13 research outputs found
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): end of survey report and data release 2
The Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey is one of the largest contemporary spectroscopic surveys of low redshift galaxies. Covering an area of Ë286 deg2 (split among five survey regions) down to a limiting magnitude of r < 19.8 mag, we have collected spectra and reliable redshifts for 238 000 objects using the AAOmega spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. In addition, we have assembled imaging data from a number of independent surveys in order to generate photometry spanning the wavelength range 1 nm-1 m. Here, we report on the recently completed spectroscopic survey and present a series of diagnostics to assess its final state and the quality of the redshift data. We also describe a number of survey aspects and procedures, or updates thereof, including changes to the input catalogue, redshifting and re-redshifting, and the derivation of ultraviolet, optical and near-infrared photometry. Finally, we present the second public release of GAMA data. In this release, we provide input catalogue and targeting information, spectra, redshifts, ultraviolet, optical and near-infrared photometry, single-component SĂ©rsic fits, stellar masses, Hα-derived star formation rates, environment information, and group properties for all galaxies with r < 19.0 mag in two of our survey regions, and for all galaxies with r < 19.4 mag in a third region (72 225 objects in total). The data base serving these data is available at http://www.gama-survey.org/
GAMA/H-ATLAS: Common star-formation rate indicators and their dependence on galaxy physical parameter
We compare common star-formation rate (SFR) indicators in the local Universe in the GAMA equatorial fields (⌠160 deg2), using ultraviolet (UV) photometry from
GALEX, far-infrared (FIR) and sub-millimetre (sub-mm) photometry from H-ATLAS,
and Hα spectroscopy from the GAMA survey. With a high-quality sample of 745 galaxies (median redshift (z) = 0.08), we consider three SFR tracers: UV luminosity
corrected for dust attenuation using the UV spectral slope ÎČ (SFRUV,corr), Hα line luminosity corrected for dust using the Balmer decrement (BD) (SFRHα,corr), and the combination of UV and IR emission (SFRUV+IR). We demonstrate that SFRUV,corr can be reconciled with the other two tracers after applying attenuation corrections by calibrating IRX (i.e. the IR to UV luminosity ratio) and attenuation in the Hα (derived from BD) against ÎČ. However, ÎČ on its own is very unlikely to be a reliable attenuation indicator. We find that attenuation correction factors depend on parameters such as stellar mass (Mâ), z and dust temperature (Tdust), but not on Hα equivalent width (EW) or Sersic index. Due to the large scatter in the IRX vs ÎČ correlation, when compared to SFRUV+IR, the ÎČ-corrected SFRUV,corr exhibits systematic deviations as a function of IRX, BD and Tdust
A systematic variation of the stellar initial mass function in early-type galaxies
Much of our knowledge of galaxies comes from analysing the radiation emitted
by their stars. It depends on the stellar initial mass function (IMF)
describing the distribution of stellar masses when the population formed.
Consequently knowledge of the IMF is critical to virtually every aspect of
galaxy evolution. More than half a century after the first IMF determination,
no consensus has emerged on whether it is universal in different galaxies.
