4,023 research outputs found
[OII] emitters in the GOODS field at z~1.85: a homogeneous measure of evolving star formation
We present the results of a deep, near-infrared, narrow band imaging survey
at a central wavelength of 1.062 microns (FWHM=0.01 microns) in the GOODS-South
field using the ESO VLT instrument, HAWK-I. The data are used to carry out the
highest redshift search for [OII]3727 emission line galaxies to date. The
images reach an emission line flux limit (5 sigma) of 1.5 x 10^-17 erg cm^-2
s^-1, additionally making the survey the deepest of its kind at high redshift.
In this paper we identify a sample of [OII]3727 emission line objects at
redshift z~1.85 in a co-moving volume of ~4100 Mpc^3. Objects are selected
using an observed equivalent width (EW_obs) threshold of EW_obs = 50 angstroms.
The sample is used to derive the space density and constrain the luminosity
function of [OII] emitters at z=1.85. We find that the space density of objects
with observed [OII] luminosities in the range log(L_[OII]) > 41.74 erg s^-1 is
log(rho)=-2.45+/-0.14 Mpc^-3, a factor of 2 greater than the observed space
density of [OII] emitters reported at z~1.4. After accounting for completeness
and assuming an internal extinction correction of A_Halpha=1 mag (equivalent to
A_[OII]=1.87), we report a star formation rate density of rho* ~0.38+/-0.06
Msun yr^-1 Mpc^-3. We independently derive the dust extinction of the sample
using 24 micron fluxes and find a mean extinction of A_[OII]=0.98+/-0.11
magnitudes (A_Halpha=0.52). This is significantly lower than the A_Halpha=1
(A[OII]=1.86) mag value widely used in the literature. Finally we incorporate
this improved extinction correction into the star formation rate density
measurement and report rho*~0.24+/-0.06 Msun yr^-1 Mpc^-3.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
VEGAS: a VST Early-type GAlaxy Survey. IV. NGC 1533, IC 2038 and IC 2039: an interacting triplet in the Dorado group
This paper focuses on NGC 1533 and the pair IC 2038 and IC 2039 in Dorado a
nearby, clumpy, still un-virialized group. We obtained their surface photometry
from deep OmegaCAM@ESO-VST images in g and r bands. For NGC 1533, we map the
surface brightness down to mag/arcsec and mag/arcsec and out to about . At such faint levels
the structure of NGC 1533 appear amazingly disturbed with clear structural
asymmetry between inner and outer isophotes in the North-East direction. We
detect new spiral arm-like tails in the outskirts, which might likely be the
signature of a past interaction/merging event. Similarly, IC 2038 and IC 2039
show tails and distortions indicative of their ongoing interaction. Taking
advantages of deep images, we are able to detect the optical counterpart to the
HI gas. The analysis of the new deep data suggests that NGC 1533 had a complex
history made of several interactions with low-mass satellites that generated
the star-forming spiral-like structure in the inner regions and are shaping the
stellar envelope. In addition, the VST observations show that also the two less
luminous galaxies, IC 2038 and IC 2039, are probably interacting each-other
and, in the past, IC 2038 could have also interacted with NGC 1533, which
stripped away gas and stars from its outskirts. The new picture emerging from
this study is of an interacting triplet, where the brightest galaxy NGC 1533
has ongoing mass assembly in the outskirts.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal. High-resolution
version of paper is available at the following link:
https://www.dropbox.com/preview/VEGAS_IV.pdf?role=persona
A Gaseous Group with Unusual Remote Star Formation
We present VLA 21-cm observations of the spiral galaxy ESO 481-G017 to
determine the nature of remote star formation traced by an HII region found 43
kpc and ~800 km s^-1 from the galaxy center (in projection). ESO 481-G017 is
found to have a 120 kpc HI disk with a mass of 1.2x10^10 Msun and UV GALEX
images reveal spiral arms extending into the gaseous disk. Two dwarf galaxies
with HI masses close to 10^8 Msun are detected at distances of ~200 kpc from
ESO 481-G017 and a HI cloud with a mass of 6x10^7 Msun is found near the
position and velocity of the remote HII region. The HII region is somewhat
offset from the HI cloud spatially and there is no link to ESO 481-G017 or the
dwarf galaxies. We consider several scenarios for the origin of the cloud and
HII region and find the most likely is a dwarf galaxy that is undergoing ram
pressure stripping. The HI mass of the cloud and Halpha luminosity of the HII
region (10^38.1 erg s^-1) are consistent with dwarf galaxy properties, and the
stripping can trigger the star formation as well as push the gas away from the
stars.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures, accepted by PAS
The spin temperature of high-redshift damped Lyman- systems
We report results from a programme aimed at investigating the temperature of
neutral gas in high-redshift damped Lyman- absorbers (DLAs). This
involved (1) HI 21cm absorption studies of a large DLA sample, (2) VLBI studies
to measure the low-frequency quasar core fractions, and (3) optical/ultraviolet
spectroscopy to determine DLA metallicities and velocity widths.
