46 research outputs found
Galaxy formation in the Planck cosmology - III. The high-redshift universe
We present high-redshift predictions of the star formation rate distribution function (SFRDF), UV luminosity function (UVLF), galactic stellar mass function (GSMF), and specific star formation rates (sSFRs) of galaxies from the latest version of the Munich semi-analytic model L-GALAXIES. We find a good fit to both the shape and normalization of the SFRDF at z = 4â7, apart from a slight underprediction at the low-SFR end at z = 4. Likewise, we find a good fit to the faint number counts for the observed UVLF at brighter magnitudes our predictions lie below the observations, increasingly so at higher redshifts. At all redshifts and magnitudes, the raw (unattenuated) number counts for the UVLF lie above the observations. Because of the good agreement with the SFR we interpret our underprediction as an overestimate of the amount of dust in the model for the brightest galaxies, especially at high redshift. While the shape of our GSMF matches that of the observations, we lie between (conflicting) observations at z = 4â5, and underpredict at z = 6â7. The sSFRs of our model galaxies show the observed trend of increasing normalization with redshift, but do not reproduce the observed mass dependence. Overall, we conclude that the latest version of L-GALAXIES, which is tuned to match observations at z †3, does a fair job of reproducing the observed properties of galaxies at z â„ 4. More work needs to be done on understanding observational bias at high redshift, and upon the dust model, before strong conclusions can be drawn on how to interpret remaining discrepancies between the model and observations
Stellar Masses of Lyman Break Galaxies, Lyman Alpha Emitters and Radio Galaxies in Overdense Regions at z=4-6
We present new information on galaxies in the vicinity of luminous radio
galaxies and quasars at z=4,5,6. These fields were previously found to contain
overdensities of Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) or spectroscopic Lyman alpha
emitters. We use HST and Spitzer data to infer stellar masses, and contrast our
results with large samples of LBGs in more average environments as probed by
the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS). The following results were
obtained. First, LBGs in both overdense regions and in the field at z=4-5 lie
on a very similar sequence in a z'-[3.6] versus [3.6] color-magnitude diagram.
This is interpreted as a sequence in stellar mass (log[M*/Msun] = 9-11) in
which galaxies become increasingly red due to dust and age as their star
formation rate (SFR) increases. Second, the two radio galaxies are among the
most massive objects (log[M*/Msun]~11) known to exist at z~4-5, and are
extremely rare based on the low number density of such objects as estimated
from the ~25x larger area GOODS survey. We suggest that the presence of these
massive galaxies and supermassive black holes has been boosted through rapid
accretion of gas or merging inside overdense regions. Third, the total stellar
mass found in the z=4 ``proto-cluster'' TN1338 accounts for <30% of the stellar
mass on the cluster red sequence expected to have formed at z>4, based on a
comparison with the massive X-ray cluster Cl1252 at z=1.2. Although future
near-infrared observations should determine whether any massive galaxies are
currently being missed, one possible explanation for this mass difference is
that TN1338 evolves into a smaller cluster than Cl1252. This raises the
interesting question of whether the most massive protocluster regions at z>4
remain yet to be discovered.Comment: The Astrophysical Journal, In Press (17 pages, 7 figures
A highly magnified candidate for a young galaxy seen when the Universe was 500 Myrs old
The early Universe at redshift z\sim6-11 marks the reionization of the
intergalactic medium, following the formation of the first generation of stars.