Previous studies indicated that the IMF and the dark matter fraction in galaxy
centres cannot be both universal, but they could not break the degeneracy
between the two effects. Only recently indications were found that massive
elliptical galaxies may not have the same IMF as our Milky Way. Here we report
unambiguous evidence for a strong systematic variation of the IMF in early-type
galaxies as a function of their stellar mass-to-light ratio, producing
differences up to a factor of three in mass. This was inferred from detailed
dynamical models of the two-dimensional stellar kinematics for the large
Atlas3D representative sample of nearby early-type galaxies spanning two orders
of magnitude in stellar mass. Our finding indicates that the IMF depends
intimately on a galaxy's formation history.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, LaTeX. Accepted for publication as a Nature
Letter. More information about our Atlas3D project is available at
http://purl.org/atlas3
GAMA/H-ATLAS: Common star-formation rate indicators and their dependence on galaxy physical parameters
We compare common star-formation rate (SFR) indicators in the local Universe in the GAMA equatorial fields (around 160 sq. deg.), using ultraviolet (UV) photometry from GALEX, far-infrared (FIR) and sub-millimetre (sub-mm) photometry from H-ATLAS, and Halpha spectroscopy from the GAMA survey. With a high-quality sample of 745 galaxies (median redshift 0.08), we consider three SFR tracers: UV luminosity corrected for dust attenuation using the UV spectral slope beta (SFRUV,corr), Halpha line luminosity corrected for dust using the Balmer decrement (BD) (SFRHalpha,corr), and the combination of UV and IR emission (SFRUV+IR). We demonstrate that SFRUV,corr can be reconciled with the other two tracers after applying attenuation corrections by calibrating IRX (i.e. the IR to UV luminosity ratio) and attenuation in the Halpha (derived from BD) against beta. However, beta on its own is very unlikely to be a reliable attenuation indicator. We find that attenuation correction factors depend on parameters such as stellar mass, z and dust temperature (Tdust), but not on Halpha equivalent width (EW) or Sersic index. Due to the large scatter in the IRX vs beta correlation, when compared to SFRUV+IR, the beta-corrected SFRUV,corr exhibits systematic deviations as a function of IRX, BD and Tdust
The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Early Data Release
We present the Early Data Release of the SydneyâAAO Multi-object Integral field spectrograph (SAMI) Galaxy Survey. The SAMI Galaxy Survey is an ongoing integral field spectroscopic survey of _3400 low-redshift (z < 0:12) galaxies, covering galaxies in the field and in groups within the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey regions, and a sample of galaxies in clusters. In the Early Data Release, we publicly release the fully calibrated datacubes for a representative selection of 107 galaxies drawn from the GAMA regions, along with information about these galaxies from the GAMA catalogues. All datacubes for the Early Data Release galaxies can be downloaded individually or as a set from the SAMI Galaxy Survey website. In this paper we also assess the quality of the pipeline used to reduce the SAMI data, giving metrics that quantify its performance at all stages in processing the raw data into calibrated datacubes. The pipeline gives excellent results throughout, with typical sky subtraction residuals in the continuum of 0.9â1.2 per cent, a relative flux calibration uncertainty of 4.1 per cent (systematic) plus 4.3 per cent (statistical), and atmospheric dispersion removed with an accuracy of 0:0009, less than a fifth of a spaxel
The SAMI Galaxy Survey: Early Data Release
We present the Early Data Release of the SydneyâAAO Multi-object Integral field spectrograph (SAMI) Galaxy Survey. The SAMI Galaxy Survey is an ongoing integral field spectroscopic survey of _3400 low-redshift (z < 0:12) galaxies, covering galaxies in the field and in groups within the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey regions, and a sample of galaxies in clusters. In the Early Data Release, we publicly release the fully calibrated datacubes for a representative selection of 107 galaxies drawn from the GAMA regions, along with information about these galaxies from the GAMA catalogues. All datacubes for the Early Data Release galaxies can be downloaded individually or as a set from the SAMI Galaxy Survey website. In this paper we also assess the quality of the pipeline used to reduce the SAMI data, giving metrics that quantify its performance at all stages in processing the raw data into calibrated datacubes. The pipeline gives excellent results throughout, with typical sky subtraction residuals in the continuum of 0.9â1.2 per cent, a relative flux calibration uncertainty of 4.1 per cent (systematic) plus 4.3 per cent (statistical), and atmospheric dispersion removed with an accuracy of 0:0009, less than a fifth of a spaxel
