153 research outputs found
Candidate Clusters of Galaxies at z > 1.3 Identified in the Spitzer South Pole Telescope Deep Field Survey
We present 279 galaxy cluster candidates at z > 1.3 selected from the 94 deg^2 Spitzer South Pole Telescope Deep Field (SSDF) survey. We use a simple algorithm to select candidate high-redshift clusters of galaxies based on Spitzer/IRAC mid-infrared data combined with shallow all-sky optical data. We identify distant cluster candidates adopting an overdensity threshold that results in a high purity (80%) cluster sample based on tests in the Spitzer Deep, Wide-Field Survey of the Boötes field. Our simple algorithm detects all three 1.4 < z †1.75 X-ray detected clusters in the Boötes field. The uniqueness of the SSDF survey resides not just in its area, one of the largest contiguous extragalactic fields observed with Spitzer, but also in its deep, multi-wavelength coverage by the South Pole Telescope (SPT), Herschel/SPIRE, and XMM-Newton. This rich data set will allow direct or stacked measurements of Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect decrements or X-ray masses for many of the SSDF clusters presented here, and enable a systematic study of the most distant clusters on an unprecedented scale. We measure the angular correlation function of our sample and find that these candidates show strong clustering. Employing the COSMOS/UltraVista photometric catalog in order to infer the redshift distribution of our cluster selection, we find that these clusters have a comoving number density N_c = (0.7^(+6.3)_(0.6)) x 10^(-7) h^3 Mpc^(-3) and a spatial clustering correlation scale length r_ 0 = (32 ± 7) h^(â1) Mpc. Assuming our sample is comprised of dark matter halos above a characteristic minimum mass, M _(min), we derive that at z = 1.5 these clusters reside in halos larger than M_(min) = 1.5^(+0.9)_(0.7) x 10^(14) h^(-1) M_â. We find that the mean mass of our cluster sample is equal to M_(mean) = 1.9^(+1.0)_(0.8) x 10^(14) h^(-1) M_â ; thus, our sample contains the progenitors of present-day massive galaxy clusters
Characterizing the Mid-IR Extragalactic Sky with WISE and SDSS
The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has completed its all-sky
survey at 3.4-22 micron. We merge the WISE data with optical SDSS data and
provide a phenomenological characterization of mid-IR, extragalactic sources.
WISE is most sensitive at 3.4micron(W1) and least at 22micron(W4). The W1 band
probes massive early-type galaxies out to z\gtrsim1. This is more distant than
SDSS identified early-type galaxies, consistent with the fact that 28% of
3.4micron sources have faint or no r-band counterparts (r>22.2). In contrast,
92-95% of 12 and 22micron sources have SDSS optical counterparts with r<22.2.
WISE 3.4micron detects 89.8% of the entire SDSS QSO catalog at SNR(W1)>7, but
only 18.9% at 22micron with SNR(W4)>5. We show that WISE colors alone are
effective in isolating stars (or local early-type galaxies), star-forming
galaxies and strong AGN/QSOs at z<3. We highlight three major applications of
WISE colors: (1) Selection of strong AGN/QSOs at z0.8 and
W2<15.2 criteria, producing a census of this population. The surface density of
these strong AGN/QSO candidates is 67.5+-0.14/deg^2. (2) Selection of
dust-obscured, type-2 AGN/QSO candidates. We show that WISE W1-W2>0.8, W2<15.2
combined with r-W2>6 (Vega) colors can be used to identify type-2 AGN
candidates. The fraction of these type-2 AGN candidates is 1/3rd of all WISE
color-selected AGNs. (3) Selection of ULIRGs at z\sim2 with extremely red
colors, r-W4>14 or well-detected 22micron sources lacking detections in the 3.4
and 4.6micron bands. The surface density of z~2 r-W4>14 ULIRGs is
0.9+-0.07/deg^2 at SNR(W4)>5 (flux(W4)>=2.5mJy), which is consistent with that
inferred from smaller area Spitzer surveys. Optical spectroscopy of a small
number of these high-redshift ULIRGs confirms our selection, and reveals a
possible trend that optically fainter or r-W4 redder candidates are at higher
redshifts.Comment: 41 pages, 20 figures, Accepted for publication by the Astronomical
