts based on the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array-COSMOS 3 GHz Large Project. The radio-selected sample of 7826 galaxies with robust optical/near-infrared counterparts with excellent photometric coverage allows us to construct the total radio LF since z 5.7. Using the Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm, we fit the redshift dependent pure luminosity evolution model to the data and compare it with previously published VLA-COSMOS LFs obtained on individual populations of radio-selected star-forming galaxies and galaxies hosting active galactic nuclei classified on the basis of presence or absence of a radio excess with respect to the star-formation rates derived from the infrared emission. We find they are in excellent agreement, thus showing the reliability of the radio excess method in selecting these two galaxy populations at radio wavelengths. We study radio number counts down to submicrojansky levels drawn from different models of evolving LFs. We show that our evolving LFs are able to reproduce the observed radio sky brightness, even though we rely on extrapolations toward the faint end. Our results also imply that no new radio-emitting galaxy population is present below 1 μJy. Our work suggests that selecting galaxies with radio flux densities between 0.1 and 10 μJy will yield a star-forming galaxy in 90-95% of the cases with a high percentage of these galaxies existing around a redshift of z 2, thus providing useful constraints for planned surveys with the Square Kilometer Array and its precursors.

The VANDELS ESO public spectroscopic survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLure, R. J.; Pentericci, L.; Cimatti, A.; Dunlop, J. S.; Elbaz, D.; Fontana, A.; Nandra, K.; Amorin, R.; Bolzonella, M.; Bongiorno, A.; Carnall, A. C.; Castellano, M.; Cirasuolo, M.; Cucciati, O.; Cullen, F.; De Barros, S.; Finkelstein, S. L.; Fontanot, F.; Franzetti, P.; Fumana, M.; Gargiulo, A.; Garilli, B.; Guaita, L.; Hartley, W. G.; Iovino, A.; Jarvis, M. J.; Juneau, S.; Karman, W.; Maccagni, D.; Marchi, F.; Mármol-Queraltó, E.; Pompei, E.; Pozzetti, L.; Scodeggio, M.; Sommariva, V.; Talia, M.; Almaini, O.; Balestra, I.; Bardelli, S.; Bell, E. F.; Bourne, N.; Bowler, R. A. A.; Brusa, M.; Buitrago, F.; Caputi, K. I.; Cassata, P.; Charlot, S.; Citro, A.; Cresci, G.; Cristiani, S.; Curtis-Lake, E.; Dickinson, M.; Fazio, G. G.; Ferguson, H. C.; Fiore, F.; Franco, M.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Galametz, A.; Georgakakis, A.; Giavalisco, M.; Grazian, A.; Hathi, N. P.; Jung, I.; Kim, S.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Khusanova, Y.; Fèvre, O. Le; Lotz, J. M.; Mannucci, F.; Maltby, D. T.; Matsuoka, K.; McLeod, D. J.; Mendez-Hernandez, H.; Mendez-Abreu, J.; Mignoli, M.; Moresco, M.; Mortlock, A.; Nonino, M.; Pannella, M.; Papovich, C.; Popesso, P.; Rosario, D. P.; Salvato, M.; Santini, P.; Schaerer, D.; Schreiber, C.; Stark, D. P.; Tasca, L. A. M.; Thomas, R.; Treu, T.; Vanzella, E.; Wild, V.; Williams, C. C.; Zamorani, G.; Zucca, E.

2018-05-01

VANDELS is a uniquely-deep spectroscopic survey of high-redshift galaxies with the VIMOS spectrograph on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT). The survey has obtained ultra-deep optical (0.48 < λ < 1.0 μm) spectroscopy of ≃2100 galaxies within the redshift interval 1.0 ≤ z ≤ 7.0, over a total area of ≃ 0.2 deg2 centred on the CANDELS UDS and CDFS fields. Based on accurate photometric redshift pre-selection, 85% of the galaxies targeted by VANDELS were selected to be at z ≥ 3. Exploiting the red sensitivity of the refurbished VIMOS spectrograph, the fundamental aim of the survey is to provide the high signal-to-noise ratio spectra necessary to measure key physical properties such as stellar population ages, masses, metallicities and outflow velocities from detailed absorption-line studies. Using integration times calculated to produce an approximately constant signal-to-noise ratio (20 < tint < 80 hours), the VANDELS survey targeted: a) bright star-forming galaxies at 2.4 ≤ z ≤ 5.5, b) massive quiescent galaxies at 1.0 ≤ z ≤ 2.5, c) fainter star-forming galaxies at 3.0 ≤ z ≤ 7.0 and d) X-ray/Spitzer-selected active galactic nuclei and Herschel-detected galaxies. By targeting two extragalactic survey fields with superb multi-wavelength imaging data, VANDELS will produce a unique legacy data set for exploring the physics underpinning high-redshift galaxy evolution. In this paper we provide an overview of the VANDELS survey designed to support the science exploitation of the first ESO public data release, focusing on the scientific motivation, survey design and target selection.

The host dark matter haloes of [O II] emitters at 0.5 < z < 1.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Perez, V.; Comparat, J.; Norberg, P.; Baugh, C. M.; Contreras, S.; Lacey, C.; McCullagh, N.; Orsi, A.; Helly, J.; Humphries, J.

2018-03-01

Emission line galaxies (ELGs) are used in several ongoing and upcoming surveys (SDSS-IV/eBOSS, DESI) as tracers of the dark matter distribution. Using a new galaxy formation model, we explore the characteristics of [O II] emitters, which dominate optical ELG selections at z ≃ 1. Model [O II] emitters at 0.5 < z < 1.5 are selected to mimic the DEEP2, VVDS, eBOSS and DESI surveys. The luminosity functions of model [O II] emitters are in reasonable agreement with observations. The selected [O II] emitters are hosted by haloes with Mhalo ≥ 1010.3h-1M⊙, with ˜90 per cent of them being central star-forming galaxies. The predicted mean halo occupation distributions of [O II] emitters have a shape typical of that inferred for star-forming galaxies, with the contribution from central galaxies, < N > _{[O II] cen}, being far from the canonical step function. The < N > _{[O II] cen}} can be described as the sum of an asymmetric Gaussian for discs and a step function for spheroids, which plateau below unity. The model [O II] emitters have a clustering bias close to unity, which is below the expectations for eBOSS and DESI ELGs. At z ˜ 1, a comparison with observed g-band-selected galaxy, which is expected to be dominated by [O II] emitters, indicates that our model produces too few [O II] emitters that are satellite galaxies. This suggests the need to revise our modelling of hot gas stripping in satellite galaxies.

The VANDELS ESO spectroscopic survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLure, R. J.; Pentericci, L.; Cimatti, A.; Dunlop, J. S.; Elbaz, D.; Fontana, A.; Nandra, K.; Amorin, R.; Bolzonella, M.; Bongiorno, A.; Carnall, A. C.; Castellano, M.; Cirasuolo, M.; Cucciati, O.; Cullen, F.; De Barros, S.; Finkelstein, S. L.; Fontanot, F.; Franzetti, P.; Fumana, M.; Gargiulo, A.; Garilli, B.; Guaita, L.; Hartley, W. G.; Iovino, A.; Jarvis, M. J.; Juneau, S.; Karman, W.; Maccagni, D.; Marchi, F.; Mármol-Queraltó, E.; Pompei, E.; Pozzetti, L.; Scodeggio, M.; Sommariva, V.; Talia, M.; Almaini, O.; Balestra, I.; Bardelli, S.; Bell, E. F.; Bourne, N.; Bowler, R. A. A.; Brusa, M.; Buitrago, F.; Caputi, K. I.; Cassata, P.; Charlot, S.; Citro, A.; Cresci, G.; Cristiani, S.; Curtis-Lake, E.; Dickinson, M.; Fazio, G. G.; Ferguson, H. C.; Fiore, F.; Franco, M.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Galametz, A.; Georgakakis, A.; Giavalisco, M.; Grazian, A.; Hathi, N. P.; Jung, I.; Kim, S.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Khusanova, Y.; Le Fèvre, O.; Lotz, J. M.; Mannucci, F.; Maltby, D. T.; Matsuoka, K.; McLeod, D. J.; Mendez-Hernandez, H.; Mendez-Abreu, J.; Mignoli, M.; Moresco, M.; Mortlock, A.; Nonino, M.; Pannella, M.; Papovich, C.; Popesso, P.; Rosario, D. P.; Salvato, M.; Santini, P.; Schaerer, D.; Schreiber, C.; Stark, D. P.; Tasca, L. A. M.; Thomas, R.; Treu, T.; Vanzella, E.; Wild, V.; Williams, C. C.; Zamorani, G.; Zucca, E.

2018-05-01

VANDELS is a uniquely-deep spectroscopic survey of high-redshift galaxies with the VIMOS spectrograph on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT). The survey has obtained ultra-deep optical (0.48 < λ < 1.0 μm) spectroscopy of ≃2100 galaxies within the redshift interval 1.0 ≤ z ≤ 7.0, over a total area of ≃ 0.2 deg2 centred on the CANDELS UDS and CDFS fields. Based on accurate photometric redshift pre-selection, 85% of the galaxies targeted by VANDELS were selected to be at z ≥ 3. Exploiting the red sensitivity of the refurbished VIMOS spectrograph, the fundamental aim of the survey is to provide the high signal-to-noise ratio spectra necessary to measure key physical properties such as stellar population ages, masses, metallicities and outflow velocities from detailed absorption-line studies. Using integration times calculated to produce an approximately constant signal-to-noise ratio (20 < tint < 80 hours), the VANDELS survey targeted: a) bright star-forming galaxies at 2.4 ≤ z ≤ 5.5, b) massive quiescent galaxies at 1.0 ≤ z ≤ 2.5, c) fainter star-forming galaxies at 3.0 ≤ z ≤ 7.0 and d) X-ray/Spitzer-selected active galactic nuclei and Herschel-detected galaxies. By targeting two extragalactic survey fields with superb multi-wavelength imaging data, VANDELS will produce a unique legacy data set for exploring the physics underpinning high-redshift galaxy evolution. In this paper we provide an overview of the VANDELS survey designed to support the science exploitation of the first ESO public data release, focusing on the scientific motivation, survey design and target selection.

The B3-VLA CSS sample. VIII. New optical identifications from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey The ultraviolet-optical spectral energy distribution of the young radio sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fanti, C.; Fanti, R.; Zanichelli, A.; Dallacasa, D.; Stanghellini, C.

2011-04-01

Context. Compact steep-spectrum radio sources and giga-hertz peaked spectrum radio sources (CSS/GPS) are generally considered to be mostly young radio sources. In recent years we studied at many wavelengths a sample of these objects selected from the B3-VLA catalog: the B3-VLA CSS sample. Only ≈60% of the sources were optically identified. Aims: We aim to increase the number of optical identifications and study the properties of the host galaxies of young radio sources. Methods: We cross-correlated the CSS B3-VLA sample with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), DR7, and complemented the SDSS photometry with available GALEX (DR 4/5 and 6) and near-IR data from UKIRT and 2MASS. Results: We obtained new identifications and photometric redshifts for eight faint galaxies and for one quasar and two quasar candidates. Overall we have 27 galaxies with SDSS photometry in five bands, for which we derived the ultraviolet-optical spectral energy distribution (UV-O-SED). We extended our investigation to additional CSS/GPS selected from the literature. Most of the galaxies show an excess of ultra-violet (UV) radiation compared with the UV-O-SED of local radio-quiet ellipticals. We found a strong dependence of the UV excess on redshift and analyzed it assuming that it is generated either from the nucleus (hidden quasar) or from a young stellar population (YSP). We also compare the UV-O-SEDs of our CSS/GPS sources with those of a selection of large size (LSO) powerful radio sources from the literature. Conclusions: If the major process of the UV excess is caused by a YSP, our conclusion is that it is the result of the merger process that also triggered the onset of the radio source with some time delay. We do not see evidence for a major contribution from a YSP triggered by the radio sources itself. Appendices A-G are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

A New Method to Separate Star-forming from AGN Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift: The Submillijansky Radio Population in the VLA-COSMOS Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smolčić, V.; Schinnerer, E.; Scodeggio, M.; Franzetti, P.; Aussel, H.; Bondi, M.; Brusa, M.; Carilli, C. L.; Capak, P.; Charlot, S.; Ciliegi, P.; Ilbert, O.; Ivezić, Ž.; Jahnke, K.; McCracken, H. J.; Obrić, M.; Salvato, M.; Sanders, D. B.; Scoville, N.; Trump, J. R.; Tremonti, C.; Tasca, L.; Walcher, C. J.; Zamorani, G.

2008-07-01

We explore the properties of the submillijansky radio population at 20 cm by applying a newly developed optical color-based method to separate star-forming (SF) from active galactic nucleus (AGN) galaxies at intermediate redshifts (zlesssim 1.3). Although optical rest-frame colors are used, our separation method is shown to be efficient and not biased against dusty starburst galaxies. This classification method has been calibrated and tested on a local radio-selected optical sample. Given accurate multiband photometry and redshifts, it carries the potential to be generally applicable to any galaxy sample where SF and AGN galaxies are the two dominant populations. In order to quantify the properties of the submillijansky radio population, we have analyzed ~2,400 radio sources, detected at 20 cm in the VLA-COSMOS survey; 90% of these have submillijansky flux densities. We classify the objects into (1) star candidates, (2) quasi-stellar objects, (3) AGN, (4) SF, and (5) high-redshift (z > 1.3) galaxies. We find, for the composition of the submillijansky radio population, that SF galaxies are not the dominant population at submillijansky flux levels, as previously often assumed, but that they make up an approximately constant fraction of 30%-40% in the flux density range of ~50 μJy to 0.7 mJy. In summary, based on the entire VLA-COSMOS radio population at 20 cm, we find that the radio population at these flux densities is a mixture of roughly 30%-40% of SF and 50%-60% of AGN galaxies, with a minor contribution (~10%) of QSOs.

Multiwavelength search and studies of active galaxies and quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, Areg M.

2017-12-01

The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) has always been one of the centres for surveys and studies of active galaxies. Here we review our search and studies of active galaxies during last 30 years using various wavelength ranges, as well as some recent related works. These projects since late 1980s were focused on multiwavelength search and studies of AGN and Starbursts (SB). 1103 blue stellar objects (BSOs) on the basis of their UV-excess were selected using Markarian Survey (First Byurakan Survey, FBS) plates and Markarian's criteria used for the galaxies. Among many blue stars, QSOs and Seyfert galaxies were found by follow-up observations. 1577 IRAS point sources were optically identified using FBS low-dispersion spectra and many AGN, SB and high-luminosity IR galaxies (LIRG/ULIRG) were discovered. 32 extremely high IR/opt flux ratio galaxies were studies with Spitzer. 2791 ROSAT FSC sources were optically identified using Hamburg Quasar Survey (HQS) low-dispersion spectra and many AGN were discovered by follow-up observations. Fine analysis of emission line spectra was carried out using spectral line decomposition software to establish true profiles and calculate physical parameters for the emitting regions, as well as to study the spectral variability of these objects. X-ray and radio selection criteria were used to find new AGN and variable objects for further studies. We have estimated AGN content of X-ray sources as 52.9%. We have also combined IRAS PSC and FSC catalogs and compiled its extragalactic sample, which allowed us to estimate AGN content among IR sources as 23.7%. Multiwavelength approach allowed revealing many new AGN and SB and obtaining a number of interesting relations using their observational characteristics and physical properties.

Long-term decline of the mid-infrared emission of normal galaxies: dust echo of tidal disruption flare?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tinggui; Yan, Lin; Dou, Liming; Jiang, Ning; Sheng, Zhenfeng; Yang, Chenwei

2018-07-01

We report the discovery of a sample of 19 low-redshift (z < 0.22) spectroscopically non-Seyfert galaxies that show slow declining mid-infrared (MIR) light curves (LCs), similar to those of tidal disruption event (TDE) candidates with extreme coronal lines. Two sources also showed relatively fast-rising MIR LCs. They consist of a 61 per cent sample of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) MIR variable non-Seyfert galaxies with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra. In a comparison sample of optically selected Seyfert galaxies, the fraction of sources with such a LC is only 15 per cent. After rejecting five plausible obscured Seyfert galaxies with red MIR colours, the remaining 14 objects are studied in detail in this article. We fit the declining part of the LC with an exponential law and the decay time is typically one year. The observed peak MIR luminosities (νLν) after subtracting host galaxies are in the range of a few 1042-1044 erg s-1, with a median of 5 × 1043 erg s-1 in the W2 band. The black hole masses are distributed over a wide range, with more than half between 107 and 108 M⊙, but are significantly different from those of optical/UV selected TDEs. Furthermore, MIR luminosities are correlated with the black hole mass, stellar mass or luminosity of their host bulges. Most galaxies in the sample are red and luminous, with an absolute r magnitude between -20 and -23. We estimate the rate of event as about 10-4 galaxy-1 yr-1 among luminous red galaxies. We discuss several possibilities for variable infrared sources and conclude that most likely they are caused by short sporadic fuelling of supermassive black holes via either the instability of accretion flows or tidal disruption of stars.

The Host Galaxies Of UV-selected AGNs At z 2-3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hainline, Kevin; Shapley, A.; Greene, J.; Steidel, C.

2012-01-01

An important goal for studies of galaxy formation consists of tracing a direct evolutionary connection between the growth of supermassive black holes powering active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and the build-up of stellar mass in their host galaxies. In the local universe, AGNs are preferentially found in bulge-dominated galaxies, but the AGN demographics at earlier epochs are not as well understood. We present a rest-frame UV composite spectrum for a sample of 33 z 2-3 AGNs drawn from the UV-selected Lyman Break Galaxy (LBG) survey. This spectrum shows many emission and absorption features, such as HI Lyman-alpha, NV 1240, NIV] 1483, 1486, CIV 1548, 1550, HeII 1640, and CIII] 1907, 1909. Redshifted SiIV 1394 absorption provides evidence for outflowing high-ionization gas in these objects at speeds of 103 km/s. Finally, using optical, near-IR, and mid-IR photometry, which cover the rest-frame UV to near-IR portions of the galaxies' spectral energy distributions, we perform stellar population synthesis modeling of the sample. Based on these results, we explore the relationship in the host galaxy between AGN activity, maturity of the stellar population, and regulation of star formation.

The identification of post-starburst galaxies at z ˜ 1 using multiwavelength photometry: a spectroscopic verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maltby, David T.; Almaini, Omar; Wild, Vivienne; Hatch, Nina A.; Hartley, William G.; Simpson, Chris; McLure, Ross J.; Dunlop, James; Rowlands, Kate; Cirasuolo, Michele

2016-06-01

Despite decades of study, we still do not fully understand why some massive galaxies abruptly switch off their star formation in the early Universe, and what causes their rapid transition to the red sequence. Post-starburst galaxies provide a rare opportunity to study this transition phase, but few have currently been spectroscopically identified at high redshift (z > 1). In this paper, we present the spectroscopic verification of a new photometric technique to identify post-starbursts in high-redshift surveys. The method classifies the broad-band optical-near-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of galaxies using three spectral shape parameters (supercolours), derived from a principal component analysis of model SEDs. When applied to the multiwavelength photometric data in the UKIDSS Ultra Deep Survey, this technique identified over 900 candidate post-starbursts at redshifts 0.5 < z < 2.0. In this study, we present deep optical spectroscopy for a subset of these galaxies, in order to confirm their post-starburst nature. Where a spectroscopic assessment was possible, we find the majority (19/24 galaxies; ˜80 per cent) exhibit the strong Balmer absorption (H δ equivalent width Wλ > 5 Å) and Balmer break, characteristic of post-starburst galaxies. We conclude that photometric methods can be used to select large samples of recently-quenched galaxies in the distant Universe.

The Morphology of Passively Evolving Galaxies at Z-2 from HST/WFC3 in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cassata, P.; Giavalisco, M.; Guo, Yicheng; Ferguson, H.; Koekemoer, A.; Renzini, A.; Fontana, A.; Salimbeni, S.; Dickinson, M.; Casertano, S.;

Spectral Energy Distribution Fitting of Hetdex Pilot Survey Ly-alpha Emitters in Cosmos and Goods-N

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hagen, Alex; Ciardullo, Robin; Cronwall, Caryl; Acquaviva, Viviana; Bridge, Joanna; Zeimann, Gregory R.; Blanc, Guillermo; Bond, Nicholas; Finkelstein, Steven L.; Song, Mimi;

Galaxy and mass assembly (GAMA): the consistency of GAMA and WISE derived mass-to-light ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kettlety, T.; Hesling, J.; Phillipps, S.; Bremer, M. N.; Cluver, M. E.; Taylor, E. N.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Brough, S.; De Propris, R.; Driver, S. P.; Holwerda, B. W.; Kelvin, L. S.; Sutherland, W.; Wright, A. H.

2018-01-01

Recent work has suggested that mid-IR wavelengths are optimal for estimating the mass-to-light ratios of stellar populations and hence the stellar masses of galaxies. We compare stellar masses deduced from spectral energy distribution (SED) models, fitted to multiwavelength optical-NIR photometry, to luminosities derived from WISE photometry in the W1 and W2 bands at 3.6 and 4.5 μm for non-star forming galaxies. The SED-derived masses for a carefully selected sample of low-redshift (z ≤ 0.15) passive galaxies agree with the prediction from stellar population synthesis models such that M*/LW1 ≃ 0.6 for all such galaxies, independent of other stellar population parameters. The small scatter between masses predicted from the optical SED and from the WISE measurements implies that random errors (as opposed to systematic ones such as the use of different initial mass functions) are smaller than previous, deliberately conservative, estimates for the SED fits. This test is subtly different from simultaneously fitting at a wide range of optical and mid-IR wavelengths, which may just generate a compromised fit: we are directly checking that the best-fitting model to the optical data generates an SED whose M*/LW1 is also consistent with separate mid-IR data. We confirm that for passive low-redshift galaxies a fixed M*/LW1 = 0.65 can generate masses at least as accurate as those obtained from more complex methods. Going beyond the mean value, in agreement with expectations from the models, we see a modest change in M*/LW1 with SED fitted stellar population age but an insignificant one with metallicity.

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

Galaxy Zoo: morphological classifications for 120 000 galaxies in HST legacy imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willett, Kyle W.; Galloway, Melanie A.; Bamford, Steven P.; Lintott, Chris J.; Masters, Karen L.; Scarlata, Claudia; Simmons, B. D.; Beck, Melanie; Cardamone, Carolin N.; Cheung, Edmond; Edmondson, Edward M.; Fortson, Lucy F.; Griffith, Roger L.; Häußler, Boris; Han, Anna; Hart, Ross; Melvin, Thomas; Parrish, Michael; Schawinski, Kevin; Smethurst, R. J.; Smith, Arfon M.

2017-02-01

We present the data release paper for the Galaxy Zoo: Hubble (GZH) project. This is the third phase in a large effort to measure reliable, detailed morphologies of galaxies by using crowdsourced visual classifications of colour-composite images. Images in GZH were selected from various publicly released Hubble Space Telescope legacy programmes conducted with the Advanced Camera for Surveys, with filters that probe the rest-frame optical emission from galaxies out to z ˜ 1. The bulk of the sample is selected to have mI814W < 23.5, but goes as faint as mI814W < 26.8 for deep images combined over five epochs. The median redshift of the combined samples is = 0.9 ± 0.6, with a tail extending out to z ≃ 4. The GZH morphological data include measurements of both bulge- and disc-dominated galaxies, details on spiral disc structure that relate to the Hubble type, bar identification, and numerous measurements of clump identification and geometry. This paper also describes a new method for calibrating morphologies for galaxies of different luminosities and at different redshifts by using artificially redshifted galaxy images as a baseline. The GZH catalogue contains both raw and calibrated morphological vote fractions for 119 849 galaxies, providing the largest data set to date suitable for large-scale studies of galaxy evolution out to z ˜ 1.

The Hawaii Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer (HIFI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bland, Jonathan; Cecil, Gerald; Tully, Brent

1990-01-01

At Mauna Kea Observatory, researchers conducted optical, imaging spectrophotometric studies of selected active galaxies using both the Canada-France-Hawaii 3.6m and University of Hawaii 2.2m telecopes (Tully, Bland and Cecil 1988). To maximize spatial resolution, researchers select galaxies independent of luminosity but known to possess interesting morphologies or high-velocity, extranuclear ionized gas (Walker 1968; Rubin and Ford 1968). They study both the large-scale patterns produced in IR-luminous, starburst systems (e.g., M82, NGC 253, NGC 6240) and those with compact, but spatially extended, circumnuclear, narrow line regions (e.g., M51, NGC 1068, NGC 4151). Current studies are restricted to the optical (SII), (NII) and (OIII) lines and the brightest Balmer recombination lines. These lines are, in principle, sufficient to constrain the dynamical structure and dominant excitation mechanism of the ionized component.

A homogeneous sample of binary galaxies: Basic observational properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karachentsev, I. D.

1990-01-01

A survey of optical characteristics for 585 binary systems, satisfying a condition of apparent isolation on the sky, is presented. Influences of various selection effects distorting the average parameters of the sample are noted. The pair components display mutual similarity over all the global properties: luminosity, diameter, morphological type, mass-to-luminosity ratio, angular momentum etc., which is not due only to selection effects. The observed correlations must be caused by common origin of pair members. Some features (nuclear activity, color index) could acquire similarity during synchronous evolution of double galaxies. Despite the observed isolation, the sample of double systems is seriously contaminated by accidental pairs, and also by members of groups and clusters. After removing false pairs estimates of orbital mass-to-luminosity ratio range from 0 to 30 f(solar), with the mean value (7.8 plus or minus 0.7) f(solar). Binary galaxies possess nearly circular orbits with a typical eccentrity e = 0.25, probably resulting from evolutionary selection driven by component mergers under dynamical friction. The double-galaxy population with space abundance 0.12 plus or minus 0.02 and characteristic merger timescale 0.2 H(exp -1) may significantly influence the rate of dynamical evolution of galaxies.

Galaxy Selection and the Surface Brightness Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGaugh, Stacy S.; Bothun, Gregory D.; Schombert, James M.

1995-08-01

Optical surveys for galaxies are biased against the inclusion of low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies. Disney [Nature, 263,573(1976)] suggested that the constancy of disk central surface brightness noticed by Freeman [ApJ, 160,811(1970)] was not a physical result, but instead was an artifact of sample selection. Since LSB galaxies do exist, the pertinent and still controversial issue is if these newly discovered galaxies constitute a significant percentage of the general galaxy population. In this paper, we address this issue by determining the space density of galaxies as a function of disk central surface brightness. Using the physically reasonable assumption (which is motivated by the data) that central surface brightness is independent of disk scale length, we arrive at a distribution which is roughly flat (i.e., approximately equal numbers of galaxies at each surface brightness) faintwards of the Freeman (1970) value. Brightwards of this, we find a sharp decline in the distribution which is analogous to the turn down in the luminosity function at L^*^. An intrinsically sharply peaked "Freeman law" distribution can be completely ruled out, and no Gaussian distribution can fit the data. Low surface brightness galaxies (those with central surface brightness fainter than 22 B mag arcsec^-2^) comprise >~ 1/2 the general galaxy population, so a representative sample of galaxies at z = 0 does not really exist at present since past surveys have been insensitive to this component of the general galaxy population.

Near-identical star formation rate densities from Hα and FUV at redshift zero

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audcent-Ross, Fiona M.; Meurer, Gerhardt R.; Wong, O. I.; Zheng, Z.; Hanish, D.; Zwaan, M. A.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Elagali, A.; Meyer, M.; Putman, M. E.; Ryan-Weber, E. V.; Sweet, S. M.; Thilker, D. A.; Seibert, M.; Allen, R.; Dopita, M. A.; Doyle-Pegg, M. T.; Drinkwater, M.; Ferguson, H. C.; Freeman, K. C.; Heckman, T. M.; Kennicutt, R. C.; Kilborn, V. A.; Kim, J. H.; Knezek, P. M.; Koribalski, B.; Smith, R. C.; Staveley-Smith, L.; Webster, R. L.; Werk, J. K.

2018-06-01

For the first time both Hα and far-ultraviolet (FUV) observations from an H I-selected sample are used to determine the dust-corrected star formation rate density (SFRD: \\dot{ρ }) in the local Universe. Applying the two star formation rate indicators on 294 local galaxies we determine log(\\dot{ρ } _{Hα }) = -1.68 ^{+0.13}_{-0.05} [M⊙ yr-1 Mpc-3] and log(\\dot{ρ }_{FUV}) = -1.71 ^{+0.12}_{-0.13} [M⊙ yr-1 Mpc-3]. These values are derived from scaling Hα and FUV observations to the H I mass function. Galaxies were selected to uniformly sample the full H I mass (M_{H I}) range of the H I Parkes All-Sky Survey (M_{H I} ˜ 107 to ˜1010.7 M⊙). The approach leads to relatively larger sampling of dwarf galaxies compared to optically-selected surveys. The low H I mass, low luminosity and low surface brightness galaxy populations have, on average, lower Hα/FUV flux ratios than the remaining galaxy populations, consistent with the earlier results of Meurer. The near-identical Hα- and FUV-derived SFRD values arise with the low Hα/FUV flux ratios of some galaxies being offset by enhanced Hα from the brightest and high mass galaxy populations. Our findings confirm the necessity to fully sample the H I mass range for a complete census of local star formation to include lower stellar mass galaxies which dominate the local Universe.

A Uniformly Selected Sample of Low-mass Black Holes in Seyfert 1 Galaxies. II. The SDSS DR7 Sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, He-Yang; Yuan, Weimin; Dong, Xiao-Bo; Zhou, Hongyan; Liu, Wen-Juan

2018-04-01

A new sample of 204 low-mass black holes (LMBHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is presented with black hole masses in the range of (1–20) × 105 M ⊙. The AGNs are selected through a systematic search among galaxies in the Seventh Data Release (DR7) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and careful analyses of their optical spectra and precise measurement of spectral parameters. Combining them with our previous sample selected from SDSS DR4 makes it the largest LMBH sample so far, totaling over 500 objects. Some of the statistical properties of the combined LMBH AGN sample are briefly discussed in the context of exploring the low-mass end of the AGN population. Their X-ray luminosities follow the extension of the previously known correlation with the [O III] luminosity. The effective optical-to-X-ray spectral indices α OX, albeit with a large scatter, are broadly consistent with the extension of the relation with the near-UV luminosity L 2500 Å. Interestingly, a correlation of α OX with black hole mass is also found, with α OX being statistically flatter (stronger X-ray relative to optical) for lower black hole masses. Only 26 objects, mostly radio loud, were detected in radio at 20 cm in the FIRST survey, giving a radio-loud fraction of 4%. The host galaxies of LMBHs have stellar masses in the range of 108.8–1012.4 M ⊙ and optical colors typical of Sbc spirals. They are dominated by young stellar populations that seem to have undergone continuous star formation history.

The Incidence of Buried Dual AGN in Advanced Mergers: New results from Chandra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfeifle, Ryan William; Satyapal, Shobita; Secrest, Nathan; Gliozzi, Mario; Ricci, Claudio; Ellison, Sara L.; Blecha, Laura; Rothberg, Barry; Constantin, Anca

2018-01-01

Since the vast majority of galaxies contain supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and galaxy interactions trigger nuclear gas accretion, a direct consequence of the hierarchical model of galaxy formation would be the existence of dual active galactic nuclei (AGN). The existence, frequency, and characteristics of such dual AGN have important astrophysical implications on the SMBH mass function, the interplay between SMBHs and the host galaxy, and the M-sigma relation. Despite decades of searching, and strong theoretical reasons for their existence, observationally confirmed cases of dual AGN are extremely rare, and most have been discovered serendipitously. Using the all-sky WISE survey, we identified a population of over one hundred strongly interacting galaxies that display extreme red mid-infrared colors thus far exclusively associated with extragalactic sources possessing powerful AGN. In a recent Chandra, XMM-Newton, and NuSTAR investigation of advanced mergers selected by WISE, we find dual AGN candidates in 8 out of 15 mergers, all of which show no evidence for AGN based on optical spectroscopy. Our results demonstrate that 1) optical studies miss a significant fraction of single and dual AGN in advanced mergers, and 2) mid-infrared pre-selection is extremely effective in identifying dual AGN candidates in late-stage mergers. Our multi-wavelength observations suggest that the buried AGN in these mergers are highly absorbed, with intrinsic column densities in excess of NH > 1024 cm-2, consistent with hydrodynamic simulations.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-06-01

Context. GALEX detected a significant fraction of early-type galaxies, in particular S0s, showing far-UV bright structures, sometimes involving an entire galaxy out to its outskirts. These features suggest the presence of either recent ongoing and/or prolonged star formation episodes, shedding new light on the evolution of these systems. Aims: We aim at understanding the evolutionary path[s] of these early-type galaxies and the mechanisms at the origin of their UV-bright structures. We investigate with a multiwavelength approach the link between the inner and outer galaxy regions of a set of 11 early-type galaxies that were selected because of their nearly passive stage of evolution in the nuclear region. Methods: This paper, second of a series, focuses on the information coming from the comparison between UV features detected by Swift-UVOT, which trace recent star formation, and the galaxy optical structure, which maps older stellar populations. We performed a surface photometric study of these early-type galaxies, observed with the Swift-UVOT UV filters W2 2030 Å λ0, M2 2231 Å λ0, W1 2634 Å λ0 and the UBV bands. BVRI photometry from other sources in the literature was also used. Our integrated magnitude measurements were analyzed and compared with corresponding values in the literature. We characterize the overall galaxy structure that best fits the UV and optical luminosity profiles using a single Sérsic law. Results: The galaxies NGC 1366, NGC 1426, NGC 3818, NGC 3962, and NGC 7192 show featureless luminosity profiles. Excluding NGC 1366, which has a clear edge-on disk (n ≈ 1-2), and NGC 3818, the remaining three galaxies have Sérsic's indices n ≈ 3-4 in the optical and a lower index in the UV. Bright ring- or arm-like structures are revealed by UV images and luminosity profiles of NGC 1415, NGC 1533, NGC 1543, NGC 2685, NGC 2974, and IC 2006. The ring- or arm-like structures differ from galaxy to galaxy. Sérsic indices of UV profiles for these galaxies are in the range n = 1.5-3 both in S0s and in galaxies classified as bona fide ellipticals, such as NGC 2974 and IC 2006. We note that in our sample optical Sérsic indices are usually higher than in the UV indices. (M2-V) color profiles are bluer in ring- or arm-like structures than in the galaxy body. Conclusions: The lower values of Sérsic indices in the UV bands with respect to optical bands, suggesting the presence of a disk, point out that the role of the dissipation cannot be neglected in recent evolutionary phases of these early-type galaxies. Full Table A.1 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/602/A97

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Relation Between Galaxy Cluster Optical Richness and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sehgal, Neelima; Addison, Graeme; Battaglia, Nick; Battistelli, Elia S.; Bond, J. Richard; Das, Sudeep; Devlin, Mark J.; Dunkley, Joanna; Duenner, Rolando; Gralla, Megan;

A near-infrared imaging survey of interacting galaxies - The small angular-size Arp systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bushouse, Howard A.; Stanford, S. A.

1992-01-01

Near-IR images of a large sample of interacting galaxies selected from the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies by Arp (1966) have been obtained. Approximately 180 systems have been imaged in at least two, and usually three of the standard JHK bands. The survey and the observing and data reduction procedures, are described, and contour plots and aperture photometry are presented. Future papers will analyze the imaging data by groupings based on interaction type, stage, and progenitors. The goals of the analysis are to explore the relationships between galaxy interactions, activity, and morphology by studying the structure of the near-IR luminosity distribution, where extinction effects are much reduced relative to the optical and the major stellar mass component of galaxies dominates the observed light.

On the universality of the two-point galaxy correlation function

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Marc; Meiksin, Avery; Strauss, Michael A.; Da Costa, L. Nicolaci; Yahil, Amos

1988-01-01

The behavior of the two-point galaxy correlation function in volume-limited subsamples of three complete redshift surveys is investigated. The correlation length is shown to scale approximately as the square root of the distance limit in both the CfA and Southern Sky catalogs, but to be independent of the distance limit in the IRAS sample. This effect is found to be due to factors such as the large positive density fluctuations in the foreground of the optically selected catalogs biasing the correlation length estimate downward, and the brightest galaxies appearing to be more strongly clustered than the mean.

Evidence of lensing of the cosmic microwave background by dark matter halos.

PubMed

Madhavacheril, Mathew; Sehgal, Neelima; Allison, Rupert; Battaglia, Nick; Bond, J Richard; Calabrese, Erminia; Caligiuri, Jerod; Coughlin, Kevin; Crichton, Devin; Datta, Rahul; Devlin, Mark J; Dunkley, Joanna; Dünner, Rolando; Fogarty, Kevin; Grace, Emily; Hajian, Amir; Hasselfield, Matthew; Hill, J Colin; Hilton, Matt; Hincks, Adam D; Hlozek, Renée; Hughes, John P; Kosowsky, Arthur; Louis, Thibaut; Lungu, Marius; McMahon, Jeff; Moodley, Kavilan; Munson, Charles; Naess, Sigurd; Nati, Federico; Newburgh, Laura; Niemack, Michael D; Page, Lyman A; Partridge, Bruce; Schmitt, Benjamin; Sherwin, Blake D; Sievers, Jon; Spergel, David N; Staggs, Suzanne T; Thornton, Robert; Van Engelen, Alexander; Ward, Jonathan T; Wollack, Edward J

2015-04-17

We present evidence of the gravitational lensing of the cosmic microwave background by 10(13) solar mass dark matter halos. Lensing convergence maps from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope Polarimeter (ACTPol) are stacked at the positions of around 12 000 optically selected CMASS galaxies from the SDSS-III/BOSS survey. The mean lensing signal is consistent with simulated dark matter halo profiles and is favored over a null signal at 3.2σ significance. This result demonstrates the potential of microwave background lensing to probe the dark matter distribution in galaxy group and galaxy cluster halos.

Constraints on the optical depth of galaxy groups and clusters

DOE PAGES

Flender, Samuel; Nagai, Daisuke; McDonald, Michael

2017-03-10

Here, future data from galaxy redshift surveys, combined with high-resolutions maps of the cosmic microwave background, will enable measurements of the pairwise kinematic Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (kSZ) signal with unprecedented statistical significance. This signal probes the matter-velocity correlation function, scaled by the average optical depth (τ) of the galaxy groups and clusters in the sample, and is thus of fundamental importance for cosmology. However, in order to translate pairwise kSZ measurements into cosmological constraints, external constraints on τ are necessary. In this work, we present a new model for the intracluster medium, which takes into account star formation, feedback, non-thermal pressure, and gas cooling. Our semi-analytic model is computationally efficient and can reproduce results of recent hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy cluster formation. We calibrate the free parameters in the model using recent X-ray measurements of gas density profiles of clusters, and gas masses of groups and clusters. Our observationally calibrated model predicts the averagemore » $${\\tau }_{500}$$ (i.e., the integrated τ within a disk of size R 500) to better than 6% modeling uncertainty (at 95% confidence level). If the remaining uncertainties associated with other astrophysical uncertainties and X-ray selection effects can be better understood, our model for the optical depth should break the degeneracy between optical depth and cluster velocity in the analysis of future pairwise kSZ measurements and improve cosmological constraints with the combination of upcoming galaxy and CMB surveys, including the nature of dark energy, modified gravity, and neutrino mass.« less

Constraints on the optical depth of galaxy groups and clusters

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

Flender, Samuel; Nagai, Daisuke; McDonald, Michael

Here, future data from galaxy redshift surveys, combined with high-resolutions maps of the cosmic microwave background, will enable measurements of the pairwise kinematic Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (kSZ) signal with unprecedented statistical significance. This signal probes the matter-velocity correlation function, scaled by the average optical depth (τ) of the galaxy groups and clusters in the sample, and is thus of fundamental importance for cosmology. However, in order to translate pairwise kSZ measurements into cosmological constraints, external constraints on τ are necessary. In this work, we present a new model for the intracluster medium, which takes into account star formation, feedback, non-thermal pressure, and gas cooling. Our semi-analytic model is computationally efficient and can reproduce results of recent hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy cluster formation. We calibrate the free parameters in the model using recent X-ray measurements of gas density profiles of clusters, and gas masses of groups and clusters. Our observationally calibrated model predicts the averagemore » $${\\tau }_{500}$$ (i.e., the integrated τ within a disk of size R 500) to better than 6% modeling uncertainty (at 95% confidence level). If the remaining uncertainties associated with other astrophysical uncertainties and X-ray selection effects can be better understood, our model for the optical depth should break the degeneracy between optical depth and cluster velocity in the analysis of future pairwise kSZ measurements and improve cosmological constraints with the combination of upcoming galaxy and CMB surveys, including the nature of dark energy, modified gravity, and neutrino mass.« less

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

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-04-01

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

Large scale structures around radio galaxies at z ~ 1.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2009-11-01

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

Non-parametric cell-based photometric proxies for galaxy morphology: methodology and application to the morphologically defined star formation-stellar mass relation of spiral galaxies in the local universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grootes, M. W.; Tuffs, R. J.; Popescu, C. C.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Seibert, M.; Kelvin, L. S.

2014-02-01

We present a non-parametric cell-based method of selecting highly pure and largely complete samples of spiral galaxies using photometric and structural parameters as provided by standard photometric pipelines and simple shape fitting algorithms. The performance of the method is quantified for different parameter combinations, using purely human-based classifications as a benchmark. The discretization of the parameter space allows a markedly superior selection than commonly used proxies relying on a fixed curve or surface of separation. Moreover, we find structural parameters derived using passbands longwards of the g band and linked to older stellar populations, especially the stellar mass surface density μ* and the r-band effective radius re, to perform at least equally well as parameters more traditionally linked to the identification of spirals by means of their young stellar populations, e.g. UV/optical colours. In particular, the distinct bimodality in the parameter μ*, consistent with expectations of different evolutionary paths for spirals and ellipticals, represents an often overlooked yet powerful parameter in differentiating between spiral and non-spiral/elliptical galaxies. We use the cell-based method for the optical parameter set including re in combination with the Sérsic index n and the i-band magnitude to investigate the intrinsic specific star formation rate-stellar mass relation (ψ*-M*) for a morphologically defined volume-limited sample of local Universe spiral galaxies. The relation is found to be well described by ψ _* ∝ M_*^{-0.5} over the range of 109.5 ≤ M* ≤ 1011 M⊙ with a mean interquartile range of 0.4 dex. This is somewhat steeper than previous determinations based on colour-selected samples of star-forming galaxies, primarily due to the inclusion in the sample of red quiescent discs.

A VLT Large Programme to Study Galaxies at z ~ 2: GMASS — the Galaxy Mass Assembly Ultra-deep Spectroscopic Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurk, Jaron; Cimatti, Andrea; Daddi, Emanuele; Mignoli, Marco; Bolzonella, Micol; Pozzetti, Lucia; Cassata, Paolo; Halliday, Claire; Zamorani, Gianni; Berta, Stefano; Brusa, Marcella; Dickinson, Mark; Franceschini, Alberto; Rodighiero, Guilia; Rosati, Piero; Renzini, Alvio

2009-03-01

We report on the motivation, sample selection and first results of our VLT FORS2 Large Programme (173.A-0687), which has obtained the longest targeted spectra of distant galaxies obtained so far with the VLT. These long exposures, up to 77 hours for objects included in three masks, were required to detect spectral features of extremely faint galaxies, such as absorption lines of passive galaxies at z > 1.4, a population that had previously escaped attention due to its faintness in the optical wavelength regime, but which represents a critical phase in the evolution of massive galaxies. The ultra-deep spectroscopy allowed us to estimate the stellar metallicity of star-forming galaxies at z ~ 2, to trace colour bimodality up to z = 2 and to characterise a galaxy cluster progenitor at z = 1.6. The approximately 200 spectra produced by GMASS constitute a lasting legacy, populating the “redshift desert” in GOODS-S.

The Star Formation History of read and dead galaxies at z=[1.0--1.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domínguez Sánchez, H.; Pérez González, P.; Esquej, P.; Eliche Moral, C.; Alcalde Pampliega, B.; SHARDS Team

2015-05-01

We analyse the star formation histories (SFH) of M > 10^{10} M_⊙ read and dead galaxies at intermediate redshift (z=1.0-1.5). Current hierarchical models of galaxy formation predict many less massive high-z systems than observed. By combining SHARDS deep spectro-photometric optical data (25 contiguous OSIRIS/GTC medium band filters with R ˜ 50 at 4500-900 nm) with HST-WFC3 grism in the NIR (G141, 1.1-1.6 μm) and broad-band photometry (from FUV to FIR) we construct well-sampled optical SEDs with up to 150 photometric points and sufficient spectral resolution to obtain reliable stellar population parameters such as ages, star formation timescales, dust extinctions and metallicities. We define a complete and uncontaminated sample of red & dead galaxies by combining the color-color UVJ selection with a cut in sSFR (SFR/Mass). We check the robustness of the results depending on different stellar population models (Bruzual & Charlot 2003, Maraston 2005), SED fitting-codes (synthesizer, FAST) or star formation histories (exp{-t/τ}, t exp{-t/τ}). Finally, the dependence of the SFH with the galaxy stellar mass will be studied, to actually measure if more massive galaxies are formed earlier and more rapidly as downsizing suggests.

A Successful Automated Search for Crouching Giants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabanela, J. E.; Dickey, J. M.

2000-12-01

Much effort has been expended during the last two decades on the search for Low Surface Brightness galaxies (LSBs), the galaxies Disney called ``Crouching Giants,'' which may be a dominant mass repository in the universe. The difficulty in gathering information on a significant population of LSBs lies in the time-consuming nature of identifying LSB candidates. To date, all survey-based searches for LSBs have involved manual inspections of plate-based material or optical CCD observations. We have conducted the first successful automated search for HI-rich galaxies (including LSBs) using the Minnesota Automated Plate Scanner (APS) Catalog of the POSS I. We identified HI-rich candidates by selecting galaxies located on the ``blue edge'' of an O-E vs. E color-magnitude diagram from the APS Catalog. Subsequent 21-cm observations on the upgraded Arecibo 305m dish showed that over 50% of our observed candidates were HI-rich with M{H{ I}}/LB ranging from 0.1 to 4.8 (in solar units). These M{H{ I}}/LB values are comparable to those of LSB candidates selected by manual means. Comparison of our candidate galaxies with known LSB galaxies shows that they have similar bivariate brightness distributions as well as other optical properties. Furthermore, examination of existing LSB catalogs shows that over 65% of LSBs are located on the ``blue edge,'' whereas only 10% of the general APS galaxy population has O-E values this low. Known LSB galaxies on the O-E ``blue edge'' include several LSBs with red B-V colors from O'Neil, Bothun, and Schombert (2000), indicating our bandpasses are critical in the segregation of these LSB candidates from the general population. We have determined the physical basis for the success of these simple search criteria, which is tied to the low current star formation rate of LSBs. The details of the search algorithm and guidelines of how to apply it to other existing surveys, such as the SDSS, will be provided.

A Magellan M2FS Spectroscopic Survey of Galaxies at 5.5 < z < 6.8: Program Overview and a Sample of the Brightest Lyα Emitters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Linhua; Shen, Yue; Bian, Fuyan; Zheng, Zhen-Ya; Wu, Jin; Oyarzún, Grecco A.; Blanc, Guillermo A.; Fan, Xiaohui; Ho, Luis C.; Infante, Leopoldo; Wang, Ran; Wu, Xue-Bing; Mateo, Mario; Bailey, John I., III; Crane, Jeffrey D.; Olszewski, Edward W.; Shectman, Stephen; Thompson, Ian; Walker, Matthew G.

2017-09-01

We present a spectroscopic survey of high-redshift, luminous galaxies over four square degrees on the sky, aiming to build a large and homogeneous sample of Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z≈ 5.7 and 6.5, and Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at 5.5< z< 6.8. The fields that we choose to observe are well studied, such as by the Subaru XMM-Newton Deep Survey and COSMOS. They have deep optical imaging data in a series of broad and narrow bands, allowing for the efficient selection of galaxy candidates. Spectroscopic observations are being carried out using the multi-object spectrograph M2FS on the Magellan Clay telescope. M2FS is efficient enough to identify high-redshift galaxies, owing to its 256 optical fibers deployed over a circular field of view 30\\prime in diameter. We have observed ˜2.5 square degrees. When the program is completed, we expect to identify more than 400 bright LAEs at z≈ 5.7 and 6.5, and a substantial number of LBGs at z≥slant 6. This unique sample will be used to study a variety of galaxy properties and to search for large protoclusters. Furthermore, the statistical properties of these galaxies will be used to probe cosmic reionization. We describe the motivation, program design, target selection, and M2FS observations. We also outline our science goals, and present a sample of the brightest LAEs at z≈ 5.7 and 6.5. This sample contains 32 LAEs with Lyα luminosities higher than 1043 erg s-1. A few of them reach ≥3 × 1043 erg s-1, comparable to the two most luminous LAEs known at z≥slant 6, “CR7” and “COLA1.” These LAEs provide ideal targets to study extreme galaxies in the distant universe.

IRAS galaxies and the large-scale structure in the CfA slice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Babul, Arif; Postman, Marc

1990-01-01

The spatial distributions of the IRAS and the optical galaxies in the first CfA slice are compared. The IRAS galaxies are generally less clustered than optical ones, but their distribution is essentially identical to that of late-type optical galaxies. The discrepancy between the clustering properties of the IRAS and optical samples in the CfA slice region is found to be entirely due to the paucity of IRAS galaxies in the core of the Coma cluster. The spatial distributions of the IRAS and the optical galaxies, both late and early types, outside the dense core of the Coma cluster are entirely consistent with each other. This conflicts with the prediction of the linear biasing scenario.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-01-01

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

Radio emission in peculiar galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Demellorabaca, Dulia F.; Abraham, Zulema

1990-01-01

During the last decades a number of surveys of peculiar galaxies have been carried out and accurate positions become available. Since peculiarities are a possible evidence of radio emission (Wright, 1974; Sulentic, 1976; Stocke et al., 1978), the authors selected a sample of 24 peculiar galaxies with optical jet-like features or extensions in different optical catalogues, mainly the Catalogue of Southern Peculiar Galaxies and Associations (Arp and Madore, 1987) and the ESO/Uppsala Survey of the ESO(B) Atlas (Lauberts, 1982) for observation at the radio continuum frequency of 22 GHz. The sample is listed in a table. Sol (1987) studied this sample and concluded that the majority of the jet-like features seem to admit an explanation in terms of interactive galaxies with bridges and/or tails due to tidal effects. Only in a few cases do the jets seem to be possibly linked to some nuclear activity of the host galaxy. The observations were made with the 13.7m-radome enclosed Itapetinga Radiotelescope (HPBW of 4.3 arcmin), in Brazil. The receiver was a 1 GHz d.s.b. super-heterodine mixer operated in total-power mode, with a system temperature of approximately 800 K. The observational technique consisted in scans in right ascention, centralized in the optical position of the galaxy. The amplitude of one scan was 43 arcmin, and its duration time was 20 seconds. The integration time was at least 2 hours (12 ten-minute observations) and the sensibility limit adopted was an antenna temperature greater than 3 times the r.m.s. error of the baseline determination. Virgo A was used as the calibrator source. Three galaxies were detected for the first time as radio sources and four other known galaxies at low frequencies had their flux densities measured at 22 GHz. The results for these sources are presented.

ALMA + VLT observations of a damped Lyman-α absorbing galaxy: massive, wide CO emission, gas-rich but with very low SFR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Møller, P.; Christensen, L.; Zwaan, M. A.; Kanekar, N.; Prochaska, J. X.; Rhodin, N. H. P.; Dessauges-Zavadsky, M.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Neeleman, M.; Zafar, T.

2018-03-01

We are undertaking an Atacama Large Millimeter Array survey of molecular gas in galaxies selected for their strong H I absorption, so-called damped Lyα absorber (DLA)/sub-DLA galaxies. Here, we report CO(2-1) detection from a DLA galaxy at z = 0.716. We also present optical and near-infrared (NIR) spectra of the galaxy revealing [O II], Hα, and [N II] emission lines shifted by ˜170 km s-1 relative to the DLA, and providing an oxygen abundance 3.2 times solar, similar to the absorption metallicity. We report low unobscured SFR˜1 M⊙ yr-1 given the large reservoir of molecular gas, and also modest obscured SFR =4.5_{-2.6}^{+4.4} M⊙ yr-1 based on far-IR and sub-millimetre data. We determine mass components of the galaxy: log[M*/M_{&sun} ]= 10.80^{+0.07}_{-0.14}, log[Mmol-gas/M⊙] = 10.37 ± 0.04, and log[Mdust/M_{⊙} ]= 8.45^{+0.10}_{-0.30}. Surprisingly, this H I absorption-selected galaxy has no equivalent objects in CO surveys of flux-selected samples. The galaxy falls off current scaling relations for the star formation rate (SFR) to molecular gas mass and CO Tully-Fisher relation. Detailed comparison of kinematical components of the absorbing, ionized, and molecular gas, combined with their spatial distribution, suggests that part of the CO gas is both kinematically and spatially decoupled from the main galaxy. It is thus possible that a major starburst in the past could explain the wide CO profile as well as the low SFR. Support for this also comes from the spectral energy distribution favouring an instantaneous burst of age ≈0.5 Gyr. Our survey will establish whether flux-selected surveys of molecular gas are missing a key stage in the evolution of galaxies and their conversion of gas to stars.

Near Infrared Maps of Elliptical and so Galaxies Detected by IRAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz-Gonzalez, L.; Recillas-Cruz, E.; Carrasco, L.

1987-05-01

Lw surface brightness maps at 2.2 and 1.25 µm are presented for an IRAS selected sample composed of 3 elliptical and 7 S0 galaxies. In most cases we have found smooth structures which apparently follow the stellar distribution as inferred from the optical images and that the IR emission is more extended. Elongated structures, reminiscent of "jets", are present in a number of galaxies. These 11jets" do not have optical counterparts in the PoSS. This fact suggests a rather steep spectral index between the visible and infrared wavelengths. Fran data at other wavelengths taken from the literature, we have derived spectral energy distributions from .3 to 100 µm. All objects in our sample show a steep α60-l00 µm -l to -2, while in the near IR the energy distributions are characteristic and hence dominated by the presence of a stellar bulge.

Search and Studies of Active Galaxies Using Multiwavelength Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, A. M.; Gyulzadyan, M. V.; Abrahamyan, H. V.; Paronyan, G. M.; Mikayelyan, G. A.

2017-07-01

The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) during its history has always been one of the centres for surveys and studies of active galaxies. Here we review our search and studies of active galaxies during last 30 years using various wavelength ranges, as well as some recent related works. These projects since late 1980s were focused on multiwavelength search and studies of AGN and Starbursts. 1103 blue stellar objects (BSOs) on the basis of their UV-excess were selected using Markarian Survey (First Byurakan Survey, FBS) plates and Markarian's criteria used for the galaxies. 1577 IRAS point sources were optically identified using FBS low-dispersion spectra and many AGN, SB and high-luminosity IR galaxies (LIRG/ULIRG) were discovered. 2791 ROSAT FSC sources were optically identified using Hamburg Quasar Survey (HQS) low-dispersion spectra and many AGN were discovered by follow-up observations. Fine analysis of emission line spectra was carried out using spectral line decomposition software to establish true profiles and calculate physical parameters for the emitting regions. Multiwavelength approach allowed revealing many new AGN and SB and obtaining a number of interesting relations using their observational characteristics and physical properties.

Neutral Gas Properties of Extremely Isolated Early-type Galaxies

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

Ashley, Trisha; Marcum, Pamela M.; Fanelli, Michael N., E-mail: trisha.l.ashley@nasa.gov, E-mail: pamela.m.marcum@nasa.gov, E-mail: michael.n.fanelli@nasa.gov

We present the results of single-dish atomic hydrogen (H i) observations of six highly isolated early-type galaxies. These objects are a representative subset of galaxies previously studied at optical wavelengths and selected to be separated by at least 2.5 Mpc from companions brighter than M{sub V}  = −16.5 mag. Each galaxy was observed with a single pointing using the NRAO Green Bank Telescope L -band receiver. Five of these systems were strongly detected in H i. These five galaxies exhibit H i profiles with a range of properties: single Gaussian-like peaks, separate double peaks, and double horn-like profiles. The four bluestmore » galaxies ( B − V < 0.54) all contain significant gas with H i masses ranging from 1.1 × 10{sup 8} to 1.4 × 10{sup 9}.« less

Spitzer/IRS spectroscopy of the 12um Seyferts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yanling; Charmandaris, V.; Huang, J.; Houck, J.

2009-01-01

The extended 12um galaxy sample is a flux-limited sample of 893 galaxies selected from the IRAS Faint Source Catalog 2. A total of 118 objects from this sample have been classified optically as Seyfert galaxies, providing one of the largest infrared selected unbiased sample of active galactic nuclei (AGN). We present our prelimary results from our analysis of mid-infrared Spitzer/IRS spectra of 102 12um Seyferts (that is 86 % of the 12um Seyfert sample) which have been observed by various Spitzer programs and are available in the Spitzer archive. A number of mid-infared diagnostics have been developed to study the nature of nuclear dust enshrouded emission from AGNs, in order to disentangle the starburst-AGN connection. Since PAH emission is a tracer of star formation activity we have measured the 11.3um PAH feature for our Seyfert sample. We find that as the strength of the radiation field in AGNs increases the PAH molecules are destroyed, while the PAH EWs increase with the IRAS f60/f25 ratios of the host galaxies. We further probe this warm/cold color diagnostic, by contrasting our findings with those of we starbust galaxies, ULIRGs, as well as blue compact dwarf galaxies.

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).

The Rise of SN 2014J in the Nearby Galaxy M 82

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

A.Goobar; Johansson, J.; Amanullah, R.; Cao, Y.; Perley, D.A.; Kasliwal, M. M.; Ferreti, R.; Nugent, P. E.; Harris, C.; Cenko, S. B.

2014-01-01

We report on the discovery of SN 2014J in the nearby galaxy M 82. Given its proximity, it offers the best opportunity to date to study a thermonuclear supernova over a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Optical, near-IR and mid-IR observations on the rising lightcurve, orchestrated by the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF), show that SN 2014J is a spectroscopically normal Type Ia supernova, albeit exhibiting high-velocity features in its spectrum and heavily reddened by dust in the host galaxy. Our earliest detections start just hours after the fitted time of explosion. We use high-resolution optical spectroscopy to analyze the dense intervening material and do not detect any evolution in the resolved absorption features during the lightcurve rise. Similarly to other highly reddened Type Ia supernovae, a low value of total-to-selective extinction, R (sub V) less than or approximately equal to 2, provides the best match to our observations. We also study pre-explosion optical and near-IR images from HST with special emphasis on the sources nearest to the SN location.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: The MBH-σ relation for active galaxies (Bennert+,

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennert, V. N.; Treu, T.; Auger, M. W.; Cosens, M.; Park, D.; Rosen, R.; Harris, C. E.; Malkan, M. A.; Woo, J.-H.

2017-09-01

The sample was selected from the SDSS Data Release (DR) six following these criteria: (i) MBH>107 Mȯ as estimated based on optical luminosity and FWHM of the broad Hβ line; (ii) redshift range 0.02

"A Richness Study of 14 Distant X-Ray Clusters from the 160 Square Degree Survey"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Christine; West, Donald (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

We have measured the surface density of galaxies toward 14 X-ray-selected cluster candidates at redshifts z(sub i) 0.46, and we show that they are associated with rich galaxy concentrations. These clusters, having X-ray luminosities of Lx(0.5-2 keV) approx. (0.5 - 2.6) x 10(exp 44) ergs/ sec are among the most distant and luminous in our 160 deg(exp 2) ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter cluster survey. We find that the clusters range between Abell richness classes 0 and 2 and have a most probable richness class of 1. We compare the richness distribution of our distant clusters to those for three samples of nearby clusters with similar X-ray luminosities. We find that the nearby and distant samples have similar richness distributions, which shows that clusters have apparently not evolved substantially in richness since redshift z=0.5. There is, however, a marginal tendency for the distant clusters to be slightly poorer than nearby clusters, although deeper multicolor data for a large sample would be required to confirm this trend. We compare the distribution of distant X-ray clusters in the L(sub X)-richness plane to the distribution of optically selected clusters from the Palomar Distant Cluster Survey. The optically selected clusters appear overly rich for their X-ray luminosities, when compared to X-ray-selected clusters. Apparently, X-ray and optical surveys do not necessarily sample identical mass concentrations at large redshifts. This may indicate the existence of a population of optically rich clusters with anomalously low X-ray emission, More likely, however, it reflects the tendency for optical surveys to select unvirialized mass concentrations, as might be expected when peering along large-scale filaments.

The Multiwavelength Survey by Yale-Chile (MUSYC): Deep Near-Infrared Imaging and the Selection of Distant Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quadri, Ryan; Marchesini, Danilo; van Dokkum, Pieter; Gawiser, Eric; Franx, Marijn; Lira, Paulina; Rudnick, Gregory; Urry, C. Megan; Maza, José; Kriek, Mariska; Barrientos, L. Felipe; Blanc, Guillermo A.; Castander, Francisco J.; Christlein, Daniel; Coppi, Paolo S.; Hall, Patrick B.; Herrera, David; Infante, Leopoldo; Taylor, Edward N.; Treister, Ezequiel; Willis, Jon P.

2007-09-01

We present deep near-infrared JHK imaging of four 10' × 10' fields. The observations were carried out as part of the Multiwavelength Survey by Yale-Chile (MUSYC) with ISPI on the CTIO 4 m telescope. The typical point-source limiting depths are J ~ 22.5, H ~ 21.5, and K ~ 21 (5 σ Vega). The effective seeing in the final images is ~1.0″. We combine these data with MUSYC UBVRIz imaging to create K-selected catalogs that are unique for their uniform size, depth, filter coverage, and image quality. We investigate the rest-frame optical colors and photometric redshifts of galaxies that are selected using common color selection techniques, including distant red galaxies (DRGs), star-forming and passive BzKs, and the rest-frame UV-selected BM, BX, and Lyman break galaxies (LBGs). These techniques are effective at isolating large samples of high-redshift galaxies, but none provide complete or uniform samples across the targeted redshift ranges. The DRG and BM/BX/LBG criteria identify populations of red and blue galaxies, respectively, as they were designed to do. The star-forming BzKs have a very wide redshift distribution, extending down to z ~ 1, a wide range of colors, and may include galaxies with very low specific star formation rates. In comparison, the passive BzKs are fewer in number, have a different distribution of K magnitudes, and have a somewhat different redshift distribution. By combining either the DRG and BM/BX/LBG criteria, or the star-forming and passive BzK criteria, it appears possible to define a reasonably complete sample of galaxies to our flux limit over specific redshift ranges. However, the redshift dependence of both the completeness and sampled range of rest-frame colors poses an ultimate limit to the usefulness of these techniques.

