Unveiling the gravitationally unstable disc of a massive star-forming galaxy using NOEMA and MUSE

Using new high-resolution data of CO (2-1), H-alpha and H-beta obtained with the Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) and the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) at the Very Large Telescope, we have performed a Toomre-Q disc stability analysis and studied star formation, gas depletion times and other environmental parameters on sub-kpc scales within the z~0 galaxy SDSS J125013.84+073444.5 (LARS 8). The galaxy hosts a massive, clumpy disc and is a proto-typical analogue of main-sequence galaxies at z~1-2. We show that the massive (molecular) clumps in LARS 8 are the result of an extremely gravitationally unstable gas disc, with large scale instabilities found across the whole extent of the rotating disc, with only the innermost 500 pc being stabilized by its bulgelike structure. The radial profiles further reveal that - contrary to typical disc galaxies - the molecular gas depletion time decreases from more than 1 Gyr in the center to less than ~100 Myr in the outskirts of the disc, supporting the findings of a Toomre-unstable disc. We further identified and analysed 12 individual massive molecular clumps. They are virialized and follow the mass-size relation, indicating that on local (cloud/clump) scales the stars form with efficiencies comparable to those in Milky Way clouds. The observed high star formation rate must thus be the result of triggering of cloud/clump formation over large scales due to disc instability. Our study provides evidence that "in-situ" massive clump formation (as also observed at high redshifts) is very efficiently induced by large-scale instabilities.Comment: Submitted to MNRA

Neutral gas properties of high-redshift analog galaxies : 21cm observations of Lyα and LyC-emitting galaxies

Neutral hydrogen (HI) is the most abundant baryonic element and a crucial component of galaxies. In the early universe, the interaction between neutral gas and the light produced by galaxies is thought to have given rise to cosmological reionization. During this last major phase transition of the Universe, the bulk of HI within the intergalactic medium (IGM) was ionized. However, observational constraints limit our understanding of the interplay between the radiation produced by galaxies and their neutral gas, and that of the physical processes that caused this important cosmological period. Another poorly understood mechanism is the one that drives the escape of Lyman-α (Lyα) emission from star-forming galaxies and shapes the line profile of this well-used tracer of galaxies at high redshift. To fully answer these questions, direct observations of the neutral gas content and distribution of Lyα emitters are needed. This thesis presents 21cm observations of the neutral gas reservoirs of rare local galaxies that are analogous to objects in the early universe. We have observed the neutral gas of Haro 11, the closest known ionizing radiation (Lyman Continuum, LyC) leaking galaxy. This 21cm observation was the first to successfully map the neutral gas distribution of a confirmed LyC emitter. We observed a strongly asymmetric neutral gas distribution resulting from a merger event, with the bulk of the HI mass offset from the regions producing LyC radiation in the galaxy. By decreasing the column density of gas on large scales, this HI distribution has facilitated the escape of ionizing radiation from the center of the galaxy to the IGM. We have also observed the neutral gas content and distribution of local Lyα-emitting galaxies on a variety of angular scales. We mapped the neutral gas at scales that can be compared to those characterizing Lyα emission in two galaxies, and supplemented the data with integral field spectroscopic observations tracing ionized gas and dust. Additionally, we reduced low angular resolution 21cm observations of 37 galaxies in the Lyman Alpha Reference Samples. We found clear evidence of interaction in most of the galaxies in the samples (~60%), indicating that mergers play an important role in the Lyα escape from galaxies. We found that global HI properties did not correlate well with any metric quantifying Lyα emission, although different classes of Lyα-emitters were distributed differently around HI scaling relations. This indicates that star-forming galaxies with low neutral gas content have a higher chance of emitting strongly in Lyα, but ultimately, neutral gas regulates the escape of Lyα emission on small scales. 21cm studies of both Lyα and LyC emitters conducted in this thesis have demonstrated that galaxy interactions play an important role in the escape of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from local galaxies. By perturbing the neutral gas content of galaxies and enhancing their star formation rate, these interactions are interesting mechanisms that facilitate the escape of UV radiation. According to cosmological models, galaxy mergers occurred more frequently in the early universe. Assessing the contribution of environment and galaxy interactions at high redshift will be essential to fully understand the first billion years of our universe

