153 research outputs found
Panchromatic spectral energy distributions of Herschel sources
(abridged) Far-infrared Herschel photometry from the PEP and HerMES programs
is combined with ancillary datasets in the GOODS-N, GOODS-S, and COSMOS fields.
Based on this rich dataset, we reproduce the restframe UV to FIR ten-colors
distribution of galaxies using a superposition of multi-variate Gaussian modes.
The median SED of each mode is then fitted with a modified version of the
MAGPHYS code that combines stellar light, emission from dust heated by stars
and a possible warm dust contribution heated by an AGN. The defined Gaussian
grouping is also used to identify rare sources. The zoology of outliers
includes Herschel-detected ellipticals, very blue z~1 Ly-break galaxies,
quiescent spirals, and torus-dominated AGN with star formation. Out of these
groups and outliers, a new template library is assembled, consisting of 32 SEDs
describing the intrinsic scatter in the restframe UV-to-submm colors of
infrared galaxies. This library is tested against L(IR) estimates with and
without Herschel data included, and compared to eight other popular methods
often adopted in the literature. When implementing Herschel photometry, these
approaches produce L(IR) values consistent with each other within a median
absolute deviation of 10-20%, the scatter being dominated more by fine tuning
of the codes, rather than by the choice of SED templates. Finally, the library
is used to classify 24 micron detected sources in PEP GOODS fields. AGN appear
to be distributed in the stellar mass (M*) vs. star formation rate (SFR) space
along with all other galaxies, regardless of the amount of infrared luminosity
they are powering, with the tendency to lie on the high SFR side of the "main
sequence". The incidence of warmer star-forming sources grows for objects with
higher specific star formation rates (sSFR), and they tend to populate the
"off-sequence" region of the M*-SFR-z space.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. Some figures are presented in low
resolution. The new galaxy templates are available for download at the
address http://www.mpe.mpg.de/ir/Research/PEP/uvfir_temp
The far-infrared/radio correlation and radio spectral index of galaxies in the SFR-M* plane up to z 2
[Abridged] We study the evolution of the radio spectral index and
far-infrared/radio correlation (FRC) across the star-formation rate-stellar
masse (i.e. SFR-M*) plane up to z 2. We start from a M*-selected sample of
galaxies with reliable SFR and redshift estimates. We then grid the SFR-M*
plane in several redshift ranges and measure the infrared luminosity, radio
luminosity, radio spectral index, and ultimately the FRC index (i.e. qFIR) of
each SFR-M*-z bin. The infrared luminosities of our SFR-M*-z bins are estimated
using their stacked far-infrared flux densities inferred from observations
obtained with Herschel. Their radio luminosities and radio spectral indices
(i.e. alpha, where Snu nu^-alpha) are estimated using their stacked 1.4GHz and
610MHz flux densities from the VLA and GMRT, respectively. Our far-infrared and
radio observations include the most widely studied blank extragalactic fields
-GOODS-N/S, ECDFS, and COSMOS- covering a sky area of 2deg^2. Using this
methodology, we constrain the radio spectral index and FRC index of
star-forming galaxies with M*>10^10Msun and 0<z<2.3. We find that
alpha^1.4GHz_610MHz does not evolve significantly with redshift or with the
distance of a galaxy with respect to the main sequence (MS) of the SFR-M* plane
(i.e. Delta_log(SSFR)_MS=log[SSFR(galaxy)/SSFR_MS(M*,z)]). Instead,
star-forming galaxies have a radio spectral index consistent with a canonical
value of 0.8, which suggests that their radio spectra are dominated by
non-thermal optically thin synchrotron emission. We find that qFIR displays a
moderate but statistically significant redshift evolution as
qFIR(z)=(2.35+/-0.08)*(1+z)^(-0.12+/-0.04), consistent with some previous
