3,172 research outputs found
Dust obscuration studies along quasar sight lines using simulated galaxies
We use the results of a set of three-dimensional SPH-Treecode simulations
which model the formation and early evolution of disk galaxies, including the
generation of heavy elements by star formation, to investigate the effects of
dust absorption in quasar absorption line systems.
Using a simple prescription for the production of dust, we have compared the
column density, zinc abundance and optical depth properties of our models to
the known properties of Damped Lyman alpha systems.
We find that a significant fraction of our model galaxy disks have a higher
column density than any observed DLA system. We are also able to show that such
parts of the disk tend to be optically thick, implying that any background
quasar would be obscured through much of the disk. This would produce the
selection effect against the denser absorption systems thought to be present in
observations.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, to be published in MNRA
The Chemical Evolution of the Universe I: High Column Density Absorbers
We construct a simple, robust model of the chemical evolution of galaxies
from high to low redshift, and apply it to published observations of damped
Lyman-alpha quasar absorption line systems (DLAs). The elementary model assumes
quiescent star formation and isolated galaxies (no interactions, mergers or gas
flows). We consider the influence of dust and chemical gradients in the
galaxies, and hence explore the selection effects in quasar surveys. We fit
individual DLA systems to predict some observable properties of the absorbing
galaxies, and also indicate the expected redshift behaviour of chemical element
ratios involving nucleosynthetic time delays.
Despite its simplicity, our `monolithic collapse' model gives a good account
of the distribution and evolution of the metallicity and column density of
DLAs, and of the evolution of the global star formation rate and gas density
below redshifts z 3. However, from the comparison of DLA observations with our
model, it is clear that star formation rates at higher redshifts (z>3) are
enhanced. Galaxy interactions and mergers, and gas flows very probably play a
major role.Comment: 36 pages, 11 figures; accepted by MNRA
Metallicity Evolution in the Early Universe
Observations of the damped Lya systems provide direct measurements on the
chemical enrichment history of neutral gas in the early universe. In this
Letter, we present new measurements for four damped Lya systems at high
redshift. Combining these data with [Fe/H] values culled from the literature,
we investigate the metallicity evolution of the universe from z~1.5-4.5.
Contrary to our expectations and the predictions of essentially every chemical
evolution model, the N(HI)-weighted mean [Fe/H] metallicity exhibits minimal
evolution over this epoch. For the individual systems, we report tentative
evidence for an evolution in the unweighted [Fe/H] mean and the scatter in
[Fe/H] with the higher redshift systems showing lower scatter and lower typical
[Fe/H] values. We also note that no damped Lya system has [Fe/H] < -2.7 dex.
Finally, we discuss the potential impact of small number statistics and dust on
our conclusions and consider the implications of these results on chemical
evolution in the early universe.Comment: 6 pages, 2 encapsulated figures, Latex2e, uses emulateapj.sty and
onecolfloat.sty. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters: Feb 28, 200
A Doppler theory of quasars
We examine a Doppler theory of quasars in which it is assumed that a fraction of the total population of quasars are fired from centres of explosion with moderate cosmological redshifts. It is argued that the substantial part of the redshift of a typical high redshift quasar could be of Doppler origin. If Hoyle's recent hypothesis that quasars emit the bulk of their radiation in a narrow backward cone is given a quantitative form, it is shown that the kinematic and emission parameters of this model can explain the observed features of the four aligned triplets of quasars discovered by Arp and Hazard (1980) and by Saslaw (personal communication). The model predicts a small but nonzero fraction of quasars with blueshifts. Further observational tests of the model are discussed
Modeling the radial abundance distribution of the transition galaxy ngc 1313
NGC 1313 is the most massive disk galaxy showing a flat radial abundance
distribution in its interstellar gas, a behavior generally observed in
magellanic and irregular galaxies. We have attempted to reproduce this flat
abundance distribution using a multiphase chemical evolution model, which has
been previously used sucessfully to depict other spiral galaxies along the
Hubble morphological sequence. We found that it is not possible to reproduce
the flat radial abundance distribution in NGC 1313, and at the same time, be
consistent with observed radial distributions of other key parameters such the
surface gas density and star formation profiles. We conclude that a more
complicated galactic evolution model including radial flows, and possibly mass
loss due to supernova explosions and winds, is necessary to explain the
apparent chemical uniformity of the disk of NGC 1313Comment: 14 paginas, 4 figures, to be published in ApJ, apri
The SCUBA Local Universe Galaxy Survey I: First Measurements of the Submillimetre Luminosity and Dust Mass Functions
We have used SCUBA to observe a complete sample of 104 galaxies selected at
60 microns from the IRAS BGS and we present here the 850 micron measurements.
