1,486 research outputs found
Super star clusters in Haro 11: Properties of a very young starburst and evidence for a near-infrared flux excess
We have used multi-band imaging to investigate the nature of the extreme
starburst environment in Haro 11 galaxy. The central starburst region has been
observed in 8 HST wavebands and at 2.16 micron at the ESO-VLT. We constructed
integrated spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for about 200 star clusters and
compared them with single stellar population models in order to derive ages,
masses and extinctions of thestar clusters. The present starburst has lasted
for 40 Myr, and shows a peak of cluster formation only 3.5 Myr old. With such
an extremely young cluster population, Haro 11 represents a unique opportunity
to investigate the youngest phase of the cluster formation process and
evolution in starburst systems. Extinction tends to diminish as function of the
cluster age, but the spread is large and for clusters in partial embedded
phases ( 10^4 Msun), very young (1-3 Myr)
clusters is missing, either because they are embedded inthe parental molecular
cloud and heavily extinguished, or because of blending. Almost half of the
cluster sample is affected by flux excesses at wavelengths 8000 \AA which
cannot be explained by simple stellar evolutionary models. Fitting SED models
over all wavebands leads to systematic overestimates of cluster ages and
incorrect masses for the stellar population supplying the light in these
clusters. We show that the red excess affects also the HST F814W filter, which
is typically used to constrain cluster physical properties. The clusters which
show the red excess are younger than 40 Myr; we propose possible physical
explanations for the phenomenon. Finally, we estimate that Haro 11 hasproduced
bound clusters at a rate almost a factor of 10 higher than the massive and
regular spirals, like the Milky Way. (Abriged)Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 23 pages, 23 figure
Intrinsic alignments of group and cluster galaxies in photometric surveys
Intrinsic alignments of galaxies have been shown to contaminate weak
gravitational lensing observables on linear scales, 10 Mpc, but
studies of alignments in the non-linear regime have thus far been inconclusive.
We present an estimator for extracting the intrinsic alignment signal of
galaxies around stacked clusters of galaxies from multiband imaging data. Our
estimator removes the contamination caused by galaxies that are gravitationally
lensed by the clusters and scattered in redshift space due to photometric
redshift uncertainties. It uses posterior probability distributions for the
redshifts of the galaxies in the sample and it is easily extended to obtain the
weak gravitational lensing signal while removing the intrinsic alignment
contamination. We apply this algorithm to groups and clusters of galaxies
identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey `Stripe 82' coadded imaging data
over deg. We find that the intrinsic alignment signal around
stacked clusters in the redshift range is consistent with zero. In
terms of the tidal alignment model of Catelan et al. (2001), we set joint
constraints on the strength of the alignment and the bias of the lensing groups
and clusters on scales between 0.1 and Mpc, . This constrains the contamination fraction of
alignment to lensing signal to the range between per cent below
scales of 1 Mpc at 95 per cent confidence level, and this result
depends on our photometric redshift quality and selection criteria used to
identify background galaxies. Our results are robust to the choice of
photometric band in which the shapes are measured ( and ) and to centring
on the Brightest Cluster Galaxy or on the geometrical centre of the clusters.Comment: 30 pages, 16 figures, published in MNRA
The compact group--fossil group connection: observations of a massive compact group at z=0.22
It has been suggested that fossil groups could be the cannibalized remains of
compact groups, that lost energy through tidal friction. However, in the nearby
universe, compact groups which are close to the merging phase and display a
wealth of interacting features (such as HCG 31 and HCG 79) have very low
velocity dispersions and poor neighborhoods, unlike the massive, cluster-like
fossil groups studied to date. In fact, known z=0 compact groups are very
seldom embedded in massive enough structures which may have resembled the
intergalactic medium of fossil groups. In this paper we study the dynamical
properties of CG6, a massive compact group at z=0.220 that has several
properties in common with known fossil groups. We report on new g' and i'
imaging and multi-slit spectroscopic performed with GMOS on Gemini South. The
system has 20 members, within a radius of 1 h_70^-1 Mpc, a velocity dispersion
of 700 km/s and has a mass of 1.8 x 10^14 h_70^-1 Msun, similar to that of the
most massive fossil groups known. The merging of the four central galaxies in
this group would form a galaxy with magnitude M_r' ~ -23.4, typical for
first-ranked galaxies of fossil groups. Although nearby compact groups with
similar properties to CG 6 are rare, we speculate that such systems occurred
more frequently in the past and they may have been the precursors of fossil
groups.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures (one color, low resolution), uses emulateapj.sty.