However, those young galaxies at a cosmic age of \lesssim 500 million years
(Myr, at z \gtrsim 10) remain largely unexplored as they are at or beyond the
sensitivity limits of current large telescopes. Gravitational lensing by galaxy
clusters enables the detection of high-redshift galaxies that are fainter than
what otherwise could be found in the deepest images of the sky. We report the
discovery of an object found in the multi-band observations of the cluster
MACS1149+22 that has a high probability of being a gravitationally magnified
object from the early universe. The object is firmly detected (12 sigma) in the
two reddest bands of HST/WFC3, and not detected below 1.2 {\mu}m, matching the
characteristics of z\sim9 objects. We derive a robust photometric redshift of z
= 9.6 \pm 0.2, corresponding to a cosmic age of 490 \pm 15Myr (i.e., 3.6% of
the age of the Universe). The large number of bands used to derive the redshift
estimate make it one of the most accurate estimates ever obtained for such a
distant object. The significant magnification by cluster lensing (a factor of
\sim15) allows us to analyze the object's ultra-violet and optical luminosity
in its rest-frame, thus enabling us to constrain on its stellar mass,
star-formation rate and age. If the galaxy is indeed at such a large redshift,
then its age is less than 200 Myr (at the 95% confidence level), implying a
formation redshift of zf \lesssim 14. The object is the first z>9 candidate
that is bright enough for detailed spectroscopic studies with JWST,
demonstrating the unique potential of galaxy cluster fields for finding highly
magnified, intrinsically faint galaxies at the highest redshifts.Comment: Submitted to the Nature Journal. 39 Pages, 13 figure
Inflation and the Scale Dependent Spectral Index: Prospects and Strategies
We consider the running of the spectral index as a probe of both inflation
itself, and of the overall evolution of the very early universe. Surveying a
collection of simple single field inflationary models, we confirm that the
magnitude of the running is relatively consistent, unlike the tensor amplitude,
which varies by orders of magnitude. Given this target, we confirm that the
running is potentially detectable by future large scale structure or 21 cm
observations, but that only the most futuristic measurements can distinguish
between these models on the basis of their running. For any specified
inflationary scenario, the combination of the running index and unknown
post-inflationary expansion history induces a theoretical uncertainty in the
predicted value of the spectral index. This effect can easily dominate the
statistical uncertainty with which Planck and its successors are expected to
measure the spectral index. More positively, upcoming cosmological experiments
thus provide an intriguing probe of physics between TeV and GUT scales by
constraining the reheating history associated with any specified inflationary
model, opening a window into the "primordial dark age" that follows the end of
inflation.Comment: 32 pages. v2 and v3 Minor reference updates /clarification
CLASH: Precise New Constraints on the Mass Profile of Abell 2261
We precisely constrain the inner mass profile of Abell 2261 (z=0.225) for the
first time and determine this cluster is not "over-concentrated" as found
previously, implying a formation time in agreement with {\Lambda}CDM
expectations. These results are based on strong lensing analyses of new 16-band
HST imaging obtained as part of the Cluster Lensing and Supernova survey with
Hubble (CLASH). Combining this with revised weak lensing analyses of Subaru
wide field imaging with 5-band Subaru + KPNO photometry, we place tight new
constraints on the halo virial mass M_vir = 2.2\pm0.2\times10^15 M\odot/h70
(within r \approx 3 Mpc/h70) and concentration c = 6.2 \pm 0.3 when assuming a
spherical halo. This agrees broadly with average c(M,z) predictions from recent
{\Lambda}CDM simulations which span 5 <~ 8. Our most significant
systematic uncertainty is halo elongation along the line of sight. To estimate
this, we also derive a mass profile based on archival Chandra X-ray
observations and find it to be ~35% lower than our lensing-derived profile at
r2500 ~ 600 kpc. Agreement can be achieved by a halo elongated with a ~2:1 axis
ratio along our line of sight. For this elongated halo model, we find M_vir =
1.7\pm0.2\times10^15 M\odot/h70 and c_vir = 4.6\pm0.2, placing rough lower
limits on these values. The need for halo elongation can be partially obviated
by non-thermal pressure support and, perhaps entirely, by systematic errors in
the X-ray mass measurements. We estimate the effect of background structures
based on MMT/Hectospec spectroscopic redshifts and find these tend to lower
Mvir further by ~7% and increase cvir by ~5%.Comment: Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal. 19 pages, 14 figure
A massive proto-cluster of galaxies at a redshift of z {\approx} 5.3
Massive clusters of galaxies have been found as early as 3.9 Billion years
(z=1.62) after the Big Bang containing stars that formed at even earlier
epochs. Cosmological simulations using the current cold dark matter paradigm
predict these systems should descend from "proto-clusters" - early
over-densities of massive galaxies that merge hierarchically to form a cluster.
These proto-cluster regions themselves are built-up hierarchically and so are
expected to contain extremely massive galaxies which can be observed as
luminous quasars and starbursts. However, observational evidence for this
scenario is sparse due to the fact that high-redshift proto-clusters are rare
and difficult to observe. Here we report a proto-cluster region 1 billion years
(z=5.3) after the Big Bang. This cluster of massive galaxies extends over >13
Mega-parsecs, contains a luminous quasar as well as a system rich in molecular
gas. These massive galaxies place a lower limit of >4x10^11 solar masses of
dark and luminous matter in this region consistent with that expected from
cosmological simulations for the earliest galaxy clusters.Comment: Accepted to Nature, 16 Pages, 6 figure
CANDELS: The Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey
The Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS)
is designed to document the first third of galactic evolution, over the
approximate redshift (z) range 8--1.5. It will image >250,000 distant galaxies
using three separate cameras on the Hubble Space Telescope, from the
mid-ultraviolet to the near-infrared, and will find and measure Type Ia
supernovae at z>1.5 to test their accuracy as standardizable candles for
cosmology. Five premier multi-wavelength sky regions are selected, each with
extensive ancillary data. The use of five widely separated fields mitigates
cosmic variance and yields statistically robust and complete samples of
galaxies down to a stellar mass of 10^9 M_\odot to z \approx 2, reaching the
knee of the ultraviolet luminosity function (UVLF) of galaxies to z \approx 8.