Journa
THE MASSIVE AND DISTANT CLUSTERS OF WISE SURVEY. III. SUNYAEV-ZEL'DOVICH MASSES OF GALAXY CLUSTERS AT z ~ 1
We present CARMA 30 GHz SunyaevâZel'dovich (SZ) observations of five high-redshift (z [> over ~] 1), infrared-selected galaxy clusters discovered as part of the all-sky Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey (MaDCoWS). The SZ decrements measured toward these clusters demonstrate that the MaDCoWS selection is discovering evolved, massive galaxy clusters with hot intracluster gas. Using the SZ scaling relation calibrated with South Pole Telescope clusters at similar masses and redshifts, we find these MaDCoWS clusters have masses in the range M[subscript 200] â 2-6 X 10[superscript 14] M[subscript Ê. Three of these are among the most massive clusters found to date at z [> over ~] 1, demonstrating that MaDCoWS is sensitive to the most massive clusters to at least z = 1.3. The added depth of the AllWISE data release will allow all-sky infrared cluster detection to z â 1.5 and beyond
The Era of Star Formation in Galaxy Clusters
We analyze the star formation properties of 16 infrared-selected, spectroscopically confirmed galaxy clusters at 1 1.35. Using infrared luminosities measured with deep Spitzer/Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer observations at 24 ÎŒm, along with robust optical + IRAC photometric redshifts and spectral-energy-distribution-fitted stellar masses, we present the dust-obscured star-forming fractions, star formation rates, and specific star formation rates in these clusters as functions of redshift and projected clustercentric radius. We find that z ~ 1.4 represents a transition redshift for the ISCS sample, with clear evidence of an unquenched era of cluster star formation at earlier times. Beyond this redshift, the fraction of star-forming cluster members increases monotonically toward the cluster centers. Indeed, the specific star formation rate in the cores of these distant clusters is consistent with field values at similar redshifts, indicating that at z > 1.4 environment-dependent quenching had not yet been established in ISCS clusters. By combining these observations with complementary studies showing a rapid increase in the active galactic nucleus (AGN) fraction, a stochastic star formation history, and a major merging episode at the same epoch in this cluster sample, we suggest that the starburst activity is likely merger-driven and that the subsequent quenching is due to feedback from merger-fueled AGNs. The totality of the evidence suggests we are witnessing the final quenching period that brings an end to the era of star formation in galaxy clusters and initiates the era of passive evolution
The Growth of Cool Cores and Evolution of Cooling Properties in a Sample of 83 Galaxy Clusters at 0.3 < z < 1.2 Selected from the SPT-SZ Survey
We present first results on the cooling properties derived from Chandra X-ray
observations of 83 high-redshift (0.3 < z < 1.2) massive galaxy clusters
selected by their Sunyaev-Zel'dovich signature in the South Pole Telescope
data. We measure each cluster's central cooling time, central entropy, and mass
deposition rate, and compare to local cluster samples. We find no significant
evolution from z~0 to z~1 in the distribution of these properties, suggesting
that cooling in cluster cores is stable over long periods of time. We also find
that the average cool core entropy profile in the inner ~100 kpc has not
changed dramatically since z ~ 1, implying that feedback must be providing
nearly constant energy injection to maintain the observed "entropy floor" at
~10 keV cm^2. While the cooling properties appear roughly constant over long
periods of time, we observe strong evolution in the gas density profile, with
the normalized central density (rho_0/rho_crit) increasing by an order of
magnitude from z ~ 1 to z ~ 0. When using metrics defined by the inner surface
brightness profile of clusters, we find an apparent lack of classical, cuspy,
cool-core clusters at z > 0.75, consistent with earlier reports for clusters at
