72 research outputs found
Kinematic classifications of local interacting galaxies: implications for the merger/disk classifications at high-z
The classification of galaxy mergers and isolated disks is key for
understanding the relative importance of galaxy interactions and secular
evolution during the assembly of galaxies. The kinematic properties of galaxies
as traced by emission lines have been used to suggest the existence of a
significant population of high-z star-forming galaxies consistent with isolated
rotating disks. However, recent studies have cautioned that post-coalescence
mergers may also display disk-like kinematics. To further investigate the
robustness of merger/disk classifications based on kinematic properties, we
carry out a systematic classification of 24 local (U)LIRGs spanning a range of
galaxy morphologies: from isolated spiral galaxies, ongoing interacting
systems, to fully merged remnants. We artificially redshift the WiFeS
observations of these local (U)LIRGs to z=1.5 to make a realistic comparison
with observations at high-z, and also to ensure that all galaxies have the same
spatial sampling of ~900 pc. Using both kinemetry-based and visual
classifications, we find that the reliability of kinematic classification shows
a strong trend with the interaction stage of galaxies. Mergers with two nuclei
and tidal tails have the most distinct kinematic properties compared to
isolated disks, whereas a significant population of the interacting disks and
merger remnants are indistinguishable from isolated disks. The high fraction of
late-stage mergers showing disk-like kinematics reflects the complexity of the
dynamics during galaxy interactions. However, the exact fractions of
misidentified disks and mergers depend on the definition of kinematic
asymmetries and the classification threshold when using kinemetry-based
classifications. Our results suggest that additional indicators such as
morphologies traced by stars or molecular gas are required to further constrain
the merger/disk classifications at high-z.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, ApJ accepte
Revealing components of the galaxy population through nonparametric techniques
The distributions of galaxy properties vary with environment, and are often
multimodal, suggesting that the galaxy population may be a combination of
multiple components. The behaviour of these components versus environment holds
details about the processes of galaxy development. To release this information
we apply a novel, nonparametric statistical technique, identifying four
components present in the distribution of galaxy H emission-line
equivalent-widths. We interpret these components as passive, star-forming, and
two varieties of active galactic nuclei. Independent of this interpretation,
the properties of each component are remarkably constant as a function of
environment. Only their relative proportions display substantial variation. The
galaxy population thus appears to comprise distinct components which are
individually independent of environment, with galaxies rapidly transitioning
between components as they move into denser environments.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
The Origin of the 24-micron Excess in Red Galaxies
Observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope have revealed a population of
red-sequence galaxies with a significant excess in their 24-micron emission
compared to what is expected from an old stellar population. We identify 900
red galaxies with 0.15<z<0.3 from the AGN and Galaxy Evolution Survey (AGES)
selected from the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey Bootes field. Using Spitzer/MIPS,
we classify 89 (~10%) with 24-micron infrared excess (f24>0.3 mJy). We
determine the prevalence of AGN and star-formation activity in all the AGES
galaxies using optical line diagnostics and mid-IR color-color criteria. Using
the IRAC color-color diagram from the IRAC Shallow Survey, we find that 64% of
the 24-micron excess red galaxies are likely to have strong PAH emission
features in the 8-micron IRAC band. This fraction is significantly larger than
the 5% of red galaxies with f24<0.3 mJy that are estimated to have strong PAH
emission, suggesting that the infrared emission is largely due to
star-formation processes. Only 15% of the 24-micron excess red galaxies have
optical line diagnostics characteristic of star-formation (64% are classified
as AGN and 21% are unclassifiable). The difference between the optical and
infrared results suggest that both AGN and star-formation activity is occurring
simultaneously in many of the 24-micron excess red galaxies. These results
should serve as a warning to studies that exclusively use optical line
diagnostics to determine the dominant emission mechanism in the infrared and