The survey covers approximately 800 arcmin^2 and is divided into two parts. The
CANDELS/Deep survey (5\sigma\ point-source limit H=27.7 mag) covers \sim 125
arcmin^2 within GOODS-N and GOODS-S. The CANDELS/Wide survey includes GOODS and
three additional fields (EGS, COSMOS, and UDS) and covers the full area to a
5\sigma\ point-source limit of H \gtrsim 27.0 mag. Together with the Hubble
Ultra Deep Fields, the strategy creates a three-tiered "wedding cake" approach
that has proven efficient for extragalactic surveys. Data from the survey are
nonproprietary and are useful for a wide variety of science investigations. In
this paper, we describe the basic motivations for the survey, the CANDELS team
science goals and the resulting observational requirements, the field selection
and geometry, and the observing design. The Hubble data processing and products
are described in a companion paper.Comment: Submitted to Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series; Revised
version, subsequent to referee repor
Properties of submillimeter galaxies in the CANDELS GOODS-south field
We derive physical properties of 10 submillimeter galaxies located in the CANDELS coverage of the GOODS-S field. The galaxies were first identified as submillimeter sources with the LABOCA bolometer and subsequently targeted for 870 m continuum observation with ALMA. The high angular resolution of the ALMA imaging allows secure counterparts to be identified in the CANDELS multiband data set. The CANDELS data provide deep photometric data from UV through near-infrared wavelengths. Using synthetic spectral energy distributions, we derive photometric redshifts, stellar masses, extinction, ages, and the star formation history. The redshift range is z = 1.65-4.76, with two of the galaxies located at z > 4. Two submillimeter galaxy (SMG) counterparts have stellar masses 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the rest. The remaining SMG counterparts have stellar masses around 1 x 1011 M. The stellar population in the SMGs is typically older than the expected duration of the submillimeter phase, suggesting that the star formation history of SMGs is more complex than a single burst. Non-parametric morphology indices suggest that the SMG counterparts are among the most asymmetric systems compared with galaxies of the same stellar mass and redshift. The Hubble Space Telescope images show that three of the SMGs are associated with ongoing mergers. The remaining counterparts are isolated. Estimating the dust and molecular gas mass from the submillimeter fluxes, and comparing with our stellar masses shows that the gas mass fraction of SMGs is ~28% and that the final stellar mass is likely to be ~(1 - 2) x 1011 M.IS
The Lyman alpha reference sample. II. Hubble space telescope imaging results, integrated properties, and trends
We report new results regarding the Lyα output of galaxies, derived from the Lyman Alpha Reference Sample, and focused on Hubble Space Telescope imaging. For 14 galaxies we present intensity images in Lyα, Hα, and UV, and maps of Hα/HÎČ, Lyα equivalent width (EW), and Lyα/Hα. We present Lyα and UV radial light profiles and show they are well-fitted by SĂ©rsic profiles, but Lyα profiles show indices systematically lower than those of the UV (n â 1-2 instead of gsim 4). This reveals a general lack of the central concentration in Lyα that is ubiquitous in the UV. Photometric growth curves increase more slowly for Lyα than the far ultraviolet, showing that small apertures may underestimate the EW. For most galaxies, however, flux and EW curves flatten by radii â10 kpc, suggesting that if placed at high-z only a few of our galaxies would suffer from large flux losses. We compute global properties of the sample in large apertures, and show total Lyα luminosities to be independent of all other quantities. Normalized Lyα throughput, however, shows significant correlations: escape is found to be higher in galaxies of lower star formation rate, dust content, mass, and nebular quantities that suggest harder ionizing continuum and lower metallicity. Six galaxies would be selected as high-z Lyα emitters, based upon their luminosity and EW. We discuss the results in the context of high-z Lyα and UV samples. A few galaxies have EWs above 50 Ă
, and one shows of 80%; such objects have not previously been reported at low-z