Including literature data, our sample consists of 37 DLAs with estimates of
the spin temperature and the covering factor. We find a strong )
difference between the distributions in high-z (z>2.4) and low-z (z<2.4)
DLA samples. The high-z sample contains more systems with high values,
K. The distributions in DLAs and the Galaxy are also
clearly (~) different, with more high- sightlines in DLAs than in
the Milky Way. The high values in the high-z DLAs of our sample arise due
to low fractions of the cold neutral medium.
For 29 DLAs with metallicity [Z/H] estimates, we confirm the presence of an
anti-correlation between and [Z/H], at significance via a
non-parametric Kendall-tau test. This result was obtained with the assumption
that the DLA covering factor is equal to the core fraction. Monte Carlo
simulations show that the significance of the result is only marginally
decreased if the covering factor and the core fraction are uncorrelated, or if
there is a random error in the inferred covering factor.
We also find evidence for redshift evolution in DLA values even for the
z>1 sub-sample. Since z>1 DLAs have angular diameter distances comparable to or
larger than those of the background quasars, they have similar efficiency in
covering the quasars. Low covering factors in high-z DLAs thus cannot account
for the observed redshift evolution in spin temperatures. (Abstract abridged.)Comment: 37 pages, 22 figures. Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Societ
Quadrupole moments of rotating neutron stars
Numerical models of rotating neutron stars are constructed for four equations
of state using the computer code RNS written by Stergioulas. For five selected
values of the star's gravitational mass (in the interval between 1.0 and 1.8
solar masses) and for each equation of state, the star's angular momentum is
varied from J=0 to the Keplerian limit J=J_{max}. For each neutron-star
configuration we compute Q, the quadrupole moment of the mass distribution. We
show that for given values of M and J, |Q| increases with the stiffness of the
equation of state. For fixed mass and equation of state, the dependence on J is
well reproduced with a simple quadratic fit, Q \simeq - aJ^2/M c^2, where c is
the speed of light, and a is a parameter of order unity depending on the mass
and the equation of state.Comment: ReVTeX, 7 pages, 5 figures, additional material, and references adde
Isolated OB Associations in Stripped HI Gas Clouds
HST ACS/HRC images in UV (F250W), V (F555W), and I (F814W) resolve three
isolated OB associations that lie up to 30 kpc from the stellar disk of the S0
galaxy NGC 1533. Previous narrow-band Halpha imaging and optical spectroscopy
showed these objects as unresolved intergalactic HII regions having Halpha
luminosities consistent with single early-type O stars. These young stars lie
in stripped HI gas with column densities ranging from 1.5 - 2.5 * 10^20 cm^-2
and velocity dispersions near 30 km s^-1. Using the HST broadband colors and
magnitudes along with previously-determined Halpha luminosities, we place
limits on the masses and ages of each association, considering the importance
of stochastic effects for faint (M_V >-8) stellar populations. The upper limits
to their stellar masses range from 600 M_sun to 7000 M_sun, and ages range from
2 - 6 Myrs. This analysis includes an updated calculation of the conversion
factor between the ionizing luminosity and the total number of main sequence O
stars contained within an HII region. The photometric properties and sizes of
the isolated associations and other objects in the HRC fields are consistent
with those of Galactic stellar associations, open clusters and/or single O and
B stars. We interpret the age-size sequence of associations and clustered field
objects as an indication that these isolated associations are most likely
rapidly dispersing. Furthermore, we consider the possibility that these
isolated associations represent the first generation of stars in the HI ring
surrounding NGC 1533. This work suggests star formation in the unique
environment of a galaxy's outermost gaseous regions proceeds similarly to that
within the Galactic disk and that star formation in tidal debris may be
responsible for building up a younger halo component.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, 6 tables; accepted for publication in Ap
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