Accepted for publication in ApJ Lette
Stellar Populations in Compact Galaxy Groups: a Multi-Wavelength Study of HCGs 16, 22, and 42, their Star Clusters and Dwarf Galaxies
We present a multi-wavelength analysis of three compact galaxy groups, HCGs
16, 22, and 42, which describe a sequence in terms of gas richness, from space-
(Swift, HST, Spitzer) and ground-based (LCO, CTIO) imaging and spectroscopy. We
study various signs of past interactions including a faint, dusty tidal feature
about HCG 16A, which we tentatively age-date at <1 Gyr. This represents the
possible detection of a tidal feature at the end of its phase of optical
observability. Our HST images also resolve what were thought to be double
nuclei in HCG 16C and D into multiple, distinct sources, likely to be star
clusters. Beyond our phenomenological treatment, we focus primarily on
contrasting the stellar populations across these three groups. The star
clusters show a remarkable intermediate-age population in HCG 22, and identify
the time at which star formation was quenched in HCG 42. We also search for
dwarf galaxies at accordant redshifts. The inclusion of 33 members and 27
'associates' (possible members) radically changes group dynamical masses, which
in turn may affect previous evolutionary classifications. The extended
membership paints a picture of relative isolation in HCGs 16 and 22, but shows
HCG 42 to be part of a larger structure, following a dichotomy expected from
recent studies. We conclude that (a) star cluster populations provide an
excellent metric of evolutionary state, as they can age-date the past epochs of
star formation; and (b) the extended dwarf galaxy population must be considered
in assessing the dynamical state of a compact group.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical
Journa
Advanced sensors technology survey
This project assesses the state-of-the-art in advanced or 'smart' sensors technology for NASA Life Sciences research applications with an emphasis on those sensors with potential applications on the space station freedom (SSF). The objectives are: (1) to conduct literature reviews on relevant advanced sensor technology; (2) to interview various scientists and engineers in industry, academia, and government who are knowledgeable on this topic; (3) to provide viewpoints and opinions regarding the potential applications of this technology on the SSF; and (4) to provide summary charts of relevant technologies and centers where these technologies are being developed
Spiral-like star-forming patterns in CALIFA early-type galaxies
Based on a combined analysis of SDSS imaging and CALIFA integral field
spectroscopy data, we report on the detection of faint (24 < {\mu}
mag/arcsec < 26) star-forming spiral-arm-like features in the periphery of
three nearby early-type galaxies (ETGs). These features are of considerable
interest because they document the still ongoing inside-out growth of some
local ETGs and may add valuable observational insight into the origin and
evolution of spiral structure in triaxial stellar systems. A characteristic
property of the nebular component in the studied ETGs, classified i+, is a
two-radial-zone structure, with the inner zone that displays faint
(EW(H\alpha)1{\AA}) low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LINER)
properties, and the outer one (3{\AA}<EW(H\alpha)<~20{\AA}) HII-region
characteristics. This spatial segregation of nebular emission in two physically
distinct concentric zones calls for an examination of aperture effects in
studies of type i+ ETGs with single-fiber spectroscopic data.Comment: Accepted to A&A, 5 pages, 1 figur
LSST Science Book, Version 2.0
A survey that can cover the sky in optical bands over wide fields to faint
magnitudes with a fast cadence will enable many of the exciting science
opportunities of the next decade. The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST)
will have an effective aperture of 6.7 meters and an imaging camera with field
of view of 9.6 deg^2, and will be devoted to a ten-year imaging survey over
20,000 deg^2 south of +15 deg. Each pointing will be imaged 2000 times with
fifteen second exposures in six broad bands from 0.35 to 1.1 microns, to a
total point-source depth of r~27.5. The LSST Science Book describes the basic
parameters of the LSST hardware, software, and observing plans. The book
discusses educational and outreach opportunities, then goes on to describe a