literature. Finally, we find no significant correlation between qFIR and
Delta_log(SSFR)_MS, though a weak positive trend, as observed in one of our
redshift bins, cannot be firmly ruled out using our dataset.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A; 18 pages, 10 figure
The Herschel Planetary Nebula Survey (HerPlaNS) I. Data Overview and Analysis Demonstration with NGC 6781
This is the first of a series of investigations into far-IR characteristics
of 11 planetary nebulae (PNs) under the Herschel Space Observatory Open Time 1
program, Herschel Planetary Nebula Survey (HerPlaNS). Using the HerPlaNS data
set, we look into the PN energetics and variations of the physical conditions
within the target nebulae. In the present work, we provide an overview of the
survey, data acquisition and processing, and resulting data products. We
perform (1) PACS/SPIRE broadband imaging to determine the spatial distribution
of the cold dust component in the target PNs and (2) PACS/SPIRE
spectral-energy-distribution (SED) and line spectroscopy to determine the
spatial distribution of the gas component in the target PNs. For the case of
NGC 6781, the broadband maps confirm the nearly pole-on barrel structure of the
amorphous carbon-richdust shell and the surrounding halo having temperatures of
26-40 K. The PACS/SPIRE multi-position spectra show spatial variations of
far-IR lines that reflect the physical stratification of the nebula. We
demonstrate that spatially-resolved far-IR line diagnostics yield the (T_e,
n_e) profiles, from which distributions of ionized, atomic, and molecular gases
can be determined. Direct comparison of the dust and gas column mass maps
constrained by the HerPlaNS data allows to construct an empirical gas-to-dust
mass ratio map, which shows a range of ratios with the median of 195+-110. The
present analysis yields estimates of the total mass of the shell to be 0.86
M_sun, consisting of 0.54 M_sun of ionized gas, 0.12 M_sun of atomic gas, 0.2
M_sun of molecular gas, and 4 x 10^-3 M_sun of dust grains. These estimates
also suggest that the central star of about 1.5 M_sun initial mass is
terminating its PN evolution onto the white dwarf cooling track.Comment: 27 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in A&
PEP: first Herschel probe of dusty galaxy evolution up to z~3
We exploit the deepest existing far-infrared (FIR) data obtained so far by
Herschel at 100 and 160 um in the GOODS-N, as part of the PACS Evolutionary
Probe (PEP) survey, to derive for the first time the evolution of the
rest-frame 60-um, 90-um, and total IR luminosity functions (LFs) of galaxies
and AGNs from z=0 to unprecedented high redshifts (z~2-3). The PEP LFs were
computed using the 1/Vmax method. The FIR sources were classified by means of a
detailed broad- band SED-fitting analysis and spectral characterisation. Based
on the best-fit model results, k-correction and total IR (8-1000 um) luminosity
were obtained for each source. LFs (monochromatic and total) were then derived
for various IR populations separately in different redshift bins and compared
to backward evolution model predictions. We detect strong evolution in the LF
to at least z~2. Objects with SEDs similar to local spiral galaxies are the
major contributors to the star formation density (SFD) at z< 0.3, then, as
redshift increases, moderate SF galaxies - most likely containing a
low-luminosity AGN - start dominating up to z ~= 1.5. At >1.5 the SFD is
dominated by the contributions of starburst galaxies. In agreement with
previous findings, the comoving IR LD derived from our data evolves
approximately as (1 + z)^(3.8+/-0.3) up to z~1, there being some evidence of
flattening up to z~2.Comment: Accepted for publication in the A&A Herschel first results Special
Issu
The evolution of the dust temperatures of galaxies in the SFRâMâplane up to z ~ 2
