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The role of gas in galaxy evolution : infall, star formation, and internal structure
textThe story of a typical spiral galaxy like the Milky Way is a tale of the transformation of metal-poor hydrogen gas to heavier elements through nuclear burning in stars. This gas is thought to arrive in early times during the assembly phase of a galaxy and at late times through a combination of hot and cold âflowsâ representing external evolutionary processes that continue to the present. Through a somewhat still unclear mechanism, the atomic hydrogen is converted to molecules that collect into clouds, cool, condense, and form stars. At the end of these starsâ lives, much of their constituent gas is returned to the galaxy to participate in subsequent generations of star formation. In earlier times in the history of the universe, frequent and large galaxy mergers brought additional gas to further fuel this process. However, major merger activity began an ongoing decline several Gyr ago and star formation is now diminishing; the universe is in transitioning to an era in which the structural evolution of disk galaxies is dominated by slow, internal (âsecularâ) processes. In this evolutionary regime, stars and the gas from which they are formed participate in resonant gravitational interactions within disks to build ephemeral structures such as bars, rings, and small scale-height central bulges. This regime is expected to last far into the future in a galaxy like the Milky Way, punctuated by the periodic accretion of dwarf satellite galaxies but lacking in the âmajorâ mergers that kinematically scramble disks into ellipticals. This thesis examines details of the story of gas from infall to structure-building in three major parts. The High- and Intermediate-Velocity Clouds (HVCs/IVCs) are clouds of H i gas at velocities incompatible with simple models of differential Galactic rotation. Proposed ideas explaining their observed properties and origins include (1) the infall of low-metallicity material from the Halo, possibly as cold flows along filaments of a putative âCosmic Webâ; (2) gas removed from dwarf satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way via some combination of ram pressure stripping and tidal disruption; and (3) the supply and return feeds of a âGalactic Fountainâ cycling gas between the Disk and Halo. Numerical values of their observed properties depend strongly on the Cloudsâ distances. In Chapter 2, we summarize results of an ongoing effort to obtain meaningful distances to a selection of HVCs and IVCs using the absorption-line bracketing method. We find the Clouds are not at cosmological distances, and with the exception of the Magellanic Stream, they are generally situated within a few kiloparsecs of the Disk. The strongest discriminator of the above origin scenarios are the heavy element abundances of the Clouds, but to date few reliable Cloud metal- licities have been published. We used archival UV spectroscopy, supplemented by new observations with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope and H I 21 cm emission spectroscopy from a variety of sources to compute elemental abundances relative to hydrogen for 39 HVC/IVC components along 15 lines of sight. Many of these are previously unpublished. We find support for all three origin scenarios enumerated above while more than doubling the number of robust measurements of HVCs/IVCs in existence. The results of this work are detailed in Chapter 3. In Chapter 4 we present the results of a spectroscopic study of the high-mass protostellar object NGC 7538 IRS 9 made with the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES), a sensitive, high spectral resolution, mid-infrared grating spectrometer and compare our observations to published data on the nearby object NGC 7538 IRS 1. Forty-six individual lines in vibrational modes of the molecules CâHâ, CHâ, HCN, NHâ and CO were detected, including two isotopologues (ÂčÂłCO, ÂčÂČCÂčâžO) and one combination mode ([nu]â+[nu]â