Fitting the 60,100 and 850 micron fluxes with a single temperature dust model
gives the sample mean temperature T=36 K and beta = 1.3. We do not rule out the
possibility of dust which is colder than this, if a 20 K component was present
then our dust masses would increase by factor 1.5-3. We present the first
measurements of the luminosity and dust mass functions, which were well fitted
by Schechter functions (unlike those 60 microns). We have correlated many
global galaxy properties with the submillimetre and find that there is a
tendancy for less optically luminous galaxies to contain warmer dust and have
greater star formation efficiencies (cf. Young 1999). The average gas-to-dust
ratio for the sample is 581 +/- 43 (using both atomic and molecular hydrogen),
significantly higher than the Galactic value of 160. We believe this
discrepancy is due to a cold dust component at T < 20 K. There is a suprisingly
tight correlation between dust mass and the mass of molecular hydrogen as
estimated from CO measurements, with an intrinsic scatter of ~50%.Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures, 8 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA
Outflows in Infrared-Luminous Starbursts at z < 0.5. I. Sample, NaI D Spectra, and Profile Fitting
We have conducted a spectroscopic survey of 78 starbursting infrared-luminous
galaxies at redshifts up to z = 0.5. We use moderate-resolution spectroscopy of
the NaI D interstellar absorption feature to directly probe the neutral phase
of outflowing gas in these galaxies. Over half of our sample are ultraluminous
infrared galaxies that are classified as starbursts; the rest have infrared
luminosities in the range log(L_IR/L_sun) = 10.2 - 12.0. The sample selection,
observations, and data reduction are described here. The absorption-line
spectra of each galaxy are presented. We also discuss the theory behind
absorption-line fitting in the case of a partially-covered, blended absorption
doublet observed at moderate-to-high resolution, a topic neglected in the
literature. A detailed analysis of these data is presented in a companion
paper.Comment: 59 pages, 18 figures in AASTeX preprint style; to appear in September
issue of ApJ
Dust-to-Gas Ratio and Metallicity in Dwarf Galaxies
We examine the dust-to-gas ratio as a function of metallicity for dwarf
galaxies [dwarf irregular galaxies (dIrrs) and blue compact dwarf galaxies
(BCDGs)]. Using a one-zone model and adopting the instantaneous recycling
approximation, we prepare a set of basic equations which describes processes of
dust formation and destruction in a galaxy. Four terms are included for the
processes: dust formation from heavy elements ejected by stellar mass loss,
dust destruction in supernova remnants, dust destruction in star-forming
regions, and accretion of heavy elements onto preexisting dust grains. Solving
the equations, we compare the result with observational data of nearby dIrrs
and BCDGs. The solution is consistent with the data within the reasonable
ranges of model parameters constrained by the previous examinations. This means
that the model is successful in understanding the dust amount of nearby
galaxies. We also show that the accretion rate of heavy element onto
preexisting dust grains is less effective than the condensation of heavy
elements in dwarf galaxies.Comment: 14 pages LaTeX, 4 figures, to appear in Ap
A census of metals at high and low redshifts and the connection between submillimetre sources and spheroid formation
Deep surveys in many wavebands have shown that the rate at which stars were
forming was at least a factor of 10 higher at z > 1 than today. Heavy elements
(metals) are produced by stars, and the star formation history deduced by these
surveys implies that a significant fraction of metals in the universe today
should already exist at z~2-3. However, only 10% of the total metals expected
to exist at this epoch have so far been accounted for (in DLAs and the Lyman
forest). In this paper, we use the results of submillimetre surveys of the
local and high redshift universe to show that there was much more dust in
galaxies in the past. We find that a large proportion of the missing metals are
traced by this dust, bringing the metals implied from the star formation
history and observations into agreement. We also show that the observed
distribution of dust masses at high redshift can be reproduced remarkably well
by a simple model for the evolution of dust in spheroids, suggesting that the
descendants of the dusty galaxies found in the deep submm surveys are the
relatively dust-free spiral bulges and ellipticals in the universe today.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, MNRAS in pres
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