We study the evolution of the dust temperature of galaxies in the SFRâM â plane up to z ⌠2 using far-infrared and submillimetre observations from the Herschel Space Observatory taken as part of the PACS Evolutionary Probe (PEP) and Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES) guaranteed time key programmes. Starting from a sample of galaxies with reliable star-formation rates (SFRs), stellar masses (M â ) and redshift estimates, we grid the SFRâM â parameter space in several redshift ranges and estimate the mean dust temperature (T dust ) of each SFRâM â âz bin. Dust temperatures are inferred using the stacked far-infrared flux densities (100â500ÎŒm) of our SFRâM â âz bins. At all redshifts, the dust temperature of galaxies smoothly increases with rest-frame infrared luminosities (L IR ), specific SFRs (SSFR; i.e., SFR/M â ), and distances with respect to the main sequence (MS) of the SFRâM â plane (i.e., Îlog(SSFR) MS = log[SSFR(galaxy)/SSFR MS (M â ,z)]). The T dust âSSFR and T dust â Îlog(SSFR) MS correlations are statistically much more significant than the T dust âL IR one. While the slopes of these three correlations are redshift-independent, their normalisations evolve smoothly from z = 0 and z ⌠2. We convert these results into a recipe to derive T dust from SFR, M â and z, valid out to z ⌠2 and for the stellar mass and SFR range covered by our stacking analysis. The existence of a strong T dust âÎlog(SSFR) MS correlation provides us with several pieces of information on the dust and gas content of galaxies. Firstly, the slope of the T dust âÎlog(SSFR) MS correlation can be explained by the increase in the star-formation efficiency (SFE; SFR/M gas ) with Îlog(SSFR) MS as found locally by molecular gas studies. Secondly, at fixed Îlog(SSFR) MS , the constant dust temperature observed in galaxies probing wide ranges in SFR and M â can be explained by an increase or decrease in the number of star-forming regions with comparable SFE enclosed in them. And thirdly, at high redshift, the normalisation towards hotter dust temperature of the T dust âÎlog(SSFR) MS correlation can be explained by the decrease in the metallicities of galaxies or by the increase in the SFE of MS galaxies. All these results support the hypothesis that the conditions prevailing in the star-forming regions of MS and far-above-MS galaxies are different. MS galaxies have star-forming regions with low SFEs and thus cold dust, while galaxies situated far above the MS seem to be in a starbursting phase characterised by star-forming regions with high SFEs and thus hot dust
The dust content of high-z submillimeter galaxies revealed by Herschel
We use deep observations taken with the Photodetector Array Camera and
Spectrometer (PACS), on board the Herschel satellite as part of the PACS
evolutionary probe (PEP) guaranteed project along with submm ground-based
observations to measure the dust mass of a sample of high-z submillimeter
galaxies (SMGs). We investigate their dust content relative to their stellar
and gas masses, and compare them with local star-forming galaxies. High-z SMGs
are dust rich, i.e. they have higher dust-to-stellar mass ratios compared to
local spiral galaxies (by a factor of 30) and also compared to local
ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs, by a factor of 6). This indicates that
the large masses of gas typically hosted in SMGs have already been highly
enriched with metals and dust. Indeed, for those SMGs whose gas mass is
measured, we infer dust-to-gas ratios similar or higher than local spirals and
ULIRGs. However, similarly to other strongly star-forming galaxies in the local
Universe and at high-z, SMGs are characterized by gas metalicities lower (by a
factor of a few) than local spirals, as inferred from their optical nebular
lines, which are generally ascribed to infall of metal-poor gas. This is in
contrast with the large dust content inferred from the far-IR and submm data.
In short, the metalicity inferred from the dust mass is much higher (by more
than an order of magnitude) than that inferred from the optical nebular lines.