CâHâ). Fitting synthetic spectra to the data yielded the Doppler shift, excitation temperature, Doppler b parameter, column density and covering factor for each molecule observed; we also computed column density upper limits for lines and species not detected, such as HNCO and OCS. We find differences among spectra of the two objects likely attributable to their differing radiation and thermal environments. Temperatures and column densities for the two objects are generally consistent, while the larger line widths toward IRS 9 result in less saturated lines than those toward IRS 1. Finally, we compute an upper limit on the size of the continuum-emitting region (~2000 AU) and use this constraint and our spectroscopy results to construct a schematic model of IRS 9. In Chapters 5 and 6, we describe studies of the bright, nearby, edge-on spiral galaxies NGC 4565 and NGC 5746, both previously classified as type Sb spirals with measured bulge-to-total luminosity ratios B/T â 0.4. These ratios indicate merger-built, âclassicalâ bulges but in reality represent the photometric signatures of bars seen end-on. We performed 1-D photometric decompositions of archival Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Sloan Digital Sky Survey images spanning a range of wavelengths from the optical to near-infrared that penetrate the thick midplane dust in each galaxy. In both, we find high surface brightness, central stellar components that are clearly distinct from the boxy bar and from the disk; we interpret these structures as small scale height âpseudobulgesâ built from disk material via internal, resonant gravitational interactions among disk material â not classical bulges. The brightness profiles of the innermost component of each galaxy is well fitted by a Sersic function with major/minor axis Sersic indices of n = 1.55±0.07 and 1.33±0.12 for NGC 4565 and n = 0.99±0.08 and 1.17 ± 0.24 for NGC 5746. The true âbulge-to-totalâ ratios of these galaxies are considerably smaller than once believed: 0.061+0.009 and 0.136 ± 0.019, â0.008, respectively. Therefore, more galaxies than we thought contain little or no evidence of a merger-built classical bulge. We argue further that a classical bulge cannot hide behind the dust lane of either galaxy and that other structures built exclusively through secular evolution processes such as inner rings, both revealed through the infrared imagery, argue strongly against any merger violence in the recent past history of these objects. From a formation point of view, NGC 4565 and NGC 5746 are giant, pure-disk galaxies, and we do not understand how such galaxies form in a ÎCDM universe. This presents a challenge to our picture of galaxy formation by hierarchical clustering because it is difficult to grow galaxies as large as these without making big, classical bulges. We summarize the work presented in this thesis in Chapter 7 and conclude with speculations about the future direction of research in this field.Astronom
Structure in the Disk of epsilon Aurigae: Analysis of the ARCES and TripleSpec data obtained during the 2010 eclipse
Context: Worldwide interest in the recent eclipse of epsilon Aurigae resulted
in the generation of several extensive data sets, including those related to
high resolution spectroscopic monitoring. This lead to the discovery, among
other things, of the existence of a mass transfer stream, seen notably during
third contact. Aims: We explored spectroscopic facets of the mass transfer
stream during third contact, using high resolution spectra obtained with the
ARCES and TripleSpec instruments at Apache Point Observatory. Methods: One
hundred and sixteen epochs of data between 2009 and 2012 were obtained, and
equivalent widths and line velocities measured, selected according to reports
of these being high versus low eccentricity disk lines. These datasets also
enable greater detail to be measured of the mid-eclipse enhancement of the He I
10830A line, and the discovery of the P Cygni shape of the Pa beta line at
third contact. Analysis: We found evidence of higher speed material, associated
with the mass transfer stream, persisting between third and fourth eclipse
contacts. We visualize the disk and stream interaction using SHAPE software,
and use CLOUDY software to estimate that the source of the enhanced He I 10830A
absorption arises from a region with log n = 10 (/cm3) and temperature of
20,000 K consistent with a mid B type central star. Results and Next Steps: Van
Rensbergen binary star evolutionary models are somewhat consistent with the
current binary parameters for the case of a 9 plus 8 solar mass initial binary,
evolving into a 2.3 and 14.11 solar mass end product after 35 Myr. Prior to the
next eclipse, it is possible to make predictions which suggest that continued
monitoring will help resolve standing questions about this binary
Magnitude to luminance conversions and visual brightness of the night sky