other bands. We find that ~40% of the 24-micron excess red galaxies are edge-on
spiral galaxies with high optical extinctions. The remaining sources are likely
to be red galaxies whose 24-micron emission comes from a combination of
obscured AGN and star-formation activity.Comment: ApJ, accepted; 11 pages, 7 figures; corrected reference to IRAC
Shallow Survey in abstrac
The COS-Halos Survey: Keck LRIS and Magellan MagE Optical Spectroscopy
We present high signal-to-noise optical spectra for 67 low-redshift (0.1 < z
< 0.4) galaxies that lie within close projected distances (5 kpc < rho < 150
kpc) of 38 background UV-bright QSOs. The Keck LRIS and Magellan MagE data
presented here are part of a survey that aims to construct a statistically
sampled map of the physical state and metallicity of gaseous galaxy halos using
the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We
provide a detailed description of the optical data reduction and subsequent
spectral analysis that allow us to derive the physical properties of this
uniquely data-rich sample of galaxies. The galaxy sample is divided into 38
pre-selected L ~ L*, z ~ 0.2 "target" galaxies and 29 "bonus" galaxies that lie
in close proximity to the QSO sightlines. We report galaxy spectroscopic
redshifts accurate to +/- 30 km s-1, impact parameters, rest-frame colors,
stellar masses, total star formation rates, and gas-phase interstellar medium
oxygen abundances. When we compare the distribution of these galaxy
characteristics to those of the general low-redshift population, we find good
agreement. The L ~ L* galaxies in this sample span a diverse range of color
(1.0 < u-r < 3.0), stellar mass (10^9.5 < M/M_sun < 10^11.5), and SFRs (0.01 -
20 M_sun yr-1). These optical data, along with the COS UV spectroscopy,
comprise the backbone of our efforts to understand how halo gas properties may
correlate with their host galaxy properties, and ultimately to uncover the
processes that drive gas outflow and/or are influenced by gas inflow.Comment: 20 pages, 12 Figures, Submitted to ApJ
SSGSS: The Spitzer-SDSS-GALEX Spectroscopic Survey
The Spitzer-SDSS-GALEX Spectroscopic Survey (SSGSS) provides a new sample of
101 star-forming galaxies at z < 0.2 with unprecedented multi-wavelength
coverage. New mid- to far-infrared spectroscopy from the Spitzer Space
Telescope is added to a rich suite of previous imaging and spectroscopy,
including ROSAT, Galaxy Evolution Explorer, Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Two
Micron All Sky Survey, and Spitzer/SWIRE. Sample selection ensures an even
coverage of the full range of normal galaxy properties, spanning two orders of
magnitude in stellar mass, color, and dust attenuation. In this paper we
present the SSGSS data set, describe the science drivers, and detail the sample
selection, observations, data reduction, and quality assessment. Also in this
paper, we compare the shape of the thermal continuum and the degree of silicate
absorption of these typical, star-forming galaxies to those of starburst
galaxies. We investigate the link between star formation rate, infrared
luminosity, and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon luminosity, with a view
to calibrating the latter for spectral energy distribution models in
photometric samples and at high redshift. Last, we take advantage of the 5-40
micron spectroscopic and far-infrared photometric coverage of this sample to
perform detailed fitting of the Draine et al. dust models, and investigate the
link between dust mass and star formation history and active galactic nucleus
properties.Comment: 60 pages, 20 figure
Evidence for Cold Accretion: Primitive Gas Flowing onto a Galaxy at z~0.274
We present UV and optical observations from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph
on the Hubble Space Telescope and Keck of a z= 0.27395 Lyman limit system (LLS)
seen in absorption against the QSO PG1630+377. We detect H I absorption with
log N(HI)=17.06\pm0.05 as well as Mg II, C III, Si III, and O VI in this
system. The column densities are readily explained if this is a multi-phase
system, with the intermediate and low ions arising in a very low metallicity
([Mg/ H] =-1.71 \pm 0.06) photoionized gas. We identify via Keck spectroscopy
and Large Binocular Telescope imaging a 0.3 L_* star-forming galaxy projected
37 kpc from the QSO at nearly identical redshift (z=0.27406, \Delta v = -26
\kms) with near solar metallicity ([O/ H]=-0.20 \pm 0.15). The presence of very
low metallicity gas in the proximity of a near-solar metallicity, sub-L_*
galaxy strongly suggests that the LLS probes gas infalling onto the galaxy. A
search of the literature reveals that such low metallicity LLSs are not
uncommon. We found that 50% (4/8) of the well-studied z < 1 LLSs have