Identifying OH Imposters in the ALFALFA Neutral Hydrogen Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suess, Katherine A.; Darling, Jeremy; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo

2016-06-01

OH megamasers (OHMs) are rare, luminous molecular masers that are typically observed in (ultra) luminous infrared galaxies and serve as markers of major galaxy mergers. In blind emission line surveys such as the Arecibo Legacy Fast Arecibo L-Band Feed Array (ALFALFA) survey for neutral hydrogen (H I), OHMs at z ˜ 0.2 can mimic z ˜ 0.05 H I lines. We present the results of optical spectroscopy of ambiguous H I detections in the ALFALFA 40 per cent data release detected by the Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) but with uncertain optical counterparts. The optical redshifts, obtained from observations at the Apache Point Observatory, revealed five new OHMs and identified 129 H I optical counterparts. 60 candidates remain ambiguous. The new OHMs are the first detected in a blind spectral line survey. The number of OHMs in ALFALFA is consistent with predictions from the OH luminosity function. Additionally, the mid-infrared magnitudes and colours of the OHM host galaxies found in a blind survey do not seem to differ from those found in previous targeted surveys. This validates the methods used in previous IR-selected OHM surveys and indicates there is no previously unknown OHM-producing population at z ˜ 0.2. We also provide a method for future surveys to separate OH megamasers from 99 per cent of H I line emitters without optical spectroscopy by using WISE infrared colours and magnitudes. Since the fraction of OHMs found in flux-limited H I surveys is expected to increase with the survey's redshift, this selection method can be applied to future flux-limited high-redshift hydrogen surveys.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-01-01

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

Chandra Observations of Galaxy Zoo Mergers: Frequency of Binary Active Nuclei in Massive Mergers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teng, Stacy H.; Schwainski, Kevin; Urry, C. Megan; Darg, Dan W.; Kaviraj, Sugata; Oh, Kyuseok; Bonning, Erin W.; Cardamone, Carolin N.; Keel, William C.; Lintott, Chris J.;

Physics and evolution of obscured X-ray sources: a multiwavelength approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brusa, Marcella

2004-06-01

Observations at high energies yield important information on the structure and nature of AGN; when coupled with deep optical and near-infrared (photometric and spectroscopic) follow-up, they provide constraints on the mass of the growing black holes and, therefore, are essential to better understand the nature of the various components of the X-ray background light and can be used as test for the accretion paradigm. Conversely, optical and near-infrared surveys of galaxies are crucial to discriminate between different cosmological scenarios (e.g. hierarchical or monolithic growth of the structures) and, thus, to recover the galaxy evolution path. In this framework, in the first part of the thesis, I will discuss the main results from an extensive program of multiwavelength observations of hard X-ray selected sources serendipitously discovered in XMM-Newton fields over ~1 deg^2 (the HELLAS2XMM survey). With a complementary approach to that of hard X-ray surveys, in order to investigate the link between nuclear activity and the galaxy formation, in the second part of the thesis I will present XMM-Newton and Chandra observations of photometric and spectroscopically selected Extremely Red Objects (EROs).

The Complete Local Volume Groups Sample - I. Sample selection and X-ray properties of the high-richness subsample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Sullivan, Ewan; Ponman, Trevor J.; Kolokythas, Konstantinos; Raychaudhury, Somak; Babul, Arif; Vrtilek, Jan M.; David, Laurence P.; Giacintucci, Simona; Gitti, Myriam; Haines, Chris P.

2017-12-01

We present the Complete Local-Volume Groups Sample (CLoGS), a statistically complete optically selected sample of 53 groups within 80 Mpc. Our goal is to combine X-ray, radio and optical data to investigate the relationship between member galaxies, their active nuclei and the hot intra-group medium (IGM). We describe sample selection, define a 26-group high-richness subsample of groups containing at least four optically bright (log LB ≥ 10.2 LB⊙) galaxies, and report the results of XMM-Newton and Chandra observations of these systems. We find that 14 of the 26 groups are X-ray bright, possessing a group-scale IGM extending at least 65 kpc and with luminosity >1041 erg s-1, while a further three groups host smaller galaxy-scale gas haloes. The X-ray bright groups have masses in the range M500 ≃ 0.5-5 × 1013 M⊙, based on system temperatures of 0.4-1.4 keV, and X-ray luminosities in the range 2-200 × 1041 erg s-1. We find that ∼53-65 per cent of the X-ray bright groups have cool cores, a somewhat lower fraction than found by previous archival surveys. Approximately 30 per cent of the X-ray bright groups show evidence of recent dynamical interactions (mergers or sloshing), and ∼35 per cent of their dominant early-type galaxies host active galactic nuclei with radio jets. We find no groups with unusually high central entropies, as predicted by some simulations, and confirm that CLoGS is in principle capable of detecting such systems. We identify three previously unrecognized groups, and find that they are either faint (LX, R500 < 1042 erg s-1) with no concentrated cool core, or highly disturbed. This leads us to suggest that ∼20 per cent of X-ray bright groups in the local universe may still be unidentified.

WISE Discovery of Hyper Luminous Galaxies at z=2-4 and Their Implications for Galaxy and AGN Evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsai, Chao Wei; Eisenhardt, Peter; Wu, Jingwen; Bridge, Carrie; Assef, Roberto; Benford, Dominic; Blain, Andrew; Cutri, Roc; Griffith, Robert L.; Jarrett, Thomas;

The Las Campanas Infrared Survey - II. Photometric redshifts, comparison with models and clustering evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firth, A. E.; Somerville, R. S.; McMahon, R. G.; Lahav, O.; Ellis, R. S.; Sabbey, C. N.; McCarthy, P. J.; Chen, H.-W.; Marzke, R. O.; Wilson, J.; Abraham, R. G.; Beckett, M. G.; Carlberg, R. G.; Lewis, J. R.; Mackay, C. D.; Murphy, D. C.; Oemler, A. E.; Persson, S. E.

2002-05-01

The Las Campanas Infrared (LCIR) Survey, using the Cambridge Infra-Red Survey Instrument (CIRSI), reaches H ~21 over nearly 1deg2 . In this paper we present results from 744arcmin2 centred on the Hubble Deep Field South for which UBVRI optical data are publicly available. Making conservative magnitude cuts to ensure spatial uniformity, we detect 3177 galaxies to H =20.0 in 744arcmin2 and a further 842 to H =20.5 in a deeper subregion of 407arcmin2 . We compare the observed optical-infrared (IR) colour distributions with the predictions of semi-analytic hierarchical models and find reasonable agreement. We also determine photometric redshifts, finding a median redshift of ~0.55. We compare the redshift distributions N (z ) of E, Sbc, Scd and Im spectral types with models, showing that the observations are inconsistent with simple passive-evolution models while semi-analytic models provide a reasonable fit to the total N (z ) but underestimate the number of z ~1 red spectral types relative to bluer spectral types. We also present N (z ) for samples of extremely red objects (EROs) defined by optical-IR colours. We find that EROs with R -H >4 and H <20.5 have a median redshift z m ~1 while redder colour cuts have slightly higher z m . In the magnitude range 194 comprise ~18 per cent of the observed galaxy population, while in semi-analytic models they contribute only ~4 per cent. We also determine the angular correlation function w (θ ) for magnitude, colour, spectral type and photometric redshift-selected subsamples of the data and use the photometric redshift distributions to derive the spatial clustering statistic ξ (r ) as a function of spectral type and redshift out to z ~1.2. Parametrizing ξ (r ) by ξ (r c ,z )=[r c /r *(z )]-1.8 , where r c is in comoving coordinates, we find that r *(z ) increases by a factor of 1.5-2 from z =0 to z ~1.2. We interpret this as a selection effect - the galaxies selected at z ~1.2 are intrinsically very luminous, about 1-1.5mag brighter than L *. When galaxies are selected by absolute magnitude, we find no evidence for evolution in r * over this redshift range. Extrapolated to z =0, we find r *(z =0)~6.5h -1 Mpc for red galaxies and r *(z =0)~2-4h -1 Mpc for blue galaxies. We also find that, while the angular clustering amplitude of EROs with R -H >4 or I -H >3 is up to four times that of the whole galaxy population, the spatial clustering length r *(z =1) is ~7.5-10.5h -1 Mpc, which is only a factor of ~1.7 times r *(z =1) for R -H <4 and I -H <3 galaxies lying in a similar redshift and luminosity range. This difference is similar to that observed between red and blue galaxies at low redshifts.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: WINGS: Deep optical phot. of 77 nearby clusters (Varela+, 2009)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varela, J.; D'Onofrio, M.; Marmo, C.; Fasano, G.; Bettoni, D.; Cava, A.; Couch, J. W.; Dressler, A.; Kjaergaard, P.; Moles, M.; Pignatelli, E.; Poggianti, M. B.; Valentinuzzi, T.

2009-05-01

This is the second paper of a series devoted to the WIde Field Nearby Galaxy-cluster Survey (WINGS). WINGS is a long term project which is gathering wide-field, multi-band imaging and spectroscopy of galaxies in a complete sample of 77 X-ray selected, nearby clusters (0.04200deg). The main goal of this project is to establish a local reference for evolutionary studies of galaxies and galaxy clusters. This paper presents the optical (B,V) photometric catalogs of the WINGS sample and describes the procedures followed to construct them. We have paid special care to correctly treat the large extended galaxies (which includes the brightest cluster galaxies) and the reduction of the influence of the bright halos of very bright stars. We have constructed photometric catalogs based on wide-field images in B and V bands using SExtractor. Photometry has been performed on images in which large galaxies and halos of bright stars were removed after modeling them with elliptical isophotes. We publish deep optical photometric catalogs (90% complete at V21.7, which translates to ~ MV* + 6 at mean redshift), giving positions, geometrical parameters, and several total and aperture magnitudes for all the objects detected. For each field we have produced three catalogs containing galaxies, stars and objects of "unknown" classification (~16%). From simulations we found that the uncertainty of our photometry is quite dependent of the light profile of the objects with stars having the most robust photometry and de Vaucouleurs profiles showing higher uncertainties and also an additional bias of ~-0.2m. The star/galaxy classification of the bright objects (V<20) was checked visually making negligible the fraction of misclassified objects. For fainter objects, we found that simulations do not provide reliable estimates of the possible misclassification and therefore we have compared our data with that from deep counts of galaxies and star counts from models of our Galaxy. Both sets turned out to be consistent with our data within ~5% (in the ratio galaxies/total) up to V~24. Finally, we remark that the application of our special procedure to remove large halos improves the photometry of the large galaxies in our sample with respect to the use of blind automatic procedures and increases (~16%) the detection rate of objects projected onto them. (4 data files).

The High AV Quasar Survey: Reddened Quasi-Stellar Objects Selected from Optical/Near-Infrared Photometry—II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krogager, J.-K.; Geier, S.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Venemans, B. P.; Ledoux, C.; Møller, P.; Noterdaeme, P.; Vestergaard, M.; Kangas, T.; Pursimo, T.; Saturni, F. G.; Smirnova, O.

2015-03-01

Quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) whose spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are reddened by dust either in their host galaxies or in intervening absorber galaxies are to a large degree missed by optical color selection criteria like the ones used by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). To overcome this bias against red QSOs, we employ a combined optical and near-infrared (near-IR) color selection. In this paper, we present a spectroscopic follow-up campaign of a sample of red candidate QSOs which were selected from the SDSS and the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS). The spectroscopic data and SDSS/UKIDSS photometry are supplemented by mid-infrared photometry from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. In our sample of 159 candidates, 154 (97%) are confirmed to be QSOs. We use a statistical algorithm to identify sightlines with plausible intervening absorption systems and identify nine such cases assuming dust in the absorber similar to Large Magellanic Cloud sightlines. We find absorption systems toward 30 QSOs, 2 of which are consistent with the best-fit absorber redshift from the statistical modeling. Furthermore, we observe a broad range in SED properties of the QSOs as probed by the rest-frame 2 μm flux. We find QSOs with a strong excess as well as QSOs with a large deficit at rest-frame 2 μm relative to a QSO template. Potential solutions to these discrepancies are discussed. Overall, our study demonstrates the high efficiency of the optical/near-IR selection of red QSOs.

The Gemini/HST Galaxy Cluster Project: Redshift 0.2–1.0 Cluster Sample, X-Ray Data, and Optical Photometry Catalog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jørgensen, Inger; Chiboucas, Kristin; Hibon, Pascale; Nielsen, Louise D.; Takamiya, Marianne

2018-04-01

The Gemini/HST Galaxy Cluster Project (GCP) covers 14 z = 0.2–1.0 clusters with X-ray luminosity of {L}500≥slant {10}44 {erg} {{{s}}}-1 in the 0.1–2.4 keV band. In this paper, we provide homogeneously calibrated X-ray luminosities, masses, and radii, and we present the complete catalog of the ground-based photometry for the GCP clusters. The clusters were observed with either Gemini North or South in three or four of the optical passbands g‧, r‧, i‧, and z‧. The photometric catalog includes consistently calibrated total magnitudes, colors, and geometrical parameters. The photometry reaches ≈25 mag in the passband closest to the rest-frame B band. We summarize comparisons of our photometry with data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We describe the sample selection for our spectroscopic observations, and establish the calibrations to obtain rest-frame magnitudes and colors. Finally, we derive the color–magnitude relations for the clusters, and briefly discuss these in the context of evolution with redshift. Consistent with our results based on spectroscopic data, the color–magnitude relations support passive evolution of the red sequence galaxies. The absence of change in the slope with redshift constrains the allowable age variation along the red sequence to <0.05 dex between the brightest cluster galaxies and those four magnitudes fainter. This paper serves as the main reference for the GCP cluster and galaxy selection, X-ray data, and ground-based photometry.

Global dust attenuation in disc galaxies: strong variation with specific star formation and stellar mass, and the importance of sample selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devour, Brian M.; Bell, Eric F.

2016-06-01

We study the relative dust attenuation-inclination relation in 78 721 nearby galaxies using the axis ratio dependence of optical-near-IR colour, as measured by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the Two Micron All Sky Survey, and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. In order to avoid to the greatest extent possible attenuation-driven biases, we carefully select galaxies using dust attenuation-independent near- and mid-IR luminosities and colours. Relative u-band attenuation between face-on and edge-on disc galaxies along the star-forming main sequence varies from ˜0.55 mag up to ˜1.55 mag. The strength of the relative attenuation varies strongly with both specific star formation rate and galaxy luminosity (or stellar mass). The dependence of relative attenuation on luminosity is not monotonic, but rather peaks at M3.4 μm ≈ -21.5, corresponding to M* ≈ 3 × 1010 M⊙. This behaviour stands seemingly in contrast to some older studies; we show that older works failed to reliably probe to higher luminosities, and were insensitive to the decrease in attenuation with increasing luminosity for the brightest star-forming discs. Back-of-the-envelope scaling relations predict the strong variation of dust optical depth with specific star formation rate and stellar mass. More in-depth comparisons using the scaling relations to model the relative attenuation require the inclusion of star-dust geometry to reproduce the details of these variations (especially at high luminosities), highlighting the importance of these geometrical effects.

Higher order correlations of IRAS galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meiksin, Avery; Szapudi, Istvan; Szalay, Alexander

1992-01-01

The higher order irreducible angular correlation functions are derived up to the eight-point function, for a sample of 4654 IRAS galaxies, flux-limited at 1.2 Jy in the 60 microns band. The correlations are generally found to be somewhat weaker than those for the optically selected galaxies, consistent with the visual impression of looser clusters in the IRAS sample. It is found that the N-point correlation functions can be expressed as the symmetric sum of products of N - 1 two-point functions, although the correlations above the four-point function are consistent with zero. The coefficients are consistent with the hierarchical clustering scenario as modeled by Hamilton and by Schaeffer.

THE SWIFT AGN AND CLUSTER SURVEY. II. CLUSTER CONFIRMATION WITH SDSS DATA

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

Griffin, Rhiannon D.; Dai, Xinyu; Kochanek, Christopher S.

2016-01-15

We study 203 (of 442) Swift AGN and Cluster Survey extended X-ray sources located in the SDSS DR8 footprint to search for galaxy over-densities in three-dimensional space using SDSS galaxy photometric redshifts and positions near the Swift cluster candidates. We find 104 Swift clusters with a >3σ galaxy over-density. The remaining targets are potentially located at higher redshifts and require deeper optical follow-up observations for confirmation as galaxy clusters. We present a series of cluster properties including the redshift, brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) magnitude, BCG-to-X-ray center offset, optical richness, and X-ray luminosity. We also detect red sequences in ∼85% ofmore » the 104 confirmed clusters. The X-ray luminosity and optical richness for the SDSS confirmed Swift clusters are correlated and follow previously established relations. The distribution of the separations between the X-ray centroids and the most likely BCG is also consistent with expectation. We compare the observed redshift distribution of the sample with a theoretical model, and find that our sample is complete for z ≲ 0.3 and is still 80% complete up to z ≃ 0.4, consistent with the SDSS survey depth. These analysis results suggest that our Swift cluster selection algorithm has yielded a statistically well-defined cluster sample for further study of cluster evolution and cosmology. We also match our SDSS confirmed Swift clusters to existing cluster catalogs, and find 42, 23, and 1 matches in optical, X-ray, and Sunyaev–Zel’dovich catalogs, respectively, and so the majority of these clusters are new detections.« less

Discovery of low-redshift X-ray selected quasars - New clues to the QSO phenomenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grindlay, J. E.; Forman, W. R.; Steiner, J. E.; Canizares, C. R.; Mcclintock, J. E.

1980-01-01

The identification of six X-ray sources discovered by the Einstein Observatory with X-ray quasars is reported, and the properties of these X-ray selected quasars are discussed. The four high-latitude fields of 1 sq deg each in which the Einstein imaging proportional counter detected serendipitous X-ray sources at intermediate exposures of 10,000 sec were observed by 4-m and 1.5-m telescopes, and optical sources with uv excesses and emission line spectra typical of many low-redshift quasars and Seyfert 1 galaxies were found within the 1-arcsec error boxes of the X-ray sources. All six quasars identified were found to be radio quiet, with low redshift and relatively faint optical magnitudes, and to be similar in space density, colors and magnitude versus redshift relation to an optically selected sample at the same mean magnitude. X-ray luminosity was found to be well correlated with both continuum and broad-line emission luminosities for the known radio-quiet quasars and Seyfert 1 galaxies, and it was observed that the five objects with the lowest redshifts have very similar X-ray/optical luminosity ratios despite tenfold variations in X-ray luminosity. It is concluded that photoionization by a continuum extending to X-ray energies is the dominant excitation mechanism in radio-quiet quasars.

The Universe as Viewed from Star Forming Galaxies over the Past Ten Billion Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ly, Chun; Malkan, M.; Lee, J. C.; Kashikawa, N.; Hayashi, M.; Motohara, K.; Subaru Deep Field Collaboration; NEWFIRM Narrow-band H-alpha Survey Team

2010-01-01

In this dissertation talk, I will discuss my work to provide improved constraints on the star formation history of the universe by (1) using narrow-band filters to identify galaxies to z 2.2 and (2) extending the Lyman break technique to z=1.5-3. These techniques efficiently isolate a large population of star-forming galaxies and enable measurement of the star formation rate via emission line and ultraviolet indicators. With the SDF team, we have conducted a narrow-band optical survey which yields a sample of 5000 galaxies within 0.25 square degree to z 1.5 detected by H-alpha, [OIII], or [OII]. Diagnostics based on broad-band optical colors are developed to resolve ambiguities in emission-line identification. In addition, with the NEWFIRM H-alpha team, we are working to extend optical studies into the near-infrared with NEWFIRM. We target H-alpha emitting galaxies at z 0.8 and z 2.2, which probes a critical period in the history of the universe during which much of the star formation has occurred. The NEWFIRM H-alpha survey covers over 1 square degree. A total of 300 H-alpha emitting galaxies at z 0.8 has been identified for 60% of the survey volume. Preliminary results from the NEWFIRM H-alpha Survey will be discussed. Spectroscopy for both narrow-band surveys reveals a high reliability of the technique: contamination at the few percent level. Finally, I will describe the first Lyman break survey to select star-forming galaxies at z 2 (limiting magnitude of 27 AB), using deep, wide GALEX near-ultraviolet imaging. A total of 7000 LBGs was identified in 0.25 square degree. Spectroscopy indicates that the success of identifying z 2 galaxies is 80%. I will also compare different z 2 photometric techniques (BzK, DRG, BX/BM) to provide a more comprehensive view of the galaxy population, including dusty star-forming galaxies. The comparison reveals a good but imperfect ( 50%) overlap, indicating that these photometric techniques are complementary.

Properties of optically selected BL Lacertae candidates from the SDSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kügler, S. D.; Nilsson, K.; Heidt, J.; Esser, J.; Schultz, T.

2014-09-01

Context. Deep optical surveys open the avenue for finding large numbers of BL Lac objects that are hard to identify because they lack the unique properties classifying them as such. While radio or X-ray surveys typically reveal dozens of sources, recent compilations based on optical criteria alone have increased the number of BL Lac candidates considerably. However, these compilations are subject to biases and may contain a substantial number of contaminating sources. Aims: In this paper we extend our analysis of 182 optically selected BL Lac object candidates from the SDSS with respect to an earlier study. The main goal is to determine the number of bona fide BL Lac objects in this sample. Methods: We examine their variability characteristics, determine their broad-band radio-UV spectral energy distributions (SEDs), and search for the presence of a host galaxy. In addition we present new optical spectra for 27 targets with improved signal-to-noise ratio with respect to the SDSS spectra. Results: At least 59% of our targets have shown variability between SDSS DR2 and our observations by more than 0.1-0.27 mag depending on the telescope used. A host galaxy was detected in 36% of our targets. The host galaxy type and luminosities are consistent with earlier studies of BL Lac host galaxies. Simple fits to broad-band SEDs for 104 targets of our sample derived synchrotron peak frequencies between 13.5 ≤ log 10(νpeak) ≤ 16 with a peak at log 10 ~ 14.5. Our new optical spectra do not reveal any new redshift for any of our objects. Thus the sample contains a large number of bona fide BL Lac objects and seems to contain a substantial fraction of intermediate-frequency peaked BL Lacs. Based on observations collected with the NTT on La Silla (Chile) operated by the European Southern Observatory under proposal 082.B-0133.Based on observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA), operated jointly by the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias.Based on observations made with the Nordic Optical Telescope, operated on the island of La Palma jointly by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias.

A Study of the Stellar Population in Selected SO Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perez, M.; Danks, A.

1997-01-01

The goal of this program was to observe at least two SO galaxies with abnormal colors in the blue and clear optical signatures of dust and gas. The galaxies NGC 2217 and NGC 1808 were observed at least in one of the IUE cameras (1200-200 and 2000-3200 A) during the 13th episode, using the 4 US1 shifts assigned to this program. The galaxy NGC 2217 had been found to be part of a subgroup of SO galaxies with external gas rotating in retrograde motion with respect to the stars. This galaxy is a face-on object with indications of large amount of gas, quite rare for a SO galaxy. We observed this object on three different occasions with IUE at different positions of the large aperture (spacecraft roll angle) with respect to the nuclear region. These exposures allowed us to take full advantage of the spatial resolution of IUE by mapping nuclear and bulge region of this galaxy. We found that the data point to a marginally earlier stellar population toward the central region. The UV light as a whole is dominated by a late-type stellar population of principally G and K stars. The almost face-on view of this galaxy appears optically thick to UV light. It is conceivable that in analogy to out own Galaxy, the stellar populations weakly detected in NGC 2217, are mostly halo and late-type stars in the center with an increasing contribution of dust and early stellar populations (so far undetected) as we move outward along the faint spiral arms. This result is contrary to our initial expectation, since the counterrotating gas does not appear to be enhancing star formation in this galaxy. Even more interesting were the observations of NGC 1808; galaxy which has been classified, with a handful of other objects, both as a starburst and Seyfert galaxy. Attachment: 'The White-Dwarf Companions of 56 Persei and HR 3643.'

Detectability of cold streams into high-redshift galaxies by absorption lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goerdt, Tobias; Dekel, Avishai; Sternberg, Amiel; Gnat, Orly; Ceverino, Daniel

2012-08-01

Cold gas streaming along the dark matter filaments of the cosmic web is predicted to be the major source of fuel for disc buildup, violent disc instability and star formation in massive galaxies at high redshift. We investigate to what extent such cold gas is detectable in the extended circumgalactic environment of galaxies via Lyα absorption and selected low-ionization metal absorption lines. We model the expected absorption signatures using high-resolution zoom-in adaptive mesh refinement cosmological simulations. In the post-processing, we distinguish between self-shielded gas and unshielded gas. In the self-shielded gas, which is optically thick to Lyman continuum radiation, we assume pure collisional ionization for species with an ionization potential greater than 13.6 eV. In the optically-thin, unshielded gas, these species are also photoionized by the metagalactic radiation. In addition to absorption of radiation from background quasars, we compute the absorption line profiles of radiation emitted by the galaxy at the centre of the same halo. We predict the strength of the absorption signal for individual galaxies without stacking. We find that the Lyα absorption profiles produced by the streams are consistent with observations of absorption and emission Lyα profiles in high-redshift galaxies. Due to the low metallicities in the streams, and their low covering factors, the metal absorption features are weak and difficult to detect.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papastergis, Emmanouil

2013-03-01

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

Joint scaling properties of Sunyaev-Zel'dovich and optical richness observables in an optically-selected galaxy cluster sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greer, Christopher Holland

Galaxy cluster abundance measurements are an important tool used to study the universe as a whole. The advent of multiple large-area galaxy cluster surveys across multiple ensures that cluster measurements will play a key role in understanding the dark energy currently thought to be accelerating the universe. The main systematic limitation at the moment is the understanding of the observable-mass relation. Recent theoretical work has shown that combining samples of clusters from surveys at different wavelengths can mitigate this systematic limitation. Precise measurements of the scatter in the observable-mass relation can lead to further improvements. We present Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) observations of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) signal for 28 galaxy clusters selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) maxBCG catalog. This cluster sample represents a complete, volume-limited sample of the richest galaxy clusters in the SDSS between redshifts 0.2 ≥ z ≥ 0.3, as measured by the RedMaPPer algorithm being developed for the Dark Energy Survey (DES; Rykoff et al. 2012). We develop a formalism that uses the cluster abundance in tandem with the galaxy richness measurements from SDSS and the SZ signal measurements from CARMA to calibrate the SZ and optical observable-mass relations. We find that the scatter in richness at fixed mass is σlog λ| M = 0.24+0.09-0.07 using SZ signal calculated by integrating a cluster pressure profile to a radius of 1 Mpc at the redshift of the cluster. We also calculate the SZ signal at R500 and find that the choice of scaling relation used to determined R500 has a non-trivial effect on the constraints of the observable-mass relationship. Finally, we investigate the source of disagreement between the positions of the SZ signal and SDSS Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs). Improvements to the richness calculator that account for blue BCGs in the cores of cool-core X-ray clusters, as well as multiple BCGs in merger situations will help reduce σ log λ|M further. This work is the first independent calibration of the RedMaPPer algorithm that is being designed for the Dark Energy Survey.

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.

Lack of small-scale clustering in 21-cm intensity maps crossed with 2dF galaxy densities at z ~ 0.08

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Christopher; Luciw, Nicholas; Li, Yi-Chao; Kuo, Cheng-Yu; Yadav, Jaswant; Masui, Kiyoshi; Chang, Tzu-Ching; Chen, Xuelei; Oppermann, Niels; Pen, Ue-Li; Timbie, Peter T.

2017-06-01

I report results from 21-cm intensity maps acquired from the Parkes radio telescope and cross-correlated with galaxy maps from the 2dF galaxy survey. The data span the redshift range 0.057

A Slow Merger History of Field Galaxies since z ~ 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bundy, Kevin; Fukugita, Masataka; Ellis, Richard S.; Kodama, Tadayuki; Conselice, Christopher J.

2004-02-01

Using deep infrared observations conducted with the CISCO imager on the Subaru Telescope, we investigate the field-corrected pair fraction and the implied merger rate of galaxies in redshift survey fields with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging. In the redshift interval, 0.5

FRESH ACTIVITY IN OLD SYSTEMS: RADIO AGNs IN FOSSIL GROUPS OF GALAXIES

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

Hess, Kelley M.; Wilcots, Eric M.; Hartwick, Victoria L., E-mail: hess@ast.uct.ac.za, E-mail: ewilcots@astro.wisc.edu, E-mail: vhartwick@wisc.edu

2012-08-15

We present the first systematic 1.4 GHz Very Large Array radio continuum survey of fossil galaxy group candidates. These are virialized systems believed to have assembled over a gigayear in the past through the merging of galaxy group members into a single, isolated, massive elliptical galaxy and featuring an extended hot X-ray halo. We use new photometric and spectroscopic data from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 to determine that three of the candidates are clearly not fossil groups. Of the remaining 30 candidates, 67% contain a radio-loud (L{sub 1.4GHz} > 10{sup 23} W Hz{sup -1}) active galactic nucleusmore » (AGN) at the center of their dominant elliptical galaxy. We find a weak correlation between the radio luminosity of the AGN and the X-ray luminosity of the halo suggesting that the AGN contributes to energy deposition into the intragroup medium. We only find a correlation between the radio and optical luminosity of the central elliptical galaxy when we include X-ray-selected, elliptically dominated non-fossil groups, indicating a weak relationship between AGN strength and the mass assembly history of the groups. The dominant elliptical galaxy of fossil groups is on average roughly an order of magnitude more luminous than normal group elliptical galaxies in optical, X-ray, and radio luminosities and our findings are consistent with previous results that the radio-loud fraction in elliptical galaxies is linked to the stellar mass of a population. The current level of activity in fossil groups suggests that AGN fueling continues long after the last major merger. We discuss several possibilities for fueling the AGN at the present epoch.« less

THE AROMATIC FEATURES IN VERY FAINT DWARF GALAXIES

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

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

2011-04-01

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

Ages of Massive Galaxies at 0.5 > z > 2.0 from 3D-HST Rest-frame Optical Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fumagalli, Mattia; Franx, Marijn; van Dokkum, Pieter; Whitaker, Katherine E.; Skelton, Rosalind E.; Brammer, Gabriel; Nelson, Erica; Maseda, Michael; Momcheva, Ivelina; Kriek, Mariska; Labbé, Ivo; Lundgren, Britt; Rix, Hans-Walter

2016-05-01

We present low-resolution near-infrared stacked spectra from the 3D-HST survey up to z = 2.0 and fit them with commonly used stellar population synthesis models: BC03, FSPS10 (Flexible Stellar Population Synthesis), and FSPS-C3K. The accuracy of the grism redshifts allows the unambiguous detection of many emission and absorption features and thus a first systematic exploration of the rest-frame optical spectra of galaxies up to z = 2. We select massive galaxies ({log}({M}*/{M}⊙ )\\gt 10.8), we divide them into quiescent and star-forming via a rest-frame color-color technique, and we median-stack the samples in three redshift bins between z = 0.5 and z = 2.0. We find that stellar population models fit the observations well at wavelengths below the 6500 Å rest frame, but show systematic residuals at redder wavelengths. The FSPS-C3K model generally provides the best fits (evaluated with χ 2 red statistics) for quiescent galaxies, while BC03 performs the best for star-forming galaxies. The stellar ages of quiescent galaxies implied by the models, assuming solar metallicity, vary from 4 Gyr at z ˜ 0.75 to 1.5 Gyr at z ˜ 1.75, with an uncertainty of a factor of two caused by the unknown metallicity. On average, the stellar ages are half the age of the universe at these redshifts. We show that the inferred evolution of ages of quiescent galaxies is in agreement with fundamental plane measurements, assuming an 8 Gyr age for local galaxies. For star-forming galaxies, the inferred ages depend strongly on the stellar population model and the shape of the assumed star-formation history.

RCSED—A Value-added Reference Catalog of Spectral Energy Distributions of 800,299 Galaxies in 11 Ultraviolet, Optical, and Near-infrared Bands: Morphologies, Colors, Ionized Gas, and Stellar Population Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chilingarian, Igor V.; Zolotukhin, Ivan Yu.; Katkov, Ivan Yu.; Melchior, Anne-Laure; Rubtsov, Evgeniy V.; Grishin, Kirill A.

2017-02-01

We present RCSED, the value-added Reference Catalog of Spectral Energy Distributions of galaxies, which contains homogenized spectrophotometric data for 800,299 low- and intermediate-redshift galaxies (0.007< z< 0.6) selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectroscopic sample. Accessible from the Virtual Observatory (VO) and complemented with detailed information on galaxy properties obtained with state-of-the-art data analysis, RCSED enables direct studies of galaxy formation and evolution over the last 5 Gyr. We provide tabulated color transformations for galaxies of different morphologies and luminosities, and analytic expressions for the red sequence shape in different colors. RCSED comprises integrated k-corrected photometry in up to 11 ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared bands published by the GALEX, SDSS, and UKIDSS wide-field imaging surveys; results of the stellar population fitting of SDSS spectra including best-fitting templates, velocity dispersions, parameterized star formation histories, and stellar metallicities computed for instantaneous starburst and exponentially declining star formation models; parametric and non-parametric emission line fluxes and profiles; and gas phase metallicities. We link RCSED to the Galaxy Zoo morphological classification and galaxy bulge+disk decomposition results of Simard et al. We construct the color-magnitude, Faber-Jackson, and mass-metallicity relations; compare them with the literature; and discuss systematic errors of the galaxy properties presented in our catalog. RCSED is accessible from the project web site and via VO simple spectrum access and table access services using VO-compliant applications. We describe several examples of SQL queries to the database. Finally, we briefly discuss existing and future scientific applications of RCSED and prospective catalog extensions to higher redshifts and different wavelengths. .

Cosmological constraints from X-ray all sky surveys, from CODEX to eROSITA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finoguenov, A.

2017-10-01

Large area cluster cosmology has long become a multiwavelength discipline. Understanding the effect of various selections is currently the main path to improving on the validity of cluster cosmological results. Many of these results are based on the large area sample derived from RASS data. We perform wavelet detection of X-ray sources and make extensive simulations of the detection of clusters in the RASS data. We assign an optical richness to each of the 25,000 detected X-ray sources in the 10,000 square degrees of SDSS BOSS area. We show that there is no obvious separation of sources on galaxy clusters and AGN, based on distribution of systems on their richness. We conclude that previous catalogs, such as MACS, REFLEX are all subject to a complex optical selection function, in addition to an X-ray selection. We provide a complete model of identification of cluster counts are galaxy clusters, which includes chance identification, effect of AGN halo occupation distribution and the thermal emission of ICM. Finally we present the cosmological results obtained using this sample.

Galaxy masses in large surveys: Connecting luminous and dark matter with weak lensing and kinematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes, Reinabelle

2011-01-01

Galaxy masses are difficult to determine because light traces stars and gas in a non-trivial way, and does not trace dark matter, which extends well beyond the luminous regions of galaxies. In this thesis, I use the most direct probes of dark matter available---weak gravitational lensing and galaxy kinematics---to trace the total mass in galaxies (and galaxy clusters) in large surveys. In particular, I use the large, homogeneous dataset from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), which provides spectroscopic redshifts for a large sample of galaxies at z ≲ 0.2 and imaging data to a depth of r < 22. By combining complementary probes, I am able to obtain robust observational constraints that cannot be obtained from any single technique alone. First, I use weak lensing of galaxy clusters to derive an optimal optical tracer of cluster mass, which was found to be a combination of cluster richness and the luminosity of the brightest cluster galaxy. Next, I combine weak lensing of luminous red galaxies with redshift distortions and clustering measurements to derive a robust probe of gravity on cosmological scales. Finally, I combine weak lensing with the kinematics of disk galaxies to constrain the total mass profile over several orders of magnitude. I derive a minimal-scatter relation between disk velocity and stellar mass (also known as the Tully-Fisher relation) that can be used, by construction, on a similarly-selected lens sample. Then, I combine this relation with halo mass measurements from weak lensing to place constraints on the ratio of the optical to virial velocities, as well as the ratio of halo to stellar masses, both as a function of stellar mass. These results will serve as inputs to and constraints on disk galaxy formation models, which will be explored in future work.

a Snapshot Survey of X-Ray Selected Central Cluster Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edge, Alastair

1999-07-01

Central cluster galaxies are the most massive stellar systems known and have been used as standard candles for many decades. Only recently have central cluster galaxies been recognised to exhibit a wide variety of small scale {<100 pc} features that can only be reliably detected with HST resolution. The most intriguing of these are dust lanes which have been detected in many central cluster galaxies. Dust is not expected to survive long in the hostile cluster environment unless shielded by the ISM of a disk galaxy or very dense clouds of cold gas. WFPC2 snapshot images of a representative subset of the central cluster galaxies from an X-ray selected cluster sample would provide important constraints on the formation and evolution of dust in cluster cores that cannot be obtained from ground-based observations. In addition, these images will allow the AGN component, the frequency of multiple nuclei, and the amount of massive-star formation in central cluster galaxies to be ass es sed. The proposed HST observatio ns would also provide high-resolution images of previously unresolved gravitational arcs in the most massive clusters in our sample resulting in constraints on the shape of the gravitational potential of these systems. This project will complement our extensive multi-frequency work on this sample that includes optical spectroscopy and photometry, VLA and X-ray images for the majority of the 210 targets.

The Lyman Continuum Escape Fraction of Emission Line-selected z ∼ 2.5 Galaxies Is Less Than 15%

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

Rutkowski, Michael J.; Hayes, Matthew; Scarlata, Claudia

Recent work suggests that strong emission line, star-forming galaxies (SFGs) may be significant Lyman continuum leakers. We combine archival Hubble Space Telescope broadband ultraviolet and optical imaging (F275W and F606W, respectively) with emission line catalogs derived from WFC3 IR G141 grism spectroscopy to search for escaping Lyman continuum (LyC) emission from homogeneously selected z ∼ 2.5 SFGs. We detect no escaping Lyman continuum from SFGs selected on [O ii] nebular emission ( N = 208) and, within a narrow redshift range, on [O iii]/[O ii]. We measure 1 σ upper limits to the LyC escape fraction relative to the non-ionizingmore » UV continuum from [O ii] emitters, f {sub esc} ≲ 5.6%, and strong [O iii]/[O ii] > 5 ELGs, f {sub esc} ≲ 14.0%. Our observations are not deep enough to detect f {sub esc} ∼ 10% typical of low-redshift Lyman continuum emitters. However, we find that this population represents a small fraction of the star-forming galaxy population at z ∼ 2. Thus, unless the number of extreme emission line galaxies grows substantially to z ≳ 6, such galaxies may be insufficient for reionization. Deeper survey data in the rest-frame ionizing UV will be necessary to determine whether strong line ratios could be useful for pre-selecting LyC leakers at high redshift.« less

Extending ALFALFA in the Direction of the Pisces-Perseus Supercluster with the Arecibo L-Band Wide Receiver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Donoghue, Aileen A.; Haynes, Martha P.; Koopmann, Rebecca A.; Jones, Michael G.; Hallenbeck, Gregory L.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Hoffman, Lyle; Craig, David W.; Undergraduate ALFALFA Team

2017-01-01

We have completed three “Harvesting ALFALFA” Arecibo observing programs in the direction of the Pisces-Perseus Supercluster (PPS) since ALFALFA observations were finished in 2012. The first was to perform follow-up observations on high signal-to-noise (S/N > 6.5) ALFALFA detections needing confirmation and low S/N sources lacking optical counterparts. A few more high S/N objects were observed in the second program along with targets visually selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The third program included low S/N ALFALFA sources having optical counterparts with redshifts that were unknown or differed from the ALFALFA observations. It also included more galaxies selected from SDSS by eye and by Structured Query Language (SQL) searches with parameters intended to select galaxies at the distance of the PPS (~6,000 km/s). We used pointed basic Total-Power Position-Switched Observations in the 1340 - 1430 MHz ALFALFA frequency range. For sources of known redshift, we used the Wideband Arecibo Pulsar Processors (WAPP’s) , while for sources of unknown redshift we utilized a hybrid/dual bandwidth Doppler tracking mode using the Arecibo Interim 50-MHz Correlator with 9-level sampling.Results confirmed that a few high S/N ALFALFA sources are spurious as expected from the work of Saintonge (2007), low S/N ALFALA sources lacking an optical counterpart are all likely to be spurious, but low S/N sources with optical counterparts are generally reliable. Of the optically selected sources, about 80% were detected and tended to be near the distance of the PPS.This work has been supported by NSF grant AST-1211005.

Passive Thermal Compensation of the Optical Bench of the Galaxy Evolution Explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ford, Virginia; Parks, Rick; Coleman, Michelle

2004-01-01

The Galaxy Evolution Explorer is an orbiting space telescope that will collect information on star formation by observing galaxies and stars in ultraviolet wavelengths. The optical bench supporting detectors and related optical components used an interesting and unusual passive thermal compensation technique to accommodate thermally-induced focal length changes in the optical system. The proposed paper will describe the optical bench thermal compensation design including concept, analysis, assembly and testing results.

THE MULTI-WAVELENGTH EXTREME STARBURST SAMPLE OF LUMINOUS GALAXIES. I. SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS

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

Laag, Edward; Croft, Steve; Canalizo, Gabriela

2010-12-15

This paper introduces the Multi-wavelength Extreme Starburst Sample (MESS), a new catalog of 138 star-forming galaxies (0.1 < z < 0.3) optically selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey using emission line strength diagnostics to have a high absolute star formation rate (SFR; minimum 11 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1} with median SFR {approx} 61 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1} based on a Kroupa initial mass function). The MESS was designed to complement samples of nearby star-forming galaxies such as the luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) and ultraviolet luminous galaxies (UVLGs). Observations using the Multi-band Imaging Photometer (24, 70, and 160 {mu}m channels)more » on the Spitzer Space Telescope indicate that the MESS galaxies have IR luminosities similar to those of LIRGs, with an estimated median L{sub TIR} {approx} 3 x 10{sup 11} L{sub sun}. The selection criteria for the MESS objects suggest they may be less obscured than typical far-IR-selected galaxies with similar estimated SFRs. Twenty out of 70 of the MESS objects detected in the Galaxy Evolution Explorer FUV band also appear to be UVLGs. We estimate the SFRs based directly on luminosities to determine the agreement for these methods in the MESS. We compare these estimates to the emission line strength technique, since the effective measurement of dust attenuation plays a central role in these methods. We apply an image stacking technique to the Very Large Array FIRST survey radio data to retrieve 1.4 GHz luminosity information for 3/4 of the sample covered by FIRST including sources too faint, and at too high a redshift, to be detected in FIRST. We also discuss the relationship between the MESS objects and samples selected through alternative criteria. Morphologies will be the subject of a forthcoming paper.« less

The matter distribution in z ~ 0.5 redshift clusters of galaxies. II. The link between dark and visible matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soucail, G.; Foëx, G.; Pointecouteau, E.; Arnaud, M.; Limousin, M.

2015-09-01

We present an optical analysis of a sample of 11 clusters built from the EXCPRES sample of X-ray selected clusters at intermediate redshift (z ~ 0.5). With a careful selection of the background galaxies, we provide the mass maps reconstructed from the weak lensing by the clusters. We compare them with the light distribution traced by the early-type galaxies selected along the red sequence for each cluster. The strong correlations between dark matter and galaxy distributions are confirmed, although some discrepancies arise, mostly for merging or perturbed clusters. The average M/L ratio of the clusters is found to be M/Lr = 160 ± 60 in solar units (with no evolutionary correction), in excellent agreement with similar previous studies. No strong evolutionary effects are identified, although the small sample size reduces the significance of the result. We also provide a individual analysis of each cluster in the sample with a comparison between the dark matter, the galaxies, and the gas distributions. Some of the clusters are studied in the optical for the first time. Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgBased on observations obtained with MegaPrime/MegaCam, a joint project of CFHT and CEA/DAPNIA, at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) which is operated by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, the Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) of France, and the University of Hawaii. This research also used the facilities of the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre operated by the National Research Council of Canada with the support of the Canadian Space Agency. Also based on observations obtained with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and NASA.

SINFONI-HiZELS: the dynamics, merger rates and metallicity gradients of 'typical' star-forming galaxies at z = 0.8-2.2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molina, J.; Ibar, Edo; Swinbank, A. M.; Sobral, D.; Best, P. N.; Smail, I.; Escala, A.; Cirasuolo, M.

2017-04-01

We present adaptive optics (AO) assisted SINFONI integral field unit (IFU) spectroscopy of 11 Hα emitting galaxies selected from the High-Z Emission Line Survey (HiZELS). We obtain spatially resolved dynamics on ˜kpc-scales of star-forming galaxies [stellar mass M⋆ = 109.5 - 10.5 M⊙ and star formation rate (SFR) = 2-30 M⊙ yr-1] near the peak of the cosmic star formation rate history. Combining these observations with our previous SINFONI-HiZELS campaign, we construct a sample of 20 homogeneously selected galaxies with IFU AO-aided observations - the 'SHiZELS' survey, with roughly equal number of galaxies per redshift slice, at z = 0.8, 1.47 and 2.23. We measure the dynamics and identify the major kinematic axis by modelling their velocity fields to extract rotational curves and infer their inclination-corrected rotational velocities. We explore the stellar mass Tully-Fisher relationship, finding that galaxies with higher velocity dispersions tend to deviate from this relation. Using kinemetry analyses, we find that galaxy interactions might be the dominant mechanism controlling the star formation activity at z = 2.23 but they become gradually less important down to z = 0.8. Metallicity gradients derived from the [N II]/Hα emission line ratio show a median negative gradient for the SHiZELS survey of Δlog(O/H)/ΔR = -0.026 ± 0.008 dex kpc-1. We find that metal-rich galaxies tend to show negative gradients, whereas metal-poor galaxies tend to exhibit positive metallicity gradients. This result suggests that the accretion of pristine gas in the periphery of galaxies plays an important role in replenishing the gas in 'typical' star-forming galaxies.

CONNECTING GRBs AND ULIRGs: A SENSITIVE, UNBIASED SURVEY FOR RADIO EMISSION FROM GAMMA-RAY BURST HOST GALAXIES AT 0 < z < 2.5

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

Perley, D. A.; Perley, R. A.; Hjorth, J.

2015-03-10

Luminous infrared galaxies and submillimeter galaxies contribute significantly to stellar mass assembly and provide an important test of the connection between the gamma-ray burst (GRB) rate and that of overall cosmic star formation. We present sensitive 3 GHz radio observations using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array of 32 uniformly selected GRB host galaxies spanning a redshift range from 0 < z < 2.5, providing the first fully dust- and sample-unbiased measurement of the fraction of GRBs originating from the universe's most bolometrically luminous galaxies. Four galaxies are detected, with inferred radio star formation rates (SFRs) ranging between 50 and 300 Mmore » {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}. Three of the four detections correspond to events consistent with being optically obscured 'dark' bursts. Our overall detection fraction implies that between 9% and 23% of GRBs between 0.5 < z < 2.5 occur in galaxies with S {sub 3GHz} > 10 μJy, corresponding to SFR > 50 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} at z ∼ 1 or >250 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} at z ∼ 2. Similar galaxies contribute approximately 10%-30% of all cosmic star formation, so our results are consistent with a GRB rate that is not strongly biased with respect to the total SFR of a galaxy. However, all four radio-detected hosts have stellar masses significantly lower than IR/submillimeter-selected field galaxies of similar luminosities. We suggest that the GRB rate may be suppressed in metal-rich environments but independently enhanced in intense starbursts, producing a strong efficiency dependence on mass but little net dependence on bulk galaxy SFR.« less

Classifying the Optical Morphology of Shocked POststarburst Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Tess; SPOGs Team

2018-01-01

The Shocked POststarburst Galaxy Survey (SPOGS) is a sample of galaxies in transition from blue, star forming spirals to red, inactive ellipticals. These galaxies are earlier in the transition than classical poststarburst samples. We have classified the physical characteristics of the full sample of 1067 SPOGs in 7 categories, covering (1) their shape; (2) the relative prominence of their nuclei; (3) the uniformity of their optical color; (4) whether the outskirts of the galaxy were indicative of on-going star formation; (5) whether they are engaged in interactions with other galaxies, and if so, (6) the kinds of galaxies with which they are interacting; and (7) the presence of asymmetrical features, possibly indicative of recent interactions. We determined that a plurality of SPOGs are in elliptical galaxies, indicating morphological transformations may tend to conclude before other indicators of transitions have faded. Further, early-type SPOGs also tend to have the brightest optical nuclei. Most galaxies do not show signs of current or recent interactions. We used these classifications to search for correlations between qualitative and quantitative characteristics of SPOGs using Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer magnitudes. We find that relative optical nuclear brightness is not a good indicator of the presence of an active galactic nuclei and that galaxies with visible indications of active star formation also cluster in optical color and diagnostic line ratios.

A neutral hydrogen survey of the Hydra 1 cluster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcmahon, Pauline; Vangorkom, Jacqueline; Richter, Otto; Ferguson, Henry

1993-01-01

We are undertaking a project to image the entire volume of the Hydra 1 cluster of galaxies in neutral hydrogen using the VLA. This involves making a series of pointings spaced 30 min. (the half power beam width) apart, each observed at three velocity settings in order to span the whole velocity range of the cluster. The purpose of this survey is to determine the true distribution, both in space and velocity, of gas-rich systems and hence, to deduce what effects a dense environment may have on the evolution of these systems. Most surveys of clusters to date have been performed on optically selected samples. However, optically selected samples may provide misleading views of the distribution of gas-rich systems, since many low surface brightness galaxies have an abundance of neutral gas (Bothun et al. 1987, Giovanelli & Haynes 1989). The Hydra project is providing the first unbiased view of the HI distribution in a cluster of galaxies. Our 5 sigma sensitivity is 4.1 x 10(exp 7) solar M/beam, (assuming H(sub 0) = 75 km s(exp -1) Mpc(exp -1)) and our velocity resolution is 42 km s(exp -1). We have a spatial resolution of 45 sec., which means that only the largest galaxies are spatially resolved enough to determine HI disk size. Our coverage is about 50 percent of the central region plus eight other fields centered on bright spirals within about 2 deg. of the center.

THE SPECTRALLY RESOLVED Lyα EMISSION OF THREE Lyα-SELECTED FIELD GALAXIES AT z ∼ 2.4 FROM THE HETDEX PILOT SURVEY

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

Chonis, Taylor S.; Finkelstein, Steven L.; Gebhardt, Karl

2013-10-01

We present new results on the spectrally resolved Lyα emission of three Lyα-emitting field galaxies at z ∼ 2.4 with high Lyα equivalent width (>100 Å) and Lyα luminosity (∼10{sup 43} erg s{sup –1}). At 120 km s{sup –1} (FWHM) spectral resolution, the prominent double-peaked Lyα profile straddles the systemic velocity, where the velocity zero point is determined from spectroscopy of the galaxies' rest-frame optical nebular emission lines. The average velocity offset from systemic of the stronger redshifted emission component for our sample is 176 km s{sup –1} while the average total separation between the redshifted and main blueshifted emissionmore » components is 380 km s{sup –1}. These measurements are a factor of ∼2 smaller than for UV-continuum-selected galaxies that show Lyα in emission with lower Lyα equivalent widths. We compare our Lyα spectra to the predicted line profiles of a spherical 'expanding shell' Lyα radiative transfer grid that models large-scale galaxy outflows. Specifically, blueward of the systemic velocity where two galaxies show a weak, highly blueshifted (by ∼1000 km s{sup –1}) tertiary emission peak, the model line profiles are a relatively poor representation of the observed spectra. Since the neutral gas column density has a dominant influence over the shape of the Lyα line profile, we caution against equating the observed Lyα velocity offset with a physical outflow velocity, especially at lower spectral resolution where the unresolved Lyα velocity offset is a convoluted function of several degenerate parameters. Referring to rest-frame ultraviolet and optical Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we find that galaxy-galaxy interactions may play an important role in inducing a starburst that results in copious Lyα emission as well as perturbing the gas distribution and velocity field, both of which have strong influence over the Lyα emission line profile.« less

A Search for Low-Luminosity BL Lacertae Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rector, Travis A.; Stocke, John T.; Perlman, Eric S.

1999-05-01

Many properties of BL Lacs have become explicable in terms of the ``relativistic beaming'' hypothesis, whereby BL Lacs are FR 1 radio galaxies viewed nearly along the jet axis. However, a possible problem with this model is that a transition population between beamed BL Lacs and unbeamed FR 1 galaxies has not been detected. A transition population of ``low-luminosity BL Lacs'' was predicted to exist in abundance in X-ray-selected samples such as the Einstein Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey (EMSS) by Browne & Marcha. However, these BL Lacs may have been misidentified as clusters of galaxies. We have conducted a search for such objects in the EMSS with the ROSAT High-Resolution Imager (HRI) here we present ROSAT HRI images, optical spectra, and VLA radio maps for a small number of BL Lacs that were previously misidentified in the EMSS catalog as clusters of galaxies. While these objects are slightly lower in luminosity than other EMSS BL Lacs, their properties are too similar to the other BL Lacs in the EMSS sample to ``bridge the gap'' between BL Lacs and FR 1 radio galaxies. Also, the number of new BL Lacs found is too low to alter significantly the X-ray luminosity function or value for the X-ray-selected EMSS BL Lac sample. Thus, these observations do not explain fully the discrepancy between the X-ray- and radio-selected BL Lac samples.

The Coma Cluster Luminosity Function from Ultraviolet to Near-Infrared

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andreon, S.; Cuillandre, J.-C.; Pello, R.

The Coma cluster luminosity function (LF) from ultraviolet (2000 AA ) to the near-infrared (H band) is summarized. In the UV the LF is very steep, much steeper than in the optical. The steep Coma UV LF implies that faint and bright galaxies give similar contributions to the total UV flux and to the total metal production rate. The ComaUV LF is dominated in number and luminosity by blue galaxies, which are often faint in the optical. Therefore the Coma UV LF is dominated by star forming galaxies, not by massive and large galaxies. The optical Coma LF is relatively steep (alpha=-1.4) over the 11 magnitudes sampled, but its slope and shape depend on considered filter and magnitude. We found a clear steeping of the FL going from B to R bands, indicative of the presence of a large number of red dwarfs, as faint as three bright globular clusters. Furthermore, using Hubble Space Telescope images, we discover that blends of globular clusters, not resolved in individual components due to seeing, look like dwarf galaxies when observed from the ground and are numerous and bright. The existence of these fake extended sources increases the steepness of the LF at faint magnitudes, if not deal on. This concern affects previous deep probing of the luminosity function, but not the present work. The near-infrared LF wa s computed on a near-infrared selected sample of galaxies which photometry is complete down to the typical dwarf (M* +5) luminosity. The Coma LF can be described by a Schechter function with intermediate slope (alpha sim-1.3), plus a dip at MH~-22 mag. The shape of the Coma LF in H band is quite similar to th e one found in the B band. The similarity of the LF in the optical and H bands implies that in the central region of Coma there is no new population of galaxies which is too faint to be observed in the optical band (because dust enshrouded, for instance), down to the magnitudes of dwarfs. The exponential cut of the LF at the bright end is in good agreement with the one derived from shallower near-infrared samples o f galaxies, both in clusters and in the field. The faint end of the LF, reaching MH~-19 mag (roughly MB~ -15), is steep, but less than previously suggested from shallower near-infrared observations of an adjacent region in the Coma cluster.

The Strong Gravitationally Lensed Herschel Galaxy HLock01: Optical Spectroscopy Reveals a Close Galaxy Merger with Evidence of Inflowing Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marques-Chaves, Rui; Pérez-Fournon, Ismael; Gavazzi, Raphael; Martínez-Navajas, Paloma I.; Riechers, Dominik; Rigopoulou, Dimitra; Cabrera-Lavers, Antonio; Clements, David L.; Cooray, Asantha; Farrah, Duncan; Ivison, Rob J.; Jiménez-Ángel, Camilo E.; Nayyeri, Hooshang; Oliver, Seb; Omont, Alain; Scott, Douglas; Shu, Yiping; Wardlow, Julie

2018-02-01

The submillimeter galaxy (SMG) HERMES J105751.1+573027 (hereafter HLock01) at z = 2.9574 ± 0.0001 is one of the brightest gravitationally lensed sources discovered in the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey. Apart from the high flux densities in the far-infrared, it is also extremely bright in the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV), with a total apparent magnitude m UV ≃ 19.7 mag. We report here deep spectroscopic observations with the Gran Telescopio Canarias of the optically bright lensed images of HLock01. Our results suggest that HLock01 is a merger system composed of the Herschel-selected SMG and an optically bright Lyman break-like galaxy (LBG), separated by only 3.3 kpc in projection. While the SMG appears very massive (M * ≃ 5 × 1011 M ⊙), with a highly extinguished stellar component (A V ≃ 4.3 ), the LBG is a young, lower-mass (M * ≃ 1 × 1010 M ⊙), but still luminous (10× {L}UV}* ) satellite galaxy. Detailed analysis of the high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) rest-frame UV spectrum of the LBG shows complex kinematics of the gas, exhibiting both blueshifted and redshifted absorption components. While the blueshifted component is associated with strong galactic outflows from the massive stars in the LBG, as is common in most star-forming galaxies, the redshifted component may be associated with gas inflow seen along a favorable sightline to the LBG. We also find evidence of an extended gas reservoir around HLock01 at an impact parameter of 110 kpc, through the detection of C II λλ1334 absorption in the red wing of a bright Lyα emitter at z ≃ 3.327. The data presented here highlight the power of gravitational lensing in high S/N studies to probe deeply into the physics of high-z star-forming galaxies.

Interstellar matter in Shapley-Ames elliptical galaxies. II. The distribution of dust and ionized gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goudfrooij, P.; Hansen, L.; Jorgensen, H. E.; Norgaard-Nielsen, H. U.

1994-06-01

We present results of deep optical CCD imaging for a complete, optical magnitude-limited sample of 56 elliptical galaxies from the RSA catalog. For each galaxy we have obtained broad-band images (in B, V, and I) and narrow-band images using interference filters isolating the Hα+[NII] emission lines to derive the amount and morphology of dust and ionized gas. Detailed consideration of systematic errors due to effects of sky background subtraction and removal of stellar continuum light from the narrow-band images is described. The flux calibration of the narrow-band images is performed by deconvolving actually measured spectral energy distributions with the filter transmission curves. We also present optical long-slit spectroscopy to determine the [NII]/Hα intensity ratio of the ionized gas. Dust lanes and/or patches have been detected in 23 galaxies (41%) from this sample using both colour-index images and division by purely elliptical model images. We achieved a detection limit for dust absorption of A_B_~0.02. Accounting for selection effects, the true fraction of elliptical galaxies containing dust is estimated to be of order 80%. This detection rate is comparable to that of the IRAS satellite, and significantly larger than results of previous optical studies. Ionized gas has been detected in 32 galaxies (57%). The spectroscopic data confirm the presence and distribution of ionized gas as seen in the direct imaging. All elliptical galaxies in our sample in which a number of emission lines is detected show very similar emission-line intensity ratios, which are typical of LINER nuclei. The amounts of detectable dust and ionized gas are generally small--of order 10^4^-10^5^Msun_ of dust and 10^3^-10^4^Msun_ of ionized gas. The dust and ionized gas show a wide variety of distributions-extended along either the apparent major axis, or the minor axis, or a skewed axis, indicating that triaxiality is in general required as a galaxy figure. In some cases (NGC 1275, NGC 2325, NGC 3136, NGC 3962, NGC 4696, NGC 5018, NGC 5044, NGC 5813, IC 1459) the interstellar matter has a patchy or filamentary distribution, suggestive of a recent interaction event. The distributions of dust and ionized gas are consistent with being physically associated with each other.

SHARDS: A Global View of the Star Formation Activity at z ~ 0.84 and z ~ 1.23

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cava, Antonio; Pérez-González, Pablo G.; Eliche-Moral, M. Carmen; Ricciardelli, Elena; Vidal-García, Alba; Alcalde Pampliega, Belen; Alonso-Herrero, Almudena; Barro, Guillermo; Cardiel, Nicolas; Cenarro, A. Javier; Charlot, Stephane; Daddi, Emanuele; Dessauges-Zavadsky, Miroslava; Domínguez Sánchez, Helena; Espino-Briones, Nestor; Esquej, Pilar; Gallego, Jesus; Hernán-Caballero, Antonio; Huertas-Company, Marc; Koekemoer, Anton M.; Muñoz-Tunon, Casiana; Rodriguez-Espinosa, Jose M.; Rodríguez-Muñoz, Lucia; Tresse, Laurence; Villar, Victor

2015-10-01

In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at intermediate redshifts (z ˜ 1). We combine the ultra-deep optical spectro-photometric data from the Survey for High-z Absorption Red and Dead Sources (SHARDS) with deep UV-to-FIR observations in the GOODS-N field. Exploiting two of the 25 SHARDS medium-band filters, F687W17 and F823W17, we select [O ii] emission line galaxies at z ˜ 0.84 and z ˜ 1.23 and characterize their physical properties. Their rest-frame equivalent widths (EWrf([O ii])), line fluxes, luminosities, star formation rates (SFRs), and dust attenuation properties are investigated. The evolution of EWrf([O ii]) closely follows the SFR density evolution of the universe, with a trend of EWrf([O ii]) \\propto (1 + z)3 up to redshift z ≃ 1, followed by a possible flattening. The SF properties of the galaxies selected on the basis of their [O ii] emission are compared with complementary samples of SFGs selected by their MIR and FIR emission, and also with a general mass-selected sample of galaxies at the same redshifts. We demonstrate observationally that the UVJ diagram (or, similarly, a cut in the specific SFR) is only partially able to distinguish the quiescent galaxies from the SFGs. The SFR-M* relation is investigated for the different samples, yielding a logarithmic slope ˜1, in good agreement with previous results. The dust attenuations derived from different SFR indicators (UV(1600), UV(2800), [O ii], IR) are compared and show clear trends with respect to both the stellar mass and total SFR, with more massive and highly star-forming galaxies being affected by stronger dust attenuation.