Neutral gas properties of high-redshift analog galaxies : 21cm observations of Lyα and LyC-emitting galaxies

Neutral hydrogen (HI) is the most abundant baryonic element and a crucial component of galaxies. In the early universe, the interaction between neutral gas and the light produced by galaxies is thought to have given rise to cosmological reionization. During this last major phase transition of the Universe, the bulk of HI within the intergalactic medium (IGM) was ionized. However, observational constraints limit our understanding of the interplay between the radiation produced by galaxies and their neutral gas, and that of the physical processes that caused this important cosmological period. Another poorly understood mechanism is the one that drives the escape of Lyman-α (Lyα) emission from star-forming galaxies and shapes the line profile of this well-used tracer of galaxies at high redshift. To fully answer these questions, direct observations of the neutral gas content and distribution of Lyα emitters are needed. This thesis presents 21cm observations of the neutral gas reservoirs of rare local galaxies that are analogous to objects in the early universe. We have observed the neutral gas of Haro 11, the closest known ionizing radiation (Lyman Continuum, LyC) leaking galaxy. This 21cm observation was the first to successfully map the neutral gas distribution of a confirmed LyC emitter. We observed a strongly asymmetric neutral gas distribution resulting from a merger event, with the bulk of the HI mass offset from the regions producing LyC radiation in the galaxy. By decreasing the column density of gas on large scales, this HI distribution has facilitated the escape of ionizing radiation from the center of the galaxy to the IGM. We have also observed the neutral gas content and distribution of local Lyα-emitting galaxies on a variety of angular scales. We mapped the neutral gas at scales that can be compared to those characterizing Lyα emission in two galaxies, and supplemented the data with integral field spectroscopic observations tracing ionized gas and dust. Additionally, we reduced low angular resolution 21cm observations of 37 galaxies in the Lyman Alpha Reference Samples. We found clear evidence of interaction in most of the galaxies in the samples (~60%), indicating that mergers play an important role in the Lyα escape from galaxies. We found that global HI properties did not correlate well with any metric quantifying Lyα emission, although different classes of Lyα-emitters were distributed differently around HI scaling relations. This indicates that star-forming galaxies with low neutral gas content have a higher chance of emitting strongly in Lyα, but ultimately, neutral gas regulates the escape of Lyα emission on small scales. 21cm studies of both Lyα and LyC emitters conducted in this thesis have demonstrated that galaxy interactions play an important role in the escape of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from local galaxies. By perturbing the neutral gas content of galaxies and enhancing their star formation rate, these interactions are interesting mechanisms that facilitate the escape of UV radiation. According to cosmological models, galaxy mergers occurred more frequently in the early universe. Assessing the contribution of environment and galaxy interactions at high redshift will be essential to fully understand the first billion years of our universe

LARS XIII: High Angular Resolution 21 cm H I Observations of Lyα Emitting Galaxies

International audienceThe Lyα emission line is one of the main observables of galaxies at high redshift, but its output depends strongly on the neutral gas distribution and kinematics around the star-forming regions where UV photons are produced. We present observations of Lyα and 21 cm H I emission at comparable scales with the goal to qualitatively investigate how the neutral interstellar medium (ISM) properties impact Lyα transfer in galaxies. We have observed 21 cm H I at the highest possible angular resolution (≍3″ beam) with the Very Large Array in two local galaxies from the Lyman Alpha Reference Sample. We compare these data with Hubble Space Telescope Lyα imaging and spectroscopy, and Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer and Potsdam MultiAperture Spectrophotometer ionized gas observations. In LARS08, high-intensity Lyα emission is cospatial with high column density H I where the dust content is the lowest. The Lyα line is strongly redshifted, consistent with a velocity redistribution that allows Lyα escape from a high column density neutral medium with a low dust content. In eLARS01, high-intensity Lyα emission is located in regions of low column density H I, below the H I data sensitivity limit ( 20 cm-2). The perturbed ISM distribution with low column density gas in front of the Lyα emission region plays an important role in the escape. In both galaxies, the faint Lyα emission (~1×10-16 erg s-1cm-2 arcsec-2) traces intermediate Hα emission regions where H I is found, regardless of the dust content. Dust seems to modulate, but not prevent, the formation of a faint Lyα halo. This study suggests the existence of scaling relations between dust, Hα, H I, and Lyα emission in galaxies