We discuss the possible explanations of this discrepancy and the possible
implications for the investigation of the metalicity evolution at high-z.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters. One
reference update
The lesser role of starbursts for star formation at z=2
Two main modes of star formation are know to control the growth of galaxies:
a relatively steady one in disk-like galaxies, defining a tight star formation
rate (SFR)-stellar mass sequence, and a starburst mode in outliers to such a
sequence which is generally interpreted as driven by merging. Such starburst
galaxies are rare but have much higher SFRs, and it is of interest to establish
the relative importance of these two modes. PACS/Herschel observations over the
whole COSMOS and GOODS-South fields, in conjunction with previous
optical/near-IR data, have allowed us to accurately quantify for the first time
the relative contribution of the two modes to the global SFR density in the
redshift interval 1.5<z<2.5, i.e., at the cosmic peak of the star formation
activity. The logarithmic distributions of galaxy SFRs at fixed stellar mass
are well described by Gaussians, with starburst galaxies representing only a
relatively minor deviation that becomes apparent for SFRs more than 4 times
higher than on the main sequence. Such starburst galaxies represent only 2% of
mass-selected star forming galaxies and account for only 10% of the cosmic SFR
density at z~2. Only when limited to SFR>1000M(sun)/yr, off-sequence sources
significantly contribute to the SFR density (46+/-20%). We conclude that
merger-driven starbursts play a relatively minor role for the formation of
stars in galaxies, whereas they may represent a critical phase towards the
quenching of star formation and morphological transformation in galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
The AGN content in luminous IR galaxies at z\sim2 from a global SED analysis including Herschel data
We use Herschel-PACS far-infrared data, combined with previous multi-band
information and mid-IR spectra, to properly account for the presence of an
active nucleus and constrain its energetic contribution in luminous infrared
(IR) sources at z\sim2. The sample is composed of 24 sources in the GOODS-South
field, with typical IR luminosity of 10^{12} Lo. Data from the 4 Ms Chandra
X-ray imaging in this field are also used to identify and characterize AGN
emission. We reproduce the observed spectral energy distribution (SED),
decomposed into a host-galaxy and an AGN component. A smooth-torus model for
circum-nuclear dust is used to account for the direct and re-processed
contribution from the AGN. We confirm that galaxies with typical
L_{8-1000um}\sim10^{12}Lo at z\sim2 are powered predominantly by
star-formation. An AGN component is present in nine objects (\sim35% of the
sample) at the 3sigma confidence level, but its contribution to the 8-1000 um
emission accounts for only \sim5% of the energy budget. The AGN contribution
rises to \sim23% over the 5-30 um range (in agreement with Spitzer IRS results)
and to \sim60% over the narrow 2-6 um range. The presence of an AGN is
confirmed by X-ray data for 3 (out of nine) sources, with X-ray spectral
analysis indicating the presence of significant absorption, i.e.
NH\sim10^{23}-10^{24} cm^{-2}. An additional source shows indications of
obscured AGN emission from X-ray data. The comparison between the
mid-IR--derived X-ray luminosities and those obtained from X-ray data suggests
that obscuration is likely present also in the remaining six sources that
harbour an AGN according to the SED-fitting analysis.Comment: 12 pages, including 5 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Connecting stellar mass and star-formation rate to dark matter halo mass out to z ~ 2
We have constructed an extended halo model (EHM) which relates the total
stellar mass and star-formation rate (SFR) to halo mass (M_h). An empirical
relation between the distribution functions of total stellar mass of galaxies
and host halo mass, tuned to match the spatial density of galaxies over 0<z<2
and the clustering properties at z~0, is extended to include two different
scenarios describing the variation of SFR on M_h. We also present new
measurements of the redshift evolution of the average SFR for star-forming
galaxies of different stellar mass up to z=2, using data from the Herschel
Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES) for infrared-bright galaxies.
Combining the EHM with the halo accretion histories from numerical
simulations, we trace the stellar mass growth and star-formation history in
halos spanning a range of masses. We find that: (1) The intensity of the
star-forming activity in halos in the probed mass range has steadily decreased
from z~2 to 0; (2) At a given epoch, halos in the mass range between a few
times 10^{11} M_Sun and a few times 10^{12} M_Sun are the most efficient at
hosting star formation; (3) The peak of SFR density shifts to lower mass halos
over time; (4) Galaxies that are forming stars most actively at z~2 evolve into
quiescent galaxies in today's group environments, strongly supporting previous
claims that the most powerful starbursts at z~2 are progenitors of today's
elliptical galaxies.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
PACS Evolutionary Probe (PEP) - A Herschel Key Program
Deep far-infrared photometric surveys studying galaxy evolution and the
nature of the cosmic infrared background are a key strength of the Herschel
mission. We describe the scientific motivation for the PACS Evolutionary Probe
(PEP) guaranteed time key program and its role in the complement of Herschel
surveys, and the field selection which includes popular multiwavelength fields
such as GOODS, COSMOS, Lockman Hole, ECDFS, EGS. We provide an account of the
observing strategies and data reduction methods used. An overview of first
science results illustrates the potential of PEP in providing calorimetric star
formation rates for high redshift galaxy populations, thus testing and
superseeding previous extrapolations from other wavelengths, and enabling a
wide range of galaxy evolution studies.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A&
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