Measuring the scatter in the cluster optical richness-mass relation with machine learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boada, Steven Alvaro

The distribution of massive clusters of galaxies depends strongly on the total cosmic mass density, the mass variance, and the dark energy equation of state. As such, measures of galaxy clusters can provide constraints on these parameters and even test models of gravity, but only if observations of clusters can lead to accurate estimates of their total masses. Here, we carry out a study to investigate the ability of a blind spectroscopic survey to recover accurate galaxy cluster masses through their line-of- sight velocity dispersions (LOSVD) using probability based and machine learning methods. We focus on the Hobby Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), which will employ new Visible Integral-Field Replicable Unit Spectrographs (VIRUS), over 420 degree2 on the sky with a 1/4.5 fill factor. VIRUS covers the blue/optical portion of the spectrum (3500 - 5500 A), allowing surveys to measure redshifts for a large sample of galaxies out to z < 0.5 based on their absorption or emission (e.g., [O II], Mg II, Ne V) features. We use a detailed mock galaxy catalog from a semi-analytic model to simulate surveys observed with VIRUS, including: (1) Survey, a blind, HETDEX-like survey with an incomplete but uniform spectroscopic selection function; and (2) Targeted, a survey which targets clusters directly, obtaining spectra of all galaxies in a VIRUS-sized field. For both surveys, we include realistic uncertainties from galaxy magnitude and line-flux limits. We benchmark both surveys against spectroscopic observations with perfect" knowledge of galaxy line-of-sight velocities. With Survey observations, we can recover cluster masses to ˜ 0.1 dex which can be further improved to < 0.1 dex with Targeted observations. This level of cluster mass recovery provides important measurements of the intrinsic scatter in the optical richness-cluster mass relation, and enables constraints on the key cosmological parameter, sigma 8, to < 20%. As a demonstration of the methods developed previously, we present a pilot survey with integral field spectroscopy of ten galaxy clusters optically selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey's DR8 at z = 0.2 - 0.3. Eight of the clusters are rich (lambda > 60) systems with total inferred masses (1.58 -17.37) x1014 M (M 200c), and two are poor (lambda < 15) systems with inferred total masses ˜ 0.5 x 1014 M? (M200c ). We use the Mitchell Spectrograph, (formerly the VIRUS-P spectrograph, a prototype of the HETDEX VIRUS instrument) located on the McDonald Observatory 2.7m telescope, to measure spectroscopic redshifts and line-of-sight velocities of the galaxies in and around each cluster, determine cluster membership and derive LOSVDs. We test both a LOSVD-cluster mass scaling relation and a machine learning based approach to infer total cluster mass. After comparing the cluster mass estimates to the literature, we use these independent cluster mass measurements to estimate the absolute cluster mass scale, and intrinsic scatter in the optical richness-mass relationship. We measure the intrinsic scatter in richness at fixed cluster mass to be sigmaM/lambda = 0.27 +/- 0.07 dex in excellent agreement with previous estimates of sigmaM/lambda ˜ 0.2 - 0.3 dex. We discuss the importance of the data used to train the machine learning methods and suggest various strategies to import the accuracy of the bias (offset) and scatter in the optical richness-cluster mass relation. This demonstrates the power of blind spectroscopic surveys such as HETDEX to provide robust cluster mass estimates which can aid in the determination of cosmological parameters and help to calibrate the observable-mass relation for future photometric large area-sky surveys.

Infrared images of distant 3C radio galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eisenhardt, Peter; Chokshi, Arati

1990-01-01

J (1.2-micron) and K (2.2 micron) images have been obtained for eight 3CR radio galaxies with redshifts from 0.7 to 1.8. Most of the objects were known to have extended asymmetric optical continuum or line emission aligned with the radio lobe axis. In general, the IR morphologies of these galaxies are just as peculiar as their optical morphologies. For all the galaxies, when asymmetric structure is present in the optical, structure with the same orientation is seen in the IR and must be accounted for in any model to explain the alignment of optical and radio emission.

Physical properties of z ~ 4 LBGs: differences between galaxies with and without Lyα emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pentericci, L.; Grazian, A.; Fontana, A.; Salimbeni, S.; Santini, P.; de Santis, C.; Gallozzi, S.; Giallongo, E.

2007-08-01

Aims:We analysed the physical properties of z ˜4 Lyman Break Galaxies observed in the GOODS-S survey, in order to investigate possible differences between galaxies where the Lyα is present in emission, and those where the line is absent or in absorption. Methods: The objects were selected from their optical color and then spectroscopically confirmed by Vanzella et al. (2005). From the public spectra we assessed the nature of the Lyα emission and divided the sample into galaxies with Lyα in emission and objects without a Lyα line (i.e. either absent or in absorption). We then used complete photometry, from U band to mid-infrared from the GOODS-MUSIC database, to study the observational properties of the galaxies, such as UV spectral slopes and optical to mid-infrared colors, and the possible differences between the two samples. Lastly, we used standard spectral fitting techniques to determine the physical properties of the galaxies, such as total stellar mass, stellar ages and so on, and again we looked at the possible differences between the two samples. Results: Our results indicate that LBG with Lyα in emission are on average a much younger and less massive population than the LBGs without Lyα emission. Both populations are forming stars very actively and are relatively dust free, although those with line emission seem to be even less dusty on average. We briefly discuss these results in the context of recent models for the evolution of Lyman break galaxies and Lyα emitters.

A Widespread, Clumpy Starburst in the Isolated Ongoing Dwarf Galaxy Merger dm1647+21

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

Privon, G. C.; Stierwalt, S.; Johnson, K. E.

Interactions between pairs of isolated dwarf galaxies provide a critical window into low-mass hierarchical, gas-dominated galaxy assembly and the build-up of stellar mass in low-metallicity systems. We present the first Very Large Telescope/Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (VLT/MUSE) optical integral field unit (IFU) observations of the interacting dwarf pair dm1647+21 selected from the TiNy Titans survey. The H α emission is widespread and corresponds to a total unobscured star formation rate (SFR) of 0.44 M {sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}, which is 2.7 times higher than the SFR inferred from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data. The implied specific SFR (sSFR) formore » the system is elevated by more than an order of magnitude above non-interacting dwarfs in the same mass range. This increase is dominated by the lower-mass galaxy, which has a sSFR enhancement of >50. Examining the spatially resolved maps of classic optical line diagnostics, we find that the interstellar medium (ISM) excitation can be fully explained by star formation. The velocity field of the ionized gas is not consistent with simple rotation. Dynamical simulations indicate that the irregular velocity field and the stellar structure is consistent with the identification of this system as an ongoing interaction between two dwarf galaxies. The widespread, clumpy enhancements in the star formation in this system point to important differences in the effect of mergers on dwarf galaxies, compared to massive galaxies; rather than the funneling of gas to the nucleus and giving rise to a nuclear starburst, starbursts in low-mass galaxy mergers may be triggered by large-scale ISM compression, and thus may be more distributed.« less

Deep Spitzer/IRAC Imaging of the Subaru Deep Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Linhua; Egami, Eiichi; Cohen, Seth; Fan, Xiaohui; Ly, Chun; Mechtley, Matthew; Windhorst, Rogier

2013-10-01

The last decade saw great progress in our understanding of the distant Universe as a number of objects at z > 6 were discovered. The Subaru Deep Field (SDF) project has played an important role on study of high-z galaxies. The SDF is unique: it covers a large area of 850 sq arcmin; it has extremely deep optical images in a series of broad and narrow bands; it has the largest sample of spectroscopically-confirmed galaxies known at z >= 6, including ~100 Lyman alpha emitters (LAEs) and ~50 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs). Here we propose to carry out deep IRAC imaging observations of the central 75% of the SDF. The proposed observations together with those from our previous Spitzer programs will reach a depth of ~10 hours, and enable the first complete census of physical properties and stellar populations of spectroscopically-confirmed galaxies at the end of cosmic reionization. IRAC data is the key to measure stellar masses and constrain stellar populations in high-z galaxies. From SED modeling with secure redshifts, we will characterize the physical properties of these galaxies, and trace their mass assembly and star formation history. In particular, it allows us, for the first time, to study stellar populations in a large sample of z >=6 LAEs. We will also address some critical questions, such as whether LAEs and LBGs represent physically different galaxy populations. All these will help us to understand the earliest galaxy formation and evolution, and better constrain the galaxy contribution to reionization. The IRAC data will also cover 10,000 emission-line selected galaxies at z < 1.5, 50,000 UV and mass selected LBGs at 1.5 < z < 3, and more than 5,000 LBGs at 3 < z < 6. It will have a legacy value for SDF-related programs.

SHARDS: constraints on the dust attenuation law of star-forming galaxies at z ˜ 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tress, Mónica; Mármol-Queraltó, Esther; Ferreras, Ignacio; Pérez-González, Pablo G.; Barro, Guillermo; Pampliega, Belén Alcalde; Cava, Antonio; Domínguez-Sánchez, Helena; Eliche-Moral, Carmen; Espino-Briones, Néstor; Esquej, Pilar; Hernán-Caballero, Antonio; Rodighiero, Giulia; Rodriguez-Muñoz, Lucía

2018-04-01

We make use of the Survey of High-z Absorption Red and Dead Sources, an ultradeep (<26.5AB) galaxy survey that provides optical photospectra at resolution R ˜ 50, via medium-band filters (FWHM ˜ 150 Å). This data set is combined with ancillary optical and NIR fluxes to constrain the dust attenuation law in the rest-frame NUV region of star-forming galaxies within the redshift window 1.5 < z < 3. We focus on the NUV bump strength (B) and the total-to-selective extinction ratio (RV), targeting a sample of 1753 galaxies. By comparing the data with a set of population synthesis models coupled to a parametric dust attenuation law, we constrain RV and B, as well as the colour excess, E(B - V). We find a correlation between RV and B, which can be interpreted either as a result of the grain size distribution, or a variation of the dust geometry among galaxies. According to the former, small dust grains are associated with a stronger NUV bump. The latter would lead to a range of clumpiness in the distribution of dust within the interstellar medium of star-forming galaxies. The observed wide range of NUV bump strengths can lead to a systematic in the interpretation of the UV slope β typically used to characterize the dust content. In this study, we quantify these variations, concluding that the effects are Δβ ˜ 0.4.

A catalogue of faint local radio AGN and the properties of their host galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lofthouse, E. K.; Kaviraj, S.; Smith, D. JB; Hardcastle, M. J.

2018-05-01

We present a catalogue of local (z < 0.1) galaxies that contain faint AGN. We select these objects by identifying galaxies that exhibit a significant excess in their radio luminosities, compared to what is expected from the observed levels of star-formation activity in these systems. This is achieved by comparing the optical (spectroscopic) star formation rate (SFR) to the 1.4 GHz luminosity measured from the FIRST survey. The majority of the AGN identified in this study are fainter than those in previous work, such as in the Best and Heckman (2012) catalogue. We show that these faint AGN make a non-negligible contribution to the radio luminosity function at low luminosities (below 1022.5 W Hz-1), and host ˜13 per cent of the local radio luminosity budget. Their host galaxies are predominantly high stellar-mass systems (with a median stellar mass of 1011M⊙), are found across a range of environments (but typically in denser environments than star-forming galaxies) and have early-type morphologies. This study demonstrates a general technique to identify AGN in galaxy populations where reliable optical SFRs can be extracted using spectro-photometry and where radio data are also available so that a radio excess can be measured. Our results also demonstrate that it is unsafe to infer SFRs from radio emission alone, even if bright AGN have been excluded from a sample, since there is a significant population of faint radio AGN which may contaminate the radio-derived SFRs.

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.;

The Mass, Color, and Structural Evolution of Today’s Massive Galaxies Since z ˜ 5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, Allison R.; Muzzin, Adam; Franx, Marijn; Clauwens, Bart; Schreiber, Corentin; Marchesini, Danilo; Stefanon, Mauro; Labbe, Ivo; Brammer, Gabriel; Caputi, Karina; Fynbo, Johan; Milvang-Jensen, Bo; Skelton, Rosalind E.; van Dokkum, Pieter; Whitaker, Katherine E.

2017-03-01

In this paper, we use stacking analysis to trace the mass growth, color evolution, and structural evolution of present-day massive galaxies ({log}({M}* /{M}⊙ )=11.5) out to z = 5. We utilize the exceptional depth and area of the latest UltraVISTA data release, combined with the depth and unparalleled seeing of CANDELS to gather a large, mass-selected sample of galaxies in the NIR (rest-frame optical to UV). Progenitors of present-day massive galaxies are identified via an evolving cumulative number density selection, which accounts for the effects of merging to correct for the systematic biases introduced using a fixed cumulative number density selection, and find progenitors grow in stellar mass by ≈ 1.5 {dex} since z = 5. Using stacking, we analyze the structural parameters of the progenitors and find that most of the stellar mass content in the central regions was in place by z˜ 2, and while galaxies continue to assemble mass at all radii, the outskirts experience the largest fractional increase in stellar mass. However, we find evidence of significant stellar mass build-up at r< 3 {kpc} beyond z> 4 probing an era of significant mass assembly in the interiors of present-day massive galaxies. We also compare mass assembly from progenitors in this study to the EAGLE simulation and find qualitatively similar assembly with z at r< 3 {kpc}. We identify z˜ 1.5 as a distinct epoch in the evolution of massive galaxies where progenitors transitioned from growing in mass and size primarily through in situ star formation in disks to a period of efficient growth in r e consistent with the minor merger scenario.

Violent Tidal Disruptions of Atomic Hydrogen Gas in Quasar Host Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Jeremy; Ho, Paul T. P.

1999-01-01

Violent galactic encounters or mergers are the leading contenders for triggering luminous quasar activity at low redshifts: such interactions can lead to the concentration of gas in the host galactic nucleus, thus fueling the suspected central supermassive black hole. Although optical images show a number of violently interacting systems, in many cases, the evidence for such interactions is only circumstantial (e.g., asymmetric optical morphologies, projected nearby companion galaxies) or not at all apparent. Here we image quasar host galaxies for the first time in the redshifted 21 cm line emission of neutral atomic hydrogen (H I) gas, which, in nearby galaxies, has proved to be a particularly sensitive as well as enduring tracer of tidal interactions. The three quasars studied have different optical environments that are normally seen around low-redshift quasars, ranging from a perhaps mildly interacting system to a relatively undisturbed host with a projected neighboring galaxy to an isolated and apparently serene host galaxy. By contrast with their optical appearances, all three quasar host galaxies exhibit ongoing or remnant tidal H I disruptions tracing galactic encounters or mergers. These observations demonstrate the utility of H I at revealing tidal interactions in quasar host galaxies and, combined with optical studies, provide a fuller understanding of the likely stage of the interaction.

A classification of the galaxy groups

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anosova, Joanna P.

1990-01-01

A statistical criterion has been proposed to reveal the random and physical clusterings among stars, galaxies and other objects. This criterion has been applied to the galaxy triples of the list by Karachentseva, Karaschentsev and Scherbanovsky, and the double galaxies of the list by Dahari where the primary components are the Seyfert galaxies. The confident physical, probable physical, probable optical and confident optical groups have been identified. The limit difference of radial velocities of components for the confident physical multiple galaxies has also been estimated.

Host Galaxy Properties of SWIFT Hard X-ray Selected AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael; Mushotzky, R.; Veilleux, S.; Winter, L.

2010-01-01

Surveys of AGN taken in the optical, UV, and soft X-rays miss an important population of obscured AGN only visible in the hard X-rays and mid-IR wavelengths. The SWIFT BAT survey in the hard X-ray range (14-195 keV) has provided a uniquely unbiased sample of 258 AGN unaffected by galactic or circumnuclear absorption. Optical imaging of this unbiased sample provides a new opportunity to understand how the environments of the host galaxies are linked to AGN. In 2008, we observed 110 of these targets at Kitt Peak with the 2.1m in the SDSS ugriz bands over 17 nights. Using these observations and SDSS data we review the relationships between color, morphology, merger activity, star formation, and AGN luminosity.

Long-Duration Gamma-Ray Burst Host Galaxies in Emission and Absorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perley, Daniel A.; Niino, Yuu; Tanvir, Nial R.; Vergani, Susanna D.; Fynbo, Johan P. U.

2016-12-01

The galaxy population hosting long-duration GRBs provides a means to constrain the progenitor and an opportunity to use these violent explosions to characterize the nature of the high-redshift universe. Studies of GRB host galaxies in emission reveal a population of star-forming galaxies with great diversity, spanning a wide range of masses, metallicities, and redshifts. However, as a population GRB hosts are significantly less massive and poorer in metals than the hosts of other core-collapse transients, suggesting that GRB production is only efficient at metallicities significantly below Solar. GRBs may also prefer compact galaxies, and dense and/or central regions of galaxies, more than other types of core-collapse explosion. Meanwhile, studies of hosts in absorption against the luminous GRB optical afterglow provide a unique means of unveiling properties of the ISM in even the faintest and most distant galaxies; these observations are helping to constrain the chemical evolution of galaxies and the properties of interstellar dust out to very high redshifts. New ground- and space-based instrumentation, and the accumulation of larger and more carefully-selected samples, are continually enhancing our view of the GRB host population.

Obscured AGNs in Bulgeless Hosts discovered by WISE: The Case Study of SDSS J1224+5555

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satyapal, S.; Secrest, N. J.; Rothberg, B.; O'Connor, J. A.; Ellison, S. L.; Hickox, R. C.; Constantin, A.; Gliozzi, M.; Rosenberg, J. L.

2016-08-01

There is mounting evidence that supermassive black holes (SMBHs) form and grow in bulgeless galaxies. However, a robust determination of the fraction of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in bulgeless galaxies, an important constraint to models of SMBH seed formation and merger-free models of AGN fueling, is unknown, since optical studies have been shown to be incomplete for AGNs in low-mass galaxies. In a recent study using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, we discovered hundreds of bulgeless galaxies that display mid-infrared signatures of extremely hot dust suggestive of powerful accreting massive black holes, despite having no signatures of black hole activity at optical wavelengths. Here we report X-ray follow-up observations of J122434.66+555522.3, a nearby (z = 0.052) isolated bulgeless galaxy that contains an unresolved X-ray source detected at the 3σ level by XMM-Newton with an observed luminosity uncorrected for intrinsic absorption of {L}2-10{keV}=(1.1+/- 0.4)× {10}40 erg s-1. Ground-based near-infrared spectroscopy with the Large Binocular Telescope and multiwavelength observations from ultraviolet to millimeter wavelengths together suggest that J1224+5555 harbors a highly absorbed AGN with an intrinsic absorption of {N}{{H}}\\gt {10}24 cm-2. The hard X-ray luminosity of the putative AGN corrected for absorption is {L}2-10{keV}˜ 3× {10}42 erg s-1, which, depending on the bolometric correction factor, corresponds to a bolometric luminosity of the AGN of {L}{bol}.˜ 6× {10}43-3 × 1044 {erg} {{{s}}}-1 and a lower mass limit for the black hole of {M}{BH}≃ 2× {10}6 {M}⊙ , based on the Eddington limit. While enhanced X-ray emission and hot dust can be produced by star formation in extremely low metallicity environments typical in dwarf galaxies, J1224+5555 has a stellar mass of ˜ 2.0× {10}10 {M}⊙ and an above solar metallicity (12 + {logO}/{{H}} = 9.11), typical of our WISE-selected bulgeless galaxy sample. While collectively these observations suggest the presence of an AGN, we caution that identifying obscured AGNs in the low-luminosity regime is challenging and often requires multiwavelength observations. These observations suggest that low-luminosity AGNs can be heavily obscured and reside in optically quiescent galaxies, adding to the growing body of evidence that the fraction of bulgeless galaxies with accreting black holes may be significantly underestimated based on optical studies.

The host galaxy/AGN connection in nearby early-type galaxies. Is there a miniature radio-galaxy in every "core" galaxy?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balmaverde, B.; Capetti, A.

2006-02-01

This is the second of a series of three papers exploring the connection between the multiwavelength properties of AGN in nearby early-type galaxies and the characteristics of their hosts. We selected two samples with 5 GHz VLA radio flux measurements down to 1 mJy, reaching levels of radio luminosity as low as 1036 erg s-1. In Paper I we presented a study of the surface brightness profiles for the 65 objects with available archival HST images out of the 116 radio-detected galaxies. We classified early-type galaxies into "core" and "power-law" galaxies, discriminating on the basis of the slope of their nuclear brightness profiles, following the Nukers scheme. Here we focus on the 29 core galaxies (hereafter CoreG). We used HST and Chandra data to isolate their optical and X-ray nuclear emission. The CoreG invariably host radio-loud nuclei, with an average radio-loudness parameter of Log R = L5 {GHz} / LB ˜ 3.6. The optical and X-ray nuclear luminosities correlate with the radio-core power, smoothly extending the analogous correlations already found for low luminosity radio-galaxies (LLRG) toward even lower power, by a factor of ˜ 1000, covering a combined range of 6 orders of magnitude. This supports the interpretation of a common non-thermal origin of the nuclear emission also for CoreG. The luminosities of the nuclear sources, most likely dominated by jet emission, set firm upper limits, as low as L/L_Edd ˜ 10-9 in both the optical and X-ray band, on any emission from the accretion process. The similarity of CoreG and LLRG when considering the distributions host galaxies luminosities and black hole masses, as well as of the surface brightness profiles, indicates that they are drawn from the same population of early-type galaxies. LLRG represent only the tip of the iceberg associated with (relatively) high activity levels, with CoreG forming the bulk of the population. We do not find any relationship between radio-power and black hole mass. A minimum black hole mass of M_BH = 108 M⊙ is apparently associated with the radio-loud nuclei in both CoreG and LLRG, but this effect must be tested on a sample of less luminous galaxies, likely to host smaller black holes. In the unifying model for BL Lacs and radio-galaxies, CoreG likely represent the counterparts of the large population of low luminosity BL Lac now emerging from the surveys at low radio flux limits. This suggests the presence of relativistic jets also in these quasi-quiescent early-type "core" galaxies.

Hunting for Supermassive Black Holes in Nearby Galaxies With the Hobby-Eberly Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Bosch, Remco C. E.; Gebhardt, Karl; Gültekin, Kayhan; Yıldırım, Akin; Walsh, Jonelle L.

2015-05-01

We have conducted an optical long-slit spectroscopic survey of 1022 galaxies using the 10 m Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory. The main goal of the HET Massive Galaxy Survey (HETMGS) is to find nearby galaxies that are suitable for black hole mass measurements. In order to measure accurately the black hole mass, one should kinematically resolve the region where the black hole dominates the gravitational potential. For most galaxies, this region is much less than an arcsecond. Thus, black hole masses are best measured in nearby galaxies with telescopes that obtain high spatial resolution. The HETMGS focuses on those galaxies predicted to have the largest sphere-of-influence, based on published stellar velocity dispersions or the galaxy fundamental plane. To ensure coverage over galaxy types, the survey targets those galaxies across a face-on projection of the fundamental plane. We present the sample selection and resulting data products from the long-slit observations, including central stellar kinematics and emission line ratios. The full data set, including spectra and resolved kinematics, is available online. Additionally, we show that the current crop of black hole masses are highly biased toward dense galaxies and that especially large disks and low dispersion galaxies are under-represented. This survey provides the necessary groundwork for future systematic black hole mass measurement campaigns.

HUNTING FOR SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES IN NEARBY GALAXIES WITH THE HOBBY–EBERLY TELESCOPE

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

Bosch, Remco C. E. van den; Yıldırım, Akin; Gebhardt, Karl

2015-05-15

We have conducted an optical long-slit spectroscopic survey of 1022 galaxies using the 10 m Hobby–Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory. The main goal of the HET Massive Galaxy Survey (HETMGS) is to find nearby galaxies that are suitable for black hole mass measurements. In order to measure accurately the black hole mass, one should kinematically resolve the region where the black hole dominates the gravitational potential. For most galaxies, this region is much less than an arcsecond. Thus, black hole masses are best measured in nearby galaxies with telescopes that obtain high spatial resolution. The HETMGS focuses on thosemore » galaxies predicted to have the largest sphere-of-influence, based on published stellar velocity dispersions or the galaxy fundamental plane. To ensure coverage over galaxy types, the survey targets those galaxies across a face-on projection of the fundamental plane. We present the sample selection and resulting data products from the long-slit observations, including central stellar kinematics and emission line ratios. The full data set, including spectra and resolved kinematics, is available online. Additionally, we show that the current crop of black hole masses are highly biased toward dense galaxies and that especially large disks and low dispersion galaxies are under-represented. This survey provides the necessary groundwork for future systematic black hole mass measurement campaigns.« less

(12)CO (3-2) & (1-0) emission line observations of nearby starburst galaxy nuclei

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devereux, Nicholas; Taniguchi, Yoshiaki; Sanders, D. B.; Nakai, N.; Young, J. S.

1994-01-01

New measurements of the (12)CO (1-0) and (12)CO (3-2) line emission are presented for the nuclei of seven nearby starburst galaxies selected from a complete sample of 21 nearby starburst galaxies for which the nuclear star formation rates are measured to be comparable to the archetype starburst galaxies M82 and NGC 253. The new observations capitalize on the coincidence between the beam size of the 45 m Nobeyama telescope at 115 GHz and that of the 15 m James Clerk Maxwell Telescope at 345 GHz to measure the value of the (12)CO (3-2)/(1-0) emission line ratio in a 15 sec (less than or equal to 2.5 kpc) diameter region centered on the nuclear starburst. In principle, the (12)CO (3-2)/(1-0) emission line ratio provides a measure of temperature and optical depth for the (12)CO gas. The error weighted mean value of the (12)CO (3-2)/(1-0) emission line ratio measured for the seven starburst galaxy nuclei is -0.64 +/- 0.06. The (12)CO (3-2)/(1-0) emission line ratio measured for the starburst galaxy nuclei is significantly higher than the average value measured for molecular gas in the disk of the Galaxy, implying warmer temperatures for the molecular gas in starburst galaxy nuclei. On the other hand, the (12)CO (3-2)/(1-0) emission line ratio measured for the starburst galaxy nuclei is not as high as would be expected if the molecular gas were hot, greater than 20 K, and optically thin, tau much less than 1. The total mass of molecular gas contained within the central 1.2-2.8 kpc diameter region of the starburst galaxy nuclei ranges from 10(exp 8) to 10(exp 9) solar mass. While substantial, the molecular gas mass represents only a small percentage, approximately 9%-16%, of the dynamical mass in the same region.

The Complete Local-Volume Groups Sample (CLoGS): Early results from X-ray and radio observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vrtilek, Jan M.; O'Sullivan, Ewan; David, Laurence P.; Giacintucci, Simona; Kolokythas, Konstantinos

2017-08-01

Although the group environment is the dominant locus of galaxy evolution (in contrast to rich clusters, which contain only a few percent of galaxies), there has been a lack of reliable, representative group samples in the local Universe. In particular, X-ray selected samples are strongly biased in favor of the X-ray bright, centrally-concentrated cool-core systems. In response, we have designed the Complete Local-Volume Groups Sample (CLoGS), an optically-selected statistically-complete sample of 53 groups within 80 Mpc which is intended to overcome the limitations of X-ray selected samples and serve as a representative survey of groups in the local Universe. We have supplemented X-ray data from Chandra and XMM (70% complete to date, using both archival and new observations, with a 26-group high richness subsample 100% complete) with GMRT radio continuum observations (at 235 and 610 MHz, complete for the entire sample). CLoGS includes groups with a wide variety of properties in terms of galaxy population, hot gas content, and AGN power. We here describe early results from the survey, including the range of AGN activity observed in the dominant galaxies, the relative fraction of cool-core and non-cool-core groups in our sample, and the degree of disturbance observed in the IGM.

Star Formation and Extinction in Redshift z~2 Galaxies: Inferences from Spitzer MIPS Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, Naveen A.; Steidel, Charles C.; Fadda, Dario; Yan, Lin; Pettini, Max; Shapley, Alice E.; Erb, Dawn K.; Adelberger, Kurt L.

2006-06-01

We use very deep Spitzer MIPS 24 μm observations to examine the bolometric luminosities (Lbol) and UV extinction properties of more than 200 spectroscopically identified, optically selected (UnGR) z~2 galaxies, supplemented with near-IR-selected (``BzK'' and ``DRG'') and submillimeter galaxies at similar redshifts, in the GOODS-N field. Focusing on redshifts 1.51012 Lsolar, with a mean ~=2×1011 Lsolar. Using 24 μm observations as an independent probe of dust extinction, we find that, as in the local universe, the obscuration LIR/L1600 is strongly dependent on Lbol and ranges in value from <1 to ~1000 within the sample considered. However, the obscuration is generally ~10 times smaller at a given Lbol at z~2 than at z~0. We show that the values of LIR and obscuration inferred from the UV spectral slope β generally agree well with the values inferred from L5-8.5μm for Lbol<1012 Lsolar. Using the specific SFRs of galaxies as a proxy for cold gas fraction, we find a wide range in the evolutionary state of galaxies at z~2, from galaxies that have just begun to form stars to those that have already accumulated most of their stellar mass and are about to become, or already are, passively evolving. 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. Also based in part on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA.

Narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies at hard X-rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panessa, F.; de Rosa, A.; Bassani, L.; Bazzano, A.; Bird, A.; Landi, R.; Malizia, A.; Miniutti, G.; Molina, M.; Ubertini, P.

2011-11-01

Narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLSy1) galaxies are a peculiar class of type 1 active galactic nuclei (broad-line Seyfert 1 galaxies, hereinafter BLSy1). The X-ray properties of individual objects belonging to this class are often extreme and associated with accretion at high Eddington ratios. Here, we present a study on a sample of 14 NLSy1 galaxies selected at hard X-rays (>20 keV) from the fourth INTEGRAL/IBIS catalogue. The 20-100 keV IBIS spectra show hard-X-ray photon indices flatly distributed (Γ20-100 keV ranging from ˜1.3 to ˜3.6) with an average value of <Γ20-100 keV>= 2.3 ± 0.7, compatible with a sample of hard-X-ray BLSy1 average slopes. Instead, NLSy1 galaxies show steeper spectral indices with respect to BLSy1 galaxies when broad-band spectra are considered. Indeed, we combine XMM-Newton and Swift/XRT with INTEGRAL/IBIS data sets to obtain a wide energy spectral coverage (0.3-100 keV). A constraint on the high energy cut-off and on the reflection component is achieved only in one source, SWIFT J2127.4+5654 (Ecut-off˜ 50 keV, R= 1.0+0.5- 0.4). Hard-X-ray-selected NLSy1 galaxies do not display particularly strong soft excess emission, while absorption fully or partially covering the continuum is often measured as well as Fe line emission features. Variability is a common trait in this sample, both at X-rays and at hard X-rays. The fraction of NLSy1 galaxies in the hard-X-ray sky is likely to be ˜15 per cent, in agreement with estimates derived in optically selected NLSy1 samples. We confirm the association of NLSy1 galaxies with small black hole masses with a peak at 107 M⊙ in the distribution; however, hard-X-ray NLSy1 galaxies seem to occupy the lower tail of the Eddington ratio distribution of classical NLSy1 galaxies. Based on observations obtained with the INTEGRAL/IBIS, XMM-Newton and Swift/XRT.

Optical spectroscopy and velocity dispersions of galaxy clusters from the SPT-SZ survey

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

Ruel, J.; Bayliss, M.; Bazin, G.

2014-09-01

We present optical spectroscopy of galaxies in clusters detected through the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect with the South Pole Telescope (SPT). We report our own measurements of 61 spectroscopic cluster redshifts, and 48 velocity dispersions each calculated with more than 15 member galaxies. This catalog also includes 19 dispersions of SPT-observed clusters previously reported in the literature. The majority of the clusters in this paper are SPT-discovered; of these, most have been previously reported in other SPT cluster catalogs, and five are reported here as SPT discoveries for the first time. By performing a resampling analysis of galaxy velocities, we findmore » that unbiased velocity dispersions can be obtained from a relatively small number of member galaxies (≲ 30), but with increased systematic scatter. We use this analysis to determine statistical confidence intervals that include the effect of membership selection. We fit scaling relations between the observed cluster velocity dispersions and mass estimates from SZ and X-ray observables. In both cases, the results are consistent with the scaling relation between velocity dispersion and mass expected from dark-matter simulations. We measure a ∼30% log-normal scatter in dispersion at fixed mass, and a ∼10% offset in the normalization of the dispersion-mass relation when compared to the expectation from simulations, which is within the expected level of systematic uncertainty.« less

The Munich Near-Infrared Cluster Survey - IX. Galaxy evolution to z ~ 2 from optically selected catalogues†‡

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feulner, Georg; Goranova, Yuliana; Hopp, Ulrich; Gabasch, Armin; Bender, Ralf; Botzler, Christine S.; Drory, Niv

2007-06-01

We present B-, R- and I-band-selected galaxy catalogues based on the Munich Near-Infrared Cluster Survey (MUNICS) which, together with the previously used K-selected sample, serve as an important probe of galaxy evolution in the redshift range 0 <~ z <~ 2. Furthermore, used in comparison they are ideally suited to study selection effects in extragalactic astronomy. The construction of the B-, R- and I-selected photometric catalogues, containing ~9000, ~9000 and ~6000 galaxies, respectively, is described in detail. The catalogues reach 50 per cent completeness limits for point sources of B ~= 24.5 mag, R ~= 23.5 mag and I ~= 22.5 mag and cover an area of about 0.3deg2. Photometric redshifts are derived for all galaxies with an accuracy of δz/(1 + z) ~= 0.057, very similar to the K-selected sample. Galaxy number counts in the B, V, R, I, J and K bands demonstrate the quality of the data set. The rest-frame colour distributions of galaxies at different selection bands and redshifts suggest that the most-massive galaxies have formed the bulk of their stellar population at earlier times and are essentially in place at redshift unity. We investigate the influence of selection band and environment on the specific star formation rate (SSFR). We find that K-band selection indeed comes close to selection in stellar mass, while B-band selection purely selects galaxies in SFR. We use a galaxy group catalogue constructed on the K-band-selected MUNICS sample to study possible differences of the SSFR between the field and the group environment, finding a marginally lower average SSFR in groups as compared to the field, especially at lower redshifts. The field-galaxy luminosity function in the B and R band as derived from the R-selected sample evolves out to z ~= 2 in the sense that the characteristic luminosity increases but the number density decreases. This effect is smaller at longer rest-frame wavelengths and gets more pronounced at shorter wavelengths. Parametrizing the redshift evolution of the Schechter parameters as M*(z) = M*(0) + aln(1 + z) and Φ*(z) = Φ*(0) (1 +z)b, we find evolutionary parameters a ~= -2.1 and b ~= -2.5 for the B band, and a ~= -1.4 and b ~= -1.8 for the R band. Based on observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA), operated by the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg, jointly with the Spanish National Commission for Astronomy. Based on observations collected at the Very Large Telescope (Chile) operated by the European Southern Observatory in the course of the observing proposals 66.A-0123 and 66.A-0129. ‡ Based on observations obtained with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, which is a joint project of the University of Texas at Austin, the Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. § E-mail: feulner@usm.uni-muenchen.de ¶ Current address: Leiden Observatory, P.O. Box 9513, NL-2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands. ∥ Current address: European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild Strasse 2, D-85748, Garching bei München, Germany.

Identification of 1.4 Million Active Galactic Nuclei In the Mid-Infrared Using WISE Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-01

galaxies – infrared: stars – galaxies : active – quasars: general Supporting material: machine-readable table 1. INTRODUCTION The International Celestial...AGN-dominated galaxies , optical emission is thought to originate from the compact accretion disk surrounding the supermassive black hole (SMBH), while... galaxies , an optical centroid can be shifted relative to the radio position because of contamination from the host galaxy . Depending on the distance to

Half of the Most Luminous Quasars May Be Obscured: Investigating the Nature of WISE-Selected Hot Dust-Obscured Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assef, R. J.; Eisenhardt, P. R. M.; Stern, D.; Tsai, C.-W.; Wu, J.; Wylezalek, D.; Blain, A. W.; Bridge, C. R.; Donoso, E.; Gonzales, A.; Griffith, R. L.; Jarrett, T. H.

2015-05-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission has unveiled a rare population of high-redshift (z = 1-4.6), dusty, hyper-luminous galaxies, with infrared luminosities {{L}IR}\\gt {{10}13} {{L}⊙ }, and sometimes exceeding {{10}14} {{L}⊙ }. Previous work has shown that their dust temperatures and overall far-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are significantly hotter than expected to be powered by star formation. We present here an analysis of the rest-frame optical through mid-infrared SEDs for a large sample of these so-called “hot, dust-obscured galaxies” (Hot DOGs). We find that the SEDs of Hot DOGs are generally well modeled by the combination of a luminous, yet obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs) that dominates the rest-frame emission at λ \\gt 1 μ m and the bolometric luminosity output, and a less luminous host galaxy that is responsible for the bulk of the rest optical/UV emission. Even though the stellar mass of the host galaxies may be as large as 1011-1012 M⊙, the AGN emission, with a range of luminosities comparable to those of the most luminous QSOs known, require that either Hot DOGs have black hole masses significantly in excess of the local relations, or that they radiate significantly above the Eddington limit, at a level at least 10 times more efficiently than z ˜ 2 QSOs. We show that, while rare, the number density of Hot DOGs is comparable to that of equally luminous but unobscured (i.e., Type 1) QSOs. This may be at odds with the trend suggested at lower luminosities for the fraction of obscured AGNs to decrease with increasing luminosity. That trend may, instead, reverse at higher luminosities. Alternatively, Hot DOGs may not be the torus-obscured counterparts of the known optically selected, largely unobscured, hyper-luminous QSOs, and may represent a new component of the galaxy evolution paradigm. Finally, we discuss the environments of Hot DOGs and statistically show that these objects are in regions as dense as those of known high-redshift proto-clusters.

The Environments of Obscured Quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Kristen M.; Lacy, Mark; Nielsen, Danielle

2016-01-01

Supermassive Black Hole (SMBH) feedback is prescribed for driving the high-end shape of the galaxy luminosity function, clearing the circumnuclear environment during the end stages of mergers, and eventually turning off its own accretion. Yet the dominant processes and characteristics of active galactic nuclei are indistinct. Chief among this confusion is how significant the role of dust is in each galaxy. Orientation of the dusty torus is attributed to causing the differences between Sy1 and Sy2, but whether obscured quasars are found in particularly dusty host galaxies, if they exist at a different stage in the merger process (early on, before the dust is blown out), or if they are merely oriented differently than optical quasars is not yet so well distinguished. With obscured quasars now observed to make up 50% or greater of the population of quasars, the question of what causes obscuration becomes vital to address. With this in mind, I study matched samples of obscured and unobscured quasars to characterize their environments, with the intent of addressing what contribution environment has to obscuration levels. I investigate the megaparsec-scale environments of SIRTF Wide-field Infra-Red Extragalactic Survey (SWIRE) quasars at z ˜ 1-3 by cross-correlating the sample with 3.8 million galaxies from the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey (SERVS). Optically obscured quasars are compared to a control sample of optically-bright quasars via selection in the mid-infrared. Environments were observed at 3.6 and 4.5 μm to a depth of ≈ 2 μJy (AB = 23.1). Recent work has found diverse results in such studies, with dependence of environmental richness on both redshift and level of obscuration. I find that, within reasonable error, on average there is no distinct difference between the level of clustering for obscured and normal quasars, and that there is no dependence on redshift of this result within the range of 1.3 < z < 2.5. I compare our results with recent studies and investigate the role of selection criteria in the assessment of clustering. I also explore the large scale SED structure of obscured and unobscured quasar host galaxies.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: LVL global optical photometry (Cook+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, D. O.; Dale, D. A.; Johnson, B. D.; van Zee, L.; Lee, J. C.; Kennicutt, R. C.; Calzetti, D.; Staudaher, S. M.; Engelbracht, C. W.

2015-05-01

The LVL sample consists of 258 of our nearest galaxy neighbours reflecting a statistically complete, representative sample of the local Universe. The sample selection and description are detailed in Dale et al. (2009ApJ...703..517D, Cat. J/ApJ/703/517). (4 data files).

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.

A NEW APPROACH TO IDENTIFYING THE MOST POWERFUL GRAVITATIONAL LENSING TELESCOPES

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

Wong, Kenneth C.; Zabludoff, Ann I.; Ammons, S. Mark

2013-05-20

The best gravitational lenses for detecting distant galaxies are those with the largest mass concentrations and the most advantageous configurations of that mass along the line of sight. Our new method for finding such gravitational telescopes uses optical data to identify projected concentrations of luminous red galaxies (LRGs). LRGs are biased tracers of the underlying mass distribution, so lines of sight with the highest total luminosity in LRGs are likely to contain the largest total mass. We apply this selection technique to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and identify the 200 fields with the highest total LRG luminosities projected withinmore » a 3.'5 radius over the redshift range 0.1 {<=} z {<=} 0.7. The redshift and angular distributions of LRGs in these fields trace the concentrations of non-LRG galaxies. These fields are diverse; 22.5% contain one known galaxy cluster and 56.0% contain multiple known clusters previously identified in the literature. Thus, our results confirm that these LRGs trace massive structures and that our selection technique identifies fields with large total masses. These fields contain two to three times higher total LRG luminosities than most known strong-lensing clusters and will be among the best gravitational lensing fields for the purpose of detecting the highest redshift galaxies.« less

THE ARECIBO LEGACY FAST ALFA SURVEY: THE GALAXY POPULATION DETECTED BY ALFALFA

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

Huang, Shan; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo

Making use of H I 21 cm line measurements from the ALFALFA survey ({alpha}.40) and photometry from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), we investigate the global scaling relations and fundamental planes linking stars and gas for a sample of 9417 common galaxies: the {alpha}.40-SDSS-GALEX sample. In addition to their H I properties derived from the ALFALFA data set, stellar masses (M{sub *}) and star formation rates (SFRs) are derived from fitting the UV-optical spectral energy distributions. 96% of the {alpha}.40-SDSS-GALEX galaxies belong to the blue cloud, with the average gas fraction f{sub HI} {identical_to}more » M{sub HI}/M{sub *} {approx} 1.5. A transition in star formation (SF) properties is found whereby below M{sub *} {approx} 10{sup 9.5} M{sub Sun }, the slope of the star-forming sequence changes, the dispersion in the specific star formation rate (SSFR) distribution increases, and the star formation efficiency (SFE) mildly increases with M{sub *}. The evolutionary track in the SSFR-M{sub *} diagram, as well as that in the color-magnitude diagram, is linked to the H I content; below this transition mass, the SF is regulated strongly by the H I. Comparison of H I and optically selected samples over the same restricted volume shows that the H I-selected population is less evolved and has overall higher SFR and SSFR at a given stellar mass, but lower SFE and extinction, suggesting either that a bottleneck exists in the H I-to-H{sub 2} conversion or that the process of SF in the very H I-dominated galaxies obeys an unusual, low-efficiency SF law. A trend is found that, for a given stellar mass, high gas fraction galaxies reside preferentially in dark matter halos with high spin parameters. Because it represents a full census of H I-bearing galaxies at z {approx} 0, the scaling relations and fundamental planes derived for the ALFALFA population can be used to assess the H I detection rate by future blind H I surveys and intensity mapping experiments at higher redshift.« less

The H IX galaxy survey - II. H I kinematics of H I eXtreme galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lutz, K. A.; Kilborn, V. A.; Koribalski, B. S.; Catinella, B.; Józsa, G. I. G.; Wong, O. I.; Stevens, A. R. H.; Obreschkow, D.; Dénes, H.

2018-05-01

By analysing a sample of galaxies selected from the H I Parkes All Sky Survey (HIPASS) to contain more than 2.5 times their expected H I content based on their optical properties, we investigate what drives these H I eXtreme (H IX) galaxies to be so H I-rich. We model the H I kinematics with the Tilted Ring Fitting Code TiRiFiC and compare the observed H IX galaxies to a control sample of galaxies from HIPASS as well as simulated galaxies built with the semi-analytic model DARK SAGE. We find that (1) H I discs in H IX galaxies are more likely to be warped and more likely to host H I arms and tails than in the control galaxies, (2) the average H I and average stellar column density of H IX galaxies is comparable to the control sample, (3) H IX galaxies have higher H I and baryonic specific angular momenta than control galaxies, (4) most H IX galaxies live in higher spin haloes than most control galaxies. These results suggest that H IX galaxies are H I-rich because they can support more H I against gravitational instability due to their high specific angular momentum. The majority of the H IX galaxies inherits their high specific angular momentum from their halo. The H I content of H IX galaxies might be further increased by gas-rich minor mergers. This paper is based on data obtained with the Australia Telescope Compact Array through the large program C 2705.

Extragalactic SETI: The Tully-Fisher Relation as a Probe of Dysonian Astroengineering in Disk Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zackrisson, Erik; Calissendorff, Per; Asadi, Saghar; Nyholm, Anders

2015-09-01

If advanced extraterrestrial civilizations choose to construct vast numbers of Dyson spheres to harvest radiation energy, this could affect the characteristics of their host galaxies. Potential signatures of such astroengineering projects include reduced optical luminosity, boosted infrared luminosity, and morphological anomalies. Here, we apply a technique pioneered by Annis to search for Kardashev type III civilizations in disk galaxies, based on the predicted offset of these galaxies from the optical Tully-Fisher (TF) relation. By analyzing a sample of 1359 disk galaxies, we are able to set a conservative upper limit of ≲ 3% on the fraction of local disks subject to Dysonian astroengineering on galaxy-wide scales. However, the available data suggests that a small subset of disk galaxies actually may be underluminous with respect to the TF relation in the way expected for Kardashev type III objects. Based on the optical morphologies and infrared-to-optical luminosity ratios of such galaxies in our sample, we conclude that none of them stand out as strong Kardashev type III candidates and that their inferred properties likely have mundane explanations. This allows us to set a tentative upper limit at ≲ 0.3% on the fraction of Karashev type III disk galaxies in the local universe.

Missing mass or missing light?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, J. I.

1990-07-01

Disney et al. (1989) have argued that the observational data are consistent with disk galaxies being optically thick, particularly in their inner regions. Here, these results are used to reinterpret the radial surface-brightness distributions of spiral galaxies. It is found that the fitting of a profile with an absorbed disk plus bulge leads to both disk and bulge masses (mass in luminous material) that are larger than previously assumed. In addition, it is shown how the rotation velocity, as determined from optical data in the central regions, may systematically underestimate the true rotational velocity in an optically thick disk. If the bulges of late-type galaxies are as large as is hypothesized, then this has important implications in models of galaxy evolution and galaxy dynamics. The model greatly reduces or even eliminates the need for dark matter within the optical radius; it removes a major argument against S0 evolution from later-type galaxies; it accounts for the similarity of rotation curve forms among galaxies of different morphological types; and it leads to a further reappraisal of the observed constancy of the extrapolated central surface brightness of galactic disks.

The Far-Infrared Luminosity Function and Star Formation Rate Density for Dust Obscured Galaxies in the Bootes Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calanog, Jae Alyson; Wardlow, J. L.; Fu, H.; Cooray, A. R.; HerMES

2013-01-01

We present the far-Infrared (FIR) luminosity function (LF) and the star-formation rate density (SFRD) for dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) in the Bootes field at redshift 2. These galaxies are selected by having a large rest frame mid-IR to UV flux density ratio ( > 1000) and are expected to be some of the most luminous and heavily obscured galaxies in the Universe at this epoch. Photometric redshifts for DOGs are estimated from optical and mid-IR data using empirically derived low resolution spectral templates for AGN and galaxies. We use HerMES Herschel-SPIRE data to fit a modified blackbody to calculate the FIR luminosity (LFIR) and dust temperature (Td) for all DOGs individually detected in SPIRE maps. A stacking analyses was implemented to measure a median sub-mm flux of undetected DOGs. We find that DOGs have LIR and Td that are similar with the sub-millimeter galaxy (SMG) population, suggesting these two populations are related. The DOG LF and SFRD at 2 are calculated and compared to SMGs.

Multiwavelength Properties of Faint Submillimeter Galaxies with Archival ALMA Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patil, Pallavi; Lacy, Mark; Nyland, Kristina

2018-01-01

Detection of Faint submillimeter galaxies was made possible by large improvements in the spatial resolution and sensitivity by interferometric observations. These galaxies are a dominant contributor to the extragalactic background light at millimeter wavelengths and are likely to play a significant role in galaxy evolution. We present a catalog of 28 such galaxies with S(1.1 mm) < 1.0 mJy that have 13-band optical/near IR photometry (Spitzer DeepDrill, VIDEO, CFHTLS, and HSC) and serendipitous detections in ALMA band 6. ALMA 1.1 mm continuum observations were cross-matched with the K-band VIDEO catalog in the XMM-LSS field to identify multiwavelength counterparts. A forced Photometry approach based on the Tractor image modeling code is used to construct the catalog. The median photometric redshift of the sample is z ~ 1.96 along with two high redshift candidates at z ~ 5. We have provided population statistics using multiband photometry and estimated galaxy properties such as dust and gas masses. We aim to provide a detailed characterization of this population to ultimately devise better selection techniques for future wide-area sky surveys.

60 micron luminosity evolution of rich clusters of galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelly, Douglas M.; Rieke, George H.

1990-01-01

The average 60-micron flux has been determined for a collection of optically selected galaxy clusters at redshifts ranging from 0.30 to 0.92. The result, 26 mJy per cluster, represents the faintest flux determination known of using the IRAS data base. The flux from this set of clusters has been compared to the 60-micron flux from a sample of nearby galaxy clusters. It is found that the far-infrared luminosity evolution in cluster galaxies can be no more than a factor of 1.7 from z = 0.4 to the present epoch. This upper limit is close to the evolution predicted for simple aging of the stellar populations. Additional processes such as mergers, cannibalism, or enhanced rates of starbursts appear to occur at a low enough level that they have little influence on the far-infrared emission from clusters over this redshift range.

60 micron luminosity evolution of rich clusters of galaxies

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

Kelly, D.M.; Rieke, G.H.

1990-10-01

The average 60-micron flux has been determined for a collection of optically selected galaxy clusters at redshifts ranging from 0.30 to 0.92. The result, 26 mJy per cluster, represents the faintest flux determination known of using the IRAS data base. The flux from this set of clusters has been compared to the 60-micron flux from a sample of nearby galaxy clusters. It is found that the far-infrared luminosity evolution in cluster galaxies can be no more than a factor of 1.7 from z = 0.4 to the present epoch. This upper limit is close to the evolution predicted for simplemore » aging of the stellar populations. Additional processes such as mergers, cannibalism, or enhanced rates of starbursts appear to occur at a low enough level that they have little influence on the far-infrared emission from clusters over this redshift range. 38 refs.« less

The Swift GRB Host Galaxy Legacy Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perley, Daniel A.

2015-01-01

I introduce the Swift Host Galaxy Legacy Survey (SHOALS), a comprehensive multiwavelength program to characterize the demographics of the GRB host population across its entire redshift range. Using unbiased selection criteria we have designated a subset of 130 Swift gamma-ray bursts which are now being targeted with intensive observational follow-up. Deep Spitzer imaging of every field has already been obtained and analyzed, with major programs ongoing at Keck, GTC, and Gemini to obtain complementary optical/NIR photometry to enable full SED modeling and derivation of fundamental physical parameters such as mass, extinction, and star-formation rate. Using these data I will present an unbiased measurement of the GRB host-galaxy luminosity and mass functions and their evolution with redshift between z=0 and z=5, compare GRB hosts to other star-forming galaxy populations, and discuss implications for the nature of the GRB progenitor and the ability of GRBs to probe cosmic star-formation.

Composite Spectral Energy Distributions and Infrared-Optical Colors of Type 1 and Type 2 Quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hickox, Ryan C.; Myers, Adam D.; Greene, Jenny E.; Hainline, Kevin N.; Zakamska, Nadia L.; DiPompeo, Michael A.

2017-11-01

We present observed mid-infrared and optical colors and composite spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of type 1 (broad-line) and 2 (narrow-line) quasars selected from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopy. A significant fraction of powerful quasars are obscured by dust and are difficult to detect in optical photometric or spectroscopic surveys. However, these may be more easily identified on the basis of mid-infrared (MIR) colors and SEDs. Using samples of SDSS type 1 and 2 matched in redshift and [O III] luminosity, we produce composite rest-frame 0.2-15 μm SEDs based on SDSS, UKIDSS, and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer photometry and perform model fits using simple galaxy and quasar SED templates. The SEDs of type 1 and 2 quasars are remarkably similar, with the differences explained primarily by the extinction of the quasar component in the type 2 systems. For both types of quasar, the flux of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) relative to the host galaxy increases with AGN luminosity ({L}[{{O}{{III}}]}) and redder observed MIR color, but we find only weak dependencies of the composite SEDs on mechanical jet power as determined through radio luminosity. We conclude that luminous quasars can be effectively selected using simple MIR color criteria similar to those identified previously ({{W}}1{--}{{W}}2> 0.7; Vega), although these criteria miss many heavily obscured objects. Obscured quasars can be further identified based on optical-IR colors (for example, (u{--}{{W}}3 [{AB}])> 1.4({{W}}1{--}{{W}}2 [{Vega}])+3.2). These results illustrate the power of large statistical studies of obscured quasars selected on the basis of MIR and optical photometry.

X-ray versus infrared selection of distant galaxy clusters: a case study using the XMM-LSS and SpARCS cluster samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willis, J. P.; Ramos-Ceja, M. E.; Muzzin, A.; Pacaud, F.; Yee, H. K. C.; Wilson, G.

2018-07-01

We present a comparison of two samples of z> 0.8 galaxy clusters selected using different wavelength-dependent techniques and examine the physical differences between them. We consider 18 clusters from the X-ray-selected XMM Large Scale Structure (LSS) distant cluster survey and 92 clusters from the optical-mid-infrared (MIR)-selected Spitzer Adaptation of the Red Sequence Cluster survey (SpARCS) cluster survey. Both samples are selected from the same approximately 9 sq deg sky area and we examine them using common XMM-Newton, Spitizer Wide-Area Infrared Extra-galactic (SWIRE) survey, and Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey data. Clusters from each sample are compared employing aperture measures of X-ray and MIR emission. We divide the SpARCS distant cluster sample into three sub-samples: (i) X-ray bright, (ii) X-ray faint, MIR bright, and (iii) X-ray faint, MIR faint clusters. We determine that X-ray- and MIR-selected clusters display very similar surface brightness distributions of galaxy MIR light. In addition, the average location and amplitude of the galaxy red sequence as measured from stacked colour histograms is very similar in the X-ray- and MIR-selected samples. The sub-sample of X-ray faint, MIR bright clusters displays a distribution of brightest cluster galaxy-barycentre position offsets which extends to higher values than all other samples. This observation indicates that such clusters may exist in a more disturbed state compared to the majority of the distant cluster population sampled by XMM-LSS and SpARCS. This conclusion is supported by stacked X-ray images for the X-ray faint, MIR bright cluster sub-sample that display weak, centrally concentrated X-ray emission, consistent with a population of growing clusters accreting from an extended envelope of material.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ASYMMETRY ORIGIN OF GALAXIES IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS. I. OPTICAL OBSERVATIONS

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

Plauchu-Frayn, I.; Coziol, R., E-mail: plauchuf@astro.ugto.m, E-mail: rcoziol@astro.ugto.m

2010-06-15

This paper presents the first of two analyses about the influence of environment on the formation and evolution of galaxies observed in the nearby universe. For our study, we used three different samples representing different density environments: galaxies in Compact Groups (HCGs), Isolated Pairs of Galaxies (KPGs), and Isolated Galaxies (KIGs), which were taken as references. Usingboth characteristic isophotal parameters and evidence of asymmetries in the optical and the near-infrared, we are able to establish differences in the characteristics of galaxies with different morphologies in different environments, allowing us to better understand their different formation histories. In this first paper,more » we present the isophotal and asymmetry analyses of a sample of 214 galaxies in different environments observed in the optical (V and I images). For each galaxy, we have determined different characteristic isophotal parameters and V - I color profiles, as a function of semi-major axis, and performed a full asymmetry analysis in residual images using the V filter. Evidence of asymmetry in the optical is almost missing in the KIG sample and significantly more common in the KPG than in the HCG samples. Our isophotal analysis suggests that the stellar populations in the HCG galaxies are older and more dynamically relaxed than in the KPG. The HCG galaxies seem to be at a more advanced stage of interaction than the KPGs. One possible explanation is that these structures formed at different epochs: compact groups of galaxies would have formed before close pairs of galaxies, which only began interacting recently. However, similarities in the formation process of galaxies with same morphology suggest CGs and close pairs of galaxies share similar conditions; they are new structures forming relatively late in low-density environments.« less

Optical depth of molecular gas in starburst galaxies - Is M82 the prototype?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verter, F.; Rickard, L. J.

1989-01-01

An attempt is made to survey the CO(2-1) emission toward the centers of 17 IR-luminous galaxies which have previously been detected in CO(1-0). These galaxies span a wide range of size and L(FIR)/L(B) ratio, many have multiple-wavelength studies establishing them as starbursts, and some bear a morphological resemblance to M 82. Nine galaxies are detected and useful upper limits are placed on the remaining eight. Using the CO(2-1)/CO(1-0) ratio of antenna temperature as a diagnostic of optical depth, it is found that all of the galaxies contain predominantly optically thick molecular gas. This implies that the phase of starburst during which the molecular gas is optically thin, currently witnessed in M 82, is either uncommon or short-lived.

DISCOVERY OF A LARGE NUMBER OF CANDIDATE PROTOCLUSTERS TRACED BY ∼15 Mpc-SCALE GALAXY OVERDENSITIES IN COSMOS

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

Chiang, Yi-Kuan; Gebhardt, Karl; Overzier, Roderik

2014-02-10

To demonstrate the feasibility of studying the epoch of massive galaxy cluster formation in a more systematic manner using current and future galaxy surveys, we report the discovery of a large sample of protocluster candidates in the 1.62 deg{sup 2} COSMOS/UltraVISTA field traced by optical/infrared selected galaxies using photometric redshifts. By comparing properly smoothed three-dimensional galaxy density maps of the observations and a set of matched simulations incorporating the dominant observational effects (galaxy selection and photometric redshift uncertainties), we first confirm that the observed ∼15 comoving Mpc-scale galaxy clustering is consistent with ΛCDM models. Using further the relation between high-z overdensitymore » and the present day cluster mass calibrated in these matched simulations, we found 36 candidate structures at 1.6 < z < 3.1, showing overdensities consistent with the progenitors of M{sub z} {sub =} {sub 0} ∼ 10{sup 15} M {sub ☉} clusters. Taking into account the significant upward scattering of lower mass structures, the probabilities for the candidates to have at least M{sub z=} {sub 0} ∼ 10{sup 14} M {sub ☉} are ∼70%. For each structure, about 15%-40% of photometric galaxy candidates are expected to be true protocluster members that will merge into a cluster-scale halo by z = 0. With solely photometric redshifts, we successfully rediscover two spectroscopically confirmed structures in this field, suggesting that our algorithm is robust. This work generates a large sample of uniformly selected protocluster candidates, providing rich targets for spectroscopic follow-up and subsequent studies of cluster formation. Meanwhile, it demonstrates the potential for probing early cluster formation with upcoming redshift surveys such as the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment and the Subaru Prime Focus Spectrograph survey.« less

Spectrophotometric Properties of E+A Galaxies in SDSS-IV MaNGA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-01-01

Quenched post-starburst galaxies, or E+A galaxies, represent a unique and informative phase in the evolution of galaxies. We used a qualitative rubric-based methodology, informed by the literature, to manually select galaxies from the SDSS-IV IFU survey Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) using the single-fiber spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 8. Of the 2,812 galaxies observed so far in MaNGA, we found 39 galaxies meeting our criteria for E+A classification. Spectral energy distributions of these 39 galaxies from the far-UV to the mid-infrared demonstrate a heterogeneity in our sample emerging in the infrared, indicating many distinct paths to visually similar optical spectra. We used SDSS-IV MaNGA Pipe3D data products to analyze stellar population ages, and found that 34 galaxies exhibited stellar populations that were older at 1 effective radius than at the center of the galaxy. Given that our sample was manually chosen based on E+A markers in the single-fiber spectra aimed at the center of each galaxy, our E+A galaxies may have only experienced their significant starbursts in the central region, with a disk of quenched or quenching material further outward. This work was supported by grants AST-1460860 from the National Science Foundation and SDSS FAST/SSP-483 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to the CUNY College of Staten Island.

Nançay ``blind'' 21 CM line survey of the Canes Venatici group region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraan-Korteweg, R. C.; van Driel, W.; Briggs, F.; Binggeli, B.; Mostefaoui, T. I.

1999-03-01

A radio spectroscopic driftscan survey in the 21 cm line with the Nançay decimetric radio telescope of 0.08 steradians of sky in the direction of the constellation Canes Venatici covering a heliocentric velocity range of -350 < V_hel < 2350 km s(-1) produced 53 spectral features, which was further reduced to a sample of 33 reliably detected galaxies by extensive follow-up observations. With a typical noise level of rms = 10 mJy after Hanning smoothing, the survey is - depending on where the detections are located with regard to the centre of the beam - sensitive to M_HI = 1-2x10(8) {h}(-2) {M_sun} at 23 {h}(-1) Mpc and to M_HI = 4-8x10(7) {h}(-2) {M_sun} throughout the CVn groups. The survey region had been previously examined on deep optical plates by \\cite[Binggeli et al. (1990)]{bin90} and contains loose groups with many gas-rich galaxies as well as voids. No galaxies that had not been previously identified in these deep optical surveys were uncovered in our H{sigma c i} survey, neither in the groups nor the voids. The implication is that no substantial quantity of neutral hydrogen contained in gas-rich galaxies has been missed in these well-studied groups. All late-type members of our sample are listed in the \\cite[Fisher & Tully (1981b)]{fis81b} optically selected sample of nearby late-type galaxies; the only system not contained in Fisher and Tully's Catalog is the S0 galaxy NGC 4203. Within the well-sampled CVn group volume with distances corrected for flow motions, the H {sigma c i} mass function is best fitted with the \\cite[Zwaan et al. (1997)]{zwa97} H{sigma c i} mass function (alpha =-1.2) scaled by a factor of f=4.5 in account of the locally overdense region.

Superwind Outflows in Seyfert Galaxies? : Large-Scale Radio Maps of an Edge-On Sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, E.; Gallimore, J.; Baum, S.; O'Dea, C.

1995-03-01

Large-scale galactic winds (superwinds) are commonly found flowing out of the nuclear region of ultraluminous infrared and powerful starburst galaxies. Stellar winds and supernovae from the nuclear starburst provide the energy to drive these superwinds. The outflowing gas escapes along the rotation axis, sweeping up and shock-heating clouds in the halo, which produces optical line emission, radio synchrotron emission, and X-rays. These features can most easily be studied in edge-on systems, so that the wind emission is not confused by that from the disk. We have begun a systematic search for superwind outflows in Seyfert galaxies. In an earlier optical emission-line survey, we found extended minor axis emission and/or double-peaked emission line profiles in >~30% of the sample objects. We present here large-scale (6cm VLA C-config) radio maps of 11 edge-on Seyfert galaxies, selected (without bias) from a distance-limited sample of 23 edge-on Seyferts. These data have been used to estimate the frequency of occurrence of superwinds. Preliminary results indicate that four (36%) of the 11 objects observed and six (26%) of the 23 objects in the distance-limited sample have extended radio emission oriented perpendicular to the galaxy disk. This emission may be produced by a galactic wind blowing out of the disk. Two (NGC 2992 and NGC 5506) of the nine objects for which we have both radio and optical data show good evidence for a galactic wind in both datasets. We suggest that galactic winds occur in >~30% of all Seyferts. A goal of this work is to find a diagnostic that can be used to distinguish between large-scale outflows that are driven by starbursts and those that are driven by an AGN. The presence of starburst-driven superwinds in Seyferts, if established, would have important implications for the connection between starburst galaxies and AGN.