The visual brightness of the night sky is not a single-valued function of its brightness in other photometric bands, because the transformations between photometric systems depend on the spectral power distribution of the skyglow. We analyze the transformation between the night sky brightness in the Johnson-Cousins V band (mV, measured in magnitudes per square arcsecond, mpsas) and its visual luminance (L, in SI units cd m^(-2) ) for observers with photopic and scotopic adaptation, in terms of the spectral power distribution of the incident light. We calculate the zero-point luminances for a set of skyglow spectra recorded at different places in the world, including strongly light-polluted locations and sites with nearly pristine natural dark skies. The photopic skyglow luminance corresponding to m_(v)=0.00 mpsas is found to vary between 1.11-1.34 x 10^(5) cd m^(-2) if m_(v) is reported in the absolute (AB) magnitude scale, and between 1.18-1.43 x 10^(5) cd m^(-2) if a Vega scale for m_(v) is used instead. The photopic luminance for m_(v)=22.0 mpsas is correspondingly comprised between 176 and 213 ”cd m^(-2) (AB), or 187 and 227 ”cd m^(-2) (Vega). These constants tend to decrease for increasing correlated color temperatures (CCT). The photopic zero-point luminances are generally higher than the ones expected for blackbody radiation of comparable CCT. The scotopic-to-photopic luminance ratio (S/P) for our spectral dataset varies from 0.8 to 2.5. Under scotopic adaptation the dependence of the zero-point luminances with the CCT, and their values relative to blackbody radiation, are reversed with respect to photopic ones
Aggregate Effects of Proliferating Low-Earth-Orbit Objects and Implications for Astronomical Data Lost in the Noise
The rising population of artificial satellites and associated debris in low-altitude orbits is increasing the overall brightness of the night sky, threatening ground-based astronomy as well as a diversity of stakeholders and ecosystems reliant on dark skies. We present calculations of the potentially large rise in global sky brightness from space objects in low Earth orbit, including qualitative and quantitative assessments of how professional astronomy may be affected. Debris proliferation is of special concern: we calculate that all log-decades in debris size contribute approximately the same amount of night sky radiance, so debris-generating events are expected to lead to a rapid rise in night sky brightness along with serious collision risks for satellites from centimetre-sized objects. This increase in low-Earth-orbit traffic will lead to loss of astronomical data and diminish opportunities for ground-based discoveries as faint astrophysical signals become increasingly lost in the noise. Lastly, we discuss the broader consequences of brighter skies for a range of sky constituencies, equity/inclusion and accessibility for Earth- and space-based science, and cultural sky traditions. Space and dark skies represent an intangible heritage that deserves intentional preservation and safeguarding for future generations
A Catalogue of Morphologically Classified Galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: North Equatorial Region
We present a catalogue of morphologically classified bright galaxies in the
north equatorial stripe (230 deg) derived from the Third Data Release of
the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Morphological classification is performed
by visual inspection of images in the band. The catalogue contains 2253
galaxies complete to a magnitude limit of after Galactic extinction
correction, selected from 2658 objects that are judged as extended in the
photometric catalogue in the same magnitude limit. 1866 galaxies in our
catalogue have spectroscopic information. A brief statistical analysis is
presented for the frequency of morphological types and mean colours in the
catalogue. A visual inspection of the images reveals that the rate of
interacting galaxies in the local Universe is approximately 1.5% in the
sample. A verification is made for the photometric catalogue generated
by the SDSS, especially as to its bright end completeness.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomical Journal. Table 2 available
at http://www.icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~fukugita/MCGpaper/table2.tx
Two Pseudobulges in the "Boxy Bulge" Galaxy NGC 5746
Galaxy formation and growth under the {\Lambda}CDM paradigm is expected to
proceed in a hierarchical, bottom-up fashion by which small galaxies grow into
large galaxies; this mechanism leaves behind large "classical bulges"
kinematically distinct from "pseudobulges" grown by internal, secular
processes. We use archival data (Spitzer 3.6 \mum wavelength, Hubble Space
Telescope H-band, Two Micron All Sky Survey Ks-band, and Sloan Digital Sky
Survey gri-band) to measure composite minor- and major-axis surface brightness
profiles of the almost-edgeon spiral galaxy NGC 5746. These light profiles span
a large range of radii and surface brightnesses to reveal an inner, high