broad range of science that LSST will revolutionize: mapping the inner and
outer Solar System, stellar populations in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies,
the structure of the Milky Way disk and halo and other objects in the Local
Volume, transient and variable objects both at low and high redshift, and the
properties of normal and active galaxies at low and high redshift. It then
turns to far-field cosmological topics, exploring properties of supernovae to
z~1, strong and weak lensing, the large-scale distribution of galaxies and
baryon oscillations, and how these different probes may be combined to
constrain cosmological models and the physics of dark energy.Comment: 596 pages. Also available at full resolution at
http://www.lsst.org/lsst/sciboo
Small-scale systems of galaxies. IV. Searching for the faint galaxy population associated with X-ray detected isolated E+S pairs
In hierarchical evolutionary scenarios, isolated, physical pairs may
represent an intermediate phase, or "way station", between collapsing groups
and isolated elliptical (E) galaxies (or fossil groups). We started a
comprehensive study of a sample of galaxy pairs composed of a giant E and a
spiral (S) with the aim of investigating their formation/evolutionary history
from observed optical and X-ray properties. Here we present VLT-VIMOS
observations designed to identify faint galaxies associated with the E+S
systems from candidate lists generated using photometric criteria on WFI images
covering an area of ~ 0.2 h^{-1} Mpc radius around the pairs.
The results are discussed in the context of the evolution of poor galaxy
group associations. A comparison between the Optical Luminosity Functions
(OLFs) of our E+S systems and a sample of X-ray bright poor groups suggest that
the OLF of X-ray detected poor galaxy systems is not universal. The OLF of our
X-ray bright systems suggests that they are more dynamically evolved than our
X-ray faint sample and some X-ray bright groups in the literature. However, we
suggest that the X-ray faint E+S pairs represent a phase in the dynamical
evolution of some X-ray bright poor galaxy groups. The recent or ongoing
interaction in which the E member of the X-ray faint pairs is involved could
have decreased the luminosity of any surrounding X-ray emitting gas.Comment: accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
The Millennium Run Observatory: First Light
Simulations of galaxy evolution aim to capture our current understanding as
well as to make predictions for testing by future experiments. Simulations and
observations are often compared in an indirect fashion: physical quantities are
estimated from the data and compared to models. However, many applications can
benefit from a more direct approach, where the observing process is also
simulated and the models are seen fully from the observer's perspective. To
facilitate this, we have developed the Millennium Run Observatory (MRObs), a
theoretical virtual observatory which uses virtual telescopes to `observe'
semi-analytic galaxy formation models based on the suite of Millennium Run dark
matter simulations. The MRObs produces data that can be processed and analyzed
using the standard software packages developed for real observations. At
present, we produce images in forty filters from the rest-frame UV to IR for
two stellar population synthesis models, three different models of IGM
absorption, and two cosmologies (WMAP1/7). Galaxy distributions for a large
number of mock lightcones can be `observed' using models of major ground- and
space-based telescopes. The data include lightcone catalogues linked to
structural properties of galaxies, pre-observation model images, mock telescope
images, and Source Extractor products that can all be traced back to the higher
level dark matter, semi-analytic galaxy, and lightcone catalogues available in
the Millennium database. Here, we describe our methods and announce a first
public release of simulated surveys (e.g., SDSS, CFHT-LS, GOODS, GOODS/ERS,
CANDELS, and HUDF). The MRObs browser, an online tool, further facilitates
exploration of the simulated data. We demonstrate the benefits of a direct
approach through a number of example applications (galaxy number counts in
CANDELS, clusters, morphologies, and dropout selections).Comment: MNRAS, in press. Millennium Run Observatory data products, online
tools, and more available through http://galformod.mpa-garching.mpg.de/mrobs
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