The Relation between Globular Cluster Systems and Supermassive Black Holes in Spiral Galaxies: The Case Study of NGC 4258

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Lópezlira, Rosa A.; Lomelí-Núñez, Luis; Álamo-Martínez, Karla; Órdenes-Briceño, Yasna; Loinard, Laurent; Georgiev, Iskren Y.; Muñoz, Roberto P.; Puzia, Thomas H.; Bruzual A., Gustavo; Gwyn, Stephen

2017-02-01

We aim to explore the relationship between globular cluster total number, {N}{GC}, and central black hole mass, M •, in spiral galaxies, and compare it with that recently reported for ellipticals. We present results for the Sbc galaxy NGC 4258, from Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope data. Thanks to water masers with Keplerian rotation in a circumnuclear disk, NGC 4258 has the most precisely measured extragalactic distance and supermassive black hole mass to date. The globular cluster (GC) candidate selection is based on the ({u}* -{I}\\prime ) versus ({I}\\prime -{K}s) diagram, which is a superb tool to distinguish GCs from foreground stars, background galaxies, and young stellar clusters, and hence can provide the best number counts of GCs from photometry alone, virtually free of contamination, even if the galaxy is not completely edge-on. The mean optical and optical-near-infrared colors of the clusters are consistent with those of the Milky Way and M 31, after extinction is taken into account. We directly identify 39 GC candidates; after completeness correction, GC luminosity function extrapolation, and correction for spatial coverage, we calculate a total {N}{GC}=144+/- {31}-36+38 (random and systematic uncertainties, respectively). We have thus increased to six the sample of spiral galaxies with measurements of both M • and {N}{GC}. NGC 4258 has a specific frequency {S}{{N}}=0.4+/- 0.1 (random uncertainty), and is consistent within 2σ with the {N}{GC} versus M • correlation followed by elliptical galaxies. The Milky Way continues to be the only spiral that deviates significantly from the relation.

THE STELLAR POPULATION AND STAR FORMATION RATES OF z Almost-Equal-To 1.5-1.6 [O II]-EMITTING GALAXIES SELECTED FROM NARROWBAND EMISSION-LINE SURVEYS

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

Ly, Chun; Malkan, Matthew A.; Ross, Nathaniel R.

We present the first detailed study of the stellar populations of star-forming galaxies at z {approx} 1.5, which are selected by their [O II] emission line, detected in narrowband surveys. We identified {approx}1300 [O II] emitters at z = 1.47 and z = 1.62 in the Subaru Deep Field with rest-frame equivalent widths (EWs) above 13 A. Optical and near-infrared spectroscopic observations for Almost-Equal-To 10% of our samples show that our separation of [O II] from [O III] emission-line galaxies in two-color space is 99% successful. We analyze the multi-wavelength properties of a subset of {approx}1200 galaxies with the bestmore » photometry. They have average rest-frame EW of 45 A, stellar mass of 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} M{sub Sun }, and stellar age of 100 Myr. In addition, our spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting and broadband colors indicate that [O II] emitters span the full range of galaxy populations at z {approx} 1.5. We also find that 80% of [O II] emitters are also photometrically classified as 'BX/BM' (UV) galaxies and/or the star-forming 'BzK' (near-IR) galaxies. Our [O II] emission line survey produces a far more complete and somewhat deeper sample of z {approx} 1.5 galaxies than either the BX/BM or sBzK selection alone. We constructed average SEDs and find that higher [O II] EW galaxies have somewhat bluer continua. SED model-fitting shows that they have on average half the stellar mass of galaxies with lower [O II] EW. The observed [O II] luminosity is well correlated with the far-UV continuum with a logarithmic slope of 0.89 {+-} 0.22. The scatter of the [O II] luminosity against the far-UV continuum suggests that [O II] can be used as a star formation rate indicator with a reliability of 0.23 dex.« less

HST Imaging of the Brightest z ∼ 8–9 Galaxies from UltraVISTA: The Extreme Bright End of the UV Luminosity Function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefanon, Mauro; Labbé, Ivo; Bouwens, Rychard J.; Brammer, Gabriel B.; Oesch, Pascal; Franx, Marijn; Fynbo, Johan P. U.; Milvang-Jensen, Bo; Muzzin, Adam; Illingworth, Garth D.; Le Fèvre, Olivier; Caputi, Karina I.; Holwerda, Benne W.; McCracken, Henry J.; Smit, Renske; Magee, Dan

2017-12-01

We report on the discovery of three especially bright candidate {z}{phot}≳ 8 galaxies. Five sources were targeted for follow-up with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), selected from a larger sample of 16 bright (24.8≲ H≲ 25.5 mag) candidate z≳ 8 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) identified over 1.6 degrees2 of the COSMOS/UltraVISTA field. These were selected as Y and J dropouts by leveraging the deep (Y-to-{K}{{S}}∼ 25.3{--}24.8 mag, 5σ ) NIR data from the UltraVISTA DR3 release, deep ground-based optical imaging from the CFHTLS and Suprime-Cam programs, and Spitzer/IRAC mosaics combining observations from the SMUVS and SPLASH programs. Through the refined spectral energy distributions, which now also include new HyperSuprimeCam g-, r-, i-, z-, and Y-band data, we confirm that 3/5 galaxies have robust {z}{phot}∼ 8.0{--}8.7, consistent with the initial selection. The remaining 2/5 galaxies have a nominal {z}{phot}∼ 2. However, with HST data alone, these objects have increased probability of being at z∼ 9. We measure mean UV continuum slopes β =-1.74+/- 0.35 for the three z∼ 8{--}9 galaxies, marginally bluer than similarly luminous z∼ 4{--}6 in CANDELS but consistent with previous measurements of similarly luminous galaxies at z∼ 7. The circularized effective radius for our brightest source is 0.9 ± 0.3 kpc, similar to previous measurements for a bright z∼ 11 galaxy and bright z∼ 7 galaxies. Finally, enlarging our sample to include the six brightest z∼ 8 LBGs identified over UltraVISTA (i.e., including three other sources from Labbé et al.) we estimate for the first time the volume density of galaxies at the extreme bright end ({M}{UV}∼ -22 mag) of the z∼ 8 UV luminosity function. Despite this exceptional result, the still large statistical uncertainties do not allow us to discriminate between a Schechter and a double-power-law form.

The CO-12 and CO-13 J=2-1 and J=1-0 observations of hot and cold galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xie, Shuding; Schloerb, F. Peter; Young, Judith

1990-01-01

Researchers observed the nuclear regions of the galaxies NGC 2146 and IC 342 in CO-12 and CO-13 J=1-0 and J=2-1 lines using the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (FCRAO) 14m telescope. NGC 2146 is a peculiar Sab spiral galaxy. Its complex optical morphology and strong nuclear radio continuum emission suggest that it is experiencing a phase of violent activity and could have a polar ring which may have resulted from an interaction. IC 342 is a nearby luminous Scd spiral galaxy. Strong CO, infrared and radio continuum emission from the nuclear region of IC 342 indicate enhanced star-forming activity, and interferometric CO-12 J=1-0 observations reveal a bar-like structure centered on the nucleus, along the dark lane in the NS direction. These two galaxies are selected based on their different dust temperatures and star formation efficiencies (SFE) as derived from the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) S sub 60 mu/S sub 100 mu flux density ratio and L sub IR/M(H2), respectively, with a relatively high SFE and dust temperature of 45 K in NGC 2146 and a relatively low SFE and dust temperature of 35 K in IC 342. The data from the different CO-12 and CO-13 lines are used to study the physical conditions in the molecular clouds in the galaxies. Researchers also consider the radiative transfer to determine whether a warm and optically thin gas component exists in these galaxies, as has been suggested in the case of M82 (Knapp et al. 1980), and whether the warm gas is related to the dust properties. Since optically thin CO-12 gas is rarely detected in our own Galaxy (except in outflow sources), to confirm its existence in external galaxies is very important in understanding the molecular content of external galaxies and its relationship to star formation activity. The present CO-12 J=2-1 and CO-13 J=2-1 and J=1-0 data for NGC 2146 are the first detections of this galaxy to our knowledge. The CO-12 J=1-0 distribution in NGC 2146 has been measured as part of the FCRAO Extragalactic Survey. For the well-studied IC 342, the data are compared with 30m observations and other available data. Researchers present the observed results.

Near-infrared spectroscopy of post-starburst galaxies: a limited impact of TP-AGB stars on galaxy spectral energy distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zibetti, Stefano; Gallazzi, Anna; Charlot, Stéphane; Pierini, Daniele; Pasquali, Anna

2013-01-01

We present Very Large Telescope Infrared Spectrometer And Array Camera (ISAAC) near-infrared (NIR) spectrophotometric observations of 16 post-starburst galaxies aimed at constraining the debated influence of thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars on the spectral energy distribution (SED) of galaxies with stellar ages between 0.5 and 2 Gyr, hence critical for high-redshift studies. Post-starburst galaxies are characterized by negligible ongoing star formation and a SED dominated by the stellar population formed in a recent (<2 Gyr) burst. By selecting post-starburst galaxies with mean luminosity-weighted ages between 0.5 and 1.5 Gyr and a broad range of metallicities (based on Sloan Digital Sky Survey optical spectroscopy), we explore the parameter space over which the relative energy output of TP-AGB stars peaks. A key feature of the present study is that we target galaxies at z ≈ 0.2, so that two main spectral features of TP-AGB stars (C-molecule band-head drops at 1.41 and 1.77 μm, blended with strong telluric absorption features, hence hardly observable from the ground, for targets at z ≈ 0) move inside the H and K atmospheric windows and can be constrained for the first time to high accuracy. Our observations provide key constraints to stellar population synthesis models. Our main results are (i) the NIR regions around 1.41 and 1.77 μm (rest frame) are featureless for all galaxies in our sample over the whole range of relevant ages and metallicities at variance with the Maraston `TP-AGB heavy' models, which exhibit marked drops there, and (ii) no flux boosting is observed in the NIR. The optical-NIR SEDs of most of our post-starburst galaxies can be consistently reproduced with the 2003 version of the Bruzual & Charlot models, using either simple stellar populations of corresponding light-weighted ages and metallicities or a more realistic burst plus an underlying old population containing up to approximately 60 per cent of the total stellar mass. In contrast, all combinations of this kind based on the Maraston models are unable to simultaneously reproduce the smoothness of the NIR spectra and the relatively blue optical-NIR colours in the observations. The data collected in this study appear to disfavour `TP-AGB heavy' models with respect to `TP-AGB light' ones.

Low-redshift quasars in the SDSS Stripe 82: associated companion galaxies and signature of star formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bettoni, D.; Falomo, R.; Kotilainen, J. K.; Karhunen, K.

2017-04-01

We obtained optical spectroscopy of close (<80 kpc) companion objects of a sample of 12 low-redshift quasars (z < 0.3) selected from the SDSS Stripe82 area and that are in the subsample of 52 QSOs for which both multicolour host galaxies properties and galaxy environment were recently investigated in detail. We found that for 8 out of 12 sources the companion galaxy is associated with the QSO having a difference of radial velocity that is less than 400 km s-1. Many of these associated companions exhibit [OII] λ3727 Å emission lines suggestive of episodes of (recent) star formation possibly induced by past interactions. The star formation rate of the companion galaxies as derived from [O II] line luminosity is, however, modest, with a median value of 1.0 ± 0.8 M⊙ yr-1, and the emission lines are barely consistent with expectation from gas ionization by the QSO. The role of the QSO for inducing star formation in close companion galaxies appears meager. For three objects we also detect the starlight spectrum of the QSO host galaxy, which is characterized by absorption lines of old stellar population and [O II] emission line.

Accurate Distances to Important Spiral Galaxies: M63, M74, NGC 1291, NGC 4559, NGC 4625, and NGC 5398

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

McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Dolphin, Andrew E.

Accurate distances are fundamental for interpreting various measured properties of galaxies. Surprisingly, many of the best-studied spiral galaxies in the Local Volume have distance uncertainties that are much larger than can be achieved with modern observation techniques. Using Hubble Space Telescope optical imaging, we use the tip of the red giant branch method to measure the distances to six galaxies that are included in the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey program and its offspring surveys. The sample includes M63, M74, NGC 1291, NGC 4559, NGC 4625, and NGC 5398. We compare our results with distances reported to these galaxies basedmore » on a variety of methods. Depending on the technique, there can be a wide range in published distances, particularly from the Tully–Fisher relation. In addition, differences between the planetary nebular luminosity function and surface brightness fluctuation techniques can vary between galaxies, suggesting inaccuracies that cannot be explained by systematics in the calibrations. Our distances improve upon previous results, as we use a well-calibrated, stable distance indicator, precision photometry in an optimally selected field of view, and a Bayesian maximum likelihood technique that reduces measurement uncertainties.« less

The Intrinsic Eddington Ratio Distribution of Active Galactic Nuclei in Young Galaxies from SDSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Mackenzie L.; Hickox, Ryan C.; Black, Christine; Hainline, Kevin Nicholas; DiPompeo, Michael A.

2016-04-01

An important question in extragalactic astronomy concerns the distribution of black hole accretion rates, i.e. the Eddington ratio distribution, of active galactic nuclei (AGN). Specifically, it is matter of debate whether AGN follow a broad distribution in accretion rates, or if the distribution is more strongly peaked at characteristic Eddington ratios. Using a sample of galaxies from SDSS DR7, we test whether an intrinsic Eddington ratio distribution that takes the form of a broad Schechter function is in fact consistent with previous work that suggests instead that young galaxies in optical surveys have a more strongly peaked lognormal Eddington ratio distribution. Furthermore, we present an improved method for extracting the AGN distribution using BPT diagnostics that allows us to probe over one order of magnitude lower in Eddington ratio, counteracting the effects of dilution by star formation. We conclude that the intrinsic Eddington ratio distribution of optically selected AGN is consistent with a power law with an exponential cutoff, as is observed in the X-rays. This work was supported in part by a NASA Jenkins Fellowship.

Host Galaxy Properties Of The Swift Bat Hard X-ray Survey Of Agn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael; Mushotzky, R.; Veilleux, S.; Winter, L.

2010-03-01

Surveys of AGN taken in the optical, UV, and soft X-rays miss an important population of obscured AGN only visible in the hard X-rays and mid-IR wavelengths. The SWIFT BAT survey in the hard X-ray range (14-195 keV) has provided a uniquely unbiased sample of AGN unaffected by galactic or circumnuclear absorption. Optical imaging of this unbiased sample provides a new opportunity to understand how the environments of the host galaxies are linked to AGN. In 2008, we observed 90 of these targets at Kitt Peak with the 2.1m in the SDSS ugriz bands over 17 nights. Using these observations and SDSS data we review the relationships between color, morphology, merger activity, stellar mass, star formation, and AGN luminosity for a sample of 145 AGN Hard X-ray Selected AGN.

NARROW-LINE X-RAY-SELECTED GALAXIES IN THE CHANDRA -COSMOS FIELD. I. OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPIC CATALOG

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

Pons, E.; Watson, M. G.; Elvis, M.

2016-04-20

The COSMOS survey is a large and deep survey with multiwavelength observations of sources from X-rays to the UV, allowing an extensive study of their properties. The central 0.9 deg{sup 2} of the COSMOS field have been observed by Chandra with a sensitivity up to 1.9 × 10{sup −16} erg cm{sup −2} s{sup −1} in the full (0.5–10 keV) band. Photometric and spectroscopic identification of the Chandra -COSMOS (C-COSMOS) sources is available from several catalogs and campaigns. Despite the fact that the C-COSMOS galaxies have a reliable spectroscopic redshift in addition to a spectroscopic classification, the emission-line properties of thismore » sample have not yet been measured. We present here the creation of an emission-line catalog of 453 narrow-line sources from the C-COSMOS spectroscopic sample. We have performed spectral fitting for the more common lines in galaxies ([O ii] λ 3727, [Ne iii] λ 3869, H β , [O iii] λλ 4959, 5007, H α , and [N ii] λλ 6548, 6584). These data provide an optical classification for 151 (i.e., 33%) of the C-COSMOS narrow-line galaxies based on emission-line diagnostic diagrams.« less

X-ray versus infrared selection of distant galaxy clusters: A case study using the XMM-LSS and SpARCS cluster samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willis, J. P.; Ramos-Ceja, M. E.; Muzzin, A.; Pacaud, F.; Yee, H. K. C.; Wilson, G.

2018-04-01

We present a comparison of two samples of z > 0.8 galaxy clusters selected using different wavelength-dependent techniques and examine the physical differences between them. We consider 18 clusters from the X-ray selected XMM-LSS distant cluster survey and 92 clusters from the optical-MIR selected SpARCS cluster survey. Both samples are selected from the same approximately 9 square degree sky area and we examine them using common XMM-Newton, Spitzer-SWIRE and CFHT Legacy Survey data. Clusters from each sample are compared employing aperture measures of X-ray and MIR emission. We divide the SpARCS distant cluster sample into three sub-samples: a) X-ray bright, b) X-ray faint, MIR bright, and c) X-ray faint, MIR faint clusters. We determine that X-ray and MIR selected clusters display very similar surface brightness distributions of galaxy MIR light. In addition, the average location and amplitude of the galaxy red sequence as measured from stacked colour histograms is very similar in the X-ray and MIR-selected samples. The sub-sample of X-ray faint, MIR bright clusters displays a distribution of BCG-barycentre position offsets which extends to higher values than all other samples. This observation indicates that such clusters may exist in a more disturbed state compared to the majority of the distant cluster population sampled by XMM-LSS and SpARCS. This conclusion is supported by stacked X-ray images for the X-ray faint, MIR bright cluster sub-sample that display weak, centrally-concentrated X-ray emission, consistent with a population of growing clusters accreting from an extended envelope of material.

GASS 3505: the prototype of H I-excess, passive galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geréb, K.; Catinella, B.; Cortese, L.; Bekki, K.; Moran, S. M.; Schiminovich, D.

2016-10-01

We present our multiwavelength analysis of a prototype H I-excess galaxy, GASS 3505, selected based on having a large gas content (M_{H I} = 10^{9.9} M⊙) compared to its little associated star formation activity (˜0.1 M⊙ yr-1) in the GALEX Arecibo SDSS Survey (GASS). Very Large Array observations show that the H I in GASS 3505 is distributed in a regularly rotating, extended (˜50 kpc radius) gas ring. In the SDSS optical image GASS 3505 appears as a bulge-dominated galaxy, however deep optical imaging reveals low surface brightness (≳25 mag arcsec-2) stellar emission around the central bulge. Direct evidence for accretion is detected in form of an extended (˜60 kpc) stellar stream, showing that GASS 3505 has experienced a minor merger in the recent past. We investigate the possibility that the H I ring in GASS 3505 was accreted in such a merger event using N-body and smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations. The best model that reproduces the general properties (I.e. gas distribution and kinematics, stellar morphology) of the galaxy involves a merger between the central bulge and a gas-rich (M⋆ = 109 M⊙ and M_{H I}/M⋆ = 10) disc galaxy. However, small discrepancies in the observed and modelled properties could suggest that other sources of gas have to be involved in the build-up of the gas reservoir. This work is the first step towards a larger program to investigate the physical mechanisms that drive the large scatter in the gas scaling relations of nearby galaxies.

An AzTEC 1.1-mm survey for ULIRGs in the field of the Galaxy Cluster MS0451.6-0305

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wardlow, J. L.; Smail, Ian; Wilson, G. W.; Yun, M. S.; Coppin, K. E. K.; Cybulski, R.; Geach, J. E.; Ivison, R. J.; Aretxaga, I.; Austermann, J. E.; Edge, A. C.; Fazio, G. G.; Huang, J.; Hughes, D. H.; Kodama, T.; Kang, Y.; Kim, S.; Mauskopf, P. D.; Perera, T. A.; Scott, K. S.

2010-02-01

We have undertaken a deep (σ ~ 1.1 mJy) 1.1-mm survey of the z = 0.54 cluster MS0451.6-0305 using the AzTEC camera on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. We detect 36 sources with signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) >= 3.5 in the central 0.10 deg2 and present the AzTEC map, catalogue and number counts. We identify counterparts to 18 sources (50 per cent) using radio, mid-infrared, Spitzer InfraRed Array Camera (IRAC) and Submillimetre Array data. Optical, near- and mid-infrared spectral energy distributions are compiled for the 14 of these galaxies with detectable counterparts, which are expected to contain all likely cluster members. We then use photometric redshifts and colour selection to separate background galaxies from potential cluster members and test the reliability of this technique using archival observations of submillimetre galaxies. We find two potential MS0451-03 members, which, if they are both cluster galaxies, have a total star formation rate (SFR) of ~100Msolaryr-1 - a significant fraction of the combined SFR of all the other galaxies in MS0451-03. We also examine the stacked rest-frame mid-infrared, millimetre and radio emission of cluster members below our AzTEC detection limit, and find that the SFRs of mid-IR-selected galaxies in the cluster and redshift-matched field populations are comparable. In contrast, the average SFR of the morphologically classified late-type cluster population is nearly three times less than the corresponding redshift-matched field galaxies. This suggests that these galaxies may be in the process of being transformed on the red sequence by the cluster environment. Our survey demonstrates that although the environment of MS0451-03 appears to suppress star formation in late-type galaxies, it can support active, dust-obscured mid-IR galaxies and potentially millimetre-detected LIRGs.

RELICS of the Cosmic Dawn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradac, Marusa; Coe, Dan; Bradley, Larry; Huang, Kuang-Han; Ryan, Russell; Dawson, Will; Zitrin, Adi; Hoag, Austin; Jones, Christine; Czakon, Nicole; Sharon, Keren; Trenti, Michele; Stark, Daniel; Bouwens, Rychard

2015-10-01

When did galaxies start forming stars? What is the role of distant galaxies in galaxy formation models and epoch of reionization? Recent observations indicate at least two critical puzzles in these studies. First galaxies might have started forming stars earlier than previously thought (<400Myr after the Big Bang). Furthermore, it is still unclear what is their star formation history and whether these galaxies can reionize the Universe. Accurate knowledge of stellar masses, ages, and star formation rates at this epoch requires measuring both rest-frame UV and optical light, which only Spitzer and HST can probe at z>7-11 for a large enough sample of typical galaxies. To address this cosmic puzzle, we propose Spitzer imaging of the fields behind 41 powerful cosmic telescopes selected using Planck data from the RELICS program (Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey; 190 HST orbits). This proposal will be a valuable Legacy complement to the existing IRAC deep surveys, and it will open up a new parameter space by probing the ordinary yet magnified population with much improved sample variance. The program will allow us to detect early galaxies with Spitzer and directly study stellar properties of a large number, ~20 galaxies (10 at z~7, 7 at z~8, 3 at z~9, and 1 at z~10). Spitzer data will much improve photometric redshifts of the earliest galaxies and will be crucial to ascertain the nature of any z>~10 candidate galaxies uncovered in the HST data. Spitzer also allows for an efficient selection of likely line emitters (as demonstrated by our recent spectroscopic confirmation of the most distant galaxy to date at z=8.68). Finally this proposal will establish the presence (or absence) of an unusually early established stellar population, as was recently observed in MACS1149JD at z~9. If confirmed in a larger sample, this result will require a paradigm shift in our understanding of the earliest star formation.

Measuring the hydrostatic mass bias in galaxy clusters by combining Sunyaev-Zel'dovich and CMB lensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurier, G.; Angulo, R. E.

2018-02-01

The cosmological parameters preferred by the cosmic microwave background (CMB) primary anisotropies predict many more galaxy clusters than those that have been detected via the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) effect. This discrepancy has attracted considerable attention since it might be evidence of physics beyond the simplest ΛCDM model. However, an accurate and robust calibration of the mass-observable relation for clusters is necessary for the comparison, which has been proven difficult to obtain so far. Here, we present new constraints on the mass-pressure relation by combining tSZ and CMB lensing measurements of optically selected clusters. Consequently, our galaxy cluster sample is independent of the data employed to derive cosmological constrains. We estimate an average hydrostatic mass bias of b = 0.26 ± 0.07, with no significant mass or redshift evolution. This value greatly reduces the discrepancy between the predictions of ΛCDM and the observed abundance of tSZ clusters but agrees with recent estimates from tSZ clustering. On the other hand, our value for b is higher than the predictions from hydrodynamical simulations. This suggests mechanisms that drive large departures from hydrostatic equilibrium and that are not included in the latest simulations, and/or unaccounted systematic errors such as biases in the cluster catalogue that are due to the optical selection.

Planck 2015 results. XXVII. The second Planck catalogue of Sunyaev-Zeldovich sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Planck Collaboration; Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Arnaud, M.; Ashdown, M.; Aumont, J.; Baccigalupi, C.; Banday, A. J.; Barreiro, R. B.; Barrena, R.; Bartlett, J. G.; Bartolo, N.; Battaner, E.; Battye, R.; Benabed, K.; Benoît, A.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Bernard, J.-P.; Bersanelli, M.; Bielewicz, P.; Bikmaev, I.; Böhringer, H.; Bonaldi, A.; Bonavera, L.; Bond, J. R.; Borrill, J.; Bouchet, F. R.; Bucher, M.; Burenin, R.; Burigana, C.; Butler, R. C.; Calabrese, E.; Cardoso, J.-F.; Carvalho, P.; Catalano, A.; Challinor, A.; Chamballu, A.; Chary, R.-R.; Chiang, H. C.; Chon, G.; Christensen, P. R.; Clements, D. L.; Colombi, S.; Colombo, L. P. L.; Combet, C.; Comis, B.; Couchot, F.; Coulais, A.; Crill, B. P.; Curto, A.; Cuttaia, F.; Dahle, H.; Danese, L.; Davies, R. D.; Davis, R. J.; de Bernardis, P.; de Rosa, A.; de Zotti, G.; Delabrouille, J.; Désert, F.-X.; Dickinson, C.; Diego, J. M.; Dolag, K.; Dole, H.; Donzelli, S.; Doré, O.; Douspis, M.; Ducout, A.; Dupac, X.; Efstathiou, G.; Eisenhardt, P. R. M.; Elsner, F.; Enßlin, T. A.; Eriksen, H. K.; Falgarone, E.; Fergusson, J.; Feroz, F.; Ferragamo, A.; Finelli, F.; Forni, O.; Frailis, M.; Fraisse, A. A.; Franceschi, E.; Frejsel, A.; Galeotta, S.; Galli, S.; Ganga, K.; Génova-Santos, R. T.; Giard, M.; Giraud-Héraud, Y.; Gjerløw, E.; González-Nuevo, J.; Górski, K. M.; Grainge, K. J. B.; Gratton, S.; Gregorio, A.; Gruppuso, A.; Gudmundsson, J. E.; Hansen, F. K.; Hanson, D.; Harrison, D. L.; Hempel, A.; Henrot-Versillé, S.; Hernández-Monteagudo, C.; Herranz, D.; Hildebrandt, S. R.; Hivon, E.; Hobson, M.; Holmes, W. A.; Hornstrup, A.; Hovest, W.; Huffenberger, K. M.; Hurier, G.; Jaffe, A. H.; Jaffe, T. R.; Jin, T.; Jones, W. C.; Juvela, M.; Keihänen, E.; Keskitalo, R.; Khamitov, I.; 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.; Lesgourgues, J.; Levrier, F.; Liguori, M.; Lilje, P. B.; Linden-Vørnle, M.; López-Caniego, M.; Lubin, P. M.; Macías-Pérez, J. F.; Maggio, G.; Maino, D.; Mak, D. S. Y.; Mandolesi, N.; Mangilli, A.; Martin, P. G.; Martínez-González, E.; Masi, S.; Matarrese, S.; Mazzotta, P.; McGehee, P.; Mei, S.; Melchiorri, A.; Melin, J.-B.; Mendes, L.; Mennella, A.; Migliaccio, M.; Mitra, S.; Miville-Deschênes, M.-A.; Moneti, A.; Montier, L.; Morgante, G.; Mortlock, D.; Moss, A.; Munshi, D.; Murphy, J. A.; Naselsky, P.; Nastasi, A.; Nati, F.; Natoli, P.; Netterfield, C. B.; Nørgaard-Nielsen, H. U.; Noviello, F.; Novikov, D.; Novikov, I.; Olamaie, M.; Oxborrow, C. A.; Paci, F.; Pagano, L.; Pajot, F.; Paoletti, D.; Pasian, F.; Patanchon, G.; Pearson, T. J.; Perdereau, O.; Perotto, L.; Perrott, Y. C.; Perrotta, F.; Pettorino, V.; Piacentini, F.; Piat, M.; Pierpaoli, E.; Pietrobon, D.; Plaszczynski, S.; Pointecouteau, E.; Polenta, G.; Pratt, G. W.; Prézeau, G.; Prunet, S.; Puget, J.-L.; Rachen, J. P.; Reach, W. T.; Rebolo, R.; Reinecke, M.; Remazeilles, M.; Renault, C.; Renzi, A.; Ristorcelli, I.; Rocha, G.; Rosset, C.; Rossetti, M.; Roudier, G.; Rozo, E.; Rubiño-Martín, J. A.; Rumsey, C.; Rusholme, B.; Rykoff, E. S.; Sandri, M.; Santos, D.; Saunders, R. D. E.; Savelainen, M.; Savini, G.; Schammel, M. P.; Scott, D.; Seiffert, M. D.; Shellard, E. P. S.; Shimwell, T. W.; Spencer, L. D.; Stanford, S. A.; Stern, D.; Stolyarov, V.; Stompor, R.; Streblyanska, A.; Sudiwala, R.; Sunyaev, R.; Sutton, D.; Suur-Uski, A.-S.; Sygnet, J.-F.; Tauber, J. A.; Terenzi, L.; Toffolatti, L.; Tomasi, M.; Tramonte, D.; Tristram, M.; Tucci, M.; Tuovinen, J.; Umana, G.; Valenziano, L.; Valiviita, J.; Van Tent, B.; Vielva, P.; Villa, F.; Wade, L. A.; Wandelt, B. D.; Wehus, I. K.; White, S. D. M.; Wright, E. L.; Yvon, D.; Zacchei, A.; Zonca, A.

2016-09-01

We present the all-sky Planck catalogue of Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) sources detected from the 29 month full-mission data. The catalogue (PSZ2) is the largest SZ-selected sample of galaxy clusters yet produced and the deepest systematic all-sky surveyof galaxy clusters. It contains 1653 detections, of which 1203 are confirmed clusters with identified counterparts in external data sets, and is the first SZ-selected cluster survey containing >103 confirmed clusters. We present a detailed analysis of the survey selection function in terms of its completeness and statistical reliability, placing a lower limit of 83% on the purity. Using simulations, we find that the estimates of the SZ strength parameter Y5R500are robust to pressure-profile variation and beam systematics, but accurate conversion to Y500 requires the use of prior information on the cluster extent. We describe the multi-wavelength search for counterparts in ancillary data, which makes use of radio, microwave, infra-red, optical, and X-ray data sets, and which places emphasis on the robustness of the counterpart match. We discuss the physical properties of the new sample and identify a population of low-redshift X-ray under-luminous clusters revealed by SZ selection. These objects appear in optical and SZ surveys with consistent properties for their mass, but are almost absent from ROSAT X-ray selected samples.

Planck 2015 results: XXVII. The second Planck catalogue of Sunyaev-Zeldovich sources

DOE PAGES

Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Arnaud, M.; ...

2016-09-20

Here, we present the all-sky Planck catalogue of Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) sources detected from the 29 month full-mission data. The catalogue (PSZ2) is the largest SZ-selected sample of galaxy clusters yet produced and the deepest systematic all-sky surveyof galaxy clusters. It contains 1653 detections, of which 1203 are confirmed clusters with identified counterparts in external data sets, and is the first SZ-selected cluster survey containing >103 confirmed clusters. We present a detailed analysis of the survey selection function in terms of its completeness and statistical reliability, placing a lower limit of 83% on the purity. Using simulations, we find that themore » estimates of the SZ strength parameter Y5R500are robust to pressure-profile variation and beam systematics, but accurate conversion to Y500 requires the use of prior information on the cluster extent. We describe the multi-wavelength search for counterparts in ancillary data, which makes use of radio, microwave, infra-red, optical, and X-ray data sets, and which places emphasis on the robustness of the counterpart match. We discuss the physical properties of the new sample and identify a population of low-redshift X-ray under-luminous clusters revealed by SZ selection. These objects appear in optical and SZ surveys with consistent properties for their mass, but are almost absent from ROSAT X-ray selected samples.« less

A Study in Lyman-Alpha

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagen, Alex

This thesis concentrates on the physical and morphological properties of galaxies via image analysis and spectral energy distribution fitting. My research primarily focuses on Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies (LAEs) at z 2, but to place the investigations in context, comparison samples of galaxies are also used. These galaxies present the opportunity to study formation and evolution of low-mass galaxies at this redshift, which is extremely difficult using continuum selection methods. Chapter 1 gives an introduction to LAEs and puts them in the context of galaxy formation and evolution. Chapter 2 was originally published as Hagen et al. (2014), which studied the physical properties of LAEs at 1.9 < z < 3.5 from the HETDEX Pilot Survey (Adams et al. 2011; Blanc et al. 2011). This paper found that LAEs span almost a three dex range in stellar mass and could be simply drawn for the star-forming galaxy mass function. We also found that, while most LAEs are dust poor, there were some objects that weren't. The Lyman-alpha photons seem to experience the same dust opacity as the UV continuum, suggesting that in these galaxies Lyman-alpha does not undergo significant scattering before escaping. This result, when matched with radiative transfer simulations, will help to constrain how Lyman-alpha escapes galaxies. Chapter 3, originally published as Hagen et al. (2016), describes research that studies how Lyman-alpha emitters are drawn from star-forming galaxies. This work used galaxies identified via their optical emission lines (oELGs) as a comparison sample (Zeimann et al. 2015a). These oELGs have a mass range similar to LAEs and are an excellent comparison sample to LAEs. Previous comparison samples, such as LBGs, are two dex more massive than LAEs and thus do not represent galaxies in the same evolutionary state as LAEs. We compared ten physical and morphological properties between Lyman-alpha and non-Lyman-alpha emitting galaxies and found no statistically significant differences between these two populations. This null result is actually very exciting, as this suggests that LAEs--such as the 106 LAEs soon to be found by HETDEX--can be used as unbiased tracers of the star-forming galaxy population. Chapter 4, originally Hagen et al. (2017), examines the rest-frame UV and rest-frame optical sizes of LAEs and oELGs from Zeimann et al. (2015a). We found that these morphological properties are indistinguishable between the samples, and that the galaxies are smaller in the rest-frame optical compared to the rest-frame UV. This suggests that low-mass galaxies are undergoing inside-out galaxy formation, which some papers had thought was only in higher mass galaxies. Chapter 5 is a proof-of-concept to show that LAEs detected from HETDEX commissioning observations can be cross-matched to Hubble Space Telescope counterparts, which then can be used to perform significant research into galaxy formation and evolution. This chapter will continue to be developed into a journal article. Chapter 6 summarizes the findings of this work and discusses future research opportunities with HETDEX.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2009-02-01

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

THE zCOSMOS-SINFONI PROJECT. I. SAMPLE SELECTION AND NATURAL-SEEING OBSERVATIONS

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

Mancini, C.; Renzini, A.; Foerster Schreiber, N. M.

2011-12-10

The zCOSMOS-SINFONI project is aimed at studying the physical and kinematical properties of a sample of massive z {approx} 1.4-2.5 star-forming galaxies, through SINFONI near-infrared integral field spectroscopy (IFS), combined with the multiwavelength information from the zCOSMOS (COSMOS) survey. The project is based on one hour of natural-seeing observations per target, and adaptive optics (AO) follow-up for a major part of the sample, which includes 30 galaxies selected from the zCOSMOS/VIMOS spectroscopic survey. This first paper presents the sample selection, and the global physical characterization of the target galaxies from multicolor photometry, i.e., star formation rate (SFR), stellar mass, age,more » etc. The H{alpha} integrated properties, such as, flux, velocity dispersion, and size, are derived from the natural-seeing observations, while the follow-up AO observations will be presented in the next paper of this series. Our sample appears to be well representative of star-forming galaxies at z {approx} 2, covering a wide range in mass and SFR. The H{alpha} integrated properties of the 25 H{alpha} detected galaxies are similar to those of other IFS samples at the same redshifts. Good agreement is found among the SFRs derived from H{alpha} luminosity and other diagnostic methods, provided the extinction affecting the H{alpha} luminosity is about twice that affecting the continuum. A preliminary kinematic analysis, based on the maximum observed velocity difference across the source and on the integrated velocity dispersion, indicates that the sample splits nearly 50-50 into rotation-dominated and velocity-dispersion-dominated galaxies, in good agreement with previous surveys.« less

The host galaxies of ultra hard X-ray selected AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael J.

One of the great mysteries surrounding active galactic nuclei (AGN) is their triggering mechanism. Since the discovery that almost all massive galaxies host nuclear supermassive black holes, it has become clear that a trigger mechanism is required to 'turn on' and continue to fuel the central black hole. While it is established that accretion processes are responsible for the energy emitted, the source of the accreting material is still controversial. Furthermore, the energy input from phases of black hole growth is thought to be a key regulator in the formation of galaxies and the establishment of various scaling relations. Theorists often invoke galaxy mergers as the violent mechanism to drive gas into the central regions and ignite luminous quasars, but among more common moderate luminosity AGN, there has been great controversy whether secular processes or mergers dominate AGN fueling. A survey in the ultra hard X-ray band (14--195 keV) is an important new way to answer the fundamental question of AGN fueling. This method is independent of selection effects such as dust extinction and obscuration that plague surveys at other wavelengths because of the ability of the primary continuum to easily pass through large columns of obscuring gas and dust (<10 24 cm-2). In this PhD, we have assembled the largest sample of ultra hard X-ray selected AGN with host galaxy optical data to date, with 185 nearby (z<0.05), moderate luminosity AGN from the Swift BAT sample. We find that these AGN show much higher rates of both mergers and massive spirals suggesting both mergers and accretion of cold gas in late type systems are important in AGN fueling. We also find that the most common AGN survey technique, optical line diagnostics, is heavily biased against finding AGN in mergers or spirals. Finally, in agreement with the merger driven AGN link, we find that dual AGN systems may be more common than current observation suggest since some of them are only detected using high spatial resolution, hard X-ray (>2 keV) imaging.

(Almost) Dark Galaxies in the ALFALFA Survey: HI-bearing Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies, and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leisman, Luke; Haynes, Martha P.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; ALFALFA Almost Darks Team

2017-01-01

Scaling relations between HI and stars in galaxies suggest strong ties between their atomic gas content and star formation laws. The Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) blind extragalactic HI survey is well positioned to locate very low surface brightness sources that lie off these relations, the most extreme of which may fall below optical detection limits. Thus, the ALFALFA (Almost) Darks Project has been investigating extreme outliers from these relations by studying the ~1% of ALFALFA sources without apparent stellar counterparts in major optical surveys. We have obtained deep HI and optical imaging of 25 of these candidate "dark" sources. We find that most "dark" sources are not extreme "(almost) dark" galaxies. A few are rare OH Megamasers, redshifted into the ALFALFA bandpass, and many are part of large galactic plumes, stretching as far as 600 kpc from their host galaxy. However, a small handful of sources appear to be galaxies with extreme stellar systems. We find multiple systems with HI mass to stellar mass ratios an order of magnitude larger than typical gas rich dwarfs. Further, we find an isolated population of HI-bearing "ultra diffuse" galaxies (UDGs), with stellar masses of dwarfs, but HI and optical radii of L* galaxies. We suggest that these sources may be related to recently reported gas poor, quiescent UDGs.

The ATLAS3D project - I. A volume-limited sample of 260 nearby early-type galaxies: science goals and selection criteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2011-05-01

The ATLAS3D project is a multiwavelength survey combined with a theoretical modelling effort. The observations span from the radio to the millimetre and optical, and provide multicolour imaging, two-dimensional kinematics of the atomic (H I), molecular (CO) and ionized gas (Hβ, [O III] and [N I]), together with the kinematics and population of the stars (Hβ, Fe5015 and Mg b), for a carefully selected, volume-limited (1.16 × 105 Mpc3) sample of 260 early-type (elliptical E and lenticular S0) galaxies (ETGs). The models include semi-analytic, N-body binary mergers and cosmological simulations of galaxy formation. Here we present the science goals for the project and introduce the galaxy sample and the selection criteria. The sample consists of nearby (D < 42 Mpc, |δ- 29°| < 35°, |b| > 15°) morphologically selected ETGs extracted from a parent sample of 871 galaxies (8 per cent E, 22 per cent S0 and 70 per cent spirals) brighter than MK < -21.5 mag (stellar mass M★≳ 6 ×109 M⊙). We analyse possible selection biases and we conclude that the parent sample is essentially complete and statistically representative of the nearby galaxy population. We present the size-luminosity relation for the spirals and ETGs and show that the ETGs in the ATLAS3D sample define a tight red sequence in a colour-magnitude diagram, with few objects in the transition from the blue cloud. We describe the strategy of the SAURON integral field observations and the extraction of the stellar kinematics with the pPXF method. We find typical 1σ errors of ΔV≈ 6 km s-1, Δσ≈ 7 km s-1, Δh3≈Δh4≈ 0.03 in the mean velocity, the velocity dispersion and Gauss-Hermite (GH) moments for galaxies with effective dispersion σe≳ 120 km s-1. For galaxies with lower σe (≈40 per cent of the sample) the GH moments are gradually penalized by pPXF towards zero to suppress the noise produced by the spectral undersampling and only V and σ can be measured. We give an overview of the characteristics of the other main data sets already available for our sample and of the ongoing modelling projects.

Tidal distortions in pairs of early-type galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prugniel, Philippe; Davoust, E.

1990-01-01

The authors are conducting an imaging survey of pairs of elliptical galaxies which has already produced interesting results. Some pairs present a common pattern of distortion interpreted in terms of tidal effects (Davoust and Prugniel, 1988; Prugniel et al., 1989). Other examples drawn from the literature (Borne and Hoessel, 1988; Colina and Perez-Fournon, 1990) share the same morphology. New cases and lists of the characteristics of 24 such systems. The authors' pairs are drawn from a sample of binary and multiple galaxies which has in turn been extracted from the CGCG, UGC (Nilson, 1973) and VV (Vorontsov-Velyaminov, 1959) catalogues. This sample includes that of Karachentsev (1972). It contains 1800 pairs, among which 700 are S - S or mixed morphology pairs. The authors are working on the remainder to produce a sample of close physical pairs of elliptical galaxies (they also include bulge dominated SO's since the morphological discrimination from ellipticals is often ambiguous, in particular for interacting galaxies). One of the interests of this work is to provide a sample selected on purely optical criteria, at variance with other works (e.g., Valentijn and Casertano, 1988). This will allow statistical studies of non-optical properties of these pairs (in particular radio emission). The authors have so far obtained charge-coupled device (CCD) images of 125 pairs with a 2m telescope and velocities' differences of 78 pairs were obtained using the 1.93 meter telescope of Observatoire de Haute Provence and from the literature. One is an optical pair (VV 190). Eighteen of our pairs present the morphological effect described in Davoust and Prugniel (1988): the external parts of each member are stretched in opposite senses in a direction rougly perpendicular to the pair axis. The proportion of 15 plus or minus 4 percent distorted pairs confirms previous estimates. Except for a few cases involving flattened galaxies with nearly aligned major axes which deserve careful detailed analysis (Prugniel, 1989), the apparent distortions do correspond to physical distortions. We have searched the literature for isophote maps showing this effect. In the survey of radio galaxies by Colina and Perez-Fournon (1990), 7 out of 20 pairs show this characteristic distortion.

Herschel-ATLAS: Dusty early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowlands, K.; Dunne, L.; Maddox, S.

2015-03-01

Early-type galaxies (ETGs) are thought to be devoid of dust and star-formation, having formed most of their stars at early epochs. We present the detection of the dustiest ETGs in a large-area blind submillimetre survey with Herschel (H-ATLAS, Eales et al. 2010), where the lack of pre-selection in other bands makes it the first unbiased survey for cold dust in ETGs. The parent sample of 1087 H-ATLAS galaxies in this study have a >= 5σ detection at 250μm, a reliable optical counterpart to the submillimetre source (Smith et al. 2011) and a spectroscopic redshift from the GAMA survey (Driver et al. 2011). Additionally, we construct a control sample of 1052 optically selected galaxies undetected at 250μm and matched in stellar mass to the H-ATLAS parent sample to eliminate selection effects. ETGs were selected from both samples via visual classifications using SDSS images. Further details can be found in Rowlands et al. (2012). Physical parameters are derived for each galaxy using the multiwavelength spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting code of da Cunha, Charlot and Elbaz (2008), Smith et al. 2012, using an energy balance argument. We investigate the differences between the dusty ETGs and the general ETG population, and find that the H-ATLAS ETGs are more than an order of magnitude dustier than the control ETGs. The mean dust mass of the 42 H-ATLAS ETGs is 5.5 × 107M⊙ (comparable to the dust mass of spirals in our sample), whereas the dust mass of the 233 control ETGs inferred from stacking at optical positions on the 250μm map is (0.8 - 4.0) × 106M⊙ for 25-15 K dust. The average star-formation rate of the H-ATLAS ETGs is 1.0 dex higher than that of control ETGs, and the mean r-band light-weighted age of the H-ATLAS ETGs is 1.8 Gyr younger than the control ETGs. The rest-frame NUV - r colours of the H-ATLAS ETGs are 1.0 magnitudes bluer than the control ETGs, and some ETGs may be transitioning from the blue cloud to the red sequence. Some H-ATLAS ETGs show signs of morphological disturbance and may have undergone recent rejuvenation of their ISM via gas and dust delivered by mergers. It is found that late-type stars cannot produce enough dust to account for that observed in the H-ATLAS ETGs. This indicates that either an external source of dust from mergers is required, a substantial amount of dust grain growth must occur in the ISM, or dust destruction by hot X-ray gas is less efficient than predicted.

Ultra-compact high velocity clouds in the ALFALFA HI survey: Candidate Local Group galaxies?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Elizabeth Ann Kovenz

The increased sensitivity and spatial resolution of the ALFALFA HI survey has resulted in the detection of ultra-compact high velocity clouds (UCHVCs). These objects are good candidates to represent low mass gas-rich galaxies in the Local Group and Local Volume with stellar populations that are too faint to be detected in extant optical surveys. This idea is referred to as the "minihalo hypothesis". We identify the UCHVCs within the ALFALFA dataset via the use of a 3D matched filtering signal identification algorithm. UCHVCs are selected based on a compact size (< 30'), separation from Galactic HI (|upsilon LSR| > 120 km s-1) and isolation. Within the 40% complete ALFALFA survey (alpha.40), 59 UCHVCs are identified; 19 are in a most-isolated subset and are the best galaxy candidates. Due to the presence of large HVC complexes in the fall sky, most notably the Magellanic Stream, the association of UCHVCs with existing structure cannot be ruled out. In the spring sky, the spatial and kinematic distribution of the UCHVCs is consistent with simulations of dark matter halos within the Local Group. In addition, the HI properties of the UCHVCs (if placed at 1 Mpc) are consistent with both theoretical and observational predictions for low mass gas-rich galaxies. Importantly, the HI properties of the UCHVCs are consistent with those of two recently discovered low mass gas-rich galaxies in the Local Group and Local Volume, Leo T and Leo P. Detailed follow-up observations are key for addressing the minihalo hypothesis. High resolution HI observations can constrain the environment of a UCHVC and offer evidence for a hosting dark matter halo through evidence of rotation support and comparison to theoretical models. Observations of one UCHVC at high resolution (15'') reveal the presence of a clumpy HI distribution, similar to both low mass galaxies and circumgalactic compact HVCs. An extended envelope containing ˜50% of the HI flux is resolved out by the array configuration; observations at lower spatial resolution can recover this envelope and constrain the overall morphology and environment. The most direct way to address the minihalo hypothesis is by detection of a stellar counterpart, immediately identifying a UCHVC as a galaxy and allowing a distance to be measured. We have selected a sample of best galaxy candidates from the UCHVCs based on isolation, compactness, surface brightness, and kinematics. We are undertaking targeted optical observations of these systems in two filters to conduct a focused search for a coherent stellar population. Observations are in-hand for 29 systems, and an analysis of a single system is presented as a test case. These data were obtained via "shared-risk" observing, and analysis for all systems is awaiting further pipeline development. If (some of) the UCHVCs represent nearby low mass galaxies, they will help us understand the evolution of the lowest mass galaxies and address the small scale crisis in cosmology. Understanding the nature of the UCHVCs is a complicated and ongoing project. Both optical and HI synthesis imaging data will continue to be acquired and analyzed in order to address the minihalo hypothesis. Future HI surveys of nearby galaxy groups will be able to robustly address the minihalo hypothesis by being sensitive to UCHVCs in other galaxy groups.

Measuring size evolution of distant, faint galaxies in the radio regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindroos, L.; Knudsen, K. K.; Stanley, F.; Muxlow, T. W. B.; Beswick, R. J.; Conway, J.; Radcliffe, J. F.; Wrigley, N.

2018-05-01

We measure the evolution of sizes for star-forming galaxies as seen in 1.4 GHz continuum radio for z = 0-3. The measurements are based on combined VLA+MERLIN data of the Hubble Deep Field, and using a uv-stacking algorithm combined with model fitting to estimate the average sizes of galaxies. A sample of ˜1000 star-forming galaxies is selected from optical and near-infrared catalogues, with stellar masses M⊙ ≈ 1010-1011 M⊙ and photometric redshifts 0-3. The median sizes are parametrized for stellar mass M* = 5 × 1010 M⊙ as R_e = A× {}(H(z)/H(1.5))^{α _z}. We find that the median radio sizes evolve towards larger sizes at later times with αz = -1.1 ± 0.6, and A (the median size at z ≈ 1.5) is found to be 0.26^'' ± 0.07^'' or 2.3±0.6 kpc. The measured radio sizes are typically a factor of 2 smaller than those measure in the optical, and are also smaller than the typical H α sizes in the literature. This indicates that star formation, as traced by the radio continuum, is typically concentrated towards the centre of galaxies, for the sampled redshift range. Furthermore, the discrepancy of measured sizes from different tracers of star formation, indicates the need for models of size evolution to adopt a multiwavelength approach in the measurement of the sizes star-forming regions.

HIGH-REDSHIFT DUST OBSCURED GALAXIES: A MORPHOLOGY-SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION CONNECTION REVEALED BY KECK ADAPTIVE OPTICS

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

Melbourne, J.; Matthews, K.; Soifer, B. T.

A simple optical to mid-IR color selection, R - [24]>14, i.e., f {sub {nu}}(24 {mu}m)/f {sub {nu}}(R) {approx}> 1000, identifies highly dust obscured galaxies (DOGs) with typical redshifts of z {approx} 2 {+-} 0.5. Extreme mid-IR luminosities (L {sub IR} > 10{sup 12-14}) suggest that DOGs are powered by a combination of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and star formation, possibly driven by mergers. In an effort to compare their photometric properties with their rest-frame optical morphologies, we obtained high-spatial resolution (0.''05-0.''1) Keck Adaptive Optics K'-band images of 15 DOGs. The images reveal a wide range of morphologies, including small exponentialmore » disks (eight of 15), small ellipticals (four of 15), and unresolved sources (two of 15). One particularly diffuse source could not be classified because of low signal-to-noise ratio. We find a statistically significant correlation between galaxy concentration and mid-IR luminosity, with the most luminous DOGs exhibiting higher concentration and smaller physical size. DOGs with high concentration also tend to have spectral energy distributions (SEDs) suggestive of AGN activity. Thus, central AGN light may be biasing the morphologies of the more luminous DOGs to higher concentration. Conversely, more diffuse DOGs tend to show an SED shape suggestive of star formation. Two of 15 in the sample show multiple resolved components with separations of {approx}1 kpc, circumstantial evidence for ongoing mergers.« less

Discovery of an optical synchrotron jet in 3C 264

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crane, P.; Peletier, R.; Baxter, D.; Sparks, W. B.; Albrecht, R.; Barbieri, C.; Blades, J. C.; Boksenberg, A.; Deharveng, J. M.; Disney, M. J.

1993-01-01

Observations with the Faint Object Camera on board the Hubble Space Telescope have revealed a new optical jet in the core of the elliptical galaxy NGC 3862 (3C 264). Morphologically, this jet is similar to the synchrotron jets seen in other galaxies, as it shows knots and bifurcations. The optical spectral index is also similar to that found in other jets. Thus, the nucleus of NGC 3862 appears to contain the fifth known example of an optical synchrotron jet. Since NGC 3862 is a typical radio-loud elliptical galaxy, it seems likely that many nonthermal jets found in the radio continuum may also have optical counterparts.

Soft γ-ray selected radio galaxies: favouring giant size discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bassani, L.; Venturi, T.; Molina, M.; Malizia, A.; Dallacasa, D.; Panessa, F.; Bazzano, A.; Ubertini, P.

2016-09-01

Using the recent INTEGRAL/IBIS and Swift/BAT surveys we have extracted a sample of 64 confirmed plus three candidate radio galaxies selected in the soft gamma-ray band. The sample covers all optical classes and is dominated by objects showing a Fanaroff-Riley type II radio morphology; a large fraction (70 per cent) of the sample is made of `radiative mode' or high-excitation radio galaxies. We measured the source size on images from the NRAO VLA Sky Survey, the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at twenty-cm and the Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey images and have compared our findings with data in the literature obtaining a good match. We surprisingly found that the soft gamma-ray selection favours the detection of large size radio galaxies: 60 per cent of objects in the sample have size greater than 0.4 Mpc while around 22 per cent reach dimension above 0.7 Mpc at which point they are classified as giant radio galaxies (GRGs), the largest and most energetic single entities in the Universe. Their fraction among soft gamma-ray selected radio galaxies is significantly larger than typically found in radio surveys, where only a few per cent of objects (1-6 per cent) are GRGs. This may partly be due to observational biases affecting radio surveys more than soft gamma-ray surveys, thus disfavouring the detection of GRGs at lower frequencies. The main reasons and/or conditions leading to the formation of these large radio structures are still unclear with many parameters such as high jet power, long activity time and surrounding environment all playing a role; the first two may be linked to the type of active galactic nucleus discussed in this work and partly explain the high fraction of GRGs found in the present sample. Our result suggests that high energy surveys may be a more efficient way than radio surveys to find these peculiar objects.

The Rest-frame Ultraviolet Spectra of UV-selected Active Galactic Nuclei at z ~ 2-3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hainline, Kevin N.; Shapley, Alice E.; Greene, Jenny E.; Steidel, Charles C.

2011-05-01

We present new results for a sample of 33 narrow-lined UV-selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs), identified in the course of a spectroscopic survey for star-forming galaxies at z ~ 2-3. The rest-frame UV composite spectrum for our AGN sample shows several emission lines characteristic of AGNs, as well as interstellar absorption features detected in star-forming Lyman break galaxies (LBGs). We report a detection of N IV] λ1486, which has been observed in high-redshift radio galaxies, as well as in rare optically selected quasars. The UV continuum slope of the composite spectrum is significantly redder than that of a sample of non-AGN UV-selected star-forming galaxies. Blueshifted Si IV absorption provides evidence for outflowing highly ionized gas in these objects at speeds of ~103 km s-1, quantitatively different from what is seen in the outflows of non-AGN LBGs. Grouping the individual AGNs by parameters such as the Lyα equivalent width, redshift, and UV continuum magnitude allows for an analysis of the major spectroscopic trends within the sample. Stronger Lyα emission is coupled with weaker low-ionization absorption, which is similar to what is seen in the non-AGN LBGs, and highlights the role that cool interstellar gas plays in the escape of Lyα photons. However, the AGN composite does not show the same trends between Lyα strength and extinction seen in the non-AGN LBGs. These results represent the first such comparison at high redshift between star-forming galaxies and similar galaxies that host AGN activity. 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.

Starburst Galaxies: Hard X-ray spectra and contribution to the diffuse background

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gruber, Duane E.

1993-01-01

During the period of this grant two main tasks were performed: a determination of a selection criterion for starburst galaxies most likely to emit X-rays, and performance of a pilot study of the X-ray emission from nine such systems. Starburst galaxies may be expected to emit flat-spectrum X-ray at energies above 10 keV resulting from the various remnants of the short-lived massive stars which characterize the starburst. The investigation to determine the optimum sample resulted in a change from an X-ray selected (HEAO-2) sample to infrared selection based on the IRAS catalogue. A much broader sample thereby available for study, and selection could be limited to only the nearest objects and still obtain a reasonably large sample. A sample of 99 of the brightest infrared starburst galaxies was settled on for the X-ray survey. For a set of practical size, this was then reduced to a subset of 53, based on luminosity and nearness. X-ray emission from these objects was individually measured from the UCSD HEAO-1 all-sky survey in four energy bands between 13 keV to 160 keV. This data base consists of about 20 optical disk volumes. Net significance for the result was roughly two sigma, and a very hard spectral shape is indicated for the net spectrum of the surveyed galaxies. With the possibility of detection of the class, it was then felt worthwhile to examine fluxes from these sources in other archival data. This was performed with the HEAO-1 A2 data and the HEAO-2 (EINSTEIN) main archive and slew survey. Positive results were also obtained for the sample, but again at weak significance. With three independent measures of weak X-ray fluxes from nearby starburst galaxies, we wrote a letter to the Astrophysical Journal (enclosed) discussing these results and their likely significance, in particular, for the contribution to the cosmic diffuse x-ray background, perhaps as much as 25 percent.

Black hole growth and starburst activity at z = 0.6-4 in the Chandra Deep Field South. Host galaxies properties of obscured AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brusa, M.; Fiore, F.; Santini, P.; Grazian, A.; Comastri, A.; Zamorani, G.; Hasinger, G.; Merloni, A.; Civano, F.; Fontana, A.; Mainieri, V.

2009-12-01

Aims: The co-evolution of host galaxies and the active black holes which reside in their centre is one of the most important topics in modern observational cosmology. Here we present a study of the properties of obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN) detected in the CDFS 1 Ms observation and their host galaxies. Methods: We limited the analysis to the MUSIC area, for which deep K-band observations obtained with ISAAC@VLT are available, ensuring accurate identifications of the counterparts of the X-ray sources as well as reliable determination of photometric redshifts and galaxy parameters, such as stellar masses and star formation rates. In particular, we: 1) refined the X-ray/infrared/optical association of 179 sources in the MUSIC area detected in the Chandra observation; 2) studied the host galaxies observed and rest frame colors and properties. Results: We found that X-ray selected (LX ⪆ 1042 erg s-1) AGN show Spitzer colors consistent with both AGN and starburst dominated infrared continuum; the latter would not have been selected as AGN from infrared diagnostics. The host galaxies of X-ray selected obscured AGN are all massive (Mast > 1010 M_⊙) and, in 50% of the cases, are also actively forming stars (1/SSFR < tHubble) in dusty environments. The median L/LEdd value of the active nucleus is between 2% and 10% depending on the assumed MBH/Mast ratio. Finally, we found that the X-ray selected AGN fraction increases with the stellar mass up to a value of 30% at z > 1 and Mast > 3 × 1011 M_⊙, a fraction significantly higher than in the local Universe for AGN of similar luminosities. Tables [see full textsee full textsee full text] and [see full textsee full textsee full text] are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

A Bridge from Optical to Infrared Galaxies: Explaining Local Properties and Predicting Galaxy Counts and the Cosmic Background Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Totani, Tomonori; Takeuchi, Tsutomu T.

2002-05-01

We give an explanation for the origin of various properties observed in local infrared galaxies and make predictions for galaxy counts and cosmic background radiation (CBR) using a new model extended from that for optical/near-infrared galaxies. Important new characteristics of this study are that (1) mass scale dependence of dust extinction is introduced based on the size-luminosity relation of optical galaxies and that (2) the large-grain dust temperature Tdust is calculated based on a physical consideration for energy balance rather than by using the empirical relation between Tdust and total infrared luminosity LIR found in local galaxies, which has been employed in most previous works. Consequently, the local properties of infrared galaxies, i.e., optical/infrared luminosity ratios, LIR-Tdust correlation, and infrared luminosity function are outputs predicted by the model, while these have been inputs in a number of previous models. Our model indeed reproduces these local properties reasonably well. Then we make predictions for faint infrared counts (in 15, 60, 90, 170, 450, and 850 μm) and CBR using this model. We found results considerably different from those of most previous works based on the empirical LIR-Tdust relation; especially, it is shown that the dust temperature of starbursting primordial elliptical galaxies is expected to be very high (40-80 K), as often seen in starburst galaxies or ultraluminous infrared galaxies in the local and high-z universe. This indicates that intense starbursts of forming elliptical galaxies should have occurred at z~2-3, in contrast to the previous results that significant starbursts beyond z~1 tend to overproduce the far-infrared (FIR) CBR detected by COBE/FIRAS. On the other hand, our model predicts that the mid-infrared (MIR) flux from warm/nonequilibrium dust is relatively weak in such galaxies making FIR CBR, and this effect reconciles the prima facie conflict between the upper limit on MIR CBR from TeV gamma-ray observations and the COBE detections of FIR CBR. The intergalactic optical depth of TeV gamma rays based on our model is also presented.

FIGGS 2: An HI survey of extremely faint irregular galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patra, N. N.; Chengalur, J. N.; Karachentsev, I. D.; Sharina, M. E.

2016-10-01

We present observations and first results from the FIGGS2 survey. FIGGS2 is an extension of the earlier Faint Irregular Galaxies GMRT survey (FIGGS) towards faint luminosity end. The sample consists of 20 galaxies, 15 of which were detected in HI 21 cm line using the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT). The median blue band magnitude of our sample is approximately -11.m 6, which is more than one magnitude fainter than earlier FIGGS survey. From our GMRT observations we found that, for many of our sample galaxies, the HI disks are offset from their optical disks. The HI diameters of the FIGGS2 galaxies show a tight correlation with their HI mass. The slope of the correlation is 2.08 ± 0.20 similar to what is found for FIGGS galaxies. We also found that for almost all galaxies, the HI disks are larger than the optical disks which is a common trend for dwarf or spiral galaxies. The mean value of the ratio of HI to optical diameter is about 1.54.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Massive early-type galaxies (Buitrago+, 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buitrago, F.; Trujillo, I.; Conselice, C. J.; Haussler, B.