surface brightness stellar component that is distinct from the well-known boxy
bulge. It is well fitted by S\'ersic functions with indices n = 0.99 \pm 0.08
and 1.17 \pm 0.24 along the minor and major axes, respectively. Since n < 2, we
conclude that this innermost component is a secularly-evolved pseudobulge that
is distinct from the boxy pseudobulge. This inner pseduobulge makes up 0.136
\pm 0.019 of the total light of the galaxy. It is therefore considerably less
luminous than the boxy structure, which is now understood to be a bar seen
nearly end-on. The infrared imagery shows further evidence for secular
evolution in the form of a bright inner ring of inner radius 9.1 kpc and width
1.6 kpc. NGC 5746 is therefore a giant, pure-disk SB(r)bc galaxy with no sign
of a merger-built bulge. We do not understand how such galaxies form in a
{\Lambda}CDM universe.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in Ap
Dwarf Galaxy Dark Matter Density Profiles Inferred from Stellar and Gas Kinematics
We present new constraints on the density profiles of dark matter (DM) halos
in seven nearby dwarf galaxies from measurements of their integrated stellar
light and gas kinematics. The gas kinematics of low mass galaxies frequently
suggest that they contain constant density DM cores, while N-body simulations
instead predict a cuspy profile. We present a data set of high resolution
integral field spectroscopy on seven galaxies and measure the stellar and gas
kinematics simultaneously. Using Jeans modeling on our full sample, we examine
whether gas kinematics in general produce shallower density profiles than are
derived from the stars. Although 2/7 galaxies show some localized differences
in their rotation curves between the two tracers, estimates of the central
logarithmic slope of the DM density profile, gamma, are generally robust. The
mean and standard deviation of the logarithmic slope for the population are
gamma=0.67+/-0.10 when measured in the stars and gamma=0.58+/-0.24 when
measured in the gas. We also find that the halos are not under concentrated at
the radii of half their maximum velocities. Finally, we search for correlations
of the DM density profile with stellar velocity anisotropy and other baryonic
properties. Two popular mechanisms to explain cored DM halos are an exotic DM
component or feedback models that strongly couple the energy of supernovae into
repeatedly driving out gas and dynamically heating the DM halos. We investigate
correlations that may eventually be used to test models. We do not find a
secondary parameter that strongly correlates with the central DM density slope,
but we do find some weak correlations. Determining the importance of these
correlations will require further model developments and larger observational
samples. (Abridged)Comment: 29 pages, 18 figures, 10 tables, accepted for publication in Ap
A Comparative Astrochemical Study Of The High-Mass Protostellar Objects NGC 7538 IRS 9 and IRS 1
We report the results of a spectroscopic study of the high-mass protostellar
object NGC 7538 IRS 9 and compare our observations to published data on the
nearby object NGC 7538 IRS 1. Both objects originated in the same molecular
cloud and appear to be at different points in their evolutionary histo- ries,
offering an unusual opportunity to study the temporal evolution of envelope
chemistry in objects sharing a presumably identical starting composition.
Observations were made with the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph
(TEXES), a sensitive, high spectral resolution (R = {\lambda}/{\Delta}{\lambda}
\simeq 100,000) mid-infrared grating spectrometer. Forty-six individual lines
in vibrational modes of the molecules C2H2, CH4, HCN, NH3 and CO were detected,
including two isotopologues (13CO, 12C18O) and one combination mode ({\nu}4 +
{\nu}5 C2H2). Fitting synthetic spectra to the data yielded the Doppler shift,
excitation temperature, Doppler b parameter, column density and covering factor
for each molecule observed; we also computed column density upper limits for
lines and species not detected, such as HNCO and OCS. We find differences among
spectra of the two objects likely attributable to their differing radiation and
thermal environments. Temperatures and column densities for the two objects are
generally consistent, while the larger line widths toward IRS 9 result in less
saturated lines than those toward IRS 1. Finally, we compute an upper limit on
the size of the continuum-emitting region (\sim2000 AU) and use this constraint
and our spectroscopy results to construct a schematic model of IRS 9.Comment: 23 pages, 15 figures, 6 tables; accepted for publication in Ap
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