72 research outputs found
Dust production 680-850 million years after the Big Bang
Dust plays an important role in our understanding of the Universe, but it is
not obvious yet how the dust in the distant universe was formed. I derived the
dust yields per asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star and per supernova (SN)
required to explain dust masses of galaxies at z=6.3-7.5 (680-850 million years
after the Big Bang) for which dust emission has been detected (HFLS3 at z=6.34,
ULAS J1120+0641 at z=7.085, and A1689-zD1 at z=7.5), or unsuccessfully searched
for. I found very high required yields, implying that AGB stars could not
contribute substantially to dust production at these redshifts, and that SNe
could explain these dust masses, but only if they do not destroy most of the
dust they form (which is unlikely given the upper limits on the SN dust yields
derived for galaxies where dust is not detected). This suggests that the grain
growth in the interstellar medium is likely required at these early epochs.Comment: Accepted to A&A. 6 pages, 1 figure, 2 tables. V2: minor changes to
match the published versio
Shaping the dust mass - star-formation rate relation
There is a remarkably tight relation between the observationally inferred
dust masses and star-formation rates (SFRs) of SDSS galaxies, Mdust
SFR (Da Cunha et al. 2010). Here we extend the Mdust-SFR relation to
the high end and show that it bends over at very large SFRs (i.e., dust masses
are lower than predicted for a given SFR). We identify several distinct
evolutionary processes in the diagram: (1) A star-bursting phase in which dust
builds up rapidly at early times. The maximum attainable dust mass in this
process is the cause of the bend-over of the relation. A high dust-formation
efficiency, a bottom-light initial mass function, and negligible supernova
shock dust destruction are required to produce sufficiently high dust masses.
(2) A quiescent star-forming phase in which the subsequent parallel decline in
dust mass and SFR gives rise to the Mdust-SFR relation, through astration and
dust destruction. The dust-to-gas ratio is approximately constant along the
relation. We show that the power-law slope of the Mdust-SFR relation is
inversely proportional to the global Schmidt-Kennicutt law exponent (i.e.,
) in simple chemical evolution models. (3) A quenching phase which
causes star formation to drop while the dust mass stays roughly constant or
drops proportionally. Combined with merging, these processes, as well as the
range in total baryonic mass, give rise to a complex population of the diagram
which adds significant scatter to the original Mdust-SFR relation. (4) At very
high redshifts, a population of galaxies located significantly below the local
relation is predicted.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, ApJL, in pres
First measurement of HI 21cm emission from a GRB host galaxy indicates a post-merger system
We report the detection and mapping of atomic hydrogen in HI 21cm emission
from ESO 184-G82, the host galaxy of the gamma ray burst 980425. This is the
first instance where HI in emission has been detected from a galaxy hosting a
gamma ray burst. ESO 184-G82 is an isolated galaxy and contains a Wolf-Rayet
region close to the location of the gamma ray burst and the associated
supernova, SN 1998bw. This is one of the most luminous HII regions identified
in the local Universe, with a very high inferred density of star formation. The
HI 21cm observations reveal a high HI mass for the galaxy, twice as large as
the stellar mass. The spatial and velocity distribution of the HI 21cm emission
reveals a disturbed rotating gas disk, which suggests that the galaxy has
undergone a recent minor merger that disrupted its rotation. We find that the
Wolf-Rayet region and the gamma ray burst are both located in the highest HI
column density region of the galaxy. We speculate that the merger event has
resulted in shock compression of the gas, triggering extreme star formation
activity, and resulting in the formation of both the Wolf-Rayet region and the
gamma ray burst. The high HI column density environment of the GRB is
consistent with the high HI column densities seen in absorption in the host
galaxies of high redshift gamma ray bursts.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letters. 5 pages, 5 figures, 2
tables. For the definitive version visit http://mnrasl.oxfordjournals.org
Connection of supernovae 2002ap, 2003gd, 2013ej, and 2019krl in M 74 with atomic gas accretion and spiral structure
Studying the nature of various types of supernovae (SNe) is important for our understanding of stellar evolution. Observations of atomic and molecular gas in the host galaxies of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and SNe have recently been used to learn about the nature of the explosions themselves and the star formation events during which their progenitors were born. Based on archival data for M 74, which previously has not been investigated in the context of SN positions, we report the gas properties in the environment of the broad-lined type Ic (Ic-BL) SN 2002ap and the type II SNe 2003gd, 2013ej, and 2019krl. The SN 2002ap is located at the end of an off-centre, asymmetric, 55 kpc-long HI extension containing 7.5% of the total atomic gas in M 74, interpreted as a signature of external gas accretion. It is the fourth known case of an explosion of a presumably massive star located close to a concentration of atomic gas (after GRBs 980425, 060505, and SN 2009bb). It is unlikely that all these associations are random (at a 3σ significance), so the case of SN 2002ap adds to the evidence that the birth of the progenitors of type Ic-BL SNe and GRBs is connected with the accretion of atomic gas from the intergalactic medium. The HI extension could come from tidally disrupted companions of M 74, or be a remnant of a galaxy or a gas cloud that accreted entirely from the intragroup medium. The other (type II) SNe in M 74 are located at the outside edge of a spiral arm. This suggests that either their progenitors were born when gas was piling up there or that the SN progenitors moved away from the arm due to their orbital motions. These type II SNe do not seem to be related to gas accretion