2013-08-01

Present-day massive galaxies are composed mostly of early-type objects. It is unknown whether this was also the case at higher redshifts. In a hierarchical assembling scenario the morphological content of the massive population is expected to change with time from disc-like objects in the early Universe to spheroid-like galaxies at present. In this paper we have probed this theoretical expectation by compiling a large sample of massive (Mstellar>=1011h-270M⊙) galaxies in the redshift interval 0

The BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS) DR1-Spectral Measurements, Derived Quantities, and AGN Demographics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael; BASS Team

2018-01-01

We present the first catalog and data release of the Swift-BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS). We analyze optical spectra of the majority of AGN (77%, 641/836) detected based on their 14-195 keV emission in the 70-month Swift BAT all-sky catalog. This includes redshift determination, absorption and emission line measurements, and black hole mass and accretion rate estimates for the majority of obscured and un-obscured AGN (74%, 473/641) with 340 measured for the first time. With ~90% of sources at z<0.2, the survey represents a significant census of hard-X-ray selected AGN in the local universe. In this first catalog paper, we describe the spectroscopic observations and datasets, and our initial spectral analysis. The FWHM of the emission lines show broad agreement with the X-ray obscuration (~94%), such that Sy 1-1.8 have NH<10^21.9 cm^-2, and Seyfert 2, have NH>10^21.9 cm^-2. Seyfert 1.9 show a range of column densities. Compared to narrow line AGN in the SDSS, the X-ray selected AGN have a larger fraction of dusty host galaxies suggesting these types of AGN are missed in optical surveys. Using the most sensitive [OIII]/Hbeta and [NII]/Halpha emission line diagnostic, about half of the sources are classified as Seyferts, ~15% reside in dusty galaxies that lack an Hbeta detection, but for which the line upper limits imply either a Seyfert or LINER, ~15% are in galaxies with weak or no emission lines despite high quality spectra, and a few percent each are LINERS, composite galaxies, HII regions, or in known beamed AGN.

LOFAR/H-ATLAS: the low-frequency radio luminosity-star formation rate relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gürkan, G.; Hardcastle, M. J.; Smith, D. J. B.; Best, P. N.; Bourne, N.; Calistro-Rivera, G.; Heald, G.; Jarvis, M. J.; Prandoni, I.; Röttgering, H. J. A.; Sabater, J.; Shimwell, T.; Tasse, C.; Williams, W. L.

2018-04-01

Radio emission is a key indicator of star formation activity in galaxies, but the radio luminosity-star formation relation has to date been studied almost exclusively at frequencies of 1.4 GHz or above. At lower radio frequencies, the effects of thermal radio emission are greatly reduced, and so we would expect the radio emission observed to be completely dominated by synchrotron radiation from supernova-generated cosmic rays. As part of the LOFAR Surveys Key Science project, the Herschel-ATLAS NGP field has been surveyed with LOFAR at an effective frequency of 150 MHz. We select a sample from the MPA-JHU catalogue of Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies in this area: the combination of Herschel, optical and mid-infrared data enable us to derive star formation rates (SFRs) for our sources using spectral energy distribution fitting, allowing a detailed study of the low-frequency radio luminosity-star formation relation in the nearby Universe. For those objects selected as star-forming galaxies (SFGs) using optical emission line diagnostics, we find a tight relationship between the 150 MHz radio luminosity (L150) and SFR. Interestingly, we find that a single power-law relationship between L150 and SFR is not a good description of all SFGs: a broken power-law model provides a better fit. This may indicate an additional mechanism for the generation of radio-emitting cosmic rays. Also, at given SFR, the radio luminosity depends on the stellar mass of the galaxy. Objects that were not classified as SFGs have higher 150-MHz radio luminosity than would be expected given their SFR, implying an important role for low-level active galactic nucleus activity.

BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey. I. Spectral Measurements, Derived Quantities, and AGN Demographics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael; Trakhtenbrot, Benny; Ricci, Claudio; Lamperti, Isabella; Oh, Kyuseok; Berney, Simon; Schawinski, Kevin; Baloković, Mislav; Baronchelli, Linda; Crenshaw, D. Michael; Fischer, Travis; Gehrels, Neil; Harrison, Fiona; Hashimoto, Yasuhiro; Hogg, Drew; Ichikawa, Kohei; Masetti, Nicola; Mushotzky, Richard; Sartori, Lia; Stern, Daniel; Treister, Ezequiel; Ueda, Yoshihiro; Veilleux, Sylvain; Winter, Lisa

2017-11-01

We present the first catalog and data release of the Swift-BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey. We analyze optical spectra of the majority of the detected AGNs (77%, 642/836)based on their 14-195 keV emission in the 70-month Swift-BAT all-sky catalog. This includes redshift determination, absorption and emission-line measurements, and black hole mass and accretion rate estimates for the majority of obscured and unobscured AGNs (74%, 473/642), with 340 measured for the first time. With ˜90% of sources at z< 0.2, the survey represents a significant advance in the census of hard X-ray-selected AGNs in the local universe. In this first catalog paper, we describe the spectroscopic observations and data sets, and our initial spectral analysis. The FWHMs of the emission lines show broad agreement with the X-ray obscuration (˜94%), such that Sy 1-1.8 have {N}{{H}}< {10}21.9 cm-2, and Seyfert 2 have {N}{{H}}> {10}21.9 cm-2. Seyfert 1.9, however, show a range of column densities. Compared to narrow-line AGNs in the SDSS, the X-ray-selected AGNs have a larger fraction of dusty host galaxies ({{H}}α /{{H}}β > 5), suggesting that these types of AGN are missed in optical surveys. Using the [O III] λ5007/Hβ and [N II] λ6583/Hα emission-line diagnostic, about half of the sources are classified as Seyferts; ˜15% reside in dusty galaxies that lack an Hβ detection, but for which the upper limits on line emission imply either a Seyfert or LINER, ˜ 15 % are in galaxies with weak or no emission lines despite high-quality spectra, and a few percent each are LINERS, composite galaxies, H II regions, or in known beamed AGNs.

Physical conditions of the interstellar medium in star-forming galaxies at z ˜ 1.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Masao; Ly, Chun; Shimasaku, Kazuhiro; Motohara, Kentaro; Malkan, Matthew A.; Nagao, Tohru; Kashikawa, Nobunari; Goto, Ryosuke; Naito, Yoshiaki

2015-10-01

We present results from Subaru Fiber Multi Object Spectrograph near-infrared spectroscopy of 118 star-forming galaxies at z ˜ 1.5 in the Subaru Deep Field. These galaxies are selected as [O II]λ3727 emitters at z ≈ 1.47 and 1.62 from narrow-band imaging. We detect the Hα emission line in 115 galaxies, the [O III]λ5007 emission line in 45 galaxies, and Hβ, [N II]λ6584, and [S II]λλ6716, 6731 in 13, 16, and 6 galaxies, respectively. Including the [O II] emission line, we use the six strong nebular emission lines in the individual and composite rest-frame optical spectra to investigate the physical conditions of the interstellar medium in star-forming galaxies at z ˜ 1.5. We find a tight correlation between Hα and [O II], which suggests that [O II] can be a good star formation rate indicator for galaxies at z ˜ 1.5. The line ratios of Hα/[O II] are consistent with those of local galaxies. We also find that [O II] emitters have strong [O III] emission lines. The [O III]/[O II] ratios are larger than normal star-forming galaxies in the local universe, suggesting a higher ionization parameter. Less massive galaxies have larger [O III]/[O II] ratios. With evidence that the electron density is consistent with local galaxies, the high ionization of galaxies at high redshifts may be attributed to a harder radiation field by a young stellar population and/or an increase in the number of ionizing photons from each massive star.

Welcome to the Twilight Zone: The Mid-infrared Properties of Post-starburst Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alatalo, Katherine; Bitsakis, Theodoros; Lanz, Lauranne; Lacy, Mark; Brown, Michael J. I.; French, K. Decker; Ciesla, Laure; Appleton, Philip N.; Beaton, Rachael L.; Cales, Sabrina L.; Crossett, Jacob; Falcón-Barroso, Jesús; Kelson, Daniel D.; Kewley, Lisa J.; Kriek, Mariska; Medling, Anne M.; Mulchaey, John S.; Nyland, Kristina; Rich, Jeffrey A.; Urry, C. Meg

2017-07-01

We investigate the optical and Wide-field Survey Explorer (WISE) colors of “E+A” identified post-starburst galaxies, including a deep analysis of 190 post-starbursts detected in the 2 μm All Sky Survey Extended Source Catalog. The post-starburst galaxies appear in both the optical green valley and the WISE Infrared Transition Zone. Furthermore, we find that post-starbursts occupy a distinct region of [3.4]-[4.6] versus [4.6]-[12] WISE colors, enabling the identification of this class of transitioning galaxies through the use of broadband photometric criteria alone. We have investigated possible causes for the WISE colors of post-starbursts by constructing a composite spectral energy distribution (SED), finding that the mid-infrared (4-12 μm) properties of post-starbursts are consistent with either 11.3 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission, or thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) and post-AGB stars. The composite SED of extended post-starburst galaxies with 22 μm emission detected with signal-to-noise ratio ≥slant 3 requires a hot dust component to produce their observed rising mid-infrared SED between 12 and 22 μm. The composite SED of WISE 22 μm non-detections (S/N < 3), created by stacking 22 μm images, is also flat, requiring a hot dust component. The most likely source of the mid-infrared emission of these E+A galaxies is a buried active galactic nucleus (AGN). The inferred upper limits to the Eddington ratios of post-starbursts are 10-2-10-4, with an average of 10-3. This suggests that AGNs are not radiatively dominant in these systems. This could mean that including selections capable of identifying AGNs as part of a search for transitioning and post-starburst galaxies would create a more complete census of the transition pathways taken as a galaxy quenches its star formation.

ALMA observations of the host galaxy of GRB 090423 at z = 8.23: deep limits on obscured star formation 630 million years after the big bang

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

Berger, E.; Zauderer, B. A.; Chary, R.-R.

2014-12-01

We present rest-frame far-infrared (FIR) and optical observations of the host galaxy of GRB 090423 at z = 8.23 from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and the Spitzer Space Telescope, respectively. The host remains undetected to 3σ limits of F {sub ν}(222 GHz) ≲ 33 μJy and F {sub ν}(3.6 μm) ≲ 81 nJy. The FIR limit is about 20 times fainter than the luminosity of the local ULIRG Arp 220 and comparable to the local starburst M 82. Comparing this with model spectral energy distributions, we place a limit on the infrared (IR) luminosity of L {sub IR}(8-1000more » μm) ≲ 3 × 10{sup 10} L {sub ☉}, corresponding to a limit on the obscured star formation rate of SFR{sub IR}≲5 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}. For comparison, the limit on the unobscured star formation rate from Hubble Space Telescope rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) observations is SFR{sub UV} ≲ 1 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}. We also place a limit on the host galaxy stellar mass of M {sub *} ≲ 5 × 10{sup 7} M {sub ☉} (for a stellar population age of 100 Myr and constant star formation rate). Finally, we compare our millimeter observations to those of field galaxies at z ≳ 4 (Lyman break galaxies, Lyα emitters, and submillimeter galaxies) and find that our limit on the FIR luminosity is the most constraining to date, although the field galaxies have much larger rest-frame UV/optical luminosities than the host of GRB 090423 by virtue of their selection techniques. We conclude that GRB host galaxies at z ≳ 4, especially those with measured interstellar medium metallicities from afterglow spectroscopy, are an attractive sample for future ALMA studies of high redshift obscured star formation.« less

WINGS: A WIde-field Nearby Galaxy-cluster Survey. II. Deep optical photometry of 77 nearby clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varela, J.; D'Onofrio, M.; Marmo, C.; Fasano, G.; Bettoni, D.; Cava, A.; Couch, W. J.; Dressler, A.; Kjærgaard, P.; Moles, M.; Pignatelli, E.; Poggianti, B. M.; Valentinuzzi, T.

2009-04-01

Context: This is the second paper of a series devoted to the WIde Field Nearby Galaxy-cluster Survey (WINGS). WINGS is a long term project which is gathering wide-field, multi-band imaging and spectroscopy of galaxies in a complete sample of 77 X-ray selected, nearby clusters (0.04 < z < 0.07) located far from the galactic plane (|b|≥ 20°). The main goal of this project is to establish a local reference for evolutionary studies of galaxies and galaxy clusters. Aims: This paper presents the optical (B,V) photometric catalogs of the WINGS sample and describes the procedures followed to construct them. We have paid special care to correctly treat the large extended galaxies (which includes the brightest cluster galaxies) and the reduction of the influence of the bright halos of very bright stars. Methods: We have constructed photometric catalogs based on wide-field images in B and V bands using SExtractor. Photometry has been performed on images in which large galaxies and halos of bright stars were removed after modeling them with elliptical isophotes. Results: We publish deep optical photometric catalogs (90% complete at V ~ 21.7, which translates to ˜ M^*_V+6 at mean redshift), giving positions, geometrical parameters, and several total and aperture magnitudes for all the objects detected. For each field we have produced three catalogs containing galaxies, stars and objects of “unknown” classification (~6%). From simulations we found that the uncertainty of our photometry is quite dependent of the light profile of the objects with stars having the most robust photometry and de Vaucouleurs profiles showing higher uncertainties and also an additional bias of ~-0.2^m. The star/galaxy classification of the bright objects (V < 20) was checked visually making negligible the fraction of misclassified objects. For fainter objects, we found that simulations do not provide reliable estimates of the possible misclassification and therefore we have compared our data with that from deep counts of galaxies and star counts from models of our Galaxy. Both sets turned out to be consistent with our data within ~5% (in the ratio galaxies/total) up to V ~ 24. Finally, we remark that the application of our special procedure to remove large halos improves the photometry of the large galaxies in our sample with respect to the use of blind automatic procedures and increases (~16%) the detection rate of objects projected onto them. Based on observations taken at the Issac Newton Telescope (2.5 m-INT) sited at Roque de los Muchachos (La Palma, Spain), and the MPG/ESO-2.2 m Telescope sited at La Silla (Chile). Appendices are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org Catalog is only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/497/667

Present and Future Redshift Surveys: ORS, DOGS and 2dF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahav, O.

Three galaxy redshifts surveys and their analyses are discussed. (i) The recently completed Optical Redshift Survey (ORS) includes galaxies larger than 1.9 arcmin and/or brighter than $14.5^m$. It provides redshifts for $\\sim 8300 $ galaxies at Galactic latitude $|b|>20^o$. A new analysis of the survey explores the existence and extent of the Supergalactic Plane (SGP). Its orientation is found to be in good agreement with the standard SGP coordinates, and suggests that the SGP is at least as large as the survey (16000 km/sec in diameter). (ii) The Dwingeloo Obscured Galaxy Survey is aimed at finding galaxies hidden behind the Milky-Way using a blind search in 21 cm. The discovery of Dwingeloo1 illustrates that the survey will allow us to systematically survey the region $30^o < l < 200^o$ out to 4000 km/sec. (iii) The Anglo-Australian 2-degree-Field (2dF) survey will yield 250,000 redshifts for APM-selected galaxies brighter than $19.5^m$ to map the large scale structure on scales larger than $\\sim 30 \\Mpc$. To study morphological segregation and biasing the spectra will be classified using Artificial Neural Networks.

Dark Matter Profiles in Dwarf Galaxies: A Statistical Sample Using High-Resolution Hα Velocity Fields from PCWI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Relatores, Nicole C.; Newman, Andrew B.; Simon, Joshua D.; Ellis, Richard; Truong, Phuongmai N.; Blitz, Leo

2018-01-01

We present high quality Hα velocity fields for a sample of nearby dwarf galaxies (log M/M⊙ = 8.4-9.8) obtained as part of the Dark Matter in Dwarf Galaxies survey. The purpose of the survey is to investigate the cusp-core discrepancy by quantifying the variation of the inner slope of the dark matter distributions of 26 dwarf galaxies, which were selected as likely to have regular kinematics. The data were obtained with the Palomar Cosmic Web Imager, located on the Hale 5m telescope. We extract rotation curves from the velocity fields and use optical and infrared photometry to model the stellar mass distribution. We model the total mass distribution as the sum of a generalized Navarro-Frenk-White dark matter halo along with the stellar and gaseous components. We present the distribution of inner dark matter density profile slopes derived from this analysis. For a subset of galaxies, we compare our results to an independent analysis based on CO observations. In future work, we will compare the scatter in inner density slopes, as well as their correlations with galaxy properties, to theoretical predictions for dark matter core creation via supernovae feedback.

High-redshift galaxy populations and their descendants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Qi; White, Simon D. M.

2009-06-01

We study predictions in the concordance Λ cold dark matter cosmology for the abundance and clustering of high-redshift galaxies and for the properties of their descendants. We focus on three high-redshift populations: Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z ~ 3, optically selected star-forming galaxies at z ~ 2 (BXs) and distant red galaxies (DRGs) at z ~ 2. We select galaxies from mock catalogues based on the Millennium Simulation using the observational colour and apparent magnitude criteria. With plausible dust assumptions, our galaxy formation model can simultaneously reproduce the abundances, redshift distributions and clustering of all three observed populations. The star formation rates (SFRs) of model LBGs and BXs are lower than those quoted for the real samples, reflecting differing initial mass functions and scatter in model dust properties. About 85 per cent of model galaxies selected as DRGs are star forming, with SFRs in the range 1 to ~100Msolaryr-1. Model LBGs, BXs and DRGs together account for less than half of all star formation over the range 1.5 < z < 3.2; many massive, star-forming galaxies are predicted to be too heavily obscured to appear in these populations. Model BXs have metallicities which agree roughly with observation, but model LBGs are only slightly more metal poor, in disagreement with recent observational results. The model galaxies are predominantly disc dominated. Stellar masses for LBGs and BXs are ~109.9Msolar, and for DRGs are ~1010.7Msolar. Only about 30 per cent of model galaxies with M* > 1011Msolar are classified as LBGs or BXs at the relevant redshifts, while 65 per cent are classified as DRGs. Almost all model LBGs and BXs are the central galaxies of their dark haloes, but fewer than half of the haloes of any given mass have an LBG or BX central galaxy. Half of all LBG descendants at z = 2 would be identified as BXs, but very few as DRGs. Clustering increases with decreasing redshift for descendants of all three populations, becoming stronger than that of L* galaxies by z = 0, when many have become satellite galaxies and their typical stellar mass has increased by a factor of 10 for LBGs and BXs and by a factor of 3 for DRGs. This growth is dominated by star formation until z ~ 1 and thereafter by mergers. Merging is predicted to be more important for LBG and DRG descendants than for BX descendants. Most LBGs and DRGs end up as red ellipticals, while BXs have a more varied fate. Over 70 per cent of local galaxies with M* > 1011Msolar are predicted to have at least one LBG/BX/DRG progenitor.

Fundamental Properties of the SHIELD Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cannon, John; Adams, Betsey; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Haynes, Martha; Jones, Michael; McQuinn, Kristen; Rhode, Katherine; Salzer, John; Skillman, Evan

2018-05-01

The ALFALFA survey has significantly advanced our knowledge of the HI mass function (HIMF), particularly at the low mass end. From the ALFALFA survey, we have constructed a sample of all of the galaxies with HI masses less than 20 million solar masses. Observations of this 82 galaxy sample allow, for the first time, a characterization of the lowest HI mass galaxies at redshift zero. Specifically, this sample can be used to determine the low HI-mass ends of various fundamental scaling relations, including the critical baryonic Tully Fisher relation (BTFR) and the mass-metallicity (M-Z) relation. The M-Z relation and the BTFR are cosmologically important, but current samples leave the low-mass parameter spaces severely underpopulated. A full understanding of these relationships depends critically on accurate stellar masses of this complete sample of uniformly-selected galaxies. Here, we request imaging of the 70 galaxies in our sample that have not been observed with Spitzer. The proposed imaging will allow us to measure stellar masses and inclinations of the sample galaxies using a uniform observational approach. Comparison with (existing and in progress) interferometric HI imaging and with ground-based optical imaging and spectroscopy will enable a robust mass decomposition in each galaxy and accurate placements on the aforementioned scaling relationships. The observations proposed here will allow us to populate the mass continuum between mini-halos and bona fide dwarf galaxies, and to address a range of fundamental questions in galaxy formation and near-field cosmology.

Early-type galaxies have been the predominant morphological class for massive galaxies since only z ˜ 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buitrago, Fernando; Trujillo, Ignacio; Conselice, Christopher J.; Häußler, Boris

2013-01-01

Present-day massive galaxies are composed mostly of early-type objects. It is unknown whether this was also the case at higher redshifts. In a hierarchical assembling scenario the morphological content of the massive population is expected to change with time from disc-like objects in the early Universe to spheroid-like galaxies at present. In this paper we have probed this theoretical expectation by compiling a large sample of massive (Mstellar ≥ 1011 h- 270 M⊙) galaxies in the redshift interval 0 < z < 3. Our sample of 1082 objects comprises 207 local galaxies selected from Sloan Digital Sky Survey plus 875 objects observed with the Hubble Space Telescope belonging to the Palomar Observatory Wide-field InfraRed/DEEP2 and GOODS NICMOS Survey surveys. 639 of our objects have spectroscopic redshifts. Our morphological classification is performed as close as possible to the optical rest frame according to the photometric bands available in our observations both quantitatively (using the Sérsic index as a morphological proxy) and qualitatively (by visual inspection). Using both techniques we find an enormous change on the dominant morphological class with cosmic time. The fraction of early-type galaxies among the massive galaxy population has changed from ˜20-30 per cent at z ˜ 3 to ˜70 per cent at z = 0. Early-type galaxies have been the predominant morphological class for massive galaxies since only z ˜ 1.

Measuring Low Mass Galaxies In The WFC3 Infrared Spectroscopic Parallels Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, James; Teplitz, Harry; Scarlata, Claudia; Siana, Brian; Malkan, Matt; McCarthy, Patrick; Henry, Alaina; Atek, Hakim; Fosbury, Robert; Ross, Nathanial; Hathi, Nimish; Bridge, Carrie; Bunker, Andrew; Dressler, Alan; Shim, Hyunjin; Bedregal, Alejandro; Dominguez, Alberto; Rafelski, Marc; Masters, Dan; Martin, Crystal; Dai, Sophia

2015-10-01

The WFC3 Infrared Spectroscopic Parallel (WISP) Survey uses over 1800 HST orbits to study galaxy evolution over a majority of cosmic history. Its slitless grism spectroscopy over a wide, continuous spectral range (0.8-1.7 micron) provides an unbiased selection of thousands of emission line galaxies over 0.5 < z < 2.5. Hundreds of these galaxies are detected in multiple emission lines, allowing for important diagnostics of metallicity and dust extinction. We propose deep 3.6 micron imaging (5 sigma, 0.9 micro-Jy) of 60 of the deepest WISP fields observed with the combination of G102+G141 grisms, in order to detect emission-line galaxies down to 0.1 L* and masses below 10^8 Mo. Combined with our HST optical and near-IR photometry, these IRAC data will be critical to determining accurate stellar masses for both passive and active galaxies in our survey. We will determine the evolution of the faint end slope of the stellar mass function and the mass-metallicity relation down to low-mass galaxies. The addition of the IRAC photometry will also provide much stronger constraints on dust extinction and star formation history, especially when combined with information available from the emission lines themselves.

{sup 13}CO/C{sup 18}O Gradients across the Disks of Nearby Spiral Galaxies

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

Jiménez-Donaire, María J.; Cormier, Diane; Bigiel, Frank

We use the IRAM Large Program EMPIRE and new high-resolution ALMA data to measure {sup 13}CO(1-0)/C{sup 18}O(1-0) intensity ratios across nine nearby spiral galaxies. These isotopologues of {sup 12}CO are typically optically thin across most of the area in galaxy disks, and this ratio allows us to gauge their relative abundance due to chemistry or stellar nucleosynthesis effects. Resolved {sup 13}CO/C{sup 18}O gradients across normal galaxies have been rare due to the faintness of these lines. We find a mean {sup 13}CO/C{sup 18}O ratio of 6.0 ± 0.9 for the central regions of our galaxies. This agrees well with resultsmore » in the Milky Way, but differs from results for starburst galaxies (3.4 ± 0.9) and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (1.1 ± 0.4). In our sample, the {sup 13}CO/C{sup 18}O ratio consistently increases with increasing galactocentric radius and decreases with increasing star formation rate surface density. These trends could be explained if the isotopic abundances are altered by fractionation; the sense of the trends also agrees with those expected for carbon and oxygen isotopic abundance variations due to selective enrichment by massive stars.« less

"Almost Darks": HI Mapping and Optical Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singer, Quinton; Ball, Catie; Cannon, John M.; Leisman, Luke; Haynes, Martha P.; Adams, Elizabeth A.; Bernal Neira, David; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Hallenbeck, Gregory L.; Janesh, William; Janowiecki, Steven; Jozsa, Gyula; Rhode, Katherine L.; Salzer, John Joseph

2017-01-01

We present VLA HI imaging of the "Almost Dark" galaxies AGC 227982, AGC 268363, and AGC 219533. Selected from the ALFALFA survey, "Almost Dark" galaxies have significant HI reservoirs but lack an obvious stellar counterpart in survey-depth ground-based optical imaging. These three HI-rich objects harbor some of the most extreme levels of suppressed star formation amongst the isolated sources in the ALFALFA catalog. Our new multi-configuration, high angular (~20") and spectral (1.7 km/s) resolution HI observations produce spatially resolved column density and velocity distribution moment maps. We compare these images to Sloan Digitized Sky Survey (SDSS) optical images. By localizing the HI gas, we identify previously unknown optical components (offset from the ALFALFA pointing center) for AGC 227982 and AGC 268363, and confirm the association with a very low surface brightness stellar counterpart for AGC 219533. Baryonic masses are derived from VLA flux integral values and ALFALFA distance estimates, giving answers consistent with those derived from ALFALFA fluxes. All three sources appear to have fairly regular HI morphologies and show evidence of ordered rotation.Support for this work was provided by NSF grant 1211683 to JMC at Macalester College.

Discovery of bright z ≃ 7 galaxies in the UltraVISTA survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowler, R. A. A.; Dunlop, J. S.; McLure, R. J.; McCracken, H. J.; Milvang-Jensen, B.; Furusawa, H.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Le Fèvre, O.; Holt, J.; Ideue, Y.; Ihara, Y.; Rogers, A. B.; Taniguchi, Y.

2012-11-01

We have exploited the new, deep, near-infrared UltraVISTA imaging of the Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field, in tandem with deep optical and mid-infrared imaging, to conduct a new search for luminous galaxies at redshifts z ≃ 7. The year-one UltraVISTA data provide contiguous Y, J, H, Ks imaging over 1.5 deg2, reaching a 5σ detection limit of Y + J ≃ 25 (AB mag, 2-arcsec-diameter aperture). The central ≃1 deg2 of this imaging coincides with the final deep optical (u*, g, r, i) data provided by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) Legacy Survey and new deep Subaru/Suprime-Cam z'-band imaging obtained specifically to enable full exploitation of UltraVISTA. It also lies within the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) I814 band and Spitzer/Infrared Array Camera imaging obtained as part of the COSMOS survey. We have utilized this unique multiwavelength dataset to select galaxy candidates at redshifts z > 6.5 by searching first for Y + J-detected objects which are undetected in the CFHT and HST optical data. This sample was then refined using a photometric redshift fitting code, enabling the rejection of lower redshift galaxy contaminants and cool galactic M, L, T dwarf stars. The final result of this process is a small sample of (at most) 10 credible galaxy candidates at z > 6.5 (from over 200 000 galaxies detected in the year-one UltraVISTA data) which we present in this paper. The first four of these appear to be robust galaxies at z > 6.5, and fitting to their stacked spectral energy distribution yields zphot = 6.98 ± 0.05 with a stellar mass M* ≃ 5 × 109 M⊙ and rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) spectral slope β ≃ -2.0 ± 0.2 (where fλ ∝ λβ). The next three are also good candidates for z > 6.5 galaxies, but the possibility that they are dwarf stars cannot be completely excluded. Our final subset of three additional candidates is afflicted not only by potential dwarf star contamination, but also contains objects likely to lie at redshifts just below z = 6.5. We show that the three even-brighter z ≳ 7 galaxy candidates reported in the COSMOS field by Capak et al. are in fact all lower redshift galaxies at z ≃ 1.5-3.5. Consequently the new z ≃ 7 galaxies reported here are the first credible z ≃ 7 Lyman-break galaxies discovered in the COSMOS field and, as the most UV luminous discovered to date at these redshifts, are prime targets for deep follow-up spectroscopy. We explore their physical properties, and briefly consider the implications of their inferred number density for the form of the galaxy luminosity function at z ≃ 7.

Optical-Near-infrared Color Gradients and Merging History of Elliptical Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Duho; Im, Myungshin

2013-04-01

It has been suggested that merging plays an important role in the formation and the evolution of elliptical galaxies. While gas dissipation by star formation is believed to steepen metallicity and color gradients of the merger products, mixing of stars through dissipation-less merging (dry merging) is believed to flatten them. In order to understand the past merging history of elliptical galaxies, we studied the optical-near-infrared (NIR) color gradients of 204 elliptical galaxies. These galaxies are selected from the overlap region of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Stripe 82 and the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey (LAS). The use of optical and NIR data (g, r, and K) provides large wavelength baselines, and breaks the age-metallicity degeneracy, allowing us to derive age and metallicity gradients. The use of the deep SDSS Stripe 82 images makes it possible for us to examine how the color/age/metallicity gradients are related to merging features. We find that the optical-NIR color and the age/metallicity gradients of elliptical galaxies with tidal features are consistent with those of relaxed ellipticals, suggesting that the two populations underwent a similar merging history on average and that mixing of stars was more or less completed before the tidal features disappeared. Elliptical galaxies with dust features have steeper color gradients than the other two types, even after masking out dust features during the analysis, which can be due to a process involving wet merging. More importantly, we find that the scatter in the color/age/metallicity gradients of the relaxed and merging feature types decreases as their luminosities (or masses) increase at M > 1011.4 M ⊙ but stays large at lower luminosities. Mean metallicity gradients appear nearly constant over the explored mass range, but a possible flattening is observed at the massive end. According to our toy model that predicts how the distribution of metallicity gradients changes as a result of major dry merging, the mean metallicity gradient should flatten by 40% and its scatter becomes smaller by 80% per a mass-doubling scale if ellipticals evolve only through major dry merger. Our result, although limited by a number statistics at the massive end, is consistent with the picture that major dry merging is an important mechanism for the evolution for ellipticals at M > 1011.4 M ⊙, but is less important at the lower mass range.

OPTICAL-NEAR-INFRARED COLOR GRADIENTS AND MERGING HISTORY OF ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES

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

Kim, Duho; Im, Myungshin

2013-04-01

It has been suggested that merging plays an important role in the formation and the evolution of elliptical galaxies. While gas dissipation by star formation is believed to steepen metallicity and color gradients of the merger products, mixing of stars through dissipation-less merging (dry merging) is believed to flatten them. In order to understand the past merging history of elliptical galaxies, we studied the optical-near-infrared (NIR) color gradients of 204 elliptical galaxies. These galaxies are selected from the overlap region of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Stripe 82 and the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Surveymore » (LAS). The use of optical and NIR data (g, r, and K) provides large wavelength baselines, and breaks the age-metallicity degeneracy, allowing us to derive age and metallicity gradients. The use of the deep SDSS Stripe 82 images makes it possible for us to examine how the color/age/metallicity gradients are related to merging features. We find that the optical-NIR color and the age/metallicity gradients of elliptical galaxies with tidal features are consistent with those of relaxed ellipticals, suggesting that the two populations underwent a similar merging history on average and that mixing of stars was more or less completed before the tidal features disappeared. Elliptical galaxies with dust features have steeper color gradients than the other two types, even after masking out dust features during the analysis, which can be due to a process involving wet merging. More importantly, we find that the scatter in the color/age/metallicity gradients of the relaxed and merging feature types decreases as their luminosities (or masses) increase at M > 10{sup 11.4} M{sub Sun} but stays large at lower luminosities. Mean metallicity gradients appear nearly constant over the explored mass range, but a possible flattening is observed at the massive end. According to our toy model that predicts how the distribution of metallicity gradients changes as a result of major dry merging, the mean metallicity gradient should flatten by 40% and its scatter becomes smaller by 80% per a mass-doubling scale if ellipticals evolve only through major dry merger. Our result, although limited by a number statistics at the massive end, is consistent with the picture that major dry merging is an important mechanism for the evolution for ellipticals at M > 10{sup 11.4} M{sub Sun }, but is less important at the lower mass range.« less

The Swift GRB Host Galaxy Legacy Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perley, Daniel

2015-08-01

I will describe the Swift Host Galaxy Legacy Survey (SHOALS), a comprehensive multiwavelength program to characterize the demographics of the GRB host population and its redshift evolution from z=0 to z=7. Using unbiased selection criteria we have designated a subset of 119 Swift gamma-ray bursts which are now being targeted with intensive observational follow-up. Deep Spitzer imaging of every field has already been obtained and analyzed, with major programs ongoing at Keck, GTC, Gemini, VLT, and Magellan to obtain complementary optical/NIR photometry and spectroscopy to enable full SED modeling and derivation of fundamental physical parameters such as mass, extinction, and star-formation rate. Using these data I will present an unbiased measurement of the GRB host-galaxy luminosity and mass distributions and their evolution with redshift, compare GRB hosts to other star-forming galaxy populations, and discuss implications for the nature of the GRB progenitor and the ability of GRBs to serve as tools for measuring and studying cosmic star-formation in the distant universe.

Radio Transients in 1333 deg2 of the VLA Sky Survey Pilot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Dillon; Hallinan, Gregg; Myers, Steven T.; Mooley, Kunal; VLASS Survey Team, VLASS Survey Science Group (SSG)

2018-01-01

The VLA Sky Survey (VLASS) is an ongoing project by the NRAO to map ~34,000 deg2 of the sky at 3GHz, over 3 epochs spanning 6 years. In preparation for the full survey, a set of fields covering 2480 deg2 was recently observed as the VLASS pilot project. We searched 1333 deg2 of the VLASS pilot for radio transients with characteristic decay timescales between weeks and years, such as the synchrotron afterglows of supernovae, tidal disruption events, and long/short gamma ray bursts. These radio afterglows are thought to be roughly isotropic and extinction-free, allowing us to observe transients that would be missed by optical/high energy surveys due to obscuration or off-axis jetting.Within the searched area, we identified 215 VLASS sources that have no counterpart in the FIRST survey and have a projected distance of < 50kpc from the nearest galaxy by angular distance in the CLU and GWENs galaxy catalogs. By selection, these targets are predominently located near low redshift (z < 0.05) galaxies, allowing us to study their host environments with a sub-kiloparsec spatial resolution. Prioritizing based on visual association with SDSS galaxies, we imaged and/or took spectra of the host environment of 60 targets with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (LRIS) on Keck 1. In this talk, we present the radio and optical results for the most exciting VLASS transients.

The new galaxy evolution paradigm revealed by the Herschel surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eales, Stephen; Smith, Dan; Bourne, Nathan; Loveday, Jon; Rowlands, Kate; van der Werf, Paul; Driver, Simon; Dunne, Loretta; Dye, Simon; Furlanetto, Cristina; Ivison, R. J.; Maddox, Steve; Robotham, Aaron; Smith, Matthew W. L.; Taylor, Edward N.; Valiante, Elisabetta; Wright, Angus; Cigan, Philip; De Zotti, Gianfranco; Jarvis, Matt J.; Marchetti, Lucia; Michałowski, Michał J.; Phillipps, Steven; Viaene, Sebastien; Vlahakis, Catherine

2018-01-01

The Herschel Space Observatory has revealed a very different galaxyscape from that shown by optical surveys which presents a challenge for galaxy-evolution models. The Herschel surveys reveal (1) that there was rapid galaxy evolution in the very recent past and (2) that galaxies lie on a single Galaxy Sequence (GS) rather than a star-forming 'main sequence' and a separate region of 'passive' or 'red-and-dead' galaxies. The form of the GS is now clearer because far-infrared surveys such as the Herschel ATLAS pick up a population of optically red star-forming galaxies that would have been classified as passive using most optical criteria. The space-density of this population is at least as high as the traditional star-forming population. By stacking spectra of H-ATLAS galaxies over the redshift range 0.001 < z < 0.4, we show that the galaxies responsible for the rapid low-redshift evolution have high stellar masses, high star-formation rates but, even several billion years in the past, old stellar populations - they are thus likely to be relatively recent ancestors of early-type galaxies in the Universe today. The form of the GS is inconsistent with rapid quenching models and neither the analytic bathtub model nor the hydrodynamical EAGLE simulation can reproduce the rapid cosmic evolution. We propose a new gentler model of galaxy evolution that can explain the new Herschel results and other key properties of the galaxy population.

THE MOST LUMINOUS GALAXIES DISCOVERED BY WISE

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

Tsai, Chao-Wei; Eisenhardt, Peter R. M.; Stern, Daniel

2015-06-01

We present 20 Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)-selected galaxies with bolometric luminosities L{sub bol} > 10{sup 14} L{sub ☉}, including five with infrared luminosities L{sub IR} ≡ L{sub (rest} {sub 8–1000} {sub μm)} > 10{sup 14} L{sub ☉}. These “extremely luminous infrared galaxies,” or ELIRGs, were discovered using the “W1W2-dropout” selection criteria which requires marginal or non-detections at 3.4 and 4.6 μm (W1 and W2, respectively) but strong detections at 12 and 22 μm in the WISE survey. Their spectral energy distributions are dominated by emission at rest-frame 4–10 μm, suggesting that hot dust with T{sub d} ∼ 450 Kmore » is responsible for the high luminosities. These galaxies are likely powered by highly obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and there is no evidence suggesting these systems are beamed or lensed. We compare this WISE-selected sample with 116 optically selected quasars that reach the same L{sub bol} level, corresponding to the most luminous unobscured quasars in the literature. We find that the rest-frame 5.8 and 7.8 μm luminosities of the WISE-selected ELIRGs can be 30%–80% higher than that of the unobscured quasars. The existence of AGNs with L{sub bol} > 10{sup 14} L{sub ☉} at z > 3 suggests that these supermassive black holes are born with large mass, or have very rapid mass assembly. For black hole seed masses ∼10{sup 3} M{sub ☉}, either sustained super-Eddington accretion is needed, or the radiative efficiency must be <15%, implying a black hole with slow spin, possibly due to chaotic accretion.« less

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Stellar nuclei and bulges of nearby S0 galaxies (Sil'chenko, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sil'Chenko, O. K.

2016-09-01

The integral-field spectrograph Spectrographic Areal Unit for Research on Optical Nebulae (SAURON) was operating at the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope belonging to the ING of telescopes on La Palma. It worked in "TIGER mode", giving about 1500 spectra simultaneously, each for a 0.94''*0.94'' square element ("spaxel") from a (central) part of a galaxy. A total set of spectra covers an area of 41''*33''. The spectral range of the unit is rather narrow, 4800-5350Å, and its spectral resolution has been fixed since 2007 at about 4.3Å. There were two surveys of nearby early-type galaxies with SAURON. The first one, which started in 1999 and finished in 2004, involved 72 galaxies, among those 48 early-type ones and 24 spirals (de Zeeuw et al. 2002MNRAS.329..513D). The second one undertaken in 2007-2008 added more early-type galaxies, including dwarfs, to complete the volume-limited (D<42Mpc) sample (Cappellari et al. 2011, Cat. J/MNRAS/413/813). The total sample of early-type galaxies investigated in these two surveys includes 260 objects, and 200 of them are lenticular galaxies. For my analysis I have selected a subsample of 143 S0 galaxies that were observed in 2007-2008. (2 data files).

The EDGE-CALIFA Survey: Interferometric Observations of 126 Galaxies with CARMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolatto, Alberto D.; Wong, Tony; Utomo, Dyas; Blitz, Leo; Vogel, Stuart N.; Sánchez, Sebastián F.; Barrera-Ballesteros, Jorge; Cao, Yixian; Colombo, Dario; Dannerbauer, Helmut; García-Benito, Rubén; Herrera-Camus, Rodrigo; Husemann, Bernd; Kalinova, Veselina; Leroy, Adam K.; Leung, Gigi; Levy, Rebecca C.; Mast, Damián; Ostriker, Eve; Rosolowsky, Erik; Sandstrom, Karin M.; Teuben, Peter; van de Ven, Glenn; Walter, Fabian

2017-09-01

We present interferometric CO observations, made with the Combined Array for Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) interferometer, of galaxies from the Extragalactic Database for Galaxy Evolution survey (EDGE). These galaxies are selected from the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) sample, mapped with optical integral field spectroscopy. EDGE provides good-quality CO data (3σ sensitivity {{{Σ }}}{mol}˜ 11 {M}⊙ {{pc}}-2 before inclination correction, resolution ˜1.4 kpc) for 126 galaxies, constituting the largest interferometric CO survey of galaxies in the nearby universe. We describe the survey and data characteristics and products, then present initial science results. We find that the exponential scale lengths of the molecular, stellar, and star-forming disks are approximately equal, and galaxies that are more compact in molecular gas than in stars tend to show signs of interaction. We characterize the molecular-to-stellar ratio as a function of Hubble type and stellar mass and present preliminary results on the resolved relations between the molecular gas, stars, and star-formation rate. We then discuss the dependence of the resolved molecular depletion time on stellar surface density, nebular extinction, and gas metallicity. EDGE provides a key data set to address outstanding topics regarding gas and its role in star formation and galaxy evolution, which will be publicly available on completion of the quality assessment.

Evidence for an Optical Low-frequency Quasi-periodic Oscillation in the Kepler Light Curve of an Active Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Krista Lynne; Mushotzky, Richard F.; Boyd, Patricia T.; Wagoner, Robert V.

2018-06-01

We report evidence for a quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in the optical light curve of KIC 9650712, a narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy in the original Kepler field. After the development and application of a pipeline for Kepler data specific to active galactic nuclei (AGNs), one of our sample of 21 AGNs selected by infrared photometry and X-ray flux demonstrates a peak in the power spectrum at log ν = ‑6.58 Hz, corresponding to a temporal period of t = 44 days. We note that although the power spectrum is well fit by a model consisting of a Lorentzian and a single power law, alternative continuum models cannot be ruled out. From optical spectroscopy, we measure the black hole mass of this AGN as log (M BH/M ⊙) = 8.17. We find that this frequency lies along a correlation between low-frequency QPOs and black hole mass from stellar and intermediate mass black holes to AGNs, similar to the known correlation in high-frequency QPOs.

A Catalog Sample of Low-mass Galaxies Observed in X-Rays with Central Candidate Black Holes

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

Nucita, A. A.; Manni, L.; Paolis, F. De

We present a sample of X-ray-selected candidate black holes in 51 low-mass galaxies with z ≤ 0.055 and masses up to 10{sup 10} M {sub ⊙} obtained by cross-correlating the NASA-SLOAN Atlas with the 3XMM catalog. We have also searched in the available catalogs for radio counterparts of the black hole candidates and find that 19 of the previously selected sources also have a radio counterpart. Our results show that about 37% of the galaxies of our sample host an X-ray source (associated with a radio counterpart) spatially coincident with the galaxy center, in agreement with other recent works. Formore » these nuclear sources, the X-ray/radio fundamental plane relation allows one to estimate the mass of the (central) candidate black holes, which are in the range of 10{sup 4}–2 × 10{sup 8} M {sub ⊙} (with a median value of ≃3 × 10{sup 7} M {sub ⊙} and eight candidates having masses below 10{sup 7} M {sub ⊙}). This result, while suggesting that X-ray emitting black holes in low-mass galaxies may have had a key role in the evolution of such systems, makes it even more urgent to explain how such massive objects formed in galaxies. Of course, dedicated follow-up observations both in the X-ray and radio bands, as well as in the optical, are necessary in order to confirm our results.« less

UV SEDs of early-type cluster galaxies: a new look at the UV upturn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, S. S.; Bremer, M. N.; Phillipps, S.; De Propris, R.

2018-05-01

Using GALEX, Ultraviolet Optical Telescope (UVOT), and optical photometry, we explore the prevalence and strength of the Ultraviolet (UV) upturn in the spectra of quiescent early-type galaxies in several nearby clusters. Even for galaxies with completely passive optical colours, there is a large spread in vacuum UV colour consistent with almost all having some UV upturn component. Combining GALEX and UVOT data below 3000 Å, we generate for the first time comparatively detailed UV spectral energy distributions for Coma cluster galaxies. Fitting the UV upturn component with a blackbody, 26 of these show a range of characteristic temperatures (10 000-21 000K) for the UV upturn population. Assuming a single temperature to explain GALEX-optical colours could underestimate the fraction of galaxies with UV upturns and mis-classify some as systems with residual star formation. The UV upturn phenomenon is not an exclusive feature found only in giant galaxies; we identify galaxies with similar (or even bluer) FUV - V colours to the giants with upturns over a range of fainter luminosities. The temperature and strength of the UV upturn are correlated with galaxy mass. Under the plausible hypothesis that the sources of the UV upturn are blue horizontal branch stars, the most likely mechanism for this is the presence of a substantial (between 4 per cent and 20 per cent) Helium-rich (Y > 0.3) population of stars in these galaxies, potentially formed at z ˜ 4 and certainly at z > 2; this plausibly sets a lower limit of {˜ } {0.3- 0.8} × 10^{10} M⊙ to the in situ stellar mass of ˜L* galaxies at this redshift.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-04-01

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

A physical model for z ~ 2 dust-obscured galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narayanan, Desika; Dey, Arjun; Hayward, Christopher C.; Cox, Thomas J.; Bussmann, R. Shane; Brodwin, Mark; Jonsson, Patrik; Hopkins, Philip F.; Groves, Brent; Younger, Joshua D.; Hernquist, Lars

2010-09-01

We present a physical model for the origin of z ~ 2 dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs), a class of high-redshift ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) selected at 24μm which are particularly optically faint (F24μm/FR > 1000). By combining N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations of high-redshift galaxy evolution with 3D polychromatic dust radiative transfer models, we find that luminous DOGs (with F24 >~ 0.3mJy at z ~ 2) are well modelled as extreme gas-rich mergers in massive (~5 × 1012-1013Msolar) haloes, with elevated star formation rates (SFR; ~500-1000Msolaryr-1) and/or significant active galactic nuclei (AGN) growth , whereas less luminous DOGs are more diverse in nature. At final coalescence, merger-driven DOGs transition from being starburst dominated to AGN dominated, evolving from a `bump' to a power-law (PL) shaped mid-IR (Infrared Array Camera, IRAC) spectral energy distribution (SED). After the DOG phase, the galaxy settles back to exhibiting a `bump' SED with bluer colours and lower SFRs. While canonically PL galaxies are associated with being AGN dominated, we find that the PL mid-IR SED can owe both to direct AGN contribution and to a heavily dust obscured stellar bump at times that the galaxy is starburst dominated. Thus, PL galaxies can be either starburst or AGN dominated. Less luminous DOGs can be well-represented either by mergers or by massive (Mbaryon ~ 5 × 1011Msolar) secularly evolving gas-rich disc galaxies (with SFR >~ 50Msolaryr-1). By utilizing similar models as those employed in the submillimetre galaxy (SMG) formation study of Narayanan et al., we investigate the connection between DOGs and SMGs. We find that the most heavily star-forming merger-driven DOGs can be selected as submillimetre galaxies, while both merger-driven and secularly evolving DOGs typically satisfy the BzK selection criteria. The model SEDs from the simulated galaxies match observed data reasonably well, though Mrk 231 and Arp 220 templates provide worse matches. Our models provide testable predictions of the physical masses, dust temperatures, CO linewidths and location on the MBH-Mbulge relation of DOGs. Finally, we provide public SED templates derived from these simulations. This paper is dedicated to the original DOG himself, Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr. E-mail: dnarayanan@cfa.harvard.edu ‡ CfA Fellow. § Carnegie Fellow. ¶ W. M. Keck Postdoctoral Fellow. ∥ Miller Fellow. ** Hubble Fellow.

NIR Spectroscopic Observation of Massive Galaxies in the Protocluster at z = 3.09

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubo, Mariko; Yamada, Toru; Ichikawa, Takashi; Kajisawa, Masaru; Matsuda, Yuichi; Tanaka, Ichi

2015-01-01

We present the results of near-infrared spectroscopic observations of the K-band-selected candidate galaxies in the protocluster at z = 3.09 in the SSA22 field. We observed 67 candidates with K AB < 24 and confirmed redshifts of the 39 galaxies at 2.0 < z spec < 3.4. Of the 67 candidates, 24 are certainly protocluster members with 3.04 <= z spec <= 3.12, which are massive red galaxies that have been unidentified in previous optical observations of the SSA22 protocluster. Many distant red galaxies (J - K AB > 1.4), hyper extremely red objects (J - K AB > 2.1), Spitzer MIPS 24 μm sources, active galactic nuclei (AGNs) as well as the counterparts of Lyα blobs and the AzTEC/ASTE 1.1 mm sources in the SSA22 field are also found to be protocluster members. The mass of the SSA22 protocluster is estimated to be ~2-5 × 1014 M ⊙, and this system is plausibly a progenitor of the most massive clusters of galaxies in the current universe. The reddest (J - K AB >= 2.4) protocluster galaxies are massive galaxies with M star ~ 1011 M ⊙ showing quiescent star formation activities and plausibly dominated by old stellar populations. Most of these massive quiescent galaxies host moderately luminous AGNs detected by X-ray. There are no significant differences in the [O III] λ5007/Hβ emission line ratios and [O III] λ5007 line widths and spatial extents of the protocluster galaxies from those of massive galaxies at z ~ 2-3 in the general field.

A bright, dust-obscured, millimetre-selected galaxy beyond the Bullet Cluster (1E0657-56)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, G. W.; Hughes, D. H.; Aretxaga, I.; Ezawa, H.; Austermann, J. E.; Doyle, S.; Ferrusca, D.; Hernández-Curiel, I.; Kawabe, R.; Kitayama, T.; Kohno, K.; Kuboi, A.; Matsuo, H.; Mauskopf, P. D.; Murakoshi, Y.; Montaña, A.; Natarajan, P.; Oshima, T.; Ota, N.; Perera, T. A.; Rand, J.; Scott, K. S.; Tanaka, K.; Tsuboi, M.; Williams, C. C.; Yamaguchi, N.; Yun, M. S.

2008-11-01

Deep 1.1mm continuum observations of 1E0657-56 (the `Bullet Cluster') taken with the millimeter-wavelength camera AzTEC on the 10-m Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE), have revealed an extremely bright (S1.1mm = 15.9mJy) unresolved source. This source, MMJ065837-5557.0, lies close to a maximum in the density of underlying mass distribution, towards the larger of the two interacting clusters as traced by the weak-lensing analysis of Clowe et al. Using optical-infrared (IR) colours, we argue that MMJ065837-5557.0 lies at a redshift of z = 2.7 +/- 0.2. A lensing-derived mass model for the Bullet Cluster shows a critical line (caustic) of magnification within a few arcsec of the AzTEC source, sufficient to amplify the intrinsic millimetre-wavelength flux of the AzTEC galaxy by a factor of >>20. After subtraction of the foreground cluster emission at 1.1mm due to the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, and correcting for the magnification, the rest-frame far-IR luminosity of MMJ065837-5557.0 is <=1012Lsolar, characteristic of a luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG). We explore various scenarios to explain the colours, morphologies and positional offsets between the potential optical and IR counterparts, and their relationship with MMJ065837-5557.0. Until higher resolution and more sensitive (sub)millimetre observations are available, the detection of background galaxies close to the caustics of massive lensing clusters offers the only opportunity to study this intrinsically faint millimetre-galaxy population.

Calibrating Star Formation in WISE Using Total Infrared Luminosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cluver, M. E.; Jarrett, T. H.; Dale, D. A.; Smith, J.-D. T.; August, Tamlyn; Brown, M. J. I.

2017-11-01

We present accurate resolved WISE photometry of galaxies in the combined SINGS and KINGFISH sample. The luminosities in the W3 12 μm and W4 23 μm bands are calibrated to star formation rates (SFRs) derived using the total infrared luminosity, avoiding UV/optical uncertainties due to dust extinction corrections. The W3 relation has a 1σ scatter of 0.15 dex that is over nearly 5 orders of magnitude in SFR and 12 μm luminosity, and a range in host stellar mass from dwarfs (107 {M}⊙ ) to ˜ 3× {M}{\\star } (1011.5 {M}⊙ ) galaxies. In the absence of deep silicate absorption features and powerful active galactic nuclei, we expect this to be a reliable SFR indicator chiefly due to the broad nature of the W3 band. By contrast, the W4 SFR relation shows more scatter (1σ =0.18 dex). Both relations show reasonable agreement with radio-continuum-derived SFRs and excellent accordance with so-called “hybrid” Hα + 24 μm and FUV+24 μm indicators. Moreover, the WISE SFR relations appear to be insensitive to the metallicity range in the sample. We also compare our results with IRAS-selected luminous infrared galaxies, showing that the WISE relations maintain concordance, but systematically deviate for the most extreme galaxies. Given the all-sky coverage of WISE and the performance of the W3 band as an SFR indicator, the {L}12μ {{m}} SFR relation could be of great use to studies of nearby galaxies and forthcoming large-area surveys at optical and radio wavelengths.

Physical Conditions of the Interstellar Medium in Star-forming Galaxies at z1.5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayashi, Masao; Ly, Chun; Shimasaku, Kazuhiro; Motohara, Kentaro; Malkan, Matthew A.; Nagao, Tohru; Kashikawa, Nobunari; Goto, Ryosuke; Naito, Yoshiaki

2015-01-01

We present results from Subaru/FMOS near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy of 118 star-forming galaxies at z approximately equal to 1.5 in the Subaru Deep Field. These galaxies are selected as [O II] lambda 3727 emitters at z approximately equal to 1.47 and 1.62 from narrow-band imaging. We detect H alpha emission line in 115 galaxies, [O III] lambda 5007 emission line in 45 galaxies, and H Beta, [N II] lambda 6584, and [S II]lambda lambda 6716, 6731 in 13, 16, and 6 galaxies, respectively. Including the [O II] emission line, we use the six strong nebular emission lines in the individual and composite rest-frame optical spectra to investigate physical conditions of the interstellar medium in star-forming galaxies at z approximately equal to 1.5. We find a tight correlation between H alpha and [O II], which suggests that [O II] can be a good star formation rate (SFR) indicator for galaxies at z approximately equal to 1.5. The line ratios of H alpha / [O II] are consistent with those of local galaxies. We also find that [O II] emitters have strong [O III] emission lines. The [O III]/[O II] ratios are larger than normal star-forming galaxies in the local Universe, suggesting a higher ionization parameter. Less massive galaxies have larger [O III]/[O II] ratios. With evidence that the electron density is consistent with local galaxies, the high ionization of galaxies at high redshifts may be attributed to a harder radiation field by a young stellar population and/or an increase in the number of ionizing photons from each massive star.

The Radio Luminosity Function and Galaxy Evolution in the Coma Cluster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Neal A.; Hornschemeier, Ann E.; Mabasher, Bahram; Brudgesm Terrry J.; Hudson, Michael J.; Marzke, Ronald O.; Smith, Russell J.

2008-01-01

We investigate the radio luminosity function and radio source population for two fields within the Coma cluster of galaxies, with the fields centered on the cluster core and southwest infall region and each covering about half a square degree. Using VLA data with a typical rms sensitivity of 28 (mu)Jy per 4.4" beam, we identify 249 radio sources with optical counterparts brighter than r = 22 (equivalent to M(sub r) = -13 for cluster member galaxies). Comprehensive optical spectroscopy identifies 38 of these as members of the Coma cluster, evenly split between sources powered by an active nucleus and sources powered by active star formation. The radio-detected star-forming galaxies are restricted to radio luminosities between about 10(exp 21) and 10(exp 22) W/Hz, an interesting result given that star formation dominates field radio luminosity functions below about 10(exp 23) W/Hz. The majority of the radio-detected star-forming galaxies have characteristics of starbursts, including high specific star formation rates and optical spectra with strong emission lines. In conjunction with prior studies on post-starburst galaxies within the Coma cluster, this is consistent with a picture in which late-type galaxies entering Coma undergo a starburst prior to a rapid cessation of star formation. Optically bright elliptical galaxies (Mr less than or equals -20.5) make the largest contribution to the radio luminosity function at both the high (> approx. 3x10(exp 22) W/Hz) and low (< approx. 10(exp 21) W/Hz) ends. Through a stacking analysis of these optically-bright ellipticals we find that they continue to harbor radio sources down to luminosities as faint as 3x10(exp 19) W/Hz. However, contrary to published results for the Virgo cluster we find no evidence for the existence of a population of optically faint (M(sub r) approx. equals -14) dwarf ellipticals hosting strong radio AGN.

Dust-obscured Galaxies in the Local Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Ho Seong; Geller, Margaret J.

2013-06-01

We use Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), AKARI, and Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) data to select local analogs of high-redshift (z ~ 2) dust obscured galaxies (DOGs). We identify 47 local DOGs with S 12 μm/S 0.22 μm >= 892 and S 12 μm > 20 mJy at 0.05 < z < 0.08 in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data release 7. The infrared (IR) luminosities of these DOGs are in the range 3.4 × 1010 (L ⊙) <~ L IR <~ 7.0 × 1011 (L ⊙) with a median L IR of 2.1 × 1011 (L ⊙). We compare the physical properties of local DOGs with a control sample of galaxies that have lower S 12 μm/S 0.22 μm but have similar redshift, IR luminosity, and stellar mass distributions. Both WISE 12 μm and GALEX near-ultraviolet (NUV) flux densities of DOGs differ from the control sample of galaxies, but the difference is much larger in the NUV. Among the 47 DOGs, 36% ± 7% have small axis ratios in the optical (i.e., b/a < 0.6), larger than the fraction among the control sample (17% ± 3%). There is no obvious sign of interaction for many local DOGs. No local DOGs have companions with comparable optical magnitudes closer than ~50 kpc. The large- and small-scale environments of DOGs are similar to the control sample. Many physical properties of local DOGs are similar to those of high-z DOGs, even though the IR luminosities of local objects are an order of magnitude lower than for the high-z objects: the presence of two classes (active galactic nuclei- and star formation-dominated) of DOGs, abnormal faintness in the UV rather than extreme brightness in the mid-IR, and diverse optical morphology. These results suggest a common underlying physical origin of local and high-z DOGs. Both seem to represent the high-end tail of the dust obscuration distribution resulting from various physical mechanisms rather than a unique phase of galaxy evolution.

X-Rays and Infrared Selected AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirhakos, S. D.; Steiner, J. E.

1990-11-01

RESUMEN. En la busqueda de nucleos activos galacticos (NAG) oscurecidos, seleccionamos una tnuestra de galaxias ernisoras de rayos S infrarrojos, Ia mayoria de las cuales son vistas de perf ii. La 6ptica de la regi6n nuclear de las galaxias seleccionadas revelan que el 76% de ellas muestran lineas de emisi5n La clasificaci6n de los es- pectros de acuerdo a los anchos y a la intensidad de cocientes de lineas muestran que existen 34 NAG, 34 objetos de tipo de transici6n y 34 galaxias de la regi6n con nucleos de tipo regi6n H II. Entre los NAG, 3 son del tipo Seyfert I y las otras son del tipo 2. Sugerimos que los objetos identificados como NAG de llneas angostas son objetos tipo Seyfert I oscurecidos ABSTRACT. Looking for obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN), we selected a sample of infrarediX-rays emitting galaxies, mos"t of which are seen as edge-on. Optical spectroscopy of the nuclear region of the selected galaxies revealed that 76 % of them show emission l 'nes. Classification of the spectra according to the widths and line intensity ratios shows that there are 34 AGN, 34 transition type objects and 43 nuclear HIl-like region galaxies. Among the AGN, three are Seyfert type 1 and the others are type 2 objects. We suggest that the objects identified as narrow line AGN are obscured Seyfert 1. o'L : GALAXIES-ACTIVE - X-RAY S-GENERAL

ON THE OXYGEN AND NITROGEN CHEMICAL ABUNDANCES AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE 'GREEN PEA' GALAXIES

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

Amorin, Ricardo O.; Perez-Montero, Enrique; Vilchez, J. M., E-mail: amorin@iaa.e, E-mail: epm@iaa.e, E-mail: jvm@iaa.e

2010-06-01

We have investigated the oxygen and nitrogen chemical abundances in extremely compact star-forming galaxies (SFGs) with redshifts between {approx}0.11 and 0.35, popularly referred to as 'green peas'. Direct and strong-line methods sensitive to the N/O ratio applied to their Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra reveal that these systems are genuine metal-poor galaxies, with mean oxygen abundances {approx}20% solar. At a given metallicity these galaxies display systematically large N/O ratios compared to normal galaxies, which can explain the strong difference between our metallicities measurements and previous ones. While their N/O ratios follow the relation with stellar mass of local SFGsmore » in the SDSS, we find that the mass-metallicity relation of the 'green peas' is offset {approx_gt}0.3 dex to lower metallicities. We argue that recent interaction-induced inflow of gas, possibly coupled with a selective metal-rich gas loss, driven by supernova winds, may explain our findings and the known galaxy properties, namely high specific star formation rates, extreme compactness, and disturbed optical morphologies. The 'green pea' galaxy properties seem to be uncommon in the nearby universe, suggesting a short and extreme stage of their evolution. Therefore, these galaxies may allow us to study in great detail many processes, such as starburst activity and chemical enrichment, under physical conditions approaching those in galaxies at higher redshifts.« less

Demography of SDSS Early-type Galaxies from the Perspective of Radial Color Gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suh, Hyewon; Jeong, H.; Oh, K.; Yi, S. K.; Ferreras, I.; Schawinski, K.