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): end of survey report and data release 2
The Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey is one of the largest contemporary spectroscopic surveys of low-redshift galaxies. Covering an area of ~286 deg^2 (split among five survey regions) down to a limiting magnitude of r < 19.8 mag, we have collected spectra and reliable redshifts for 238,000 objects using the AAOmega spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. In addition, we have assembled imaging data from a number of independent surveys in order to generate photometry spanning the wavelength range 1 nm - 1 m. Here we report on the recently completed spectroscopic survey and present a series of diagnostics to assess its final state and the quality of the redshift data. We also describe a number of survey aspects and procedures, or updates thereof, including changes to the input catalogue, redshifting and re-redshifting, and the derivation of ultraviolet, optical and near-infrared photometry. Finally, we present the second public release of GAMA data. In this release we provide input catalogue and targeting information, spectra, redshifts, ultraviolet, optical and near-infrared photometry, single-component S\'ersic fits, stellar masses, H-derived star formation rates, environment information, and group properties for all galaxies with r < 19.0 mag in two of our survey regions, and for all galaxies with r < 19.4 mag in a third region (72,225 objects in total). The database serving these data is available at http://www.gama-survey.org/
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): Data Release 4 and the z < 0.1 total and z < 0.08 morphological galaxy stellar mass functions
In Galaxy And Mass Assembly Data Release 4 (GAMA DR4), we make available our full spectroscopic redshift sample. This includes 248 682 galaxy spectra, and, in combination with earlier surveys, results in 330 542 redshifts across five sky regions covering similar to 250 deg(2). The redshift density, is the highest available over such a sustained area, has exceptionally high completeness (95 per cent to r(KiDS) = 19.65 mag), and is well-suited for the study of galaxy mergers, galaxy groups, and the low redshift (z < 0.25) galaxy population. DR4 includes 32 value-added tables or Data Management Units (DMUs) that provide a number of measured and derived data products including GALEX, ESO KiDS, ESO VIKING, WISE, and HerschelSpace Observatory imaging. Within this release, we provide visual morphologies for 15 330 galaxies to z < 0.08, photometric redshift estimates for all 18 million objects to r(KiDS) similar to 25 mag, and stellar velocity dispersions for 111 830 galaxies. We conclude by deriving the total galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) and its sub-division by morphological class (elliptical, compact-bulge and disc, diffuse-bulge and disc, and disc only). This extends our previous measurement of the total GSMF down to 10(6.75) M-circle dot h(70)(-2) and we find a total stellar mass density of rho(*) = (2.97 +/- 0.04) x 10(8) M-circle dot h(70) Mpc(-3) or Omega(*)=(2.17 +/- 0.03) x 10(-3) h(70)(-1). We conclude that at z < 0.1, the Universe has converted 4.9 +/- 0.1 per cent of the baryonic mass implied by big bang Nucleosynthesis into stars that are gravitationally bound within the galaxy population
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): Data Release 4 and the z < 0.1 total and z < 0.08 morphological galaxy stellar mass functions
In Galaxy And Mass Assembly Data Release 4 (GAMA DR4), we make available our full spectroscopic redshift sample. This includes 248â682 galaxy spectra, and, in combination with earlier surveys, results in 330â542 redshifts across five sky regions covering âŒ250âdeg2. The redshift density, is the highest available over such a sustained area, has exceptionally high completeness (95âperâcent to rKiDS = 19.65âmag), and is well-suited for the study of galaxy mergers, galaxy groups, and the low redshift (z < 0.25) galaxy population. DR4 includes 32 value-added tables or Data Management Units (DMUs) that provide a number of measured and derived data products including GALEX, ESO KiDS, ESO VIKING, WISE, and HerschelSpace Observatory imaging. Within this release, we provide visual morphologies for 15â330 galaxies to z < 0.08, photometric redshift estimates for all 18âmillion objects to rKiDS ⌠25âmag, and stellar velocity dispersions for 111â830 galaxies. We conclude by deriving the total galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) and its sub-division by morphological class (elliptical, compact-bulge and disc, diffuse-bulge and disc, and disc only). This extends our previous measurement of the total GSMF down to 106.75âMâhâ270 and we find a total stellar mass density of Ï* = (2.97 ± 0.04) Ă 108âMâh70âMpcâ3 or Ωâ=(2.17±0.03)Ă10â3hâ170â . We conclude that at z < 0.1, the Universe has converted 4.9 ± 0.1âper cent of the baryonic mass implied by big bang Nucleosynthesis into stars that are gravitationally bound within the galaxy population