Connection of supernovae 2002ap, 2003gd, 2013ej, and 2019krl in M 74 with atomic gas accretion and spiral structure
Studying the nature of various types of supernovae (SNe) is important for our understanding of stellar evolution. Observations of atomic and molecular gas in the host galaxies of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and SNe have recently been used to learn about the nature of the explosions themselves and the star formation events during which their progenitors were born. Based on archival data for M 74, which previously has not been investigated in the context of SN positions, we report the gas properties in the environment of the broad-lined type Ic (Ic-BL) SN 2002ap and the type II SNe 2003gd, 2013ej, and 2019krl. The SN 2002ap is located at the end of an off-centre, asymmetric, 55 kpc-long HI extension containing 7.5% of the total atomic gas in M 74, interpreted as a signature of external gas accretion. It is the fourth known case of an explosion of a presumably massive star located close to a concentration of atomic gas (after GRBs 980425, 060505, and SN 2009bb). It is unlikely that all these associations are random (at a 3σ significance), so the case of SN 2002ap adds to the evidence that the birth of the progenitors of type Ic-BL SNe and GRBs is connected with the accretion of atomic gas from the intergalactic medium. The HI extension could come from tidally disrupted companions of M 74, or be a remnant of a galaxy or a gas cloud that accreted entirely from the intragroup medium. The other (type II) SNe in M 74 are located at the outside edge of a spiral arm. This suggests that either their progenitors were born when gas was piling up there or that the SN progenitors moved away from the arm due to their orbital motions. These type II SNe do not seem to be related to gas accretion
Connection of supernovae 2002ap, 2003gd, 2013ej, and 2019krl in M74 with atomic gas accretion and spiral structure
Studying the nature of various types of supernovae (SNe) is important for our
understanding of stellar evolution. Observations of atomic and molecular gas in
the host galaxies of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and SNe have recently been used to
learn about the nature of the explosions themselves and the star formation
events during which their progenitors were born. Based on archival data for
M74, which previously has not been investigated in the context of SN positions,
we report the gas properties in the environment of the broad-lined type Ic
(Ic-BL) SN 2002ap and the type II SNe 2003gd, 2013ej, and 2019krl. The SN
2002ap is located at the end of an off-centre, asymmetric, 55 kpc-long HI
extension containing 7.5% of the total atomic gas in M74, interpreted as a
signature of external gas accretion. It is the fourth known case of an
explosion of a presumably massive star located close to a concentration of
atomic gas (after GRBs 980425, 060505, and SN 2009bb). It is unlikely that all
these associations are random (at a 3sigma significance), so the case of SN
2002ap adds to the evidence that the birth of the progenitors of type Ic-BL SNe
and GRBs is connected with the accretion of atomic gas from the intergalactic
medium. The HI extension could come from tidally disrupted companions of M74,
or be a remnant of a galaxy or a gas cloud that accreted entirely from the
intragroup medium. The other (type II) SNe in M74 are located at the outside
edge of a spiral arm. This suggests that either their progenitors were born
when gas was piling up there or that the SN progenitors moved away from the arm
due to their orbital motions. These type II SNe do not seem to be related to
gas accretion.Comment: A&A, in press, 7 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl
Determining the stellar masses of submillimetre galaxies: the critical importance of star formation histories
Submillimetre (submm) galaxies are among the most rapidly star-forming and
most massive high-redshift galaxies; thus, their properties provide important
constraints on galaxy evolution models. However, there is still a debate about
their stellar masses and their nature in the context of the general galaxy
population. To test the reliability of their stellar mass determinations, we
used a sample of simulated submm galaxies for which we derived stellar masses
via spectral energy distribution (SED) modelling (with Grasil, Magphys, Hyperz
and LePhare) adopting various star formation histories (SFHs). We found that
the assumption of SFHs with two independent components leads to the most
accurate stellar masses. Exponentially declining SFHs (tau) lead to lower
masses (albeit still consistent with the true values), while the assumption of
single-burst SFHs results in a significant mass underestimation. Thus, we
conclude that studies based on the higher masses inferred from fitting the SEDs
of real submm galaxies with double SFHs are most likely to be correct, implying
that submm galaxies lie on the high-mass end of the main sequence of
star-forming galaxies. This conclusion appears robust to assumptions of whether
or not submm galaxies are driven by major mergers, since the suite of simulated
galaxies modelled here contains examples of both merging and isolated galaxies.
We identified discrepancies between the true and inferred stellar ages (rather
than the dust attenuation) as the primary determinant of the success/failure of
the mass recovery. Regardless of the choice of SFH, the SED-derived stellar
masses exhibit a factor of ~2 scatter around the true value; this scatter is an
inherent limitation of the SED modelling due to simplified assumptions.
Finally, we found that the contribution of active galactic nuclei does not have
any significant impact on the derived stellar masses.Comment: Accepted to A&A. 11 pages, 9 figures, 1 table. V2 main changes: 1)
discussion of the stellar age as the main parameter influencing the success
of an SED model (Fig. 4, 5, 7); 2) discussion of the age-dust degeneracy (Fig
9); 3) the comparison of real and simulated submm galaxies (Fig 1
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