metallicities similar to the present system and show sub-L_* galaxies with rho
< 100 kpc in those fields where redshifts have been surveyed. We argue that the
properties of these primitive LLSs and their host galaxies are consistent with
those of cold mode accretion streams seen in galaxy simulations.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
Nitrogen Production in Starburst Galaxies Detected by GALEX
We investigate the production of nitrogen in star-forming galaxies with ultraviolet (UV) radiation detected by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer Satellite (GALEX). We use a sample of 8745 GALEX emission-line galaxies matched to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopic sample. We derive both gas-phase oxygen and nitrogen abundances for the sample and apply stellar population synthesis models to derive stellar masses and star formation histories of the galaxies. We compare oxygen abundances derived using three different diagnostics. We derive the specific star formation rates of the galaxies by modeling the seven-band GALEX+SDSS photometry. We find that galaxies that have log (SFR/M_*) ≳ − 10.0 typically have values of log (N/O) ~ 0.05 dex less than galaxies with log (SFR/M_*) ≾ − 10.0 and similar oxygen abundances
Galaxy Group at z=0.3 Associated with the Damped Lyman Alpha System Towards Quasar Q1127-145
(Abridged) We performed a spectroscopic galaxy survey, complete to m<20.3
(L_B>0.15L_B* at z=0.3), within 100x100" of the quasar Q1127-145 (z=1.18). The
VLT/UVES quasar spectrum contains three z<0.33 MgII absorption systems. We
obtained eight new galaxy redshifts, adding to the four previously known, and
galaxy star formation rates and metallicities were computed where possible. A
strong MgII system [W_r(2796)=1.8A], which is a known DLA, had three previously
identified galaxies; we found two additional galaxies associated with this
system. These five galaxies form a group with diverse properties, such as a
luminosity range of 0.04<L_B<0.63L_B*, an impact parameter range of 17<D<241kpc
and velocity dispersion of 115km/s. The DLA group galaxy redshifts span beyond
the 350km/s velocity spread of the metallic absorption lines of the DLA itself.
The two brightest group galaxies have SFRs of a few Msun/yr and should not have
strong winds. We have sufficient spectroscopic information to directly compare
three of the five group galaxies' (emission-line) metallicities with the DLA
(absorption) metallicity: the DLA metallicity is 1/10th solar, substantially
lower than the three galaxies' which range between less than 1/2 solar to solar
metallicity. HST/WFPC-2 imaging shows perturbed morphologies for the three
brightest group galaxies, with tidal tails extending 25kpc. We favor a scenario
where the DLA absorption originates from tidal debris in the group environment.
Another absorber exhibits weak MgII absorption [W_r(2796)=0.03A] and had a
previously identified galaxy at a similar redshift. We have identified a second
galaxy associated with this system. Both galaxies have solar metallicities and
unperturbed morphologies. The SFR of one galaxy is much lower than expected for
strong outflows. Finally, we have identified five galaxies at large impact
parameters with no associated MgII absorption.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS
Halo Occupation Distribution Modeling of Green Valley Galaxies
We present a clustering analysis of near ultraviolet (NUV) - optical color
selected luminosity bin samples of green valley galaxies. These galaxy samples
are constructed by matching the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 with
the latest Galaxy Evolution Explorer source catalog which provides NUV
photometry. We present cross-correlation function measurements and determine
the halo occupation distribution of these transitional galaxies using a new
multiple tracer analysis technique.
We extend the halo-occupation formalism to model the cross-correlation
function between a galaxy sample of interest and multiple tracer populations
simultaneously. This method can be applied to commonly used luminosity
threshold samples as well as to color and luminosity bin selected galaxy
samples, and improves the accuracy of clustering analyses for sparse galaxy
populations.
We confirm the previously observed trend that red galaxies reside in more
massive halos and are more likely to be satellite galaxies than average
galaxies of similar luminosity. While the change in central galaxy host mass as
a function of color is only weakly constrained, the satellite fraction and
characteristic halo masses of green satellite galaxies are found to be
intermediate between those of blue and red satellite galaxies.Comment: matches MNRAS accepted version; minor revisions, results unchange
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