2010-01-01

We have investigated the radial g-r color gradients of early-type galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR6 in the redshift range 0.00 < z < 0.06. The majority of massive early-type galaxies show a negative color gradient (centers being redder). On the other hand, roughly 30 percent of the galaxies in this sample show positive color gradients (centers being bluer). These positive-gradient galaxies often show strong Hβ absorption line strengths and/or emission line ratios that are consistent with containing young stellar populations. Combining the optical data with Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) UV photometry, we find that all positive-gradient galaxies show blue UV-optical colors. This implies that the residual star formation in early-type galaxies is centrally concentrated. These positive-gradient galaxies tend to live in lower density regions. They are also a bit more likely to have a late-type companion galaxy, hinting at a possible role of interactions with a gas-rich companion. A simplistic population analysis shows that these positive color gradients are visible only for half a billion years after a star burst. Moreover, the positive-gradient galaxies occupy different regions in the fundamental planes from the outnumbering negative-gradient galaxies. However, the positions of the positive-gradient galaxies on the fundamental planes cannot be attributed to any reasonable amount of recent star formation alone but require substantially lower velocity dispersions to begin with. Our results based on the optical data are consistent with the residual star formation interpretation which was based on the GALEX UV data. A low-level residual star formation seems continuing in most of the less-massive early-type galaxies in their centers.

Global properties of infrared bright galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Judith S.; Xie, Shuding; Kenney, Jeffrey D. P.; Rice, Walter L.

1989-01-01

Infrared flux densities of 182 galaxies, including 50 galaxies in the Virgo cluster, were analyzed using IRAS data for 12, 25, 60, and 100 microns, and the results were compared with data listed in the Point Source Catalog (PSC, 1985). In addition, IR luminosities, L(IRs), colors, and warm dust masses were derived for these galaxies and were compared with the interstellar gas masses and optical luminosities of the galaxies. It was found that, for galaxies whose optical diameter measures between 5 and 8 arcmin, the PSC flux densities are underestimated by a factor of 2 at 60 microns, and by a factor of 1.5 at 100 microns. It was also found that, for 49 galaxies, the mass of warm dust correlated well with the H2 mass, and that L(IR) correlated with L(H-alpha), demonstrating that the L(IR) measures the rate of star formation in these galaxies.

Precise weak lensing constraints from deep high-resolution Ks images: VLT/HAWK-I analysis of the super-massive galaxy cluster RCS2 J 232727.7-020437 at z = 0.70

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrabback, Tim; Schirmer, Mischa; van der Burg, Remco F. J.; Hoekstra, Henk; Buddendiek, Axel; Applegate, Douglas; Bradač, Maruša; Eifler, Tim; Erben, Thomas; Gladders, Michael D.; Hernández-Martín, Beatriz; Hildebrandt, Hendrik; Hoag, Austin; Klaes, Dominik; von der Linden, Anja; Marchesini, Danilo; Muzzin, Adam; Sharon, Keren; Stefanon, Mauro

2018-03-01

We demonstrate that deep good-seeing VLT/HAWK-I Ks images complemented with g + z-band photometry can yield a sensitivity for weak lensing studies of massive galaxy clusters at redshifts 0.7 ≲ z ≲ 1.1, which is almost identical to the sensitivity of HST/ACS mosaics of single-orbit depth. Key reasons for this good performance are the excellent image quality frequently achievable for Ks imaging from the ground, a highly effective photometric selection of background galaxies, and a galaxy ellipticity dispersion that is noticeably lower than for optically observed high-redshift galaxy samples. Incorporating results from the 3D-HST and UltraVISTA surveys we also obtained a more accurate calibration of the source redshift distribution than previously achieved for similar optical weak lensing data sets. Here we studied the extremely massive galaxy cluster RCS2 J232727.7-020437 (z = 0.699), combining deep VLT/HAWK-I Ks images (point spread function with a 0.''35 full width at half maximum) with LBT/LBC photometry. The resulting weak lensing mass reconstruction suggests that the cluster consists of a single overdensity, which is detected with a peak significance of 10.1σ. We constrained the cluster mass to M200c/(1015 M⊙) = 2.06-0.26+0.28(stat.) ± 0.12(sys.) assuming a spherical Navarro, Frenk & White model and simulation-based priors on the concentration, making it one of the most massive galaxy clusters known in the z ≳ 0.7 Universe. We also cross-checked the HAWK-I measurements through an analysis of overlapping HST/ACS images, yielding fully consistent estimates of the lensing signal. Based on observations conducted with the ESO Very Large Telescope, the Large Binocular Telescope, and the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, as detailed in the acknowledgements.

Optical and Near-Infrared Structural Properties of Cluster Galaxies at z ~ 0.3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La Barbera, F.; Busarello, G.; Merluzzi, P.; Massarotti, M.; Capaccioli, M.

2002-06-01

Structural parameters (half-light radius re, mean effective surface brightness <μ>e, and Sersic index n, parameterizing the light profile shape) are derived for a sample of galaxies in the rich cluster AC 118 at z=0.31, so far the largest (N=93) sample of galaxies at intermediate redshift with structural parameters measured in the near-infrared. The parameters are obtained in two optical wavebands (V and R) and in the K band, corresponding approximately to the B, V, and H rest frame. The distributions of re at z=0.31 match those for the Coma Cluster (i.e., for the local universe) both in the optical and in the NIR. The K-band distribution is of particular interest, since the NIR light mimics the mass distribution of galaxies. The similarity of the distributions for the two clusters (AC 118 and Coma) proves that the galaxies at the bright end of the luminosity function did not significantly change their sizes since z~0.3 to the present epoch. The ratio of the optical to the NIR half-light radius shows a marked trend with the shape of the light profile (Sersic index n). In galaxies with n>~4 (typical bright ellipticals) re,NIR~0.6re,opt, while the average ratio is 0.8 for galaxies with lower n (typical disk systems). Moreover, the NIR Sersic index is systematically larger than in the optical for n<~4. These results, translated into optical and optical-NIR color gradients, imply that the optical color gradients at z~0.3 are similar to those of nearby galaxies. The optical-NIR color gradients are in the average larger, ranging from -0.73 mag dex-1 for n<~4 to -0.35 mag dex-1 for n>~4. Models with ``pure age'' or ``pure metallicity'' gradients are unable to reconcile our color gradients estimates with observations at z~0, but we argue that the combined effects of age and metallicity might explain consistently the observed data: passive evolution (plus the possible effect of dust absorption) may account for the differences between the optical and NIR structural properties. The lack of any major change in re,NIR since z~0.3 suggests that merging involving bright galaxies did not play a significant role in the last ~4.4 Gyr (ΩM=0.3, ΩΛ=0, H0=50 km s-1 Mpc-1). The results of the present paper will be applied to the study of the scaling laws in subsequent works. Based on observations collected at European Southern Observatory (ESO 62.O-0369, 63.O-0257, 64.O-0236) and on data from the STScI Science Archive.

Redshift space clustering of galaxies and cold dark matter model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bahcall, Neta A.; Cen, Renyue; Gramann, Mirt

1993-01-01

The distorting effect of peculiar velocities on the power speturm and correlation function of IRAS and optical galaxies is studied. The observed redshift space power spectra and correlation functions of IRAS and optical the galaxies over the entire range of scales are directly compared with the corresponding redshift space distributions using large-scale computer simulations of cold dark matter (CDM) models in order to study the distortion effect of peculiar velocities on the power spectrum and correlation function of the galaxies. It is found that the observed power spectrum of IRAS and optical galaxies is consistent with the spectrum of an Omega = 1 CDM model. The problems that such a model currently faces may be related more to the high value of Omega in the model than to the shape of the spectrum. A low-density CDM model is also investigated and found to be consistent with the data.

Starburst in the Interacting HII Galaxy II Zw 40 and in Non-Interacting HII Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Telles, E.

2010-06-01

In this poster, I summarize the results of our integral field spectroscopic observations of the nearby prototype of HII galaxies, II Zw 40. Observations with GMOS-IFU on GEMINI-North in the optical allowed us to make a detailed kinematic picture of the central starburst, while SINFONI with adaptive optics on the ESO-VLT gave us a near-IR view of the interplay between the ISM phases. Here, I also address the question that not all starbursts require an external trigger such as a galaxy-galaxy encounter, as it seems to be the case for a fraction of low luminosity HII galaxies. We speculate that these may form stars spontaneously like "popcorn in a pan".

An X-ray and optical study of the cluster of galaxies Abell 754

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fabricant, D.; Beers, T. C.; Geller, M. J.; Gorenstein, P.; Huchra, J. P.

1986-01-01

X-ray and optical data for A754 are used to study the relative distribution of the luminous and dark matter in this dense, rich cluster of galaxies with X-ray luminosity comparable to that of the Coma Cluster. A quantitative statistical comparison is made of the galaxy positions with the total mass responsible for maintaining the X-ray emitting gas in hydrostatic equilibrium. A simple bimodal model which fits both the X-ray and optical data suggests that the galaxies are distributed consistently with the projected matter distribution within the region covered by the X-ray map (0.5-1 Mpc). The X-ray and optical estimates of the mass in the central region of the cluster are 2.9 x 10 to the 14th and 3.6 + or - 0.5 x 10 to the 14th solar masses, respectively.

The Distance to the Coma Cluster from the Tully--Fisher Relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herter, T.; Vogt, N. P.; Haynes, M. P.; Giovanelli, R.

1993-12-01

As part of a survey to determine the distances to nearby (z < .04) Abell clusters via application of the Tully--Fisher (TF) relation, we have obtained 21 cm HI line widths, optical rotation curves and photometric I--band CCD images of galaxies within and near the Coma cluster. Because spiral galaxies within the cluster itself are HI deficient and thus are detected marginally or not at all in HI, distance determinations using only the radio TF relation exclude true cluster members. Our sample includes eight HI deficient galaxies within 1.5 degrees of the cluster center, for which optical velocity widths are derived from their Hα and [NII] rotation curves. The 21 cm line widths have been extracted using a new algorithm designed to optimize the measurement for TF applications, taking into account the effects of spectral resolution and smoothing. The optical width is constructed from the velocity histogram, and is therefore a global value akin to the HI width. A correction for turbulent broadening of the HI is derived from comparison of the optical and HI widths. Using a combined sample of 260 galaxies in 11 clusters and an additional 30 field objects at comparable distances, we have performed a calibration of the radio and optical analogs of the TF relation. Preliminary results show a clear linear relationship with a small offset between optical and radio widths, and good agreement in deriving Tully--Fisher distances to clusters. Our Coma sample consists of 28 galaxies with optical widths and 42 with HI line widths, with an overlapping set of 20 galaxies. We will present the data on the Coma cluster, and discuss the results of our analysis.

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.

The Munich Near-Infrared Cluster Survey - IV. Biases in the completeness of near-infrared imaging data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snigula, J.; Drory, N.; Bender, R.; Botzler, C. S.; Feulner, G.; Hopp, U.

2002-11-01

We present the results of completeness simulations for the detection of point sources as well as redshifted elliptical and spiral galaxies in the K'-band images of the Munich Near-Infrared Cluster Survey (MUNICS). The main focus of this work is to quantify the selection effects introduced by threshold-based object detection algorithms used in deep imaging surveys. Therefore, we simulate objects obeying the well-known scaling relations between effective radius and central surface brightness, for both de Vaucouleurs and exponential profiles. The results of these simulations, while presented for the MUNICS project, are applicable in a much wider context to deep optical and near-infrared selected samples. We investigate the detection probability as well as the reliability for recovering the true total magnitude with Kron-like (adaptive) aperture photometry. The results are compared with the predictions of the visibility theory of Disney and Phillipps in terms of the detection rate and the lost-light fraction. Additionally, the effects attributable to seeing are explored. The results show a bias against detecting high-redshifted massive elliptical galaxies in comparison to disc galaxies with exponential profiles, and that the measurements of the total magnitudes for intrinsically bright elliptical galaxies are systematically too faint. Disc galaxies, in contrast, show no significant offset in the magnitude measurement of luminous objects. Finally, we present an analytic formula to predict the completeness of point sources using only basic image parameters.

SNAPshot observations of the largest sample of lensed candidates in the Equatorial and Southern Sky identified with Herschel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchetti, Lucia

2017-08-01

We propose WFC3/IR F110W Snapshot observations of 200 gravitational lensing systems selected using Herschel submm data taken in all the major Herschel extragalactic surveys (over 850 square degrees). This proposal aims to build upon the successful results of our cycle-19 snapshot (ID:12488) to complete the study of the brightest lensed galaxies ever discovered by Herschel in the Equatorial and Southern Sky. Our successful submm-based selection method identifies lensing events at much higher redshift than any other optical-based selection and is independent of the nature of the magnifier. With these data we will (1) characterize the morphology of the lenses and thus statistically determine what populations are responsible for the gravitational optical depth of the Universe, (2) make accurate fits to the lens light profiles disentangling the foreground lenses from the background sources (3) constrain (and in some cases directly detect) the rest-frame optical emission from the background sources providing estimates of the background source extinction, (4) identify the most extreme star-forming galaxies and rare lensing configurations in the Universe providing the best candidates for future ALMA follow-up, (5) measure the evolution of both the lens mass-density profile, constraing their assembly history, and the lens IMF. This HST program is well-timed with our on-going large spectroscopic program with SALT (3-year program, started in late 2015). This synergy guarantees the timely spectroscopic characterization of our targets securing a long-lasting legacy for this program.

The Einstein database of IPC x-ray observations of optically selected and radio-selected quasars, 1.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkes, Belinda J.; Tananbaum, Harvey; Worrall, D. M.; Avni, Yoram; Oey, M. S.; Flanagan, Joan

1994-01-01

We present the first volume of the Einstein quasar database. The database includes estimates of the X-ray count rates, fluxes, and luminosities for 514 quasars and Seyfert 1 galaxies observed with the Imaging Proportional Counter (IPC) aboard the Einstein Observatory. All were previously known optically selected or radio-selected objects, and most were the targets of the X-ray observations. The X-ray properties of the Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) have been derived by reanalyzing the IPC data in a systematic manner to provide a uniform database for general use by the astronomical community. We use the database to extend earlier quasar luminosity studies which were made using only a subset of the currently available data. The database can be accessed on internet via the SAO Einstein on-line system ('Einline') and is available in ASCII format on magnetic tape and DOS diskette.

High-redshift Galaxies and Black Holes Detectable with the JWST: A Population Synthesis Model from Infrared to X-Rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volonteri, Marta; Reines, Amy E.; Atek, Hakim; Stark, Daniel P.; Trebitsch, Maxime

2017-11-01

The first billion years of the Universe has been a pivotal time: stars, black holes (BHs), and galaxies formed and assembled, sowing the seeds of galaxies as we know them today. Detecting, identifying, and understanding the first galaxies and BHs is one of the current observational and theoretical challenges in galaxy formation. In this paper we present a population synthesis model aimed at galaxies, BHs, and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at high redshift. The model builds a population based on empirical relations. The spectral energy distribution of galaxies is determined by age and metallicity, and that of AGNs by BH mass and accretion rate. We validate the model against observations, and predict properties of galaxies and AGN in other wavelength and/or luminosity ranges, estimating the contamination of stellar populations (normal stars and high-mass X-ray binaries) for AGN searches from the infrared to X-rays, and vice versa for galaxy searches. For high-redshift galaxies with stellar ages < 1 {Gyr}, we find that disentangling stellar and AGN emission is challenging at restframe UV/optical wavelengths, while high-mass X-ray binaries become more important sources of confusion in X-rays. We propose a color-color selection in the James Webb Space Telescope bands to separate AGN versus star-dominated galaxies in photometric observations. We also estimate the AGN contribution, with respect to massive, hot, and metal-poor stars, at driving high-ionization lines, such as C IV and He II. Finally, we test the influence of the minimum BH mass and occupation fraction of BHs in low-mass galaxies on the restframe UV/near-IR and X-ray AGN luminosity function.

Star formation in the local Universe from the CALIFA sample. I. Calibrating the SFR using integral field spectroscopy data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catalán-Torrecilla, C.; Gil de Paz, A.; Castillo-Morales, A.; Iglesias-Páramo, J.; Sánchez, S. F.; Kennicutt, R. C.; Pérez-González, P. G.; Marino, R. A.; Walcher, C. J.; Husemann, B.; García-Benito, R.; Mast, D.; González Delgado, R. M.; Muñoz-Mateos, J. C.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Bomans, D. J.; Del Olmo, A.; Galbany, L.; Gomes, J. M.; Kehrig, C.; López-Sánchez, Á. R.; Mendoza, M. A.; Monreal-Ibero, A.; Pérez-Torres, M.; Sánchez-Blázquez, P.; Vilchez, J. M.; Califa Collaboration

2015-12-01

Context. The star formation rate (SFR) is one of the main parameters used to analyze the evolution of galaxies through time. The need for recovering the light reprocessed by dust commonly requires the use of low spatial resolution far-infrared data. Recombination line luminosities provide an alternative, although uncertain dust-extinction corrections based on narrowband imaging or long-slit spectroscopy have traditionally posed a limit to their applicability. Integral field spectroscopy (IFS) is clearly the way to overcome this kind of limitation. Aims: We obtain integrated Hα, ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR)-based SFR measurements for 272 galaxies from the CALIFA survey at 0.005

Far-infrared and dust properties of present-day galaxies in the EAGLE simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camps, Peter; Trayford, James W.; Baes, Maarten; Theuns, Tom; Schaller, Matthieu; Schaye, Joop

2016-10-01

The Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments (EAGLE) cosmological simulations reproduce the observed galaxy stellar mass function and many galaxy properties. In this work, we study the dust-related properties of present-day EAGLE galaxies through mock observations in the far-infrared and submm wavelength ranges obtained with the 3D dust radiative transfer code SKIRT. To prepare an EAGLE galaxy for radiative transfer processing, we derive a diffuse dust distribution from the gas particles and we re-sample the star-forming gas particles and the youngest star particles into star-forming regions that are assigned dedicated emission templates. We select a set of redshift-zero EAGLE galaxies that matches the K-band luminosity distribution of the galaxies in the Herschel Reference Survey (HRS), a volume-limited sample of about 300 normal galaxies in the Local Universe. We find overall agreement of the EAGLE dust scaling relations with those observed in the HRS, such as the dust-to-stellar mass ratio versus stellar mass and versus NUV-r colour relations. A discrepancy in the f250/f350 versus f350/f500 submm colour-colour relation implies that part of the simulated dust is insufficiently heated, likely because of limitations in our sub-grid model for star-forming regions. We also investigate the effect of adjusting the metal-to-dust ratio and the covering factor of the photodissociation regions surrounding the star-forming cores. We are able to constrain the important dust-related parameters in our method, informing the calculation of dust attenuation for EAGLE galaxies in the UV and optical domain.

The Relation between Luminous AGNs and Star Formation in Their Host Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lei; Rieke, G. H.; Egami, E.; Haines, C. P.; Pereira, M. J.; Smith, G. P.

2015-08-01

We study the relation of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) to star formation in their host galaxies. Our sample includes 205 Type-1 and 85 Type-2 AGNs, 162 detected with Herschel, from fields surrounding 30 galaxy clusters in the Local Cluster Substructure Survey. The sample is identified by optical line widths and ratios after selection to be brighter than 1 mJy at 24 μm. We show that Type-2 AGN [O iii]λ5007 line fluxes at high z can be contaminated by their host galaxies with typical spectrograph entrance apertures (but our sample is not compromised in this way). We use spectral energy distribution (SED) templates to decompose the galaxy SEDs and estimate star formation rates (SFRs), AGN luminosities, and host galaxy stellar masses (described in an accompanying paper). The AGNs arise from massive black holes (˜ 3× {10}8{M}⊙ ) accreting at ˜10% of the Eddington rate and residing in galaxies with stellar mass \\gt 3× {10}10{M}⊙ ; those detected with Herschel have IR luminosity from star formation in the range of {L}{SF,{IR}}˜ {10}10-{10}12{L}⊙ . We find that (1) the specific SFRs in the host galaxies are generally consistent with those of normal star-forming (main sequence) galaxies; (2) there is a strong correlation between the luminosities from star formation and the AGN; and (3) the correlation may not result from a causal connection, but could arise because the black hole mass (and hence AGN Eddington luminosity) and star formation are both correlated with the galaxy mass.

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

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

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

2008-07-10

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

A Spectroscopic Survey of Redshift 1.4<~z<~3.0 Galaxies in the GOODS-North Field: Survey Description, Catalogs, and Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, Naveen A.; Steidel, Charles C.; Erb, Dawn K.; Shapley, Alice E.; Pettini, Max

2006-12-01

We present the results of a spectroscopic survey with LRIS-B on Keck of more than 280 star-forming galaxies and AGNs at redshifts 1.4<~z<~3.0 in the GOODS-N field. Candidates are selected by their UnGR colors using the ``BM/BX'' criteria to target redshift 1.4<~z<~2.5 galaxies and the LBG criteria to target redshift z~3 galaxies; combined these samples account for ~25%-30% of the R and Ks band counts to R=25.5 and Ks(AB)=24.4, respectively. The 212 BM/BX galaxies and 74 LBGs constitute the largest spectroscopic sample of galaxies at z>1.4 in GOODS-N. Extensive multiwavelength data allow us to investigate the stellar populations, stellar masses, bolometric luminosities (Lbol), and extinction of z~2 galaxies. Deep Chandra and Spitzer data indicate that the sample includes galaxies with a wide range in Lbol (~=1010 to >1012 Lsolar) and 4 orders of magnitude in dust obscuration (Lbol/LUV). The sample includes galaxies with a large dynamic range in evolutionary state, from very young galaxies (ages ~=50 Myr) with small stellar masses (M*~=109 Msolar) to evolved galaxies with stellar masses comparable to the most massive galaxies at these redshifts (M*>1011 Msolar). Spitzer data indicate that the optical sample includes some fraction of the obscured AGN population at high redshifts: at least 3 of 11 AGNs in the z>1.4 sample are undetected in the deep X-ray data but exhibit power-law SEDs longward of ~2 μm (rest frame) indicative of obscured AGNs. The results of our survey indicate that rest-frame UV selection and spectroscopy presently constitute the most timewise efficient method of culling large samples of high-redshift galaxies with a wide range in intrinsic properties, and the data presented here will add significantly to the multiwavelength legacy of GOODS. 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.

VIMOS Ultra-Deep Survey (VUDS): IGM transmission towards galaxies with 2.5 < z < 5.5 and the colour selection of high-redshift galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, R.; Le Fèvre, O.; Le Brun, V.; Cassata, P.; Garilli, B.; Lemaux, B. C.; Maccagni, D.; Pentericci, L.; Tasca, L. A. M.; Zamorani, G.; Zucca, E.; Amorin, R.; Bardelli, S.; Cassarà, L.; Castellano, M.; Cimatti, A.; Cucciati, O.; Durkalec, A.; Fontana, A.; Giavalisco, M.; Grazian, A.; Hathi, N. P.; Ilbert, O.; Paltani, S.; Pforr, J.; Ribeiro, B.; Schaerer, D.; Scodeggio, M.; Sommariva, V.; Talia, M.; Tresse, L.; Vanzella, E.; Vergani, D.; Capak, P.; Charlot, S.; Contini, T.; Cuby, J. G.; de la Torre, S.; Dunlop, J.; Fotopoulou, S.; Koekemoer, A.; López-Sanjuan, C.; Mellier, Y.; Salvato, M.; Scoville, N.; Taniguchi, Y.; Wang, P. W.

2017-01-01

The observed UV rest-frame spectra of distant galaxies are the result of their intrinsic emission combined with absorption along the line of sight produced by the inter-galactic medium (IGM). Here we analyse the evolution of the mean IGM transmission Tr(Lyα) and its dispersion along the line of sight for 2127 galaxies with 2.5 < z < 5.5 in the VIMOS Ultra Deep Survey (VUDS). We fitted model spectra combined with a range of IGM transmission to the galaxy spectra using the spectral fitting algorithm GOSSIP+. We used these fits to derive the mean IGM transmission towards each galaxy for several redshift slices from z = 2.5 to z = 5.5. We found that the mean IGM transmission defined as Tr(Lyα) = e- τ (with τ as the HI optical depth) is 79%, 69%, 59%, 55%, and 46% at redshifts 2.75, 3.22, 3.70, 4.23, and 4.77, respectively. We compared these results to measurements obtained from quasar lines of sight and found that the IGM transmission towards galaxies is in excellent agreement with quasar values up to redshift z 4. We found tentative evidence for a higher IGM transmission at z ≥ 4 compared to results from QSOs, but a degeneracy between dust extinction and IGM prevents us from firmly concluding whether the internal dust extinction for star-forming galaxies at z > 4 takes a mean value significantly in excess of E(B-V) > 0.15. Most importantly, we found a large dispersion of IGM transmission along the lines of sight towards distant galaxies with 68% of the distribution within 10 to 17% of the median value in δz = 0.5 bins, similar to what is found on the lines of sight towards QSOs. We demonstrate that taking this broad range of IGM transmission into account is important when selecting high-redshift galaxies based on their colour properties (e.g. LBG or photometric redshiftselection) because failing to do so causes a significant incompleteness in selecting high-redshift galaxy populations. We finally discuss the observed IGM properties and speculate that the broad range of observed transmissions might be the result of cosmic variance and clustering along lines of sight. This clearly shows that the sources that cause this extinction need to be more completely modelled. Based on data obtained with the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope, Paranal, Chile, under Large Program 185.A-0791.

THE STAR FORMATION HISTORIES OF z {approx} 2 DUST-OBSCURED GALAXIES AND SUBMILLIMETER-SELECTED GALAXIES

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

Bussmann, R. S.; Dey, Arjun; Jannuzi, B. T.

The Spitzer Space Telescope has identified a population of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) at z {approx} 2 that may play an important role in the evolution of massive galaxies. We measure the stellar masses (M{sub *}) of two populations of Spitzer-selected ULIRGs that have extremely red R - [24] colors (dust-obscured galaxies, or DOGs) and compare our results with submillimeter-selected galaxies (SMGs). One set of 39 DOGs has a local maximum in their mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral energy distribution (SED) at rest frame 1.6 {mu}m associated with stellar emission ({sup b}ump DOGs{sup )}, while the other set of 51 DOGs havemore » power-law mid-IR SEDs that are typical of obscured active galactic nuclei ({sup p}ower-law DOGs{sup )}. We measure M{sub *} by applying Charlot and Bruzual stellar population synthesis models to broadband photometry in the rest-frame ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared of each of these populations. Assuming a simple stellar population and a Chabrier initial mass function, we find that power-law DOGs and bump DOGs are on average a factor of 2 and 1.5 more massive than SMGs, respectively (median and inter-quartile M{sub *} values for SMGs, bump DOGs, and power-law DOGs are log(M{sub *}/M{sub Sun }) = 10.42{sup +0.42}{sub -0.36}, 10.62{sup +0.36}{sub -0.32}, and 10.71{sup +0.40}{sub -0.34}, respectively). More realistic star formation histories drawn from two competing theories for the nature of ULIRGs at z {approx} 2 (major merger versus smooth accretion) can increase these mass estimates by up to 0.5 dex. A comparison of our stellar masses with the instantaneous star formation rate (SFR) in these z {approx} 2 ULIRGs provides a preliminary indication supporting high SFRs for a given M{sub *}, a situation that arises more naturally in major mergers than in smooth accretion-powered systems.« less

Black Holes in Bulgeless Galaxies: An XMM-Newton Investigation of NGC 3367 AND NGC 4536

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McAlpine, W.; Satyapal, S.; Gliozzi, M.; Cheung, C. C.; Sambruna, R. M.; Eracleous, Michael

2012-01-01

The vast majority of optically identified active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the local Universe reside in host galaxies with prominent bulges, supporting the hypothesis that black hole formation and growth is fundamentally connected to the build-up of galaxy bulges. However, recent mid-infrared spectroscopic studies with Spitzer of a sample of optically "normal" late-type galaxies reveal remarkably the presence of high-ionization [NeV] lines in several sources, providing strong evidence for AGNs in these galaxies. We present follow-up X-ray observations recently obtained with XMM-Newton of two such sources, the late-type optically normal galaxies NGC 3367 and NGC 4536. Both sources are detected in our observations. Detailed spectral analysis reveals that for both galaxies, the 2-10 keV emission is dominated by a power law with an X-ray luminosity in the L(sub 2- 10 keV) approximates 10(exp 39) - 10(exp 40) ergs/s range, consistent with low luminosity AGNs. While there is a possibility that X-ray binaries account for some fraction of the observed X-ray luminosity, we argue that this fraction is negligible. These observations therefore add to the growing evidence that the fraction of late-type galaxies hosting AGNs is significantly underestimated using optical observations alone. A comparison of the midinfrared [NeV] luminosity and the X-ray luminosities suggests the presence of an additional highly absorbed X-ray source in both galaxies, and that the black hole masses are in the range of 10(exp 5) - 10(exp 7) solar M for NGC 3367 and 10(exp 4) - (exp 10) solar M for NGC 4536

Calibrated Tully-fisher Relations For Improved Photometric Estimates Of Disk Rotation Velocities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes, Reinabelle; Mandelbaum, R.; Gunn, J. E.; Pizagno, J.

2011-01-01

We present calibrated scaling relations (also referred to as Tully-Fisher relations or TFRs) between rotation velocity and photometric quantities-- absolute magnitude, stellar mass, and synthetic magnitude (a linear combination of absolute magnitude and color)-- of disk galaxies at z 0.1. First, we selected a parent disk sample of 170,000 galaxies from SDSS DR7, with redshifts between 0.02 and 0.10 and r band absolute magnitudes between -18.0 and -22.5. Then, we constructed a child disk sample of 189 galaxies that span the parameter space-- in absolute magnitude, color, and disk size-- covered by the parent sample, and for which we have obtained kinematic data. Long-slit spectroscopy were obtained from the Dual Imaging Spectrograph (DIS) at the Apache Point Observatory 3.5 m for 99 galaxies, and from Pizagno et al. (2007) for 95 galaxies (five have repeat observations). We find the best photometric estimator of disk rotation velocity to be a synthetic magnitude with a color correction that is consistent with the Bell et al. (2003) color-based stellar mass ratio. The improved rotation velocity estimates have a wide range of scientific applications, and in particular, in combination with weak lensing measurements, they enable us to constrain the ratio of optical-to-virial velocity in disk galaxies.

An Inclination-Dependent IRX-beta Relation for Galaxies at z~1.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Weichen; Kassin, Susan A.; Pacifici, Camilla; de la Vega, Alexander; Simons, Raymond C.; Barro, Guillermo; Gordon, Karl D.; Snyder, Gregory

2018-01-01

Star-forming galaxies near cosmic noon are substantially obscured by dust. Therefore, to measure galaxy star-formation rates (SFRs), it is crucial to accurately account for dust obscuration. This is usually done by measuring the slopes of spectra in the rest-frame ultraviolet (i.e., β). Another independent method is to measure the infrared excess IRX, defined as the ratio between infrared and ultraviolet luminosity. In this work, we present the discovery that the relation between IRX and β varies systematically with galaxy inclination at z~1.5. Edge-on galaxies are on average ~0.5 dex higher in IRX than face-on galaxies at fixed β. Furthermore, we find that the difference between SFR(UV+IR) and β-corrected SFR(UV) is correlated with inclination. Our finding is consistent with the study of local galaxies (Wild et al. 2011), where the dust attenuation curve is found to flatten with increasing inclination. We interpret our results using a picture where dust and young stars are spatially mixed. In this case, β is more sensitive to the optically-thin regions near the surface of galaxy disks. Therefore, compared to the case of face-on galaxies, β measures a smaller fraction of the total dust optical depth for the edge-on galaxies, whereas IRX always probes the total optical depth. We conclude that inclination must be taken into account when evaluating dust attenuation with β at high redshift.

Chandra-SDSS Normal and Star-Forming Galaxies. I. X-Ray Source Properties of Galaxies Detected by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory in SDSS DR2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hornschemeier, A. E.; Heckman, T. M.; Ptak, A. F.; Tremonti, C. A.; Colbert, E. J. M.

2005-01-01

We have cross-correlated X-ray catalogs derived from archival Chandra X-Ray Observatory ACIS observations with a Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 2 (DR2) galaxy catalog to form a sample of 42 serendipitously X-ray-detected galaxies over the redshift interval 0.03

Identifying Distant AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trouille, Laura; Barger, Amy; Tremonti, Christy

2014-07-01

The Baldwin, Phillips, and Terlevich emission-line ratio diagnostic ([OIII]/Hβ versus [NII]/Hα, hereafter BPT diagram) efficiently separates galaxies whose signal is dominated by star formation (BPT-SF) from those dominated by AGN activity (BPT-AGN). Yet the BPT diagram is limited to z<0.5, the redshift at which [NII]λ6584 leaves the optical spectral window. Using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we construct a new diagnostic, or TBT diagram, that is based on rest-frame g-z color, [NeIII]λ3869, and [OII]λλ3726+3729 and can be used for galaxies out to z<1.4. The TBT diagram identifies 98.7% of the SDSS BPT-AGN as TBT-AGN and 97% of the SDSS BPT-SF as TBT-SF. Furthermore, it identifies 97% of the OPTX Chandra X-ray selected AGNs as TBT-AGN. This is in contrast to the BPT diagram, which misidentifies 20% of X-ray selected AGNs as BPT-SF.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: GV galaxies UV-optical radial color profiles (Pan+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Z.; Li, J.; Lin, W.; Wang, J.; Kong, X.

2017-04-01

Our parent sample is drawn from Schawinski et al. (2014MNRAS.440..889S), which contains ~46000 galaxies at the redshift range of z = [0.02, 0.05]. This sample is magnitude completed to Mz, Petro = -19.5 AB mag and with Galaxy Zoo (Lintott 2008MNRAS.389.1179L; 2011, J/MNRAS/410/166) visual morphological classifications (http://data.galaxyzoo.org/). The stellar masses are derived by fitting the five SDSS photometric bands to a library of 6.8x106 models of star formation histories generated from Maraston et al. (1998MNRAS.300..872M; 2005MNRAS.362..799M) stellar models. We follow the process of Schawinski et al. (2014MNRAS.440..889S) to select GV galaxies. First, the galaxies are k-corrected to z = 0 using the KCORRECT code of Blanton & Roweis (2007AJ....133..734B) with the SDSS five broadband photometry. Then, the magnitudes are corrected for dust reddening using estimates of internal extinction from the stellar continuum fits by Oh et al. (2011ApJS..195...13O), applying the Cardelli et al. (1989ApJ...345..245C) law. (2 data files).

Weak-lensing mass calibration of redMaPPer galaxy clusters in Dark Energy Survey Science Verification data

DOE PAGES

Melchior, P.; Gruen, D.; McClintock, T.; ...

2017-05-16

Here, we use weak-lensing shear measurements to determine the mean mass of optically selected galaxy clusters in Dark Energy Survey Science Verification data. In a blinded analysis, we split the sample of more than 8000 redMaPPer clusters into 15 subsets, spanning ranges in the richness parameter 5 ≤ λ ≤ 180 and redshift 0.2 ≤ z ≤ 0.8, and fit the averaged mass density contrast profiles with a model that accounts for seven distinct sources of systematic uncertainty: shear measurement and photometric redshift errors; cluster-member contamination; miscentring; deviations from the NFW halo profile; halo triaxiality and line-of-sight projections.

Weak-lensing mass calibration of redMaPPer galaxy clusters in Dark Energy Survey Science Verification data

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

Melchior, P.; Gruen, D.; McClintock, T.

Here, we use weak-lensing shear measurements to determine the mean mass of optically selected galaxy clusters in Dark Energy Survey Science Verification data. In a blinded analysis, we split the sample of more than 8000 redMaPPer clusters into 15 subsets, spanning ranges in the richness parameter 5 ≤ λ ≤ 180 and redshift 0.2 ≤ z ≤ 0.8, and fit the averaged mass density contrast profiles with a model that accounts for seven distinct sources of systematic uncertainty: shear measurement and photometric redshift errors; cluster-member contamination; miscentring; deviations from the NFW halo profile; halo triaxiality and line-of-sight projections.

A single population of red globular clusters around the massive compact galaxy NGC 1277

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beasley, Michael A.; Trujillo, Ignacio; Leaman, Ryan; Montes, Mireia

2018-03-01

Massive galaxies are thought to form in two phases: an initial collapse of gas and giant burst of central star formation, followed by the later accretion of material that builds up their stellar and dark-matter haloes. The systems of globular clusters within such galaxies are believed to form in a similar manner. The initial central burst forms metal-rich (spectrally red) clusters, whereas more metal-poor (spectrally blue) clusters are brought in by the later accretion of less-massive satellites. This formation process is thought to result in the multimodal optical colour distributions that are seen in the globular cluster systems of massive galaxies. Here we report optical observations of the massive relic-galaxy candidate NGC 1277—a nearby, un-evolved example of a high-redshift ‘red nugget’ galaxy. We find that the optical colour distribution of the cluster system of NGC 1277 is unimodal and entirely red. This finding is in strong contrast to other galaxies of similar and larger stellar mass, the cluster systems of which always exhibit (and are generally dominated by) blue clusters. We argue that the colour distribution of the cluster system of NGC 1277 indicates that the galaxy has undergone little (if any) mass accretion after its initial collapse, and use simulations of possible merger histories to show that the stellar mass due to accretion is probably at most ten per cent of the total stellar mass of the galaxy. These results confirm that NGC 1277 is a genuine relic galaxy and demonstrate that blue clusters constitute an accreted population in present-day massive galaxies.

A single population of red globular clusters around the massive compact galaxy NGC 1277.

PubMed

Beasley, Michael A; Trujillo, Ignacio; Leaman, Ryan; Montes, Mireia

2018-03-22

Massive galaxies are thought to form in two phases: an initial collapse of gas and giant burst of central star formation, followed by the later accretion of material that builds up their stellar and dark-matter haloes. The systems of globular clusters within such galaxies are believed to form in a similar manner. The initial central burst forms metal-rich (spectrally red) clusters, whereas more metal-poor (spectrally blue) clusters are brought in by the later accretion of less-massive satellites. This formation process is thought to result in the multimodal optical colour distributions that are seen in the globular cluster systems of massive galaxies. Here we report optical observations of the massive relic-galaxy candidate NGC 1277-a nearby, un-evolved example of a high-redshift 'red nugget' galaxy. We find that the optical colour distribution of the cluster system of NGC 1277 is unimodal and entirely red. This finding is in strong contrast to other galaxies of similar and larger stellar mass, the cluster systems of which always exhibit (and are generally dominated by) blue clusters. We argue that the colour distribution of the cluster system of NGC 1277 indicates that the galaxy has undergone little (if any) mass accretion after its initial collapse, and use simulations of possible merger histories to show that the stellar mass due to accretion is probably at most ten per cent of the total stellar mass of the galaxy. These results confirm that NGC 1277 is a genuine relic galaxy and demonstrate that blue clusters constitute an accreted population in present-day massive galaxies.

FHILs in Seyferts and Liners in the optical spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vera, R. J. C.; Rodriguez, A. M.; Portilla, J. G.

2014-10-01

We present the main results from a selection of optical spectra of Seyfert and LINER galaxies taken from the 9^{th} release of the SDSS with detectable emission of forbidden high ionization lines (FHILs), better known as coronal lines. A catalog of 345 Seyfert 1 (Sy1) and Seyfert 2 (Sy2) galaxies with FHILs emission is presented. By analyzing their spectra and utilizing data from the literature we found the following results: (1) The flux ratios between FHILs suggests anisotropy of emission between Sy1 and Sy2 galaxies, which agrees with the results found by Nagao et al. (2002) and Portilla (2012). Sy1 seems to emit more FHILs than Sy2. (2) This anisotropy suggests the idea that an important, but not the majority, of the emission of FHILs comes from the inner part of the obscuring torus. (3) We present diagnostic diagrams between FHILs lines which indicate clear correlations between the flux ratios. (4) It is observed that the ratio of Ne V/Fe VII is of the order of 3 to 10, while the ratios between iron lines (i.e., Fe VII, Fe X, Fe XI) are roughly around the unity. (5) At least in the optical spectra, the present study continues to support the general idea that LINERs are not energetic enough to present FHILs. A complete version of this study including the catalog with the objects of study, and diagnosis diagrams using only this kind of lines can be found in Vera & Portilla (in prep).

An ALMA survey of CO in submillimetre galaxies: companions, triggering, and the environment in blended sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wardlow, Julie L.; Simpson, J. M.; Smail, Ian; Swinbank, A. M.; Blain, A. W.; Brandt, W. N.; Chapman, S. C.; Chen, Chian-Chou; Cooke, E. A.; Dannerbauer, H.; Gullberg, B.; Hodge, J. A.; Ivison, R. J.; Knudsen, K. K.; Scott, Douglas; Thomson, A. P.; Wei, A.; van der Werf, P. P.

2018-06-01

We present ALMA observations of the mid-J12CO emission from six single-dish selected 870-μm sources in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South (ECDFS) and UKIDSS Ultra-Deep Survey (UDS) fields. These six single-dish submillimetre sources were selected based on previous ALMA continuum observations, which showed that each comprised a blend of emission from two or more individual submillimetre galaxies (SMGs), separated on 5-10″ scales. The six single-dish submillimetre sources targeted correspond to a total of 14 individual SMGs, of which seven have previously-measured robust optical/near-infrared spectroscopic redshifts, which were used to tune our ALMA observations. We detect CO(3-2) or CO(4-3) at z = 2.3-3.7 in seven of the 14 SMGs, and in addition serendipitously detect line emission from three gas-rich companion galaxies, as well as identify four new 3.3-mm selected continuum sources in the six fields. Joint analysis of our CO spectroscopy and existing data suggests that 64( ± 18)% of the SMGs in blended submillimetre sources are unlikely to be physically associated. However, three of the SMG fields (50%) contain new, serendipitously-detected CO-emitting (but submillimetre-faint) sources at similar redshifts to the 870-μm selected SMGs we targeted. These data suggest that the SMGs inhabit overdense regions, but that these are not sufficiently overdense on ˜100 kpc scales to influence the source blending given the short lifetimes of SMGs. We find that 21 ± 12% of SMGs have spatially-distinct and kinematically-close companion galaxies (˜8-150 kpc and ≲ 300 km s-1), which may have enhanced their star-formation via gravitational interactions.

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

Sehgal, Neelima; Hlozek, Renee; Addison, Graeme

We present the measured Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) flux from 474 optically selected MaxBCG clusters that fall within the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) Equatorial survey region. The ACT Equatorial region used in this analysis covers 510 deg{sup 2} and overlaps Stripe 82 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We also present the measured SZ flux stacked on 52 X-ray-selected MCXC clusters that fall within the ACT Equatorial region and an ACT Southern survey region covering 455 deg{sup 2}. We find that the measured SZ flux from the X-ray-selected clusters is consistent with expectations. However, we find that the measured SZ flux frommore » the optically selected clusters is both significantly lower than expectations and lower than the recovered SZ flux measured by the Planck satellite. Since we find a lower recovered SZ signal than Planck, we investigate the possibility that there is a significant offset between the optically selected brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) and the SZ centers, to which ACT is more sensitive due to its finer resolution. Such offsets can arise due to either an intrinsic physical separation between the BCG and the center of the gas concentration or from misidentification of the cluster BCG. We find that the entire discrepancy for both ACT and Planck can be explained by assuming that the BCGs are offset from the SZ maxima with a uniform random distribution between 0 and 1.5 Mpc. Such large offsets between gas peaks and BCGs for optically selected cluster samples seem unlikely given that we find the physical separation between BCGs and X-ray peaks for an X-ray-selected subsample of MaxBCG clusters to have a much narrower distribution that peaks within 0.2 Mpc. It is possible that other effects are lowering the ACT and Planck signals by the same amount, with offsets between BCGs and SZ peaks explaining the remaining difference between ACT and Planck measurements. Several effects that can lower the SZ signal equally for both ACT and Planck, but not explain the difference in measured signals, include a larger percentage of false detections in the MaxBCG sample, a lower normalization of the mass-richness relation, radio or infrared galaxy contamination of the SZ flux, and a low intrinsic SZ signal. In the latter two cases, the effects would need to be preferentially more significant in the optically selected MaxBCG sample than in the MCXC X-ray sample.« less

The role of environment in the observed Fundamental Plane of radio Active Galactic Nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shabala, Stanislav S.

2018-05-01

The optical Fundamental Plane of black hole activity relates radio continuum luminosity of Active Galactic Nuclei to [O III] luminosity and black hole mass. We examine the environments of low redshift (z < 0.2) radio-selected AGN, quantified through galaxy clustering, and find that halo mass provides similar mass scalings to black hole mass in the Fundamental Plane relations. AGN properties are strongly environment-dependent: massive haloes are more likely to host radiatively inefficient (low-excitation) radio AGN, as well as a higher fraction of radio luminous, extended sources. These AGN populations have different radio - optical luminosity scaling relations, and the observed mass scalings in the parent AGN sample are built up by combining populations preferentially residing in different environments. Accounting for environment-driven selection effects, the optical Fundamental Plane of supermassive black holes is likely to be mass-independent, as predicted by models.

NIR SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATION OF MASSIVE GALAXIES IN THE PROTOCLUSTER AT z = 3.09

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

Kubo, Mariko; Yamada, Toru; Ichikawa, Takashi

2015-01-20

We present the results of near-infrared spectroscopic observations of the K-band-selected candidate galaxies in the protocluster at z = 3.09 in the SSA22 field. We observed 67 candidates with K {sub AB} < 24 and confirmed redshifts of the 39 galaxies at 2.0 < z {sub spec} < 3.4. Of the 67 candidates, 24 are certainly protocluster members with 3.04 ≤ z {sub spec} ≤ 3.12, which are massive red galaxies that have been unidentified in previous optical observations of the SSA22 protocluster. Many distant red galaxies (J – K {sub AB} > 1.4), hyper extremely red objects (J –more » K {sub AB} > 2.1), Spitzer MIPS 24 μm sources, active galactic nuclei (AGNs) as well as the counterparts of Lyα blobs and the AzTEC/ASTE 1.1 mm sources in the SSA22 field are also found to be protocluster members. The mass of the SSA22 protocluster is estimated to be ∼2-5 × 10{sup 14} M {sub ☉}, and this system is plausibly a progenitor of the most massive clusters of galaxies in the current universe. The reddest (J – K {sub AB} ≥ 2.4) protocluster galaxies are massive galaxies with M {sub star} ∼ 10{sup 11} M {sub ☉} showing quiescent star formation activities and plausibly dominated by old stellar populations. Most of these massive quiescent galaxies host moderately luminous AGNs detected by X-ray. There are no significant differences in the [O III] λ5007/Hβ emission line ratios and [O III] λ5007 line widths and spatial extents of the protocluster galaxies from those of massive galaxies at z ∼ 2-3 in the general field.« less

GASP. III. JO36: A Case of Multiple Environmental Effects at Play?

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

Fritz, Jacopo; Bruzual, Gustavo; Cervantes Sodi, Bernardo

The so-called jellyfish galaxies are objects exhibiting disturbed morphology, mostly in the form of tails of gas stripped from the main body of the galaxy. Several works have strongly suggested ram pressure stripping to be the mechanism driving this phenomenon. Here, we focus on one of these objects, drawn from a sample of optically selected jellyfish galaxies, and use it to validate sinopsis, the spectral fitting code that will be used for the analysis of the GASP (GAs Stripping Phenomena in galaxies with MUSE) survey, and study the spatial distribution and physical properties of the gas and stellar populations inmore » this galaxy. We compare the model spectra to those obtained with gandalf, a code with similar features widely used to interpret the kinematics of stars and gas in galaxies from IFU data. We find that sinopsis can reproduce the pixel-by-pixel spectra of this galaxy at least as well as gandalf does, providing reliable estimates of the underlying stellar absorption to properly correct the nebular gas emission. Using these results, we find strong evidences of a double effect of ram pressure exerted by the intracluster medium onto the gas of the galaxy. A moderate burst of star formation, dating between 20 and 500 Myr ago and involving the outer parts of the galaxy more strongly than the inner regions, was likely induced by a first interaction of the galaxy with the intracluster medium. Stripping by ram pressure, plus probable gas depletion due to star formation, contributed to create a truncated ionized gas disk. The presence of an extended stellar tail on only one side of the disk points instead to another kind of process, likely gravitational interaction by a fly-by or a close encounter with another galaxy in the cluster.« less

GASP. III. JO36: A Case of Multiple Environmental Effects at Play?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritz, Jacopo; Moretti, Alessia; Gullieuszik, Marco; Poggianti, Bianca; Bruzual, Gustavo; Vulcani, Benedetta; Nicastro, Fabrizio; Jaffé, Yara; Cervantes Sodi, Bernardo; Bettoni, Daniela; Biviano, Andrea; Fasano, Giovanni; Charlot, Stéphane; Bellhouse, Callum; Hau, George

2017-10-01

The so-called jellyfish galaxies are objects exhibiting disturbed morphology, mostly in the form of tails of gas stripped from the main body of the galaxy. Several works have strongly suggested ram pressure stripping to be the mechanism driving this phenomenon. Here, we focus on one of these objects, drawn from a sample of optically selected jellyfish galaxies, and use it to validate sinopsis, the spectral fitting code that will be used for the analysis of the GASP (GAs Stripping Phenomena in galaxies with MUSE) survey, and study the spatial distribution and physical properties of the gas and stellar populations in this galaxy. We compare the model spectra to those obtained with gandalf, a code with similar features widely used to interpret the kinematics of stars and gas in galaxies from IFU data. We find that sinopsis can reproduce the pixel-by-pixel spectra of this galaxy at least as well as gandalf does, providing reliable estimates of the underlying stellar absorption to properly correct the nebular gas emission. Using these results, we find strong evidences of a double effect of ram pressure exerted by the intracluster medium onto the gas of the galaxy. A moderate burst of star formation, dating between 20 and 500 Myr ago and involving the outer parts of the galaxy more strongly than the inner regions, was likely induced by a first interaction of the galaxy with the intracluster medium. Stripping by ram pressure, plus probable gas depletion due to star formation, contributed to create a truncated ionized gas disk. The presence of an extended stellar tail on only one side of the disk points instead to another kind of process, likely gravitational interaction by a fly-by or a close encounter with another galaxy in the cluster.

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

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

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

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

How Galaxies Acquire their Gas: A Map of Multiphase Accretion and Feedback in Gaseous Galaxy Halos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tumlinson, Jason

2009-07-01

We propose to address two of the biggest open questions in galaxy formation - how galaxies acquire their gas and how they return it to the IGM - with a concentrated COS survey of diffuse multiphase gas in the halos of SDSS galaxies at z = 0.15 - 0.35. Our chief science goal is to establish a basic set of observational facts about the physical state, metallicity, and kinematics of halo gas, including the sky covering fraction of hot and cold material, the metallicity of infall and outflow, and correlations with galaxy stellar mass, type, and color - all as a function of impact parameter from 10 - 150 kpc. Theory suggests that the bimodality of galaxy colors, the shape of the luminosity function, and the mass-metallicity relation are all influenced at a fundamental level by accretion and feedback, yet these gas processes are poorly understood and cannot be predicted robustly from first principles. We lack even a basic observational assessment of the multiphase gaseous content of galaxy halos on 100 kpc scales, and we do not know how these processes vary with galaxy properties. This ignorance is presently one of the key impediments to understanding galaxy formation in general. We propose to use the high-resolution gratings G130M and G160M on the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph to obtain sensitive column density measurements of a comprehensive suite of multiphase ions in the spectra of 43 z < 1 QSOs lying behind 43 galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. In aggregate, these sightlines will constitute a statistically sound map of the physical state and metallicity of gaseous halos, and subsets of the data with cuts on galaxy mass, color, and SFR will seek out predicted variations of gas properties with galaxy properties. Our interpretation of these data will be aided by state-of-the-art hydrodynamic simulations of accretion and feedback, in turn providing information to refine and test such models. We will also use Keck, MMT, and Magellan {as needed} to obtain optical spectra of the QSOs to measure cold gas with Mg II, and optical spectra of the galaxies to measure SFRs and to look for outflows. In addition to our other science goals, these observations will help place the Milky Way's population of multiphase, accreting High Velocity Clouds {HVCs} into a global context by identifying analogous structures around other galaxies. Our program is designed to make optimal use of the unique capabilities of COS to address our science goals and also generate a rich dataset of other absorption-line systems along a significant total pathlength through the IGM {Delta z 20}.

THE INFLUENCE OF RED SPIRAL GALAXIES ON THE SHAPE OF THE LOCAL K-BAND LUMINOSITY FUNCTION

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

Bonne, Nicolas J.; Brown, Michael J. I.; Jones, Heath

2015-02-01

We have determined K-band luminosity functions for 13,325 local universe galaxies as a function of morphology and color (for K {sub tot} ≤ 10.75). Our sample is drawn from the Two Micron All Sky Survey Extended Source Catalog, with all sample galaxies having measured morphologies and distances (including 4219 archival redshift-independent distances). The luminosity function for our total sample is in good agreement with previous works, but is relatively smooth at faint magnitudes (due to bulk flow distance corrections). We investigated the differences due to morphological and color selection using 5417 sample galaxies with NASA Sloan Atlas optical colors and find thatmore » red spirals comprise 20%-50% of all spirals with –25 ≤ M{sub K}  < –20. Fainter than M{sub K} = –24, red spirals are as common as early types, explaining the different faint end slopes (α = –0.87 and –1.00 for red and early-types, respectively). While we find red spirals comprise more than 50% of all M{sub K}  < –25 spiral galaxies, they do not dominate the bright end of the overall red galaxy luminosity function, which is dominated by early-type galaxies. The brightest red spirals have ongoing star formation and those without are frequently misclassified as early-types. The faintest ones have an appearance and Sérsic indices consistent with faded disks, rather than true bulge-dominated galaxies.« less

Rotation curve for the Milky Way galaxy in conformal gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, James G.; Moss, Robert J.

2015-05-01

Galactic rotation curves have proven to be the testing ground for dark matter bounds in galaxies, and our own Milky Way is one of many large spiral galaxies that must follow the same models. Over the last decade, the rotation of the Milky Way galaxy has been studied and extended by many authors. Since the work of conformal gravity has now successfully fit the rotation curves of almost 140 galaxies, we present here the fit to our own Milky Way. However, the Milky Way is not just an ordinary galaxy to append to our list, but instead provides a robust test of a fundamental difference of conformal gravity rotation curves versus standard cold dark matter models. It was shown by Mannheim and O'Brien that in conformal gravity, the presence of a quadratic potential causes the rotation curve to eventually fall off after its flat portion. This effect can currently be seen in only a select few galaxies whose rotation curve is studied well beyond a few multiples of the optical galactic scale length. Due to the recent work of Sofue et al and Kundu et al, the rotation curve of the Milky Way has now been studied to a degree where we can test the predicted fall off in the conformal gravity rotation curve. We find that - like the other galaxies already studied in conformal gravity - we obtain amazing agreement with rotational data and the prediction includes the eventual fall off at large distances from the galactic center.

Monsters on the move: A search for supermassive black holes undergoing gravitational wave recoil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jadhav, Yashashree; Robinson, Andrew; Lena, Davide

2018-01-01

There is compelling evidence that supermassive black holes (SMBH) reside at the centers of all large galaxies and are the gravitational ‘engines’ of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Furthermore, galaxy mergers are thought to have played a fundamental role in the growth and evolution of the largest galaxies in the nearby universe. A galaxy merger is expected to lead to the formation of an SMBH binary, which itself eventually coalesces through the emission of gravitational waves. Such events fall outside the frequency range accessible to the LIGO/VIRGO gravitational wave detectors, but they can be detected via electromagnetic signatures. Numerical relativity simulations show that, depending on the initial spin-orbit configuration of the binary, the merged SMBH receives a gravitational recoil kick that may reach several 1000km/s. This recoil in turn causes the merged SMBH to oscillate for up to ~1 Gyr in the gravitational potential well of the galaxy. During this time, the recoiling SMBH may be observed as a ‘displaced’ AGN. Such events provide a strong test of gravitational physics and the formation and merger frequencies of binary SMBH. As a result of residual oscillations, displacements ~10 – 100pc may be expected even in nearby elliptical galaxies and can be measured as spatial offsets in high resolution optical or infrared images. We present the results of a preliminary study, in which isophotal analysis was conducted for a sample of 96 galaxies to obtain the photocenter of the galaxies using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) archival optical or infrared WFC2/PC, ACS or NICMOS images. The position of the nuclear point source (AGN) was also measured to obtain a displacement vector. This initial sample reveals 18 candidates that show a significant displacement. Of these, 14 are hosted by core ellipticals, while the rest have a cuspy light profile. As galactic and nuclear dust structures may interfere with the isophotal analysis, we are currently obtaining new WFC3 NIR images for selected candidates, in order to confirm the measured displacements. Preliminary results from these new images will also be presented.

Statistical techniques for detecting the intergalactic magnetic field from large samples of extragalactic Faraday rotation data

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

Akahori, Takuya; Gaensler, B. M.; Ryu, Dongsu, E-mail: akahori@physics.usyd.edu.au, E-mail: bryan.gaensler@sydney.edu.au, E-mail: ryu@sirius.unist.ac.kr

2014-08-01

Rotation measure (RM) grids of extragalactic radio sources have been widely used for studying cosmic magnetism. However, their potential for exploring the intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF) in filaments of galaxies is unclear, since other Faraday-rotation media such as the radio source itself, intervening galaxies, and the interstellar medium of our Galaxy are all significant contributors. We study statistical techniques for discriminating the Faraday rotation of filaments from other sources of Faraday rotation in future large-scale surveys of radio polarization. We consider a 30° × 30° field of view toward the south Galactic pole, while varying the number of sources detectedmore » in both present and future observations. We select sources located at high redshifts and toward which depolarization and optical absorption systems are not observed so as to reduce the RM contributions from the sources and intervening galaxies. It is found that a high-pass filter can satisfactorily reduce the RM contribution from the Galaxy since the angular scale of this component toward high Galactic latitudes would be much larger than that expected for the IGMF. Present observations do not yet provide a sufficient source density to be able to estimate the RM of filaments. However, from the proposed approach with forthcoming surveys, we predict significant residuals of RM that should be ascribable to filaments. The predicted structure of the IGMF down to scales of 0.°1 should be observable with data from the Square Kilometre Array, if we achieve selections of sources toward which sightlines do not contain intervening galaxies and RM errors are less than a few rad m{sup –2}.« less

Probing Cosmic Star Formation Using Long Gamma-Ray Bursts: New Constraints from the Spitzer Space Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Floc'h, Emeric; Charmandaris, Vassilis; Forrest, William J.; Mirabel, I. Félix; Armus, Lee; Devost, Daniel

2006-05-01

We report on IRAC 4.5 μm, IRAC 8.0 μm, and MIPS 24 μm deep observations of 16 gamma-ray burst (GRB) host galaxies performed with the Spitzer Space Telescope, and we investigate in the thermal infrared the presence of evolved stellar populations and dust-enshrouded star-forming activity associated with these objects. Our sample is derived from GRBs that were identified with subarcsecond localization between 1997 and 2001, and only a very small fraction (~20%) of the targeted sources are detected down to f4.5μm~3.5 μJy and f24μm~85 μJy (3 σ). This likely argues against a population dominated by massive and strongly starbursting (i.e., SFR>~100 Msolar yr-1) galaxies as has been recently suggested from submillimeter/radio and optical studies of similarly selected GRB hosts. Furthermore, we find evidence that some GRBs do not occur in the most infrared luminous regions-hence the most actively star-forming environments-of their host galaxies. Should the GRB hosts be representative of all star-forming galaxies at high redshift, models of infrared galaxy evolution indicate that >~50% of GRB hosts should have f24μm>~100 μJy. Unless the identification of GRBs prior to 2001 was prone to strong selection effects biasing our sample against dusty galaxies, we infer in this context that the GRBs identified with the current techniques cannot be directly used as unbiased probes of the global and integrated star formation history of the universe. Based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory under NASA contract 1407.

The Reddening law outside the local group galaxies: The case of NGC 7552 and NGC 5236

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kinney, Anne L.; Calzetti, Daniela; Bica, Eduardo; Storchi-Bergmann, Thaisa

1994-01-01

The dust reddening law from the UV to the near-IR for the extended regions of galaxies is here derived from the spectral distributions of the starburst spiral galaxies NGC 7552 and NGC 5236. The centers of these galaxies have similar absorption and emission line spectra, differing only if the strength of their interstellar lines and in the continuum distribution, with NGC 7552 appearing more reddened than NGC 5236. The disk of NGC 7552 is more inclined, and there is evidence that its center is observed through additional foreground dust and gas clouds, as compared to the center of NGC 5236. While the galaxies can be expected to have similar dust content, they are known to have different dust path lengths to our line of sight. Therefore, differences in the shape of the spectra can be attributed mainly to the effects of dust, allowing us to probe for the first time the properties of the reddening law outside the local group of galaxies. We derive the reddening law based on the optical depth of the emission line of H Alpha and H Beta and also based on the continuum distribtuion. We find that the optical depth from the emission line regions are about twice the optical depth of the continuum regions. Thus, dereddening a starburst galaxy by scaling the Milky Way reddening laws to optical depths obtained from the H Alpha/H Beta line ratio overcompensates for the effect of dust.

Optical Variability of Narrow-line and Broad-line Seyfert 1 Galaxies

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

Rakshit, Suvendu; Stalin, C. S., E-mail: suvenduat@gmail.com

We studied the optical variability (OV) of a large sample of narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLSy1) and broad-line Seyfert 1 (BLSy1) galaxies with z < 0.8 to investigate any differences in their OV properties. Using archival optical V -band light curves from the Catalina Real Time Transient Survey that span 5–9 years and modeling them using damped random walk, we estimated the amplitude of variability. We found that NLSy1 galaxies as a class show lower amplitude of variability than their broad-line counterparts. In the sample of both NLSy1 and BLSy1 galaxies, radio-loud sources are found to have higher variability amplitude thanmore » radio-quiet sources. Considering only sources that are detected in the X-ray band, NLSy1 galaxies are less optically variable than BLSy1 galaxies. The amplitude of variability in the sample of both NLSy1 and BLSy1 galaxies is found to be anti-correlated with Fe ii strength but correlated with the width of the H β line. The well-known anti-correlation of variability–luminosity and the variability–Eddington ratio is present in our data. Among the radio-loud sample, variability amplitude is found to be correlated with radio-loudness and radio-power, suggesting that jets also play an important role in the OV in radio-loud objects, in addition to the Eddington ratio, which is the main driving factor of OV in radio-quiet sources.« less

Optical Variability of Narrow-line and Broad-line Seyfert 1 Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakshit, Suvendu; Stalin, C. S.