z > 0.5 using similar definitions. Our measurements indicate that cool cores
have been steadily growing over the 8 Gyr spanned by our sample, consistent
with a constant, ~150 Msun/yr cooling flow that is unable to cool below
entropies of 10 keV cm^2 and, instead, accumulates in the cluster center. We
estimate that cool cores began to assemble in these massive systems at z ~ 1,
which represents the first constraints on the onset of cooling in galaxy
cluster cores. We investigate several potential biases which could conspire to
mimic this cool core evolution and are unable to find a bias that has a similar
redshift dependence and a substantial amplitude.Comment: 17 pages with 15 figures, plus appendix. Published in Ap
SPT-CLJ2040-4451: An SZ-Selected Galaxy Cluster at z = 1.478 With Significant Ongoing Star Formation
SPT-CLJ2040-4451 -- spectroscopically confirmed at z = 1.478 -- is the
highest redshift galaxy cluster yet discovered via the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich
effect. SPT-CLJ2040-4451 was a candidate galaxy cluster identified in the first
720 deg^2 of the South Pole Telescope Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SPT-SZ) survey, and
confirmed in follow-up imaging and spectroscopy. From multi-object spectroscopy
with Magellan-I/Baade+IMACS we measure spectroscopic redshifts for 15 cluster
member galaxies, all of which have strong [O II] 3727 emission.
SPT-CLJ2040-4451 has an SZ-measured mass of M_500,SZ = 3.2 +/- 0.8 X 10^14
M_Sun/h_70, corresponding to M_200,SZ = 5.8 +/- 1.4 X 10^14 M_Sun/h_70. The
velocity dispersion measured entirely from blue star forming members is sigma_v
= 1500 +/- 520 km/s. The prevalence of star forming cluster members (galaxies
with > 1.5 M_Sun/yr) implies that this massive, high-redshift cluster is
experiencing a phase of active star formation, and supports recent results
showing a marked increase in star formation occurring in galaxy clusters at z
>1.4. We also compute the probability of finding a cluster as rare as this in
the SPT-SZ survey to be >99%, indicating that its discovery is not in tension
with the concordance Lambda-CDM cosmological model.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables, Accepted to Ap
A Vacuum-Compatible Cylindrical Inertial Rotation Sensor with Picoradian Sensitivity
We describe an inertial rotation sensor with a 30-cm cylindrical proof-mass
suspended from a pair of 14-m thick BeCu flexures. The angle between the
proof-mass and support structure is measured with a pair of homodyne
interferometers which achieve a noise level of $\sim 5\
\text{prad}/\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$. The sensor is entirely made of vacuum compatible
materials and the center of mass can be adjusted remotely
SPT-CL J0205-5829: A z = 1.32 Evolved Massive Galaxy Cluster in the South Pole Telescope Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Survey
The galaxy cluster SPT-CL J0205-5829 currently has the highest
spectroscopically-confirmed redshift, z=1.322, in the South Pole Telescope
Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SPT-SZ) survey. XMM-Newton observations measure a
core-excluded temperature of Tx=8.7keV producing a mass estimate that is
consistent with the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich derived mass. The combined SZ and X-ray
mass estimate of M500=(4.9+/-0.8)e14 h_{70}^{-1} Msun makes it the most massive
known SZ-selected galaxy cluster at z>1.2 and the second most massive at z>1.
Using optical and infrared observations, we find that the brightest galaxies in
SPT-CL J0205-5829 are already well evolved by the time the universe was <5 Gyr
old, with stellar population ages >3 Gyr, and low rates of star formation
(<0.5Msun/yr). We find that, despite the high redshift and mass, the existence
of SPT-CL J0205-5829 is not surprising given a flat LambdaCDM cosmology with
Gaussian initial perturbations. The a priori chance of finding a cluster of
similar rarity (or rarer) in a survey the size of the 2500 deg^2 SPT-SZ survey
is 69%.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Ap
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