2017-06-01

We studied the optical variability (OV) of a large sample of narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLSy1) and broad-line Seyfert 1 (BLSy1) galaxies with z < 0.8 to investigate any differences in their OV properties. Using archival optical V-band light curves from the Catalina Real Time Transient Survey that span 5-9 years and modeling them using damped random walk, we estimated the amplitude of variability. We found that NLSy1 galaxies as a class show lower amplitude of variability than their broad-line counterparts. In the sample of both NLSy1 and BLSy1 galaxies, radio-loud sources are found to have higher variability amplitude than radio-quiet sources. Considering only sources that are detected in the X-ray band, NLSy1 galaxies are less optically variable than BLSy1 galaxies. The amplitude of variability in the sample of both NLSy1 and BLSy1 galaxies is found to be anti-correlated with Fe II strength but correlated with the width of the Hβ line. The well-known anti-correlation of variability-luminosity and the variability-Eddington ratio is present in our data. Among the radio-loud sample, variability amplitude is found to be correlated with radio-loudness and radio-power, suggesting that jets also play an important role in the OV in radio-loud objects, in addition to the Eddington ratio, which is the main driving factor of OV in radio-quiet sources.

Spitzer 24 Micron Observations of Optical/Near-Infrared-Selected Extremely Red Galaxies: Evidence for Assembly of Massive Galaxies at Z approximately equal to 1-2?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yan, Lin; Choi, Philip I.; Fadda, D.; Marleau, F. R.; Soifer, B. T.; Im, M.; Armus, L.; Frayer, D. T.; Storrie-Lombardi, L. J.; Thompson, D. J.;

A Bridge from Optical to Infrared Galaxies: Explaining Local Properties, Predicting Galaxy Counts and the Cosmic Background Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Totani, T.; Takeuchi, T. T.

2001-12-01

A new model of infrared galaxy counts and the cosmic background radiation (CBR) is developed by extending a model for optical/near-infrared galaxies. Important new characteristics of this model are that mass scale dependence of dust extinction is introduced based on the size-luminosity relation of optical galaxies, and that the big grain dust temperature T dust is calculated based on a physical consideration for energy balance, rather than using the empirical relation between T dust and total infrared luminosity L IR found in local galaxies, which has been employed in most of previous works. Consequently, the local properties of infrared galaxies, i.e., optical/infrared luminosity ratios, L IR-T dust correlation, and infrared luminosity function are outputs predicted by the model, while these have been inputs in a number of previous models. Our model indeed reproduces these local properties reasonably well. Then we make predictions for faint infrared counts (in 15, 60, 90, 170, 450, and 850 μ m) and CBR by this model. We found considerably different results from most of previous works based on the empirical L IR-T dust relation; especially, it is shown that the dust temperature of starbursting primordial elliptical galaxies is expected to be very high (40--80K). This indicates that intense starbursts of forming elliptical galaxies should have occurred at z ~ 2--3, in contrast to the previous results that significant starbursts beyond z ~ 1 tend to overproduce the far-infrared (FIR) CBR detected by COBE/FIRAS. On the other hand, our model predicts that the mid-infrared (MIR) flux from warm/nonequilibrium dust is relatively weak in such galaxies making FIR CBR, and this effect reconciles the prima facie conflict between the upper limit on MIR CBR from TeV gamma-ray observations and the COBE\\ detections of FIR CBR. The authors thank the financial support by the Japan Society for Promotion of Science.

Bridging the gap: New ALMA observations of lensed dusty galaxies in the Frontier Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kearney, Zoe; Pope, Alexandra; Aretxaga, Itziar; Hughes, David; Marchesini, Danilo; Montana, Alfredo; Murphy, Eric Joseph; Wilson, Grant; Yun, Min

2018-01-01

During much of cosmic time, most star formation activity in galaxies is obscured by dust. In order to complete the census of star formation, we must bridge the gap between optical and infrared galaxy populations. With AzTEC on the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT), we surveyed two of the HST Frontier Fields in order to exploit the gravitational lensing from foreground clusters to study dust-obscured in galaxies below the nominal confusion limit. We detect millimeter galaxies with magnifications ranging from 1.1-8, allowing us to detect dust-obscured star formation rates in galaxies as low as ~10 Msun/year. We present new observations with ALMA in order to localize the millimeter emission of the AzTEC/LMT sources and make unambiguous associations with the optical galaxies in the deep HST images. We investigate the issue of multiplicity within our sample. We discuss the multi-wavelength counterparts of our faint millimeter sources and how they relate to brighter dusty galaxies from previous surveys.

On galaxy structure: CO clouds, open clusters and stars between 270 and 300 deg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giorgi, E. E.; Carraro, G.; Moitinho, A.; Perren, G. I.; Bronfman, L.; Vázquez, R. A.

2017-10-01

The most used open cluster databases of our Galaxy include about 240 objects located in the region to in galactic longitude and to in galactic latitude. Only 146 out of the total number of these clusters have been investigated with some detail. On this occasion we present preliminary results of a study including optical and CO radio observations sweeping the above mentioned extension of the Milky Way combined with literature data. As for optical data we have selected a total of 16 regions including potential clusters (some of them never observed before) to be surveyed in the system with the main purpose of scrutinising not only the properties of the open cluster system in that place but also to detect and characterise the properties of field hot stars that could help to reveal the far spiral structure in this place. The present study is a continuation of our sine die project aimed at describing the spiral structure in the third and fourth galactic quadrants.

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

The Lesser Role of Starbursts in Star Formation at z = 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodighiero, G.; Daddi, E.; Baronchelli, I.; Cimatti, A.; Renzini, A.; Aussel, H.; Popesso, P.; Lutz, D.; Andreani, P.; Berta, S.; Cava, A.; Elbaz, D.; Feltre, A.; Fontana, A.; Förster Schreiber, N. M.; Franceschini, A.; Genzel, R.; Grazian, A.; Gruppioni, C.; Ilbert, O.; Le Floch, E.; Magdis, G.; Magliocchetti, M.; Magnelli, B.; Maiolino, R.; McCracken, H.; Nordon, R.; Poglitsch, A.; Santini, P.; Pozzi, F.; Riguccini, L.; Tacconi, L. J.; Wuyts, S.; Zamorani, G.

2011-10-01

Two main modes of star formation are know to control the growth of galaxies: a relatively steady one in disk-like galaxies, defining a tight star formation rate (SFR)-stellar mass sequence, and a starburst mode in outliers to such a sequence which is generally interpreted as driven by merging. Such starburst galaxies are rare but have much higher SFRs, and it is of interest to establish the relative importance of these two modes. PACS/Herschel observations over the whole COSMOS and GOODS-South fields, in conjunction with previous optical/near-IR data, have allowed us to accurately quantify for the first time the relative contribution of the two modes to the global SFR density in the redshift interval 1.5 < z < 2.5, i.e., at the cosmic peak of the star formation activity. The logarithmic distributions of galaxy SFRs at fixed stellar mass are well described by Gaussians, with starburst galaxies representing only a relatively minor deviation that becomes apparent for SFRs more than four times higher than on the main sequence. Such starburst galaxies represent only 2% of mass-selected star-forming galaxies and account for only 10% of the cosmic SFR density at z ~ 2. Only when limited to SFR > 1000 M sun yr-1, off-sequence sources significantly contribute to the SFR density (46% ± 20%). We conclude that merger-driven starbursts play a relatively minor role in the formation of stars in galaxies, whereas they may represent a critical phase toward the quenching of star formation and morphological transformation in galaxies.

SHARDS: a spectro-photometric analysis of distant red and dead massive galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez-González, P. G.; Cava, A.; The Shards Team

2013-05-01

SHARDS, an ESO/GTC Large Program, is an ultra-deep (26.5 mag) spectro-photometric survey carried out with GTC/OSIRIS and designed to select and study massive passively evolving galaxies at z= 1.0--2.5 in the GOODS-N field. The survey uses a set of 24 medium band filters (FWHM ˜15 nm) covering the 500--950 nm spectral range. Our observing strategy has been planned to detect, for z>1 sources, the prominent Mg absorption feature (at rest-frame ˜280 nm), a distinctive, necessary, and sufficient feature of evolved stellar populations (older than 0.5 Gyr). These observations are being used to: (1) construct for the first time an unbiased sample of high-z quiescent galaxies, which extends to fainter magnitudes the samples selected with color techniques and spectroscopic surveys; (2) derive accurate ages and stellar masses based on robust measurements of spectral features such as the Mg(UV) or D(4000) indices; (3) measure their redshift with an accuracy Δ z/(1+z)<0.02; and (4) study emission-line galaxies (starbursts and AGN) up to very high redshifts. The well-sampled optical SEDs provided by SHARDS for all sources in the GOODS-N field are a valuable complement for current and future surveys carried out with other telescopes (e.g., Spitzer, HST, and Herschel).

Far-infrared Properties of Infrared-bright Dust-obscured Galaxies Selected with IRAS and AKARI Far-infrared All-sky Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toba, Yoshiki; Nagao, Tohru; Wang, Wei-Hao; Matsuhara, Hideo; Akiyama, Masayuki; Goto, Tomotsugu; Koyama, Yusei; Ohyama, Youich; Yamamura, Issei

2017-05-01

We investigate the star-forming activity of a sample of infrared (IR)-bright dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) that show an extreme red color in the optical and IR regime, {(I-[22])}{AB}> 7.0. Combining an IR-bright DOG sample with the flux at 22 μm > 3.8 mJy discovered by Toba & Nagao with the IRAS faint source catalog version 2 and AKARI far-IR (FIR) all-sky survey bright source catalog version 2, we selected 109 DOGs with FIR data. For a subsample of seven IR-bright DOGs with spectroscopic redshifts (0.07< z< 1.0) that were obtained from the literature, we estimated their IR luminosity, star formation rate (SFR), and stellar mass based on the spectral energy distribution fitting. We found that (1) the WISE 22 μm luminosity at the observed frame is a good indicator of IR luminosity for IR-bright DOGs and (2) the contribution of the active galactic nucleus to IR luminosity increases with IR luminosity. By comparing the stellar mass and SFR relation for our DOG sample and the literature, we found that most of the IR-bright DOGs lie significantly above the main sequence of star-forming galaxies at similar redshift, indicating that the majority of IRAS- or AKARI-detected IR-bright DOGs are starburst galaxies.

Star-dust geometries in galaxies: The effect of interstellar matter distributions on optical and infrared properties of late-type galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Capuano, J. M., Jr.; Thronson, H. A., Jr.; Witt, A. N.

1993-01-01

The presence of substantial amounts of interstellar dust in late-type galaxies affects observable parameters such as the optical surface brightness, the color, and the ratio of far-infrared to optical luminosity of these galaxies. We conducted radiative transfer calculations for late-type galaxy environments to examine two different scenarios: (1) the effects of increasing amounts of dust in two fixed geometries with different star distributions; and (2) the effects of an evolving dust-star geometry in which the total amount of dust is held constant, for three different star distributions. The calculations were done for ten photometric bands, ranging from the far-ultraviolet to the near-infrared (K), and scattered light was included in the galactic surface brightness at each wavelength. The energy absorbed throughout these ten photometric bands was assumed to re-emerge in the far-infrared as thermal dust emission. We also considered the evolutionary contraction of a constant amount of dust relative to pre-existing star distributions.

DUST-CORRECTED COLORS REVEAL BIMODALITY IN THE HOST-GALAXY COLORS OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI AT z {approx} 1

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

Cardamone, Carolin N.; Megan Urry, C.; Brammer, Gabriel

2010-09-20

Using new, highly accurate photometric redshifts from the MUSYC medium-band survey in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South (ECDF-S), we fit synthetic stellar population models to compare active galactic nucleus (AGN) host galaxies to inactive galaxies at 0.8 {<=} z {<=} 1.2. We find that AGN host galaxies are predominantly massive galaxies on the red sequence and in the green valley of the color-mass diagram. Because both passive and dusty galaxies can appear red in optical colors, we use rest-frame near-infrared colors to separate passively evolving stellar populations from galaxies that are reddened by dust. As with the overall galaxy population,more » {approx}25% of the 'red' AGN host galaxies and {approx}75% of the 'green' AGN host galaxies have colors consistent with young stellar populations reddened by dust. The dust-corrected rest-frame optical colors are the blue colors of star-forming galaxies, which imply that these AGN hosts are not passively aging to the red sequence. At z {approx} 1, AGN activity is roughly evenly split between two modes of black hole growth: the first in passively evolving host galaxies, which may be heating up the galaxy's gas and preventing future episodes of star formation, and the second in dust-reddened young galaxies, which may be ionizing the galaxy's interstellar medium and shutting down star formation.« less

Exploring a Massive Starburst in the Epoch of Reionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marrone, Daniel; Aravena, M.; Chapman, S.; De Breuck, C.; Gonzalez, A.; Hezavehe, S.; Litke, K.; Ma, J.; Malkan, M.; Spilker, J.; Stalder, B.; Stark, D.; Strandet, M.; Tang, M.; Vieira, J.; Weiss, A.; Welikala, N.

2016-08-01

We request deep multi-band imaging of a unique dusty galaxy in the Epoch of Reionization (EoR), selected via its millimeter-wavelength dust emission in the 2500-square-degree South Pole Telescope survey. Spectroscopically confirmed to lie at z=6.900, this galaxy has a large dust mass and is likely one of the most rapidly star-forming objects in the EoR. Using Gemini-S, we have identified z-band emission from this object that could be UV continuum emission at z=6.9 or from a foreground lens. Interpretation of this object, and a complete understanding of its meaning for the census of star formation in the EoR, requires that we establish the presence or absence of gravitational lensing. The dust mass observed in this source is also unexpectedly large for its era, and measurements of the assembled stellar population, through the UV-continuum slope and restframe optical color, will help characterize the stellar mass and dust properties in this very early galaxy, the most spectacular galaxy yet discovered by the SPT.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2012-09-01

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

Extrinsic Sources of Scatter in the Richness-mass Relation of Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozo, Eduardo; Rykoff, Eli; Koester, Benjamin; Nord, Brian; Wu, Hao-Yi; Evrard, August; Wechsler, Risa

2011-10-01

Maximizing the utility of upcoming photometric cluster surveys requires a thorough understanding of the richness-mass relation of galaxy clusters. We use Monte Carlo simulations to study the impact of various sources of observational scatter on this relation. Cluster ellipticity, photometric errors, photometric redshift errors, and cluster-to-cluster variations in the properties of red-sequence galaxies contribute negligible noise. Miscentering, however, can be important, and likely contributes to the scatter in the richness-mass relation of galaxy maxBCG clusters at the low-mass end, where centering is more difficult. We also investigate the impact of projection effects under several empirically motivated assumptions about cluster environments. Using Sloan Digital Sky Survey data and the maxBCG cluster catalog, we demonstrate that variations in cluster environments can rarely (≈1%-5% of the time) result in significant richness boosts. Due to the steepness of the mass/richness function, the corresponding fraction of optically selected clusters that suffer from these projection effects is ≈5%-15%. We expect these numbers to be generic in magnitude, but a precise determination requires detailed, survey-specific modeling.

A young source of optical emission from distant radio galaxies.

PubMed

Hammer, F; Fèvre, O Le; Angonin, M C

1993-03-25

DISTANT radio galaxies provide valuable insights into the properties of the young Universe-they are the only known extended optical sources at high redshift and might represent an early stage in the formation and evolution of galaxies in general. This extended optical emission often has very complex morphologies, but the origin of the light is still unclear. Here we report spectroscopic observations for several distant radio galaxies (0.75≤ z ≤ 1.1) in which the rest-frame spectra exhibit featureless continua between 2,500 Å and 5,000 Å. We see no evidence for the break in the spectrum at 4,000 Å expected for an old stellar population 1-3 , and suggest that young stars or scattered emissions from the active nuclei are responsible for most of the observed light. In either case, this implies that the source of the optical emission is com-parable in age to the associated radio source, namely 10 7 years or less.

Star formation history and chemical enrichment in the early Universe: clues from the rest-optical and rest-UV spectra of z~2-3 star-forming galaxies in the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strom, Allison L.

2017-01-01

Galaxies at the peak of cosmic star formation (z~2-3) exhibit significantly higher star formation rates and gas fractions at fixed stellar mass than nearby galaxies. These z~2-3 galaxies are also distinct in terms of their nebular spectra, reflecting important differences not only in the physical conditions of their interstellar medium (e.g., electron density and gas-phase metallicity), but also in the details of their massive stellar populations, especially their ionizing radiation fields. Jointly observing galaxies' HII regions, at rest-UV and rest-optical wavelengths, and massive stars, at rest-UV wavelengths, is central to constructing a framework for understanding the differences between z~2-3 and z~0 star-forming galaxies and for self-consistently explaining the trends observed in the high-redshift population. My thesis is based on data from the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey (KBSS), which uniquely combines observations of individual galaxies in these two bandpasses. In total, the near-infrared component of the KBSS includes spectra of >700 z~2-3 galaxies obtained with Keck/MOSFIRE. I will present these results along with a detailed analysis of the full rest-optical (3600-7000 Ang) nebular spectra of ~400 galaxies, showing that high-redshift galaxies exhibit uniformly high degrees of ionization and excitation with respect to most z~0 galaxies. Combined with observations of the same galaxies' rest-UV spectra (obtained with Keck/LRIS) and photoionization model predictions, these results suggest that the disparity arises from differences in the shape of the ionizing radiation field at fixed gas-phase oxygen abundance, most likely due to the effects of Fe-poor massive binary stars. My comprehensive spectroscopic study of an unprecedentedly large sample of z~2-3 galaxies offers compelling evidence that the distinct chemical abundance patterns observed in these galaxies are the result of systematic differences in their star formation histories.

The Hidden Galaxy

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-18

Maffei 2 is the poster child for an infrared galaxy that is almost invisible to optical telescopes. But this infrared image from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope penetrates the dust to reveal the galaxy in all its glory.

X-ray-selected galaxy groups in Boötes

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

Vajgel, Bruna; Lopes, Paulo A. A.; Jones, Christine

2014-10-10

We present the X-ray and optical properties of the galaxy groups selected in the Chandra X-Boötes survey. We used follow-up Chandra observations to better define the group sample and their X-ray properties. Group redshifts were measured from the AGN and Galaxy Evolution Survey spectroscopic data. We used photometric data from the NOAO Deep Wide Field Survey to estimate the group richness (N {sub gals}) and the optical luminosity (L {sub opt}). Our final sample comprises 32 systems at z < 1.75 with 14 below z = 0.35. For these 14 systems, we estimate velocity dispersions (σ {sub gr}) and performmore » a virial analysis to obtain the radii (R {sub 200} and R {sub 500}) and total masses (M {sub 200} and M {sub 500}) for groups with at least 5 galaxy members. We use the Chandra X-ray observations to derive the X-ray luminosity (L{sub X} ). We examine the performance of the group properties σ{sub gr}, L {sub opt}, and L{sub X} , as proxies for the group mass. Understanding how well these observables measure the total mass is important to estimate how precisely the cluster/group mass function is determined. Exploring the scaling relations built with the X-Boötes sample and comparing these with samples from the literature, we find a break in the L{sub X} -M {sub 500} relation at approximately M {sub 500} = 5 × 10{sup 13} M {sub ☉} (for M {sub 500} > 5 × 10{sup 13} M {sub ☉}, M{sub 500}∝L{sub X}{sup 0.61±0.02}, while for M {sub 500} ≤ 5 × 10{sup 13} M {sub ☉}, M{sub 500}∝L{sub X}{sup 0.44±0.05}). Thus, the mass-luminosity relation for galaxy groups cannot be described by the same power law as galaxy clusters. A possible explanation for this break is the dynamical friction, tidal interactions, and projection effects that reduce the velocity dispersion values of the galaxy groups. By extending the cluster luminosity function to the group regime, we predict the number of groups that new X-ray surveys, particularly eROSITA, will detect. Based on our cluster/group luminosity function estimates, eROSITA will identify ∼1800 groups (L{sub X} = 10{sup 41}-10{sup 43} erg s{sup –1}) within a distance of 200 Mpc. Since groups lie in large-scale filaments, this group sample will map the large-scale structure of the local universe.« less

SGAS 143845.1 + 145407: A Big, Cool Starburst at Redshift 0.816

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gladders, Michael D.; Rigby, Jane R.; Sharon, Keren; Wuyts, Eva; Abramson, Louis E.; Dahle, Hakon; Persson, S. E.; Monson, Andrew J.; Kelson, Daniel D.; Benford, Dominic J.;

FR II radio galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: observational facts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozieł-Wierzbowska, D.; Stasińska, G.

2011-08-01

Starting from the Cambridge Catalogues of radio sources, we have created a sample of 401 Fanaroff-Riley type II (FR II) radio sources that have counterparts in the main galaxy sample of the seventh Data release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and analyse their radio and optical properties. We find that the luminosity in the Hα line - which we argue gives a better measure of the total emission-line flux than the widely used luminosity in [O III]- is strongly correlated with the radio luminosity P1.4 GHz. We show that the absence of emission lines in about one third of our sample is likely due to a detection threshold and not to a lack of optical activity. We also find a very strong correlation between the values of LHα and P1.4 GHz when scaled by ‘MBH’, an estimate of the black hole mass. We find that the properties of FR II galaxies are mainly driven by the Eddington parameter LHα/‘MBH’ or, equivalently, P1.4 GHz/‘MBH’. Radio galaxies with hotspots are found among the ones with the highest values of P1.4 GHz/‘MBH’. Compared to classical active galactic nuclei (AGN) hosts in the main galaxy sample of the SDSS, our FR II galaxies show a larger proportion of objects with very hard ionizing radiation field and large ionization parameter. A few objects are, on the contrary, ionized by a softer radiation field. Two of them have double-peaked emission lines and deserve more attention. We find that the black hole masses and stellar masses in FR II galaxies are very closely related: ‘MBH’∝M1.13* with very little scatter. A comparison sample of line-less galaxies in the SDSS follows exactly the same relation, although the masses are, on average, smaller. This suggests that the FR II radio phenomenon occurs in normal elliptical galaxies, preferentially in the most massive ones. Although most FR II galaxies are old, some contain traces of young stellar populations. Such young populations are not seen in normal line-less galaxies, suggesting that the radio (and optical) activity in some FR II galaxies may be triggered by recent star formation. The ‘MBH’-M* relation in a comparison sample of radio-quiet AGN hosts from the SDSS is very different, suggesting that galaxies which are still forming stars are also still building their central black holes. Globally, our study indicates that, while radio and optical activity are strongly related in FR II galaxies, the features of the optical activity in FR IIs are distinct from those of the bulk of radio-quiet active galaxies. An appendix (available as Supporting Information with the online version of the article) gives the radio maps of our FR II galaxies, superimposed on the SDSS images, and the parameters derived for our analysis that were not publicly available.

Dust extinction of the stellar continua in starburst galaxies: The ultraviolet and optical extinction law

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calzetti, Daniela; Kinney, Anne L.; Storchi-Bergmann, Thaisa

1994-01-01

We analyze the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) UV and the optical spectra of 39 starburst and blue compact galaxies in order to study the average properties of dust extinction in extended regions of galaxies. The optical spectra have been obtained using an aperture which matches that of IUE, so comparable regions within each galaxy are sampled. The data from the 39 galaxies are compared with five models for the geometrical distribution of dust, adopting as extinction laws both the Milky Way and the Large Magellanic Cloud laws. The commonly used uniform dust screen is included among the models. We find that none of the five models is in satisfactory agreement with the data. In order to understand the discrepancy between the data and the models, we have derived an extinction law directly from the data in the UV and optical wavelength range. The resulting curve is characterized by an overall slope which is more gray than the Milky Way extinction law's slope, and by the absence of the 2175 A dust feature. Remarkably, the difference in optical depth between the Balmer emission lines H(sub alpha) and H(sub beta) is about a factor of 2 larger than the difference in the optical depth between the continuum underlying the two Balmer lines. We interpret this discrepancy as a consequence of the fact that the hot ionizing stars are associated with dustier regions than the cold stellar population is. The absence of the 2175 A dust feature can be due either to the effects of the scattering and clumpiness of the dust or to a chemical composition different from that of the Milky Way dust grains. Disentangling the two interpretations is not easy because of the complexity of the spatial distribution of the emitting regions. The extinction law of the UV and optical spectral continua of extended regions can be applied to the spectra of medium- and high-redshift galaxies, where extended regions of a galaxy are, by necessity, sampled.

Sensitive radio survey of obscured quasar candidates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexandroff, Rachael M.; Zakamska, Nadia L.; van Velzen, Sjoert; Greene, Jenny E.; Strauss, Michael A.

2016-12-01

We study the radio properties of moderately obscured quasars in samples at both low (z ˜ 0.5) and high (z ˜ 2.5) redshift to understand the role of radio activity in accretion, using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) at 6.0 GHz and 1.4 GHz. Our z ˜ 2.5 sample consists of optically selected obscured quasar candidates, all of which are radio-quiet, with typical radio luminosities of νLν[1.4 GHz] ≲ 1040 erg s-1. Only a single source is individually detected in our deep (rms˜10 μJy) exposures. This population would not be identified by radio-based selection methods used for distinguishing dusty star-forming galaxies and obscured active nuclei. In our pilot A-array study of z ˜ 0.5 radio-quiet quasars, we spatially resolve four of five objects on scales ˜5 kpc and find they have steep spectral indices with an average value of α = -0.75. Therefore, radio emission in these sources could be due to jet-driven or radiatively driven bubbles interacting with interstellar material on the scale of the host galaxy. Finally, we also study the additional population of ˜200 faint ( ˜ 40 μJy-40 mJy) field radio sources observed over ˜120 arcmin2 of our data. 60 per cent of these detections (excluding our original targets) are matched in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and/or Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and are, in roughly equal shares, active galactic nuclei (AGN) at a broad range of redshifts, passive galaxies with no other signs of nuclear activity and infrared-bright but optically faint sources. Spectroscopically or photometrically confirmed star-forming galaxies constitute only a small minority of the matches. Such sensitive radio surveys allow us to address important questions of AGN evolution and evaluate the AGN contribution to the radio-quiet sky.

Boötes-HiZELS: an optical to near-infrared survey of emission-line galaxies at z = 0.4-4.7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthee, Jorryt; Sobral, David; Best, Philip; Smail, Ian; Bian, Fuyan; Darvish, Behnam; Röttgering, Huub; Fan, Xiaohui

2017-10-01

We present a sample of ˜1000 emission-line galaxies at z = 0.4-4.7 from the ˜0.7deg2 High-z Emission-Line Survey in the Boötes field identified with a suite of six narrow-band filters at ≈0.4-2.1 μm. These galaxies have been selected on their Ly α (73), [O II] (285), H β/[O III] (387) or H α (362) emission line, and have been classified with optical to near-infrared colours. A subsample of 98 sources have reliable redshifts from multiple narrow-band (e.g. [O II]-H α) detections and/or spectroscopy. In this survey paper, we present the observations, selection and catalogues of emitters. We measure number densities of Ly α, [O II], H β/[O III] and H α and confirm strong luminosity evolution in star-forming galaxies from z ˜ 0.4 to ˜5, in agreement with previous results. To demonstrate the usefulness of dual-line emitters, we use the sample of dual [O II]-H α emitters to measure the observed [O II]/H α ratio at z = 1.47. The observed [O II]/H α ratio increases significantly from 0.40 ± 0.01 at z = 0.1 to 0.52 ± 0.05 at z = 1.47, which we attribute to either decreasing dust attenuation with redshift, or due to a bias in the (typically) fibre measurements in the local Universe that only measure the central kpc regions. At the bright end, we find that both the H α and Ly α number densities at z ≈ 2.2 deviate significantly from a Schechter form, following a power law. We show that this is driven entirely by an increasing X-ray/active galactic nucleus fraction with line luminosity, which reaches ≈100 per cent at line luminosities L ≳ 3 × 1044 erg s-1.

Deep WFPC2 and Ground-Based Imaging of a Complete Sample of 3C Quasars and Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ridgway, Susan E.; Stockton, Alan

1997-01-01

We present the results of an HST and ground-based imaging study of a complete 3C sample of zeta approx. equal to 1 sources, comprising 5 quasars and 5 radio galaxies. We have observed all of the sample in essentially line-free bands at rest-frame 0.33 micrometers with WFPC2 and in rest-frame 1 micrometer images from the ground; we have also observed most of the sample in narrow-band filters centered on [O II]. We resolve continuum structure around all of our quasars in the high-resolution WFPC2 images, and in four of the five ground-based K' images. All of the quasars have some optical continuum structure that is aligned with the radio axis. In at least 3 of these cases, some of this optical structure is directly coincident with a portion of the radio structure, including optical counterparts to radio jets in 3C212 and 3C245 and an optical counterpart to a radio lobe in 3C2. These are most likely due to optical synchrotron radiation, and the radio and optical spectral indices in the northern lobe of 3C2 are consistent with this interpretation. The fact that we see a beamed optical synchotron component in the quasars but not in the radio galaxies complicates both the magnitude and the alignment comparisons. Nonetheless, the total optical and K' flux densities of the quasar hosts are consistent with those of the radio galaxies within the observed dispersion in our sample. The distributions of K' flux densities of both radio galaxies and quasar hosts exhibit similar mean and dispersion to that found for other radio galaxies at this redshift, and the average host galaxy luminosity is equivalent to, or a little fainter than, L*. The formal determination of the alignment in the optical and infrared in the two subsamples yields no significant difference between the radio galaxy and quasar subsamples, and the quasars 3C 196 and 3C 336 have aligned continuum and emission-line structure that is probably not due to beamed optical synchrotron emission. Very blue and/or edge-brightened structures are present in some objects within the probable quasar opening angle; these are possibly the result of illumination effects from the active nucleus, i.e., scattered quasar light or photoionization. In 3C 212, we see an optical object that lies 3 min. beyond the radio lobe, but which looks morphologically quite similar to the radio lobe itself. This object is bright in the infrared and has a steep spectral gradient along its length. A striking, semi-circular arc seen associated with 3C 280 may possibly be a tidal tail from a companion, enhanced in brightness by scattering or photoionization. In the near-infrared, most of the radio galaxies have elliptical morphologies with profiles that are well-fit by de Vaucouleurs r(exp 1/4)-laws and colors that are consistent with an old stellar population. All components around the quasars have optical-infrared colors that are redder than or similar to the colors of their respective nuclei; this is more consistent with a stellar origin for the emission than with a dominant scattering contribution. From the correspondence between the total magnitudes in the galaxies and quasars and the detection of aligned components in the quasars, we conclude that this study provides general support for the unification of FR II radio galaxies and quasars. Some of the objects in the sample (e.g, 3C 212) have properties that may be difficult to explain with our current understanding of the nature of FR II radio sources and the alignment effect.

The missing mass in clusters of galaxies and elliptical galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mushotzky, Richard F.

1991-01-01

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

The Tully-Fisher relation for flat galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makarov, D. I.; Zaitseva, N. A.; Bizyaev, D. V.

2018-06-01

We construct a multiparametric Tully-Fisher (TF) relation for a large sample of edge-on galaxies from the Revised Flat Galaxy Catalog using H I data from the EDD database and parameters from the EGIS catalog. We incorporate a variety of additional parameters including structural parameters of edge-on galaxies in different bandpasses. Besides the rotation curve maximum, only the H I-to-optical luminosity ratio and optical colours play a statistically significant role in the multiparametric TF relation. We are able to decrease the standard deviation of the multiparametric TF relation down to 0.32 mag, which is at the level of best modern samples of galaxies used for studies of the matter motion in the Universe via the TF-relation.

Correlation between low level fluctuations in the x ray background and faint galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tolstoy, Eline; Griffiths, R. E.

1993-01-01

A correlation between low-level x-ray fluctuations in the cosmic x-ray background flux and the large numbers of galaxies found in deep optical imaging, to m(sub v) is less than or equal to 24 - 26, is desired. These (faint) galaxies by their morphology and color in deep multi-color CCD images and plate material were optically identified. Statistically significant correlations between these galaxies and low-level x-ray fluctuations at the same positions in multiple deep Einstein HRI observations in PAVO and in a ROSAT PSPC field were searched for. Our aim is to test the hypothesis that faint 'star burst' galaxies might contribute significantly to the cosmic x-ray background (at approximately 1 keV).

The Hunt for Low-Mass Black Holes in the JWST Era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cann, Jenna; Satyapal, Shobita; Abel, Nicholas; Ricci, Claudio; Gliozzi, Mario; Blecha, Laura; Secrest, Nathan

2018-01-01

Most, if not all, massive galaxies have a central supermassive black hole (SMBH) millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun. While the properties of SMBHs and their host galaxies have been well-studied in massive galaxies, very few SMBHs have been found in galaxies with low masses and those with small bulges. This is a significant deficiency, because the study of this population allows us to gain an understanding of merger-free pathways to black hole growth, and to gain insight into the origin and growth of SMBH ‘seeds’, thought to have formed at high redshift. Most studies aimed at finding SMBHs have been conducted using optical spectroscopic studies, where active SMBHs (active galactic nuclei or AGNs) display distinctive optical emission lines indicative of accreting SMBHs. However, in low mass (dwarf) galaxies, the SMBHs will likely be less massive, and can be energetically weak and possibly deeply embedded in their host galaxies. As a result, the optical emission lines may be dominated by star formation regions, severely limiting the diagnostic power of optical surveys in finding and characterizing the properties of the AGN in dwarf galaxies. In such galaxies, infrared coronal lines provide a robust method of finding AGNs. Furthermore, as the black hole mass decreases, the Schwarzschild radius of the black hole decreases, and in response, the temperature of the surrounding accretion disk increases. The shape of the ionizing radiation spectral energy distribution therefore changes with black hole mass, which will affect the emission line spectrum from the surrounding gas. In this work, we investigate the diagnostic power of infrared coronal lines and the effect of black hole mass on the emission line spectra from AGNs, with a particular focus on the emission lines accessible by JWST.

Infrared images of merging galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1990-01-01

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

Ultraviolet to optical spectral distributions of northern star-forming galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcquade, Kerry; Calzetti, Daniela; Kinney, Anne L.

1995-01-01

We report spectral energy distribution from the UV to the optical for a sample of 31 northern star-forming galaxies. We also present measurements for emission-line fluxes, continuum levels, and equivalent widths of absorption features for each individual spectrum as well as averages for the eight galactic activity classes, including normal, starburst, Seyfert 2, blue compact dwarf, blue compact, Low-Inonization Nuclear Emission Regions (LINER), H II, and combination LINER-H II galaxies.

The star-forming properties of an ultra-hard x-ray selected sample of active galactic nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, Thomas Taro

This thesis provides a comprehensive examination of star formation in the host galaxies of active galactic nuclei or AGN. AGN are bright, central regions of galaxies that are powered through accretion onto a supermassive black hole (SMBH). Through accretion and the loss of gravitational potential energy, AGN emit powerful radiation over all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. This radiation can influence the AGN's host galaxy through what is known as AGN ``feedback'' and is thought to suppress star formation as well as stop accretion onto the SMBH leading to a co-evolution between the SMBH and its host galaxy. Theoretical models have long invoked AGN feedback to be able reproduce the galaxy population we see today but observations have been unclear as to whether AGN actually have an effect on star formation. To address this question, we selected a large sample of local ( z < 0.05) AGN based on their detection at ultra-hard X-ray energies (14-195 keV) with the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT). Ultra-hard X-ray selection frees our sample from selection effects and biases due to obscuration and host galaxy contamination that can hinder other AGN samples. With these 313 BAT AGN we conducted a far-infrared survey using the HerschelSpace Observatory. We use the far-infrared imaging to probe the cold dust that traces recent star formation in the galaxy and construct spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from 12-500 \\micron. We decompose the SEDs to remove the AGN contribution and measure infrared luminosity which provides us with robust estimates of the star formation rate (SFR). Through a comparison with a stellar-mass matched non-AGN sample, we find that AGN host galaxies have larger dust masses, dust temperatures, and SFRs, confirming the results of previous studies that showed the optical colors of the BAT AGN are bluer than non-AGN. We find that the AGN luminosity as probed by the 14-195 keV luminosity is not related to the SFR of the host galaxy suggesting global, large scale star formation on an individual basis is not affected by the AGN. However, after a thorough analysis comparing our AGN to star-forming main sequence, a tight relationship between the SFR and stellar mass of a galaxy, we discover that our AGN as a whole show systematically lower specific SFRs (SFR/stellar mass). We confirm that AGN host galaxies, as a population, are transitioning between the star-forming and quiescent populations. This result supports the theory that AGN feedback has suppressed star formation, but we also consider other models that could reproduce our observations. Finally we conclude with a summary of this thesis and describe several ongoing and future projects that will push forward the exciting field of AGN research.

Frankenstein Galaxy

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-07-11

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

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-05-01

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

X-ray study of a sample of FR0 radio galaxies: unveiling the nature of the central engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torresi, E.; Grandi, P.; Capetti, A.; Baldi, R. D.; Giovannini, G.

2018-06-01

Fanaroff-Riley type 0 radio galaxies (FR0s) are compact radio sources that represent the bulk of the radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) population, but they are still poorly understood. Pilot studies on these sources have been already performed at radio and optical wavelengths: here we present the first X-ray study of a sample of 19 FR0 radio galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey/NRAO VLA Sky Survey/Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-cm sample of Best & Heckman, with redshift ≤0.15, radio size ≤10 kpc, and optically classified as low-excitation galaxies. The X-ray spectra are modelled with a power-law component absorbed by Galactic column density with, in some cases, a contribution from thermal extended gas. The X-ray photons are likely produced by the jet as attested by the observed correlation between X-ray (2-10 keV) and radio (5 GHz) luminosities, similar to Fanaroff-Riley type I radio galaxies (FRIs). The estimated Eddington-scaled luminosities indicate a low accretion rate. Overall, we find that the X-ray properties of FR0s are indistinguishable from those of FRIs, thus adding another similarity between AGN associated with compact and extended radio sources. A comparison between FR0s and low-luminosity BL Lacs rules out important beaming effects in the X-ray emission of the compact radio galaxies. FR0s have different X-ray properties with respect to young radio sources (e.g. gigahertz-peaked spectrum/compact steep spectrum sources), generally characterized by higher X-ray luminosities and more complex spectra. In conclusion, the paucity of extended radio emission in FR0s is probably related to the intrinsic properties of their jets that prevent the formation of extended structures, and/or to intermittent activity of their engines.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2012-01-01

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

SPIDER. IV. OPTICAL AND NEAR-INFRARED COLOR GRADIENTS IN EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES: NEW INSIGHT INTO CORRELATIONS WITH GALAXY PROPERTIES

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

La Barbera, F.; De Carvalho, R. R.; De La Rosa, I. G.

2010-11-15

We present an analysis of stellar population gradients in 4546 early-type galaxies (ETGs) with photometry in grizYHJK along with optical spectroscopy. ETGs were selected as bulge-dominated systems, displaying passive spectra within the SDSS fibers. A new approach is described which utilizes color information to constrain age and metallicity gradients. Defining an effective color gradient, {nabla}{sub *}, which incorporates all of the available color indices, we investigate how {nabla}{sub *} varies with galaxy mass proxies, i.e., velocity dispersion, stellar (M{sub *}) and dynamical (M{sub dyn}) masses, as well as age, metallicity, and [{alpha}/Fe]. ETGs with M{sub dyn} larger than 8.5 xmore » 10{sup 10} M{sub sun} have increasing age gradients and decreasing metallicity gradients with respect to mass, metallicity, and enhancement. We find that velocity dispersion and [{alpha}/Fe] are the main drivers of these correlations. ETGs with 2.5 x 10{sup 10} M{sub sun} {<=} M{sub dyn} {<=} 8.5 x 10{sup 10} M{sub sun} show no correlation of age, metallicity, and color gradients with respect to mass, although color gradients still correlate with stellar population parameters, and these correlations are independent of each other. In both mass regimes, the striking anti-correlation between color gradient and {alpha}-enhancement is significant at {approx}5{sigma} and results from the fact that metallicity gradient decreases with [{alpha}/Fe]. This anti-correlation may reflect the fact that star formation and metallicity enrichment are regulated by the interplay between the energy input from supernovae, and the temperature and pressure of the hot X-ray gas in ETGs. For all mass ranges, positive age gradients are associated with old galaxies (>5-7 Gyr). For galaxies younger than {approx}5 Gyr, mostly at low mass, the age gradient tends to be anti-correlated with the Age parameter, with more positive gradients at younger ages.« less

Lyman-break Galaxies at z ˜ 3 in the Subaru Deep Field: Luminosity Function, Clustering, and [O III] Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malkan, Matthew A.; Cohen, Daniel P.; Maruyama, Miyoko; Kashikawa, Nobunari; Ly, Chun; Ishikawa, Shogo; Shimasaku, Kazuhiro; Hayashi, Masao; Motohara, Kentaro

2017-11-01

We combined deep U-band and optical/near-infrared imaging, in order to select Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) at z˜ 3 using U - V and V-{R}c colors in the Subaru Deep Field. The resulting sample of 5161 LBGs gives a UV luminosity function (LF) down to {M}{UV}=-18, with a steep faint-end slope of α =-1.78+/- 0.05. We analyze UV-to-NIR energy distributions (SEDs) from optical photometry and photometry on IR median-stacked images. In the stacks, we find a systematic background depression centered on the LBGs. This results from the difficulty of finding faint galaxies in regions with higher-than-average surface densities of foreground galaxies, so we corrected for this deficit. Best-fit stellar population models for the LBG SEDs indicate stellar masses and star formation rates of {{log}}10({M}* /{M}⊙ )≃ 10 and ≃ 50 M ⊙ yr-1 at < {i}{AB}{\\prime }> =24, down to {{log}}10({M}* /{M}⊙ )≃ 8 and ≃ 3 {M}⊙ yr-1 at < {i}{AB}{\\prime }> =27. The faint LBGs show a ˜1 mag excess over the stellar continuum in K-band. We interpret this excess flux as redshifted [O III]λ λ {4959,5007} lines. The observed excesses imply equivalent widths that increase with decreasing mass, reaching {{EW}}0([{{O}} {{iii}}]4959,5007+{{H}}β )≳ 1500 Å (rest-frame). Such strong [O III] emission is seen only in a miniscule fraction of local emission-line galaxies, but is probably universal in the faint galaxies that reionized the universe. Our halo occupation distribution analysis of the angular correlation function gives a halo mass of {{log}}10(< {M}{{h}}> /{h}-1{M}⊙ )=11.29+/- 0.12 for the full sample of LBGs, and {{log}}10(< {M}{{h}}> /{h}-1{M}⊙ )=11.49+/- 0.1 for the brightest half of the sample.

Fingerprints in the Light

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-03-01

This spectrum shows the light from a dusty, distant galaxy located 11 billion light-years away. The galaxy is invisible to optical telescopes, but NASA Spitzer Space Telescope captured the light from it and dozens of other similar galaxies.

The X-ray luminous galaxy cluster XMMU J1007.4+1237 at z = 1.56. The dawn of starburst activity in cluster cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2011-03-01

Context. Observational galaxy cluster studies at z > 1.5 probe the formation of the first massive M > 1014 M⊙ dark matter halos, the early thermal history of the hot ICM, and the emergence of the red-sequence population of quenched early-type galaxies. Aims: We present first results for the newly discovered X-ray luminous galaxy cluster XMMU J1007.4+1237 at z = 1.555, detected and confirmed by the XMM-Newton Distant Cluster Project (XDCP) survey. Methods: We selected the system as a serendipitous weak extended X-ray source in XMM-Newton archival data and followed it up with two-band near-infrared imaging and deep optical spectroscopy. Results: We can establish XMMU J1007.4+1237 as a spectroscopically confirmed, massive,bona fide galaxy cluster with a bolometric X-ray luminosity of Lbol_X,500≃(2.1 ± 0.4)× 10^{44} erg/s, a red galaxy population centered on the X-ray emission, and a central radio-loud brightest cluster galaxy. However, we see evidence for the first time that the massive end of the galaxy population and the cluster red-sequence are not yet fully in place. In particular, we find ongoing starburst activity for the third ranked galaxy close to the center and another slightly fainter object. Conclusions: At a lookback time of 9.4 Gyr, the cluster galaxy population appears to be caught in an important evolutionary phase, prior to full star-formation quenching and mass assembly in the core region. X-ray selection techniques are an efficient means of identifying and probing the most distant clusters without any prior assumptions about their galaxy content. Based on observations under programme ID 081.A-0312 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).Figure 2 and Tables 1 and 2 are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trouille, Laura

2011-11-01

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

A search for faint high-redshift radio galaxy candidates at 150 MHz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saxena, A.; Jagannathan, P.; Röttgering, H. J. A.; Best, P. N.; Intema, H. T.; Zhang, M.; Duncan, K. J.; Carilli, C. L.; Miley, G. K.

2018-04-01

Ultrasteep spectrum (USS) radio sources are good tracers of powerful radio galaxies at z > 2. Identification of even a single bright radio galaxy at z > 6 can be used to detect redshifted 21 cm absorption due to neutral hydrogen in the intervening intergalactic medium. Here we describe a new sample of high-redshift radio galaxy (HzRG) candidates constructed from the TIFR GMRT Sky Survey First Alternative Data Release survey at 150 MHz. We employ USS selection (α ≤ -1.3) in ˜10 000 deg2, in combination with strict size selection and non-detections in all-sky optical and infrared surveys. We apply flux density cuts that probe a unique parameter space in flux density (50 mJy < S150 < 200 mJy) to build a sample of 32 HzRG candidates. Follow-up Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) observations at 1.4 GHz with an average beam size of 1.3 arcsec revealed ˜ 48 per cent of sources to have a single radio component. P-band (370 MHz) imaging of 17 of these sources revealed a flattening radio SED for 10 sources at low frequencies, which is expected from compact HzRGs. Two of our sources lie in fields where deeper multiwavelength photometry and ancillary radio data are available and for one of these we find a best-fitting photo-z of 4.8 ± 2.0. The other source has zphot = 1.4 ± 0.1 and a small angular size (3.7 arcsec), which could be associated with an obscured star-forming galaxy or with a `dead' elliptical. One USS radio source not part of the HzRG sample but observed with the VLA none the less is revealed to be a candidate giant radio galaxy with a host galaxy photo-z of 1.8 ± 0.5, indicating a size of 875 kpc.

The ATLAS3D project - IX. The merger origin of a fast- and a slow-rotating early-type galaxy revealed with deep optical imaging: first results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2011-10-01

The mass assembly of galaxies leaves imprints in their outskirts, such as shells and tidal tails. The frequency and properties of such fine structures depend on the main acting mechanisms - secular evolution, minor or major mergers - and on the age of the last substantial accretion event. We use this to constrain the mass assembly history of two apparently relaxed nearby early-type galaxies (ETGs) selected from the ATLAS3D sample, NGC 680 and 5557. Our ultra-deep optical images obtained with MegaCam on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope reach 29 mag arcsec-2 in the g band. They reveal very low surface brightness (LSB) filamentary structures around these ellipticals. Among them, a gigantic 160 kpc long, narrow, tail east of NGC 5557 hosts three gas-rich star-forming objects, previously detected in H I with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope and in UV with GALEX. NGC 680 exhibits two major diffuse plumes apparently connected to extended H I tails, as well as a series of arcs and shells. Comparing the outer stellar and gaseous morphology of the two ellipticals with that predicted from models of colliding galaxies, we argue that the LSB features are tidal debris and that each of these two ETGs was assembled during a relatively recent, major wet merger, which most likely occurred after the redshift z ≃ 0.5 epoch. Had these mergers been older, the tidal features should have already fallen back or be destroyed by more recent accretion events. However, the absence of molecular gas and of a prominent young stellar population in the core region of the galaxies indicates that the merger is at least 1-2 Gyr old: the memory of any merger-triggered nuclear starburst has indeed been lost. The star-forming objects found towards the collisional debris of NGC 5557 are then likely tidal dwarf galaxies. Such recycled galaxies here appear to be long-lived and continue to form stars while any star formation activity has stopped in their parent galaxy. The inner kinematics of NGC 680 is typical for fast rotators which make the bulk of nearby ETGs in the ATLAS3D sample. On the other hand, NGC 5557 belongs to the poorly populated class of massive, round, slow rotators that are predicted by semi-analytic models and cosmological simulations to be the end-product of a complex mass accretion history, involving ancient major mergers and more recent minor mergers. Our observations suggest that under specific circumstances a single binary merger may dominate the formation history of such objects and thus that at least some massive ETGs may form at relatively low redshift. Whether the two galaxies studied here are representative of their own sub-class of ETGs is still an open question that will be addressed by an on-going deep optical survey of ATLAS3D galaxies.

Properties of Narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakshit, Suvendu; Stalin, Chelliah Subramonian; Chand, Hum; Zhang, Xue-Guang

2018-04-01

Narrow line Seyfert 1 (NLSy1) galaxies constitute a class of active galactic nuclei characterized by the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the Hα broad emission line <2000 km s-1 and the flux ratio of [O III] to Hα <3. Their properties are not well understood since only a few NLSy1 galaxies were known earlier. We have studied various properties of NLSy1 galaxies using an enlarged sample and compared them with the conventional broad-line Seyfert 1 (BLSy1) galaxies. Both the sample of sources have z˜ 0.8 and their optical spectra from SDSS-DR12 that are used to derive various physical parameters have a median signal to noise (S/N) ratio >10 pixel-1. A strong correlation between the Hα and Hα emission lines is found both in the FWHM and flux. The nuclear continuum luminosity is found to be strongly correlated with the luminosity of Hα, Hα and [O III] emission lines. The black hole mass in NLSy1 galaxies is lower compared to their broad line counterparts. Compared to BLSy1 galaxies, NLSy1 galaxies have a stronger FeII emission and a higher Eddington ratio that place them in the extreme upper right corner of the R4570 - λEdd diagram. The distribution of the radio-loudness parameter (R) in NLSy1 galaxies drops rapidly at R>10 compared to the BLSy1 galaxies that have powerful radio jets. The soft X-ray photon index in NLSy1 galaxies is on average higher (2.9 ± 0.9) than BLSy1 galaxies (2.4 ± 0.8). It is anti-correlated with the Hα width but correlated with the FeII strength. NLSy1 galaxies on average have a lower amplitude of optical variability compared to their broad lines counterparts. These results suggest Eddington ratio as the main parameter that drives optical variability in these sources.

Examining the Center: Positions, Dominance, and Star Formation Rates of Most Massive Group Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connelly, Jennifer L.; Parker, Laura C.; McGee, Sean; Mulchaey, John S.; Finoguenov, Alexis; Balogh, Michael; Wilman, David; Group Environment Evolution Collaboration

2015-01-01

The group environment is believed to be the stage for many galaxy transformations, helping evolve blue star-forming galaxies to red passive ones. In local studies of galaxy clusters, the central member is usually a single dominant giant galaxy at the center of the potential with little star formation thought to be the result of galaxy mergers. In nearby groups, a range of morphologies and star formation rates are observed and the formation history is less clear. Further, the position and dominance of the central galaxy cannot be assumed in groups, which are less massive and evolved than clusters. To understand the connections between global group properties and properties of the central group galaxy at intermediate redshift, we examine galaxy groups from the Group Environment and Evolution Collaboration (GEEC) catalog, including both optically- and X-ray-selected groups at redshift z~0.4. The sample is diverse, containing a range in overall mass and evolutionary state. The number of groups is significant, membership is notably complete, and measurements span the IR to the UV allowing the properties of the members to be connected to those of the host groups. Having investigated trends in the global group properties previously, including mass and velocity substructure, we turn our attention now to the galaxy populations, focusing on the central regions of these systems. The most massive and second most massive group galaxies are identified by their stellar mass. The positions of the most massive galaxies (MMGs) are determined with respect to both the luminosity-weighted and X-ray center. Star formation rates are used to explore the fraction of passive/quiescent versus star-forming MMGs and the dominance of the MMGs in our group sample is also tested. Determinations of these characteristics and trends constitute the important first steps toward a detailed understanding of the relationships between the properties of host groups and their most massive galaxies and the environmental effects involved in the evolution of such objects.

Surface Photometric Properties of HII Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vajgel, B.; Telles, E.

2009-05-01

HII galaxies are dwarf galaxies undergoing violent star formation. They were firstly selected by objective-prism spectroscopy and were object of extensive studies to characterize their physical conditions of the interstellar medium. Their SFR together with their low Z raised the question whether some of them can be truly ``young'' galaxies. To infer the SFH, one needs information in a large spectral range. We obtained images in the optical region of the spectrum with the 0.6 m B&C and the 1.6 m telescopes at the Laboratório Nacional de Astrofísica, for a sample of 50 objects in B, V, R and I, which combined with recent evolutionary models, enable us to deduce the stellar population content and its spatial distribution. These seem to be the nearest youngest galaxies that can be studied in detail, and their structural properties offer important indications about the evolutionary relation and the origin of dwarf galaxies in the universe. With this sample we built a morphological catalogue with broad-band photometry, including the structural analysis through the brightness profiles. The initial analysis suggests that the galaxies can be segregated in two broad classes, in agreement with what had already been proposed in the literature; Type I have irregular envelopes with signs of perturbation and turn out to the more luminous sub-sample; while Type II have regular external isophotes and are less luminous. The brightness profiles are well represented by exponential fits, as in irregular and elliptical dwarf galaxies. However, HII galaxies are more compact in comparison with their more diffuse counterparts. We study the behavior of the HII galaxies in the metallicity-luminosity plane. This relation, interpreted as a relation between the mass and the metallicity of dwarf galaxies of low surface brightness (dE and dIrr), has direct implications for their formation and evolution, and over the possible evolutionary links between HII galaxies and other types of dwarf galaxies.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-07-01

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

Multiwavelength Study of the Bright X-ray Source Population in the Interacting Galaxies NGC 5774/NGC 5775

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghosh, Kajal K.; Swartz, Douglas A.; Tennant, Allyn F.; Saripalli, Lakshmi; Gandhi, Poshak; Foellmi, Cedric; Gutierrez, Carlos M.; Lopez-Corredoira, Martin

2006-01-01

The X-ray source population in the field of the interacting pair of galaxies NGC 5774/5775 is reported. A total of 49 discrete sources are detected, including 12 ultraluminous X-ray source candidates with lum inosities above 10(exp 39)erg/s in the 0.5 - 8.0 keV X-ray band. Several of these latter are transient X-ray sources that fall below detect ion levels in one of two X-ray observations spaced 15 months apart. X-ray source positions are mapped onto optical and radio images to sear ch for potential counterparts. Eleven sources have optically-bright c ounterparts. Optical colors are used to differentiate these sources, which are mostly located outside the optical extent of the interacting galaxies, as potential globular clusters (3 sources) and quasars (5) . Follow-up optical spectroscopy confirms two of the latter are background quasars.

The BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael

2017-08-01

We present the Swift BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS) and discus the first four papers. The catalog represents an unprecedented census of hard-X-ray selected AGN in the local universe, with ~90% of sources at z<0.2. Starting from an all-sky catalog of AGN detected based on their 14-195 keV flux from the 70-month Swift/BAT catalog, we analyze a total of 1279 optical spectra, taken from twelve different telescopes, for a total of 642 spectra of unique AGN. We present the absorption and emission line measurements as well as black hole masses and accretion rates for the majority of obscured and un-obscured AGN (473), representing more than a factor of 10 increase from past studies. Consistent with previous surveys, we find an increase in the fraction of un-obscured (type 1) AGN, as measured from broad Hbeta and Halpha, with increasing 14-195 keV and 2-10 keV luminosity. We find the FWHM of the emission lines to show broad agreement with the X-ray obscuration measurements. Compared to narrow line AGN in the SDSS, the X-ray selected AGN in our sample with emission lines have a larger fraction of dustier galaxies suggesting these types of galaxies are missed in optical AGN surveys using emission line diagnostics.

Environmental Effects on Star Formation Activity at z ~ 0.9 in the COSMOS Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kajisawa, M.; Shioya, Y.; Aida, Y.; Ideue, Y.; Taniguchi, Y.; Nagao, T.; Murayama, T.; Matsubayashi, K.; Riguccini, L.

2013-05-01

We investigated the fraction of [O II] emitters in galaxies at z ~ 0.9 as a function of the local galaxy density in the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) COSMOS 2 deg2 field. [O II] emitters are selected by the narrowband excess technique with the NB711-band imaging data taken with Suprime-Cam on the Subaru telescope. We carefully selected 614 photo-z-selected galaxies with M U3500 < -19.31 at z = 0.901 - 0.920, which includes 195 [O II] emitters, to directly compare the results with our previous study at z ~ 1.2. We found that the fraction is almost constant at 0.3 Mpc-2 < Σ10th < 10 Mpc-2. We also checked the fraction of galaxies with blue rest-frame colors of NUV - R < 2 in our photo-z-selected sample, and found that the fraction of blue galaxies does not significantly depend on the local density. On the other hand, the semi-analytic model of galaxy formation predicted that the fraction of star-forming galaxies at z ~ 0.9 decreases with increasing projected galaxy density even if the effects of the projection and the photo-z error in our analysis were taken into account. The fraction of [O II] emitters decreases from ~60% at z ~ 1.2 to ~30% at z ~ 0.9 independent of galaxy environment. The decrease of the [O II] emitter fraction could be explained mainly by the rapid decrease of star formation activity in the universe from z ~ 1.2 to z ~ 0.9. 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 5-26555. Also based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under NASA contract 1407. Also based on data collected at the Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan; the XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and NASA; the European Southern Observatory under Large Program 175.A-0839, Chile; Kitt Peak National Observatory, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, which are operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation; and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope with MegaPrime/MegaCam operated as a joint project by the CFHT Corporation, CEA/DAPNIA, the NRC and CADC of Canada, the CNRS of France, TERAPIX, and the University of Hawaii.

The XMM-Newton bright serendipitous survey. Identification and optical spectral properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caccianiga, A.; Severgnini, P.; Della Ceca, R.; Maccacaro, T.; Cocchia, F.; Barcons, X.; Carrera, F. J.; Matute, I.; McMahon, R. G.; Page, M. J.; Pietsch, W.; Sbarufatti, B.; Schwope, A.; Tedds, J. A.; Watson, M. G.

2008-01-01

Aims:We present the optical classification and redshift of 348 X-ray selected sources from the XMM-Newton Bright Serendipitous Survey (XBS), which contains a total of 400 objects (identification level = 87%). About 240 are new identifications. In particular, we discuss in detail the classification criteria adopted for the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) population. Methods: By means of systematic spectroscopic campaigns using various telescopes and through the literature search, we have collected an optical spectrum for the large majority of the sources in the XBS survey and applied a well-defined classification “flow chart”. Results: We find that the AGNs represent the most numerous population at the flux limit of the XBS survey (~10-13 erg cm-2 s-1) constituting 80% of the XBS sources selected in the 0.5-4.5 keV energy band and 95% of the “hard” (4.5-7.5 keV) selected objects. Galactic sources populate the 0.5-4.5 keV sample significantly (17%) and only marginally (3%) the 4.5-7.5 keV sample. The remaining sources in both samples are clusters/groups of galaxies and normal galaxies (i.e. probably not powered by an AGN). Furthermore, the percentage of type 2 AGNs (i.e. optically absorbed AGNs with A_V>2 mag) dramatically increases going from the 0.5-4.5 keV sample (f=NAGN 2/N_AGN=7%) to the 4.5-7.5 keV sample (f=32%). We finally propose two simple diagnostic plots that can be easily used to obtain the spectral classification for relatively low-redshift AGNs even if the quality of the spectrum is not good. Based on observations collected at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) and at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and on observations obtained with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and the USA (NASA). Table 3 is only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Long-slit optical spectroscopy of powerful far-infrared galaxies - The nature of the nuclear energy source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armus, Lee; Heckman, Timothy M.; Miley, George K.

1989-01-01

Optical spectroscopic data are presented for a sample of 47 powerful far-IR galaxies chosen for IR spectral shape, and for six other IR-bright galaxies. The stellar absorption lines expected from a population of old stars are generally very weak in the nuclei of the galaxies. Very weak Mg I absorption is found in regions well off the nucleus, implying that the visible spectrum is dominated by young stars and not by an AGN. At least one, and probably five, of the galaxies have detectable WR emission features, providing additional evidence for a young stellar population. About 20 percent of the galaxies have strong Balmer absorption lines, indicating the presence of a substantial intermediate-age stellar population. The equivalent width of the H-alpha emission line can be modeled as arising from a mixture of a large young population and an intermediate-age population of stars.

First neutral atomic hydrogen images of quasar host galaxies.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, J.; Ho, P. T. P.

1999-12-01

Violent galactic encounters or mergers are the leading contenders for triggering luminous quasar activity at low redshifts: such interactions can lead to the concentration of gas in the host galactic nucleus, thus fueling the suspected central supermassive black hole. Here the authors image quasar host galaxies in the redshifted 21-cm line emission of neutral atomic hydrogen (H I) gas, which in nearby galaxies has proven to be a particularly sensitive as well as enduring tracer of tidal interactions. The three quasars studied have different optical environments normally seen around low-redshift quasars, ranging from a perhaps mildly interacting system to a relatively undisturbed host with a projected neighbouring galaxy to an isolated and apparently serene host galaxy. By contrast with their optical appearences, all three quasar host galaxies exhibit ongoing or remnant tidal H I disruptions tracing galactic encounters or mergers. These observations provide a better understanding of the likely stage of their interaction.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-02-01

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

The Swift AGN and Cluster Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danae Griffin, Rhiannon; Dai, Xinyu; Kochanek, Christopher S.; Bregman, Joel N.; Nugent, Jenna

2016-01-01

The Swift active galactic nucleus (AGN) and Cluster Survey (SACS) uses 125 deg^2 of Swift X-ray Telescope serendipitous fields with variable depths surrounding X-ray bursts to provide a medium depth (4 × 10^-15 erg cm^-2 s^-1) and area survey filling the gap between deep, narrow Chandra/XMM-Newton surveys and wide, shallow ROSAT surveys. Here, we present the first two papers in a series of publications for SACS. In the first paper, we introduce our method and catalog of 22,563 point sources and 442 extended sources. We examine the number counts of the AGN and galaxy cluster populations. SACS provides excellent constraints on the AGN number counts at the bright end with negligible uncertainties due to cosmic variance, and these constraints are consistent with previous measurements. The depth and areal coverage of SACS is well suited for galaxy cluster surveys outside the local universe, reaching z ˜ 1 for massive clusters. In the second paper, we use Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR8 data to study the 203 extended SACS sources that are located within the SDSS footprint. We search for galaxy over-densities in 3-D space using SDSS galaxies and their photometric redshifts near the Swift galaxy cluster candidates. We find 103 Swift clusters with a > 3σ over-density. The remaining targets are potentially located at higher redshifts and require deeper optical follow-up observations for confirmations as galaxy clusters. We present a series of cluster properties including the redshift, BCG magnitude, BCG-to-X-ray center offset, optical richness, X-ray luminosity and red sequences. We compare the observed redshift distribution of the sample with a theoretical model, and find that our sample is complete for z ≤ 0.3 and 80% complete for z ≤ 0.4, consistent with the survey depth of SDSS. We also match our SDSS confirmed Swift clusters to existing cluster catalogs, and find 42, 2 and 1 matches in optical, X-ray and SZ catalogs, respectively, so the majority of these clusters are new detections. These analysis results suggest that our Swift cluster selection algorithm presented in our first paper has yielded a statistically well-defined cluster sample for further studying cluster evolution and cosmology.

Dust-obscured galaxies in the local universe

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

Hwang, Ho Seong; Geller, Margaret J., E-mail: hhwang@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: mgeller@cfa.harvard.edu

We use Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), AKARI, and Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) data to select local analogs of high-redshift (z ∼ 2) dust obscured galaxies (DOGs). We identify 47 local DOGs with S {sub 12μm}/S {sub 0.22μm} ≥ 892 and S {sub 12μm} > 20 mJy at 0.05 < z < 0.08 in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data release 7. The infrared (IR) luminosities of these DOGs are in the range 3.4 × 10{sup 10} (L {sub ☉}) ≲ L {sub IR} ≲ 7.0 × 10{sup 11} (L {sub ☉}) with a median L {sub IR} of 2.1more » × 10{sup 11} (L {sub ☉}). We compare the physical properties of local DOGs with a control sample of galaxies that have lower S {sub 12μm}/S {sub 0.22μm} but have similar redshift, IR luminosity, and stellar mass distributions. Both WISE 12 μm and GALEX near-ultraviolet (NUV) flux densities of DOGs differ from the control sample of galaxies, but the difference is much larger in the NUV. Among the 47 DOGs, 36% ± 7% have small axis ratios in the optical (i.e., b/a < 0.6), larger than the fraction among the control sample (17% ± 3%). There is no obvious sign of interaction for many local DOGs. No local DOGs have companions with comparable optical magnitudes closer than ∼50 kpc. The large- and small-scale environments of DOGs are similar to the control sample. Many physical properties of local DOGs are similar to those of high-z DOGs, even though the IR luminosities of local objects are an order of magnitude lower than for the high-z objects: the presence of two classes (active galactic nuclei- and star formation-dominated) of DOGs, abnormal faintness in the UV rather than extreme brightness in the mid-IR, and diverse optical morphology. These results suggest a common underlying physical origin of local and high-z DOGs. Both seem to represent the high-end tail of the dust obscuration distribution resulting from various physical mechanisms rather than a unique phase of galaxy evolution.« less

The Faint Optical Afterglow and Host Galaxy of GRB 020124: Implications for the Nature of Dark Gamma-Ray Bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berger, E.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Bloom, J. S.; Price, P. A.; Fox, D. W.; Frail, D. A.; Axelrod, T. S.; Chevalier, R. A.; Colbert, E.; Costa, E.; Djorgovski, S. G.; Frontera, F.; Galama, T. J.; Halpern, J. P.; Harrison, F. A.; Holtzman, J.; Hurley, K.; Kimble, R. A.; McCarthy, P. J.; Piro, L.; Reichart, D.; Ricker, G. R.; Sari, R.; Schmidt, B. P.; Wheeler, J. C.; Vanderppek, R.; Yost, S. A.

2002-12-01

We present ground-based optical observations of GRB 020124 starting 1.6 hr after the burst, as well as subsequent Very Large Array and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations. The optical afterglow of GRB 020124 is one of the faintest afterglows detected to date, and it exhibits a relatively rapid decay, Fν~t-1.60+/-0.04, followed by further steepening. In addition, a weak radio source was found coincident with the optical afterglow. The HST observations reveal that a positionally coincident host galaxy must be the faintest host to date, R>~29.5 mag. The afterglow observations can be explained by several models requiring little or no extinction within the host galaxy, AhostV~0-0.9 mag. These observations have significant implications for the interpretation of the so-called dark bursts (bursts for which no optical afterglow is detected), which are usually attributed to dust extinction within the host galaxy. The faintness and relatively rapid decay of the afterglow of GRB 020124, combined with the low inferred extinction, indicate that some dark bursts are intrinsically dim and not dust obscured. Thus, the diversity in the underlying properties of optical afterglows must be observationally determined before substantive inferences can be drawn from the statistics of dark bursts.

The critical density for star formation in HII galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1993-01-01

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

Early Results from Swift AGN and Cluster Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Xinyu; Griffin, Rhiannon; Nugent, Jenna; Kochanek, Christopher S.; Bregman, Joel N.

2016-04-01

The Swift AGN and Cluster Survey (SACS) uses 125 deg^2 of Swift X-ray Telescope serendipitous fields with variable depths surrounding gamma-ray bursts to provide a medium depth (4 × 10^-15 erg cm^-2 s^-1) and area survey filling the gap between deep, narrow Chandra/XMM-Newton surveys and wide, shallow ROSAT surveys. Here, we present the first two papers in a series of publications for SACS. In the first paper, we introduce our method and catalog of 22,563 point sources and 442 extended sources. SACS provides excellent constraints on the AGN and cluster number counts at the bright end with negligible uncertainties due to cosmic variance, and these constraints are consistent with previous measurements. The depth and areal coverage of SACS is well suited for galaxy cluster surveys outside the local universe, reaching z > 1 for massive clusters. In the second paper, we use SDSS DR8 data to study the 203 extended SACS sources that are located within the SDSS footprint. We search for galaxy over-densities in 3-D space using SDSS galaxies and their photometric redshifts near the Swift galaxy cluster candidates. We find 103 Swift clusters with a > 3σ over-density. The remaining targets are potentially located at higher redshifts and require deeper optical follow-up observations for confirmations as galaxy clusters. We present a series of cluster properties including the redshift, BCG magnitude, BCG-to-X-ray center offset, optical richness, X-ray luminosity and red sequences. We compare the observed redshift distribution of the sample with a theoretical model, and find that our sample is complete for z ≤ 0.3 and 80% complete for z ≤ 0.4, consistent with the survey depth of SDSS. These analysis results suggest that our Swift cluster selection algorithm presented in our first paper has yielded a statistically well-defined cluster sample for further studying cluster evolution and cosmology. In the end, we will discuss our ongoing optical identification of z>0.5 cluster sample, using MDM, KPNO, CTIO, and Magellan data, and discuss SACS as a pilot for eROSITA deep surveys.

The HELLAS2XMM survey. XI. Unveiling the nature of X-ray bright optically normal galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Civano, F.; Mignoli, M.; Comastri, A.; Vignali, C.; Fiore, F.; Pozzetti, L.; Brusa, M.; La Franca, F.; Matt, G.; Puccetti, S.; Cocchia, F.

2007-12-01

Aims:X-ray bright optically normal galaxies (XBONGs) constitute a small but significant fraction of hard X-ray selected sources in recent Chandra and XMM-Newton surveys. Even though several possibilities were proposed to explain why a relatively luminous hard X-ray source does not leave any significant signature of its presence in terms of optical emission lines, the nature of XBONGs is still subject of debate. We aim to better understand their nature by means of a multiwavelength and morphological analysis of a small sample of these sources. Methods: Good-quality photometric near-infrared data (ISAAC/VLT) of four low-redshift (z = 0.1{-}0.3) XBONGs, selected from the HELLAS2XMM survey, have been used to search for the presence of the putative nucleus, applying the surface-brightness decomposition technique through the least-squares fitting program GALFIT. Results: The surface brightness decomposition allows us to reveal a nuclear point-like source, likely to be responsible for the X-ray emission, in two out of the four sources. The results indicate that moderate amounts of gas and dust, covering a large solid angle (possibly 4π) at the nuclear source, combined with the low nuclear activity, may explain the lack of optical emission lines. The third XBONG is associated with an X-ray extended source and no nuclear excess is detected in the near infrared at the limits of our observations. The last source is associated to a close (d≤ 1 arcsec) double system and the fitting procedure cannot achieve a firm conclusion. Based on observations made at the European Southern Observatory, Paranal, Chile (ESO Programme ID 69.A-0554).

Optical spectrophotometry of Wolf-Rayet galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vacca, William D.; Conti, Peter S.

1992-01-01

We have obtained long-slit optical spectra of 10 Wolf-Rayet galaxies and four other starburst galaxies. Using the nebular emission lines we have determined the electron temperatures, electron densities, extinctions, oxygen abundances, mass of ionized hydrogen, and numbers of ionizing photons due to hot stars in these galaxies. The various forbidden line ratios clearly indicate a stellar origin for the emission-line spectrum. From the flux of the broad He II 4686 A emission feature we have estimated the number of Wolf-Rayet stars present. We have accounted for the contribution of these stars to the total ionizing flux and have calculated the ratio of the number of these stars to the number of O stars. Wolf-Rayet galaxies are among the youngest examples of the starburst phenomenon, which we observed at a propitious moment.

Detailed modelling of a large sample of Herschel sources in the Lockman Hole: identification of cold dust and of lensing candidates through their anomalous SEDs★

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowan-Robinson, Michael; Wang, Lingyu; Wardlow, Julie; Farrah, Duncan; Oliver, Seb; Bock, Jamie; Clarke, Charlotte; Clements, David; Ibar, Edo; Gonzalez-Solares, Eduardo; Marchetti, Lucia; Scott, Douglas; Smith, Anthony; Vaccari, Mattia; Valtchanov, Ivan

2014-12-01

We have studied in detail a sample of 967 SPIRE sources with 5σ detections at 350 and 500 μm and associations with Spitzer-SWIRE 24 μm galaxies in the HerMES-Lockman survey area, fitting their mid- and far-infrared, and submillimetre, spectral energy distributions (SEDs) in an automatic search with a set of six infrared templates. For almost 300 galaxies, we have modelled their SEDs individually to ensure the physicality of the fits. We confirm the need for the new cool and cold cirrus templates, and also of the young starburst template, introduced in earlier work. We also identify 109 lensing candidates via their anomalous SEDs and provide a set of colour-redshift constraints which allow lensing candidates to be identified from combined Herschel and Spitzer data. The picture that emerges of the submillimetre galaxy population is complex, comprising ultraluminous and hyperluminous starbursts, lower luminosity galaxies dominated by interstellar dust emission, lensed galaxies and galaxies with surprisingly cold (10-13 K) dust. 11 per cent of 500 μm selected sources are lensing candidates. 70 per cent of the unlensed sources are ultraluminous infrared galaxies and 26 per cent are hyperluminous. 34 per cent are dominated by optically thin interstellar dust (`cirrus') emission, but most of these are due to cooler dust than is characteristic of our Galaxy. At the highest infrared luminosities we see SEDs dominated by M82, Arp 220 and young starburst types, in roughly equal proportions.

First results from the BOXING (Birmingham-OCIW XMM and IMACS Nearby Groups) project.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miles, T. A.; Raychaudhury, S.; Mulchaey, J. S.

2004-12-01

We present the first results from the BOXING (Birmingham-OCIW XMM and IMACS Nearby Groups) project, a collaboration between the Observatories of the Carnegie Institute of Washington (OCIW) and the University of Birmingham U.K. to study a sample of 25 galaxy groups (z ˜ 0.06) by means of optical photometry and spectroscopy (du Pont 2.5m; IMACS/Magellan) combined with x-ray observations (XMM). The combination of x-ray with optical data allows us to study the nature of the relationship between the properties of the groups and the galaxies that they contain. In this preliminary study, we present optical luminosity functions, which shows bimodal behavior in the poorer systems, interpreted as result of rapid merging. We also examine the dependence of galaxy morphology on local environment. Once spectroscopic observations are completed, we will be able to study velocity dispersions, star formation and nuclear activity in individual galaxies.

ON THE HOST GALAXY OF GRB 150101B AND THE ASSOCIATED ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS

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

Xie, Chen; Fang, Taotao; Wang, Junfeng

We present a multi-wavelength analysis of the host galaxy of short-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) 150101B. Follow-up optical and X-ray observations suggested that the host galaxy, 2MASX J12320498-1056010, likely harbors low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our modeling of the spectral energy distribution has confirmed the nature of the AGN, making it the first reported GRB host that contains an AGN. We have also found the host galaxy is a massive elliptical galaxy with stellar population of ∼5.7 Gyr, one of the oldest among the short-duration GRB hosts. Our analysis suggests that the host galaxy can be classified as an X-ray bright,more » optically normal galaxy, and the central AGN is likely dominated by a radiatively inefficient accretion flow. Our work explores an interesting connection that may exist between GRB and AGN activities of the host galaxy, which can help in understanding the host environment of the GRB events and the roles of AGN feedback.« less

The gas content in starburst galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mirabel, I. F.; Sanders, D. B.

1987-01-01

The results from two large and homogeneous surveys, one in H I, the other in CO, are used for a statistical review of the gaseous properties of bright infrared galaxies. A constant ratio between the thermal FIR radiation and nonthermal radio emission is a universal property of star formation in spiral galaxies. The current rate of star formation in starburst galaxies is found to be 3-20 times larger than in the Milky Way. Galaxies with the higher FIR luminosities and warmer dust, have the larger mass fractions of molecular to atomic interstellar gas, and in some instances, striking deficiencies of neutral hydrogen are found. A statistical blueshift of the optical systemic velocities relative to the radio systemic velocities, may be due to an outward motion of the optical line-emitting gas. From the high rates of star formation, and from the short times required for the depletion of the interstellar gas, it is concluded that the most luminous infrared galaxies represent a brief but important phase in the evolution of some galaxies, when two galaxies merge changing substantially their overall properties.

The Dynamics and Cold Gas Content of Luminous Infrared Galaxy Mergers in the Local Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Privon, G. C.

2014-08-01

Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs; 10^11 ≤ L_IR [8 - 1000 μm]/L_sun < 10^12) and Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGS; L_IR [8 - 1000 μm]/L_sun ≥ 10^12) are the most extreme star forming systems in the local universe, both in terms of their absolute star formation rates—ten to several hundred times that of ``normal'' galaxies—and their star formation rate densities. Many U/LIRGs are interacting or merging disk galaxies undergoing enhanced star formation and/or nuclear activity, likely triggered as the objects transform into massive S0 and elliptical merger remnants. The LIRG population also contains a significant number of apparently isolated disk galaxies which are undergoing enhanced star formation, providing a window on secular galaxy evolution. This work examines nearby U/LIRGs chosen from the Great Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS), an infrared flux and luminosity selected sample. The proximity of these systems enables high spatial resolution study of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and extreme star formation in these objects. New maps of the neutral hydrogen (HI) emission are presented for systems morphologically classified in the optical and mid-infrared as non-merging or pre-merger systems. The results of this study suggests that some infrared-selected galaxies may be minor mergers or interactions which are being viewed so soon after first pass that the stellar disk has not yet been significantly disturbed. Galaxy mergers appear to drive much of the enhanced activity observed in U/LIRGs; understanding the merger state of these systems provides a context for observations of star formation and AGN properties. In order to constrain the merger stage, dynamical models for a sample of nine systems were matched to the observed kinematics and morphology as obtained from optical imaging and interferometric HI maps. The resulting models are used not only to constrain the merger stage, but also the encounter geometry of the precursor. Based on these dynamical models a new merger stage classification is presented, which re-scales objects to a common timeline is used to place the observations in context. Applications of this dynamical merger stage to the study of star formation rates and indicators of AGN activity are presented. Finally, newly obtained measurements of the galaxy-integrated 1-0 rotational transitions of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and formylium (HCO^+) in a sample of U/LIRGs are used to investigate the ratio of HCN (1-0) to HCO (1-0) and its dependence on mid-infrared indicators of AGN strength. In contrast to previous claims, it is demonstrated that high values of this ratio are not uniquely linked to the presence of an AGN, but can be achieved in systems dominated by star formation. This suggests the excitation of these high critical density molecular gas tracers is determined by the complex interplay of radiation field, gas density, and gas column.

Prime Focus Spectrograph: A very wide-field, massively multiplexed, optical & near-infrared spectrograph for Subaru Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

TAMURA, NAOYUKI

2015-08-01

PFS (Prime Focus Spectrograph), a next generation facility instrument on Subaru, is a very wide-field, massively-multiplexed, and optical & near-infrared spectrograph. Exploiting the Subaru prime focus, 2400 reconfigurable fibers will be distributed in the 1.3 degree field. The spectrograph will have 3 arms of blue, red, and near-infrared cameras to simultaneously observe spectra from 380nm to 1260nm at one exposure. The development of this instrument has been undertaken by the international collaboration at the initiative of Kavli IPMU. The project is now going into the construction phase aiming at system integration and on-sky commissioning in 2017-2018, and science operation in 2019. In parallel, the survey design has also been developed envisioning a Subaru Strategic Program (SSP) that spans roughly speaking 300 nights over 5 years. The major science areas are three-folds: Cosmology, galaxy/AGN evolution, and Galactic archaeology (GA). The cosmology program will be to constrain the nature of dark energy via a survey of emission line galaxies over a comoving volume of ~10 Gpc^3 in the redshift range of 0.8 < z < 2.4. In the GA program, radial velocities and chemical abundances of stars in the Milky Way, dwarf spheroidal galaxies, and M31 will be used to understand the past assembly histories of those galaxies and the structures of their dark matter halos. Spectra will be taken for ~1 million stars as faint as V = 22 therefore out to large distances from the Sun. For the extragalactic program, our simulations suggest the wide wavelength coverage of PFS will be particularly powerful in probing the galaxy populations and its clustering properties over a wide redshift range. We will conduct a survey of color-selected 1 < z < 2 galaxies and AGN over 20 square degrees down to J = 23.4, yielding a fair sample of galaxies with stellar masses above ˜10^10 solar masses. Further, PFS will also provide unique spectroscopic opportunities even in the era of Euclid, LSST, WFIRST and TMT. In this presentation, an overview of the instrument, current project status and path forward will be given.

The nature of X-ray selected star candidates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mickaelian, A. M.; Paronyan, G. M.; Abrahamyan, H. V.; Gigoyan, K. S.; Gyulzadyan, M. V.; Kostandyan, G. R.

2016-12-01

The joint HRC/BHRC catalogue of optical identifications of ROSAT BSC and FSC X-ray sources is based on merging the Hamburg-ROSAT Catalogue (HRC) and Byurakan-Hamburg-ROSAT Catalogue (BHRC). Both have been made by optical identifications of X-ray sources based on low-dispersion spectra of the Hamburg QuasarSurvey (HQS) using the ROSAT Catalogues. HRC/BHRC contains a sample of 8132 (5341+2791) optically identified X-ray sources with count rate (CR) of photons ≥ 0.04 ct/s in the area of the low-dispersion Hamburg Quasar Survey (HQS), |b| ≥ 20° and δ ≥ 0°. Based on low-dispersion spectral classification, there are 4253 AGN, 492 galaxies, 1800 stars and 1587 unknown objects in the sample. 1800 star candidates include 1429 objects listed in SDSS DR12 photometric catalogue and 433 given in SDSS spectroscopic catalogue. Using these spectra, we have carried out classification of these star candidates to reveal new interesting objects, as well as to define the true content of our sample. 34 cataclysmic variables (including 7 new ones), 19 white dwarfs, 19 late-type stars (K-M and C types), 16 early type stars (O-B), 40 hot coronal stars (A-F types), 2 composite spectrum objects, and 17 bright stars have been revealed, as well as 286 objects which turned out to be extragalactic ones; 75 emission-line galaxies (HII/SB and AGN, including QSOs, Seyferts, and LINERs) and 211 absorption line galaxies were revealed (wrong classifications in HRC/BHRC due to their faint images and low-quality spectra). We have retrieved multiwavelength data from recent catalogues and carried out statistical investigations of the multiwavelength properties for the whole sample of stars. All stars have been found in GSC 2.3.2, as well as most of them are in GALEX, USNO-B1.0, 2MASS and WISE catalogues. Relations between the radiation fluxes in different bands from X-ray to radio for different types of sources are studied and analysis of their characteristics is made. X-ray selected stars are an important complement to the stellar populations of our Galaxy in solar neighbourhood and beyond. Keywords: X-ray sources, cross-correlations, white dwarfs, cataclysmic variables, carbon stars

The ultraviolet attenuation law in backlit spiral galaxies

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

Keel, William C.; Manning, Anna M.; Holwerda, Benne W.

The effective extinction law (attenuation behavior) in galaxies in the emitted ultraviolet (UV) regime is well known only for actively star-forming objects and combines effects of the grain properties, fine structure in the dust distribution, and relative distributions of stars and dust. We use Galaxy Evolution Explorer, XMM Optical Monitor, and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) data to explore the UV attenuation in the outer parts of spiral disks which are backlit by other UV-bright galaxies, starting with the candidate list of pairs provided by Galaxy Zoo participants. New optical images help to constrain the geometry and structure of the targetmore » galaxies. Our analysis incorporates galaxy symmetry, using non-overlapping regions of each galaxy to derive error estimates on the attenuation measurements. The entire sample has an attenuation law across the optical and UV that is close to the Calzetti et al. form; the UV slope for the overall sample is substantially shallower than found by Wild et al., which is a reasonable match to the more distant galaxies in our sample but not to the weighted combination including NGC 2207. The nearby, bright spiral NGC 2207 alone gives an accuracy almost equal to the rest of our sample, and its outer arms have a very low level of foreground starlight. Thus, this widespread, fairly 'gray' law can be produced from the distribution of dust alone, without a necessary contribution from differential escape of stars from dense clouds. Our results indicate that the extrapolation needed to compare attenuation between backlit galaxies at moderate redshifts from HST data, and local systems from Sloan Digital Sky Survey and similar data, is mild enough to allow the use of galaxy overlaps to trace the cosmic history of dust in galaxies. For NGC 2207, HST data in the near-UV F336W band show that the covering factor of clouds with small optical attenuation becomes a dominant factor farther into the UV, which opens the possibility that widespread diffuse dust dominates over dust in star-forming regions deep into the UV. Comparison with published radiative-transfer models indicates that the role of dust clumping dominates over differences in grain populations at this coarse spatial resolution.« less

EVIDENCE FOR ELEVATED X-RAY EMISSION IN LOCAL LYMAN BREAK GALAXY ANALOGS

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

Basu-Zych, Antara R.; Lehmer, Bret D.; Hornschemeier, Ann E.

2013-09-10

Our knowledge of how X-ray emission scales with star formation at the earliest times in the universe relies on studies of very distant Lyman break galaxies (LBGs). In this paper, we study the relationship between the 2-10 keV X-ray luminosity (L{sub X}), assumed to originate from X-ray binaries (XRBs), and star formation rate (SFR) in ultraviolet (UV) selected z < 0.1 Lyman break analogs (LBAs). We present Chandra observations for four new Galaxy Evolution Explorer selected LBAs. Including previously studied LBAs, Haro 11 and VV 114, we find that LBAs demonstrate L{sub X}/SFR ratios that are elevated by {approx}1.5{sigma} comparedmore » to local galaxies, similar to the ratios found for stacked LBGs in the early universe (z > 2). Unlike some of the composite LBAs studied previously, we show that these LBAs are unlikely to harbor active galactic nuclei, based on their optical and X-ray spectra and the spatial distribution of the X-rays in three spatially extended cases. Instead, we expect that high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) dominate the X-ray emission in these galaxies, based on their high specific SFRs (sSFRs {identical_to} SFR/M{sub *} {>=} 10{sup -9} yr{sup -1}), which suggest the prevalence of young stellar populations. Since both UV-selected populations (LBGs and LBAs) have lower dust attenuations and metallicities compared to similar samples of more typical local galaxies, we investigate the effects of dust extinction and metallicity on the L{sub X}/SFR for the broader population of galaxies with high sSFRs (>10{sup -10} yr{sup -1}). The estimated dust extinctions (corresponding to column densities of N{sub H} < 10{sup 22} cm{sup -2}) are expected to have insignificant effects on observed L{sub X}/SFR ratio for the majority of galaxy samples. We find that the observed relationship between L{sub X}/SFR and metallicity appears consistent with theoretical expectations from XRB population synthesis models. Therefore, we conclude that lower metallicities, related to more luminous HMXBs such as ultraluminous X-ray sources, drive the elevated L{sub X}/SFR observed in our sample of z < 0.1 LBAs. The relatively metal-poor, active mode of star formation in LBAs and distant z > 2 LBGs may yield higher total HMXB luminosity than found in typical galaxies in the local universe.« less

The nature of radio emission from distant galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, Eric A.

I describe an observational program aimed at understanding the radio emission from distant, rapidly evolving galaxy populations. These observations were carried out at 1.4 and 8.5 GHz with the VLA centered on the Hubble Deep Field. Further MERLIN observations of the HDF region at 1.4 GHz provided an angular resolution of 0.2'' and when combined with the VLA data produced an image with an unprecedented rms noise of 4 μJy. All radio sources detected in the VLA complete sample are resolved with a median angular size of 1-2''. The differential count of the radio sources is marginally sub-Euclidean (γ = -2.4 +/- 0.1) and fluctuation analysis suggests nearly 60 sources per armin2 are present at the 1 μJy level. A correlation analysis indicates spatial clustering among the 371 radio sources on angular scales of 1-40 arcmin. Optical identifications are made primarily with bright (I = 22) disk systems composed of irregulars, peculiars, interacting/merging galaxies, and a few isolated field spirals. Available redshifts span the range 0.2-3. These clues coupled with the steep spectral index of the 1.4 GHz selected sample are indicative of diffuse synchrotron radiation in distant galactic disks. Thus the evolution in the microjansky radio population is driven principally by star-formation. I have isolated a number of optically faint radio sources (about 25% of the overall sample) which remain unidentified to I = 26-28 in the HDF and flanking optical fields. Several of these objects have extremely red counterparts and constitute a new class of radio sources which are candidate high redshift dusty protogalaxies.

Exploring the Dust Content of Galactic Winds with MIPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Crystal; Engelbracht, Charles; Gordon, Karl

2005-06-01

This program explores the dust content of galactic winds. Nearly half of all stars in the universe probably form in a starburst event, where high concentrations of supernova explosions drive galactic-scale gaseous outflows. In nearby starburst galaxies, winds have been mapped at radio, optical, and X-ray frequencies revealing bipolar lobes of hot gas laced with cooler filaments bubbling out of the host galaxy. Most of the outflowing material is entrained interstellar gas, so it will remain quite dusty unless the grains are destroyed. Dusty winds have significant implications for the circulation of heavy elements in galaxies, the dust content of the intergalactic medium, and the acceleration of gaseous outflows. GALEX images of scattered ultraviolet light from galactic winds now provide compelling evidence for the survival of some grains. MIPS photometry of starburst winds at 24, 70, and 160 microns can, in principle, measure the dust temperature providing accurate estimates of the amount of dust (e.g. Engelbracht et al. 2004). To date, however, most MIPS observations of starburst galaxies are far too shallow to detect thermal emission from halo dust. The requested observations would provide the most sensitive observations currently possible for a sample of starburst galaxies, selected to span the full range of starburst luminosity and spatial geometry in the local universe.

The Locus of Stars, Galaxies, and QSOs. in SDSS Filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newberg, H.; Richards, G.; Lenz, D.; Fan, X.; Richmond, M.; Yanny, B.

1997-12-01

We present a catalog of over 2000 stars, QSOs, and galaxies in five optical passbands (u*, g*, r*, i*, and z*) that will be used by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The sources are brighter than 19.5 in r* (which is similar to Gunn r), and were selected from 15 fields covering half a square degree; about half of the objects have a measured u* flux. The statistical error in the photometry is typically a few percent. The systematic error is less than about 10 percent. The data was obtained on the USNO 1-m in Flagstaff, Arizona. The positions of the stars in color space are compared with Kurucz model stars, and show quite good agreement. The stellar locus, as well as the Kurucz model fits, show that the locus is shaped like a ribbon winding through color-color-color space, as discovered by Newberg and Yanny (1997). The catalog will be used to tune selection algorithms that will select spectroscopic targets from the phometric data produced by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

TES development for a frequency selective bolometer camera.

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

Datesman, A. M.; Downes, T. P.; Perera, T. A.

2009-06-01

We discuss the development, at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), of a four-pixel camera with four spectral channels centered at 150, 220, 270, and 360 GHz. The scientific motivation involves photometry of distant dusty galaxies located by Spitzer and SCUBA, as well as the study of other millimeter-wave sources such as ultra-luminous infrared galaxies, the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect in clusters, and galactic dust. The camera incorporates Frequency Selective Bolometer (FSB) and superconducting Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) technology. The current generation of TES devices we examine utilizes proximity effect superconducting bilayers of Mo/Au, Ti, or Ti/Au as TESs, located along with frequency selective absorbingmore » structures on silicon nitride membranes. The detector incorporates lithographically patterned structures designed to address both TES device stability and detector thermal transport concerns. The membrane is not perforated, resulting in a detector which is comparatively robust mechanically. In this paper, we report on the development of the superconducting bilayer TES technology, the design and testing of the detector thermal transport and device stability control structures, optical and thermal test results, and the use of new materials.« less

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

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

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

2015-02-20

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

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

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

Gu, Liyi; Wen, Zhonglue; Gandhi, Poshak

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

The 6dF Galaxy Survey: dependence of halo occupation on stellar mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beutler, Florian; Blake, Chris; Colless, Matthew; Jones, D. Heath; Staveley-Smith, Lister; Campbell, Lachlan; Parker, Quentin; Saunders, Will; Watson, Fred

2013-03-01

In this paper we study the stellar mass dependence of galaxy clustering in the 6dF Galaxy Survey (6dFGS). The near-infrared selection of 6dFGS allows more reliable stellar mass estimates compared to optical bands used in other galaxy surveys. Using the halo occupation distribution model, we investigate the trend of dark matter halo mass and satellite fraction with stellar mass by measuring the projected correlation function, wp(rp). We find that the typical halo mass (M1) as well as the satellite power-law index (α) increases with stellar mass. This indicates (1) that galaxies with higher stellar mass sit in more massive dark matter haloes and (2) that these more massive dark matter haloes accumulate satellites faster with growing mass compared to haloes occupied by low stellar mass galaxies. Furthermore, we find a relation between M1 and the minimum dark matter halo mass (Mmin) of M1 ≈ 22 Mmin, in agreement with similar findings for Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies. The satellite fraction of 6dFGS galaxies declines with increasing stellar mass from 21 per cent at Mstellar = 2.6 × 1010 h-2 M⊙ to 12 per cent at Mstellar = 5.4 × 1010 h-2 M⊙ indicating that high stellar mass galaxies are more likely to be central galaxies. We compare our results to two different semi-analytic models derived from the Millennium Simulation, finding some disagreement. Our results can be used for placing new constraints on semi-analytic models in the future, particularly the behaviour of luminous red satellites. Finally, we compare our results to studies of halo occupation using galaxy-galaxy weak lensing. We find good overall agreement, representing a valuable cross-check for these two different tools of studying the matter distribution in the Universe.

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): the effect of galaxy group environment on active galactic nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, Yjan A.; Pimbblet, Kevin A.; Owers, Matt S.; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Brough, Sarah; Brown, Michael J. I.; Cluver, Michelle E.; Croom, Scott M.; Holwerda, Benne W.; Loveday, Jonathan; Mahajan, Smriti; Wang, Lingyu

2018-04-01

In galaxy clusters, efficiently accreting active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are preferentially located in the infall regions of the cluster projected phase-space, and are rarely found in the cluster core. This has been attributed to both an increase in triggering opportunities for infalling galaxies, and a reduction of those mechanisms in the hot, virialized, cluster core. Exploiting the depth and completeness (98 per cent at r < 19.8 mag) of the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey (GAMA), we probe down the group halo mass function to assess whether AGNs are found in the same regions in groups as they are in clusters. We select 451 optical AGNs from 7498 galaxies with log10(M*/M⊙) > 9.9 in 695 groups with 11.53 ≤ log10(M200/M⊙) ≤ 14.56 at z < 0.15. By analysing the projected phase-space positions of these galaxies, we demonstrate that when split both radially, and into physically derived infalling and core populations, AGN position within group projected phase-space is dependent on halo mass. For groups with log10(M200/M⊙) > 13.5, AGNs are preferentially found in the infalling galaxy population with 3.6σ confidence. At lower halo masses, we observe no difference in AGN fraction between core and infalling galaxies. These observations support a model where a reduced number of low-speed interactions, ram pressure stripping and intra-group/cluster medium temperature, the dominance of which increase with halo mass, work to inhibit AGN in the cores of groups and clusters with log10(M200/M⊙) > 13.5, but do not significantly affect nuclear activity in cores of less massive structures.

ALMACAL - III. A combined ALMA and MUSE survey for neutral, molecular, and ionized gas in an H I-absorption-selected system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klitsch, A.; Péroux, C.; Zwaan, M. A.; Smail, I.; Oteo, I.; Biggs, A. D.; Popping, G.; Swinbank, A. M.

2018-03-01

Studying the flow of baryons into and out of galaxies is an important part of understanding the evolution of galaxies over time. We present a detailed case study of the environment around an intervening Ly α absorption line system at zabs = 0.633, seen towards the quasar J0423-0130 (zQSO = 0.915). We detect with ALMA the 12CO(2-1), 12CO(3-2), and 1.2 mm continuum emission from a galaxy at the redshift of the Ly α absorber at a projected distance of 135 kpc. From the ALMA detections, we infer interstellar medium conditions similar to those in low-redshift luminous infrared galaxies. Director's Discretionary Time (DDT) Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) integral field unit observations reveal the optical counterpart of the 12CO emission line source and three additional emission line galaxies at the absorber redshift, which together form a galaxy group. The 12CO emission line detections originate from the most massive galaxy in this group. While we cannot exclude that we miss a fainter host, we reach a dust-uncorrected star formation rate (SFR) limit of >0.3 M⊙yr-1 within 100 kpc from the sightline to the background quasar. We measure the dust-corrected SFR (ranging from 3 to 50 M⊙ yr-1), the morpho-kinematics and the metallicities of the four group galaxies to understand the relation between the group and the neutral gas probed in absorption. We find that the Ly α absorber traces either an outflow from the most massive galaxy or intragroup gas. This case study illustrates the power of combining ALMA and MUSE to obtain a census of the cool baryons in a bounded structure at intermediate redshift.

Supernovae in Early-Type Galaxies: Directly Connecting Age and Metallicity with Type Ia Luminosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, Joseph S.; Garnavich, Peter M.; Caldwell, Nelson; Kirshner, Robert P.; Jha, Saurabh W.; Li, Weidong; Ganeshalingam, Mohan; Filippenko, Alexei V.

2008-10-01

We have obtained optical spectra of 29 early-type (E/S0) galaxies that hosted Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). We have measured absorption-line strengths and compared them to a grid of models to extract the relations between the supernova properties and the luminosity-weighted age/composition of the host galaxies. Such a direct measurement is a marked improvement over existing analyses that tend to rely on general correlations between the properties of stellar populations and morphology. We find a strong correlation suggesting that SNe Ia in galaxies whose populations have a characteristic age greater than 5 Gyr are ~1 mag fainter at Vmax than those found in galaxies with younger populations. We find that SN Ia distance residuals in the Hubble diagram are correlated with host-galaxy metal abundance with higher iron abundance galaxies hosting less-luminous supernovae. We thus conclude that the time since progenitor formation primarily determines the radioactive Ni production while progenitor metal abundance has a weaker influence on peak luminosity, but one not fully corrected by light-curve shape and color fitters. This result, particularly the secondary dependence on metallicity, has significant implications for the determination of the equation-of-state parameter, w = P/(ρ c2) , and could impact planning for future dark-energy missions such as JDEM. Assuming no selection effects in discovering SNe Ia in local early-type galaxies, we find a higher specific SN Ia rate in E/S0 galaxies with ages below 3 Gyr than in older hosts. The higher rate and brighter luminosities seen in the youngest E/S0 hosts may be a result of recent star formation and represents a tail of the "prompt" SN Ia progenitors.

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).

Bright Galaxies at Hubble’s Redshift Detection Frontier: Preliminary Results and Design from the Redshift z ~ 9-10 BoRG Pure-Parallel HST Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvi, V.; Trenti, M.; Stiavelli, M.; Oesch, P.; Bradley, L. D.; Schmidt, K. B.; Coe, D.; Brammer, G.; Bernard, S.; Bouwens, R. J.; Carrasco, D.; Carollo, C. M.; Holwerda, B. W.; MacKenty, J. W.; Mason, C. A.; Shull, J. M.; Treu, T.

2016-02-01

We present the first results and design from the redshift z ˜ 9-10 Brightest of the Reionizing Galaxies Hubble Space Telescope survey BoRG[z9-10], aimed at searching for intrinsically luminous unlensed galaxies during the first 700 Myr after the Big Bang. BoRG[z9-10] is the continuation of a multi-year pure-parallel near-IR and optical imaging campaign with the Wide Field Camera 3. The ongoing survey uses five filters, optimized for detecting the most distant objects and offering continuous wavelength coverage from λ = 0.35 μm to λ = 1.7 μm. We analyze the initial ˜130 arcmin2 of area over 28 independent lines of sight (˜25% of the total planned) to search for z\\gt 7 galaxies using a combination of Lyman-break and photometric redshift selections. From an effective comoving volume of (5-25) × 105 Mpc3 for magnitudes brighter than {m}{AB}=26.5{{{--}}}24.0 in the {H}{{160}}-band respectively, we find five galaxy candidates at z\\quad ˜ 8.3-10 detected at high confidence ({{S}}/{{N}}\\gt 8), including a source at z\\quad ˜ 8.4 with {m}{AB}=24.5 ({{S}}/{{N}} ˜ 22), which, if confirmed, would be the brightest galaxy identified at such early times (z\\gt 8). In addition, BoRG[z9-10] data yield four galaxies with 7.3≲ z≲ 8. These new Lyman-break galaxies with m≲ 26.5 are ideal targets for follow-up observations from ground and space-based observatories to help investigate the complex interplay between dark matter growth, galaxy assembly, and reionization.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-08-01

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

1E 0104.2 + 3153 - A broad absorption-line QSO viewed through a giant elliptical galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stocke, J. T.; Liebert, J.; Schild, R.; Gioia, I. M.; Maccacaro, T.

1984-01-01

The optical identification of the X-ray source 1E 0104.2 + 3153 is complicated by the close projection of a broad absorption-line (BAL) QSO (z = 2.027) 10 arcsec from a giant elliptical galaxy (z = 0.111) at the center of a compact group of galaxies. At only 1.2 de Vaucouleur radii (16 kpc for H sub 0 = 100 km/s Mpc) this QSO-galaxy projection is the closest yet discovered. Based upon current observations, the source of the X-ray emission cannot be conclusively determined. Present in the BAL QSO spectrum are extremely strong Ca II H and K absorption lines due to the intervening galaxy, the first optical detection of the cold interstellar medium in an elliptical galaxy. The strength of these lines (EW = 2 and 1 A) requires observation through several interstellar clouds in the line of sight to the QSO. By its proximity to the central regions of the elliptical galaxy and the relative distances of the galaxy and QSO, this QSO is a particularly good candidate for observing dramatic transient gravitational lensing phenomena due to halo stars in the foreground galaxy.

An optical and X-ray survey of s-type Markarian galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hutter, D. J.; Mufson, S. L.

1981-01-01

The results of a study of 23 compact, lineless Markarian galaxies using broadband optical photometry and X-ray satellite observations are reported. The photometry shows that the sample can be broken into four groups. In one group (Mrk 180, 421, and 501) are composite objects in which a BL Lacertae object is embedded in an elliptical galaxy. For this group, the results of multiepoch X-ray observations using the HEAO-1 and -2 satellites are presented. In addition, photometry is used to decompose the optical emission into nonthermal and galactic components. In the second group are objects showing a small ultraviolet excess relative to normal galaxies. The X-ray survey indicates that the X-ray luminosity of objects in group 2 is much lower than those in group 1. This suggests that there is an intrinsic difference between objects in groups 1 and 2. The third and fourth groups are objects whose colors are indistinguishable from those of normal field galaxies and those of galactic stars, respectively. No X-ray emission was detected from objects in either of these groups.

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.

Galaxy Zoo: Infrared and Optical Morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-01-01

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

Combining Dark Energy Survey Science Verification data with near-infrared data from the ESO VISTA Hemisphere Survey

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

Banerji, M.; Jouvel, S.; Lin, H.

2014-11-25

We present the combination of optical data from the Science Verification phase of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) with near-infrared (NIR) data from the European Southern Observatory VISTA Hemisphere Survey (VHS). The deep optical detections from DES are used to extract fluxes and associated errors from the shallower VHS data. Joint seven-band ( grizYJK) photometric catalogues are produced in a single 3 sq-deg dedicated camera field centred at 02h26m-04d36m where the availability of ancillary multiwavelength photometry and spectroscopy allows us to test the data quality. Dual photometry increases the number of DES galaxies with measured VHS fluxes by a factormore » of ~4.5 relative to a simple catalogue level matching and results in a ~1.5 mag increase in the 80 per cent completeness limit of the NIR data. Almost 70 per cent of DES sources have useful NIR flux measurements in this initial catalogue. Photometric redshifts are estimated for a subset of galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts and initial results, although currently limited by small number statistics, indicate that the VHS data can help reduce the photometric redshift scatter at both z < 0.5 and z > 1. We present example DES+VHS colour selection criteria for high-redshift luminous red galaxies (LRGs) at z ~ 0.7 as well as luminous quasars. Using spectroscopic observations in this field we show that the additional VHS fluxes enable a cleaner selection of both populations with <10 per cent contamination from galactic stars in the case of spectroscopically confirmed quasars and <0.5 per cent contamination from galactic stars in the case of spectroscopically confirmed LRGs. The combined DES+VHS data set, which will eventually cover almost 5000 sq-deg, will therefore enable a range of new science and be ideally suited for target selection for future wide-field spectroscopic surveys.« less

Combining Dark Energy Survey Science Verification data with near-infrared data from the ESO VISTA Hemisphere Survey

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

Banerji, M.; Jouvel, S.; Lin, H.

2014-11-25

We present the combination of optical data from the Science Verification phase of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) with near-infrared (NIR) data from the European Southern Observatory VISTA Hemisphere Survey (VHS). The deep optical detections from DES are used to extract fluxes and associated errors from the shallower VHS data. Joint seven-band (grizYJK) photometric catalogues are produced in a single 3 sq-deg dedicated camera field centred at 02h26m-04d36m where the availability of ancillary multiwavelength photometry and spectroscopy allows us to test the data quality. Dual photometry increases the number of DES galaxies with measured VHS fluxes by a factor ofmore » similar to 4.5 relative to a simple catalogue level matching and results in a similar to 1.5 mag increase in the 80 per cent completeness limit of the NIR data. Almost 70 per cent of DES sources have useful NIR flux measurements in this initial catalogue. Photometric redshifts are estimated for a subset of galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts and initial results, although currently limited by small number statistics, indicate that the VHS data can help reduce the photometric redshift scatter at both z < 0.5 and z > 1. We present example DES VHS colour selection criteria for high-redshift luminous red galaxies (LRGs) at z similar to 0.7 as well as luminous quasars. Using spectroscopic observations in this field we show that the additional VHS fluxes enable a cleaner selection of both populations with <10 per cent contamination from galactic stars in the case of spectroscopically confirmed quasars and <0.5 per cent contamination from galactic stars in the case of spectroscopically confirmed LRGs. The combined DES+VHS data set, which will eventually cover almost 5000 sq-deg, will therefore enable a range of new science and be ideally suited for target selection for future wide-field spectroscopic surveys.« less

A wide-field survey for high-redshift quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kakazu, Yuko K. M.

2008-02-01

The present thesis reports the results from the Hawaii Quasar and T dwarf survey (HQT survey), which is a wide-field optical imaging survey conducted with Subaru/Suprime-Cam. The HQT survey was designed to search for low- luminosity quasars ( M 1450 < -22.5) at high-redshift ( z > 5.7) as well as T dwarfs, both of which are selected by their very red optical I -- z ' colors. We developed a new color selection technique using a narrowband NB 816 filter in order to break a well-known color degeneracy between quasars and foreground M and L dwarfs. The follow-up Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy and near-IR imaging with various instruments on Mauna Kea have demonstrated the effectiveness of our technique, and have successfully revealed six faint T dwarfs ( J < 20). These dwarfs are among the most distant spectroscopically known (60 - 170 pc) and they provide an indirect support for the high binary fraction at L/ T transition. The non-detection of z > 5.7 quasars in our survey is consistent with the present picture of the cosmic reionization in which quasars are negligible contributor to the cosmic reionization. With our survey area coverage (9.3 deg 2 ) and depths ( Z AB < 23.3), we were able to set strong constraints on the faint-end slope of the quasar luminosity function. Majority of our candidate quasars turned out to be strong emission line galaxies at z < 1, whose large equivalent widths and low metal contents suggest they are very young systems which have just undergone starbursts within a few Myrs. In order to systematically search for these Ultra-Strong Emission Line galaxies (USELs), we used narrowband selected samples from Hu's ultra-deep multiwavelength data. The followup Keck/DEIMOS spectra have revealed their high star formation density (5-10% of UV measurements at z = 0-1), which is a significant contribution at a epoch when cosmic star formation is in its peak. Many of the USELs show [OIII]l4363 auroral lines and about a dozen satisfy the criteria for eXtremely Metal Poor Galaxies (XMPGs). Our XMPGs are the most distant known today. Our high yield rate of XMPGs suggests that narrowband method is powerful in finding such populations. Strikingly, a few of our XMPGs have metallities close to the most metal-poor galaxy. Our discovery indicates that galaxies are still forming in relatively chemically pristine sites at z ~ 1

Possible Very Distant or Optically Dark Cluster of Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vikhlinin, Alexey; Mushotzky, Richard (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

The goal of this proposal was an XMM followup observation of the extended X-ray source detected in our ROSAT PSPC cluster survey. Approximately 95% of extended X-ray sources found in the ROSAT data were optically identified as clusters of galaxies. However, we failed to find any optical counterparts for C10952-0148. Two possibilities remained prior to the XMM observation: (1) This is was a very distant or optically dark cluster of galaxies, too faint in the optical, in which case XMM would easily detect extended X-ray emission and (2) this was a group of point-like sources, blurred to a single extended source in the ROSAT data, but easily resolvable by XMM due to a better energy resolution. The XMM data have settled the case --- C10952-0148 is a group of 7 relatively bright point sources located within 1 square arcmin. All but one source have no optical counterparts down to I=22. Potentially, this can be an interesting group of quasars at a high redshift. We are planning further optical and infrared followup of this system.

Reduction and analysis of VLA maps for 281 radio-loud quasars using the UNLV Cray Y-MP supercomputer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ding, Ailian; Hintzen, Paul; Weistrop, Donna; Owen, Frazer

1993-01-01

The identification of distorted radio-loud quasars provides a potentially very powerful tool for basic cosmological studies. If large morphological distortions are correlated with membership of the quasars in rich clusters of galaxies, optical observations can be used to identify rich clusters of galaxies at large redshifts. Hintzen, Ulvestad, and Owen (1983, HUO) undertook a VLA A array snapshot survey at 20 cm of 123 radio-loud quasars, and they found that among triple sources in their sample, 17 percent had radio axes which were bent more than 20 deg and 5 percent were bent more than 40 deg. Their subsequent optical observations showed that excess galaxy densities within 30 arcsec of 6 low-redshift distorted quasars were on average 3 times as great as those around undistorted quasars (Hintzen 1984). At least one of the distorted quasars observed, 3C275.1, apparently lies in the first-ranked galaxy at the center of a rich cluster of galaxies (Hintzen and Romanishin, 1986). Although their sample was small, these results indicated that observations of distorted quasars could be used to identify clusters of galaxies at large redshifts. The purpose of this project is to increase the available sample of distorted quasars to allow optical detection of a significant sample of quasar-associated clusters of galaxies at large redshifts.

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

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

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

Mini-Survey of SDSS OIII AGN with Swift

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angelina, Lorella; George, Ian

2007-01-01

There is a common wisdom that every massive galaxy has a massive block hole. However, most of these objects either are not radiating or until recently have been very difficult to detect. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data, based on the [OIII] line indicate that perhaps up to 20% of all galaxies may be classified as AGN a surprising result that must be checked with independent data. X-ray surveys have revealed that hard X-ray selected AGN show a strong luminosity dependent evolution and their luminosity function (LF) shows a dramatic break towards low Lx (at all z). This is seen for all types of AGN, but is stronger for the broad-line objects. In sharp contrast, the local LF of (optically-selected samples) shows no such break and no differences between narrow and broad-line objects. Assuming both hard X-ray and [OIII] emission are fair indicators of AGN activity, it is important to understand this discrepancy. We present here the results of a mini-survey done with Swift on a selected sample of SDSS selected AGN. The objects have been sampled at different L([OIII]) to check the relation with the Lx observed with Swift.

The correlation between far-IR and radio continuum emission from spiral galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dickey, John M.; Garwood, Robert W.; Helou, George

1987-01-01

A sample of 30 galaxies selected for their intense IRAS flux at 60 and 100 micron using the Arecibo telescope at 21 cm to measure the continuum and HI line luminosities were observed. The centimeter wave continuum correlates very well with the far-infrared flux, with a correlation coefficient as high as that found for other samples, and the same ratio between FIR and radio luminosities. Weaker correlations are seen between the FIR and optical luminosity and between the FIR and radio continuum. There is very little correlation between the FIR and the HI mass deduced from the integral of the 21 cm line. The strength of the radio continuum correlation suggests that there is little contribution to either the radio and FIR from physical processes not affecting both. If they each reflect time integrals of the star formation rate then the time constants must be similar, or the star formation rate must change slowly in these galaxies.

Comparison of stellar population model predictions using optical and infrared spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldwin, C.; McDermid, R. M.; Kuntschner, H.; Maraston, C.; Conroy, C.

2018-02-01

We present Gemini/GNIRS cross-dispersed near-infrared spectra of 12 nearby early-type galaxies, with the aim of testing commonly used stellar population synthesis models. We select a subset of galaxies from the ATLAS3D sample which span a wide range of ages (single stellar population equivalent ages of 1-15 Gyr) at approximately solar metallicity. We derive star formation histories using four different stellar population synthesis models, namely those of Bruzual & Charlot, Conroy, Gunn & White, Maraston & Strömbäck and Vazdekis et al. We compare star formation histories derived from near-infrared spectra with those derived from optical spectra using the same models. We find that while all models agree in the optical, the derived star formation histories vary dramatically from model to model in the near-infrared. We find that this variation is largely driven by the choice of stellar spectral library, such that models including high-quality spectral libraries provide the best fits to the data, and are the most self-consistent when comparing optically derived properties with near-infrared ones. We also find the impact of age variation in the near-infrared to be subtle, and largely encoded in the shape of the continuum, meaning that the common approach of removing continuum information with a high-order polynomial greatly reduces our ability to constrain ages in the near-infrared.

Optical identification of radio-loud active galactic nuclei in the ROSAT-Green-Bank sample with SDSS spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, De-Liang; Wang, Jian-Guo; Dong, Xiao-Bo

2009-10-01

Results of extended and refined optical identification of 181 radio/X-ray sources in the RASS-Green Bank (RGB) catalog are presented (Brinkmann et al. 1997) which have been spectroscopically observed in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR5. The SDSS spectra of the optical counterparts are modeled in a careful and self-consistent way by incorporating the host galaxy's starlight. Optical emission line parameters are presented, which are derived accurately and reliably, along with the radio 1.4-5 GHz spectral indices estimated using (non-simultaneous) archival data. For 72 sources, the identifications are presented for the first time. It is confirmed that the majority of strong radio/X-ray emitters are radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs), particularly blazars. Taking advantage of the high spectral quality and resolution and our refined spectral modeling, we are able to disentangle narrow line radio galaxies (NLRGs), as vaguely termed in most previous identification work, into Seyfert II galaxies and LINERs (low-ionization nuclear emission regions), based on the standard emission line diagnostics. The NLRGs in the RGB sample, mostly belonging to 'weak line radio galaxies', are found to have optical spectra consistent predominantly with LINERs, and only a small fraction with Seyfert II galaxies. A small number of LINERs have radio power as high as 1023 - 1026 W Hz-1 at 5 GHz, being among the strongest radio emitting LINERs known so far. Two sources are identified with radio-loud narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s), a class of rare objects. The presence is also confirmed of flat-spectrum radio quasars whose radio-optical-X-ray effective spectral indices are similar to those of High-energy peaked BL Lacs (HBLs), as suggested by Padovani et al., although it is still a debate as to whether this is the case for their actual spectral energy distributions.

Measuring the Stellar Populations of Individual Lyman Alpha Emitters During the Epoch of Peak Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, Naveen

2010-09-01

Selecting galaxies by their strong Lyman-alpha emission provides a powerful means of probing the reionization epoch and the faint/low-mass galaxies that dominate star formation at high redshift. Yet, our understanding of high-redshift Lyman-alpha emitters {LAEs} has lagged behind that of other well-studied populations {e.g., Lyman break galaxies} due to their continuum faintness and the shifting of age/mass-sensitive features into the near-IR where the high terrestrial background inhibits deep observations. All existing studies of LAEs at z>2 have used stacked optical and/or Spitzer infrared data to discern their median properties, but the actual distributions of ages, reddenings, and stellar masses for these populations are poorly characterized. To fill this glaring gap in the observations and advance our understanding of this important population, we propose WFC3/IR+F160W imaging of fields where we have conducted a survey of low redshift {z 1.9} Lyman-alpha emitters {LAEs}, in order to measure their ages and stellar masses at an epoch where such observations directly probe the age-sensitive Balmer/4000 AA breaks. The targeted sample will include 45-50 spectroscopically confirmed LAEs at z=1.7-2.1 and roughly twice as many candidates, making it the largest sample of homogeneously selected LAEs with individual measurements of the ages, masses, and dust extinction. With these data we will {1} carefully take into account the age-dependence of the extinction curve to make robust comparisons between LAEs and continuum-selected galaxies at the same redshifts; {2} combine clustering and stellar mass measurements to infer the duty cycles of LAEs and determine if they are triggered in the presence of large-scale structures; and {3} quantify the importance of the LAE phase at different galaxy luminosity and mass scales, over a large dynamic range in these properties. An economical investment of just 12 orbits will allow us to accomplish these goals, and remains the only hope of efficiently studying such low luminosity high-redshift galaxies in the near-IR prior to the JWST-era.

Andromeda Galaxy: Extension of the 610.5-Megacyle-per-Second Map.

PubMed

Dickel, J R; Macleod, J M; Swenson, G W

1965-11-12

A radio map of the Andromeda galaxy, M 31, made with the 400-foot (122 m) radio telescope at the University of Illinois has been extended northward to cover the full optical extent of the galaxy. Several condensations of radio emission appear along the major axis of the galaxy, and other radio features are resolved.

Quasar Photometric Redshifts and Candidate Selection: A New Algorithm Based on Optical and Mid-infrared Photometric Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Qian; Wu, Xue-Bing; Fan, Xiaohui; Jiang, Linhua; McGreer, Ian; Green, Richard; Yang, Jinyi; Schindler, Jan-Torge; Wang, Feige; Zuo, Wenwen; Fu, Yuming

2017-12-01

We present a new algorithm to estimate quasar photometric redshifts (photo-zs), by considering the asymmetries in the relative flux distributions of quasars. The relative flux models are built with multivariate Skew-t distributions in the multidimensional space of relative fluxes as a function of redshift and magnitude. For 151,392 quasars in the SDSS, we achieve a photo-z accuracy, defined as the fraction of quasars with the difference between the photo-z z p and the spectroscopic redshift z s , | {{Δ }}z| =| {z}s-{z}p| /(1+{z}s) within 0.1, of 74%. Combining the WISE W1 and W2 infrared data with the SDSS data, the photo-z accuracy is enhanced to 87%. Using the Pan-STARRS1 or DECaLS photometry with WISE W1 and W2 data, the photo-z accuracies are 79% and 72%, respectively. The prior probabilities as a function of magnitude for quasars, stars, and galaxies are calculated, respectively, based on (1) the quasar luminosity function, (2) the Milky Way synthetic simulation with the Besançon model, and (3) the Bayesian Galaxy Photometric Redshift estimation. The relative fluxes of stars are obtained with the Padova isochrones, and the relative fluxes of galaxies are modeled through galaxy templates. We test our classification method to select quasars using the DECaLS g, r, z, and WISE W1 and W2 photometry. The quasar selection completeness is higher than 70% for a wide redshift range 0.5< z< 4.5, and a wide magnitude range 18< r< 21.5 mag. Our photo-z regression and classification method has the potential to extend to future surveys. The photo-z code will be publicly available.

Preliminary results on the Arecibo Pisces-Perseus Supercluster Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cortes, Rosemary; Lebron, Mayra; Jones, Michael G.; Koopmann, Rebecca A.; Haynes, Martha P.; APPSS Team, Undergraduate ALFALFA Team, and the ALFALFA Team

2018-01-01

The Arecibo Pisces-Perseus Supercluster Survey (APPSS) aims to exploit the Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation to derive distances and peculiar velocities of galaxies in and near the main ridge of the Pisces-Perseus Supercluster (PPS), one of the most prominent features of the Cosmic Web in the nearby Universe. The sample of galaxies contains ~ 600 sources in the low-mass range (8 < log MHI / M⊙ < 9). The source selection was based on the ALFALFA HI survey, SDSS and GALEX photometric data. The sample galaxies have HI masses just below the ALFALFA detection threshold, and were selected to be blue disk systems (low surface brightness sources from optical photometry data). The HI data were obtained at the Arecibo Observatory between the years 2015 and 2016. With this sample, the nature of the galaxy population in and around the PPS will be investigated. The HIMF to log MHI ~ 8.0 along the PPS filament will be measured and using the Tully-Fisher relation it will be possible to make a robust measurement of the infall and backflow onto the filamentary structure.APPSS is collaborative project between more than 10 Undergraduate ALFALFA Team institutions in which each group contributes to the analysis of a subset of the HI PPS data. In this poster, we will present the contributions of the U.P.R. team to the APPSS project. We will show the procedure used for the Arecibo HI data analysis, including some examples, and will show our preliminary results.

A Uniformly Selected Sample of Low-mass Black Holes in Seyfert 1 Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Xiao-Bo; Ho, Luis C.; Yuan, Weimin; Wang, Ting-Gui; Fan, Xiaohui; Zhou, Hongyan; Jiang, Ning

2012-08-01

We have conducted a systematic search of low-mass black holes (BHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with broad Hα emission lines, aiming at building a homogeneous sample that is more complete than previous ones for fainter, less highly accreting sources. For this purpose, we developed a set of elaborate, automated selection procedures and applied it uniformly to the Fourth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Special attention is given to AGN-galaxy spectral decomposition and emission-line deblending. We define a sample of 309 type 1 AGNs with BH masses in the range 8 × 104-2 × 106 M ⊙ (with a median of 1.2 × 106 M ⊙), using the virial mass estimator based on the broad Hα line. About half of our sample of low-mass BHs differs from that of Greene & Ho, with 61 of them discovered here for the first time. Our new sample picks up more AGNs with low accretion rates: the Eddington ratios of the present sample range from <~ 0.01 to ~1, with 30% below 0.1. This suggests that a significant fraction of low-mass BHs in the local universe are accreting at low rates. The host galaxies of the low-mass BHs have luminosities similar to those of L* field galaxies, optical colors of Sbc spirals, and stellar spectral features consistent with a continuous star formation history with a mean stellar age of less than 1 Gyr.

X-ray-bright optically faint active galactic nuclei in the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam wide survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terashima, Yuichi; Suganuma, Makoto; Akiyama, Masayuki; Greene, Jenny E.; Kawaguchi, Toshihiro; Iwasawa, Kazushi; Nagao, Tohru; Noda, Hirofumi; Toba, Yoshiki; Ueda, Yoshihiro; Yamashita, Takuji

2018-01-01

We construct a sample of X-ray-bright optically faint active galactic nuclei by combining Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam, XMM-Newton, and infrared source catalogs. Fifty-three X-ray sources satisfying i-band magnitude fainter than 23.5 mag and X-ray counts with the EPIC-PN detector larger than 70 are selected from 9.1 deg2, and their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and X-ray spectra are analyzed. Forty-four objects with an X-ray to i-band flux ratio FX/Fi > 10 are classified as extreme X-ray-to-optical flux sources. Spectral energy distributions of 48 among 53 are represented by templates of type 2 AGNs or star-forming galaxies and show the optical signature of stellar emission from host galaxies in the source rest frame. Infrared/optical SEDs indicate a significant contribution of emission from dust to the infrared fluxes, and that the central AGN is dust obscured. The photometric redshifts determined from the SEDs are in the range of 0.6-2.5. The X-ray spectra are fitted by an absorbed power-law model, and the intrinsic absorption column densities are modest (best-fit log NH = 20.5-23.5 cm-2 in most cases). The absorption-corrected X-ray luminosities are in the range of 6 × 1042-2 × 1045 erg s-1. Twenty objects are classified as type 2 quasars based on X-ray luminsosity and NH. The optical faintness is explained by a combination of redshifts (mostly z > 1.0), strong dust extinction, and in part a large ratio of dust/gas.

Widefield Imaging: Selected Strategies for Processing Light-Contaminated Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cannistra, Stephen A.

The beauty of nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters takes on new meaning when portrayed in a widefield view, where familiar objects that are commonly seen in isolation are now shown in relation to one another. Through the use of high quality, short focal length optics combined with large, commercially available CCD chips, it is possible to capture broad regions of sky that an older generation of astrophotographers could only dream of.

Searching for intermediate-mass black holes via optical variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adler-Levine, Ryan; Moran, Edward C.; Kay, Laura

2018-01-01

A handful of nearby dwarf galaxies with intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) in their nuclei display significant optical variability on short timescales. To investigate whether dwarf galaxy AGNs as a class exhibit similar variability, we have monitored a sample of low-mass galaxies that possess spectroscopically confirmed type 1 AGNs. However, because of the variations in seeing, focus, and guiding errors that occur in images taken at different epochs, analyses based on aperture photometry are ineffective. We have thus developed a new method for matching point-spread functions in images that permits use of image subtraction photometry techniques. Applying this method to our photometric data, we have confirmed that several galaxies with IMBHs are indeed variable, which suggests that variability can be used to search for IMBHs in low-mass galaxies whose emission-line properties are ambiguous.

A long-term space astrophysics research program: An x-ray perspective of the components and structure of galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fabbiano, G.

1995-01-01

X-ray studies of galaxies by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and MIT are described. Activities at SAO include ROSAT PSPC x-ray data reduction and analysis pipeline; x-ray sources in nearby Sc galaxies; optical, x-ray, and radio study of ongoing galactic merger; a radio, far infrared, optical, and x-ray study of the Sc galaxy NGC247; and a multiparametric analysis of the Einstein sample of early-type galaxies. Activities at MIT included continued analysis of observations with ROSAT and ASCA, and continued development of new approaches to spectral analysis with ASCA and AXAF. Also, a new method for characterizing structure in galactic clusters was developed and applied to ROSAT images of a large sample of clusters. An appendix contains preprints generated by the research.