63 research outputs found
Why Are Ring Galaxies Interesting?
Compared with ordinary spirals, the ISM in ring galaxies experiences markedly
different physical conditions and evolution. As a result, ring galaxies provide
interesting perspectives on the triggering/quenching of large scale star
formation and the destructive effects of massive stars on molecular cloud
complexes. We use high resolution radio, sub-millimeter, infrared, and optical
data to investigate the role of gravitational stability in star formation
regulation, factors influencing the ISM's molecular fraction, and evidence of
peculiar star formation laws and efficiencies in two highly evolved ring
galaxies: Cartwheel and the Lindsay-Shapley ring.Comment: 6 pages with 4 figures (2 color). To appear in the conference
proceedings for "Galaxy Wars: Stellar Populations and Star Formation in
Interacting Galaxies"
Molecular Gas and Star Formation in the Cartwheel
Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 12CO(J=1-0) observations
are used to study the cold molecular ISM of the Cartwheel ring galaxy and its
relation to HI and massive star formation (SF). CO moment maps find
M of H associated with the inner ring
(72%) and nucleus (28%) for a Galactic I(CO)-to-N(H2) conversion factor
(). The spokes and disk are not detected. Analysis of the
inner ring's CO kinematics show it to be expanding ( km
s) implying an Myr age. Stack averaging reveals CO emission
in the starburst outer ring for the first time, but only where HI surface
density () is high, representing M for a metallicity appropriate
, giving small ( M
pc), molecular fraction (), and H depletion
timescales ( Myr). Elsewhere in the outer ring
M pc,
and Myr (all ). The inner ring and
nucleus are H-dominated and are consistent with local spiral SF laws.
in the outer ring appears independent of ,
or . The ISM's long confinement in the
robustly star forming rings of the Cartwheel and AM0644-741 may result in
either a large diffuse H component or an abundance of CO-faint low column
density molecular clouds. The H content of evolved starburst rings may
therefore be substantially larger. Due to its lower and age
the Cartwheel's inner ring has yet to reach this state. Alternately, the outer
ring may trigger efficient SF in an HI-dominated ISM.Comment: 10-pages text; 5-figure
Molecular Gas and Star Formation in the Cartwheel
Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 12CO(J = 1â0) observations are used to study the cold molecular ISM of the Cartwheel ring galaxy and its relation to H i and massive star formation (SF). CO moment maps find (2.69 ± 0.05) Ă 109 Mâ of H2 associated with the inner ring (72%) and nucleus (28%) for a Galactic ICO-to- conversion factor (αCO). The spokes and disk are not detected. Analysis of the inner ring\u27s CO kinematics shows it to be expanding (Vexp = 68.9 ± 4.9 km sâ1), implying an â70 Myr age. Stack averaging reveals CO emission in the starburst outer ring for the first time, but only where H i surface density (ÎŁH i) is high, representing Mâ for a metallicity-appropriate αCO, giving small (3.7 Mâ pcâ2), molecular fraction (fmol = 0.10), and H2 depletion timescales (Ïmol â 50â600 Myr). Elsewhere in the outer ring Mâ pcâ2, fmol 0.1 and Ïmol 140â540 Myr (all 3Ï). The inner ring and nucleus are H2 dominated and are consistent with local spiral SF laws. ÎŁSFR in the outer ring appears independent of ÎŁH i, or The ISM\u27s long confinement in the robustly star-forming rings of the Cartwheel and AM0644-741 may result in either a large diffuse H2 component or an abundance of CO-faint low column density molecular clouds. The H2 content of evolved starburst rings may therefore be substantially larger. Due to its lower ÎŁSFR and age, the Cartwheel\u27s inner ring has yet to reach this state. Alternately, the outer ring may trigger efficient SF in a H i-dominated ISM
Detection of [O III] at z~3: A Galaxy above the Main Sequence, Rapidly Assembling its Stellar Mass
We detect bright emission in the far infrared fine structure [O III] 88m
line from a strong lensing candidate galaxy, H-ATLAS J113526.3-014605,
hereafter G12v2.43, at z=3.127, using the generation Redshift (z)
and Early Universe Spectrometer (ZEUS-2) at the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment
Telescope (APEX). This is only the fifth detection of this far-IR line from a
sub-millimeter galaxy at the epoch of galaxy assembly. The observed [O III]
luminosity of likely
arises from HII regions around massive stars, and the amount of Lyman continuum
photons required to support the ionization indicate the presence of
equivalent O5.5 or higher stars;
where would be the lensing magnification factor. The observed line
luminosity also requires a minimum mass of in ionized gas, that is
of the estimated total molecular gas mass of
. We compile multi-band
photometry tracing rest-frame UV to millimeter continuum emission to further
constrain the properties of this dusty high redshift star-forming galaxy. Via
SED modeling we find G12v2.43 is forming stars at a rate of 916
and already has a stellar
mass of . We also
constrain the age of the current starburst to be 5 million years,
making G12v2.43 a gas rich galaxy lying above the star-forming main sequence at
z3, undergoing a growth spurt and, could be on the main sequence within
the derived gas depletion timescale of 66 million years.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical
Journa
Spitzer Mid-infrared Upper Limits on Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars 1E 1048.1-5937, 1RXS J170849-400910, and XTE J1810-197
We report on mid-infrared imaging observations of the anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) 1E 1048.1-5937, 1RXS J170849-400910, and XTE J1810-197. The observations were carried out at 4.5 and 8.0 microns with the Infrared Array Camera and at 24 microns with the Multiband Imaging Photometer on the Spitzer Space Telescope. No mid-infrared counterparts were detected. As infrared emission from AXPs may be related to their X-ray emission either via the magnetosphere or via a dust disk, we compare the derived upper limits on the infrared/X-ray flux ratios of the AXPs to the same ratio for 4U 0142+61, an AXP previously detected in the mid-infrared range. The comparison indicates that our three non-detections are consistent with their relatively low X-ray fluxes. For XTE J1810-197, our upper limits set a constraint on its rising radio/millimeter energy spectrum, suggesting a spectral break between 1.5--6 Hz
Radio and Infrared Selected Optically Invisible Sources in the Boötes NDWFS
We have combined data from the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey in Bošotes and the Spitzer Space Telescope to determine basic properties for sixteen optically âinvisibleâ MIPS 24 ”m (OIMS) and thirty-five optically âinvisibleâ radio (OIRS) sources, including their spectral energy distributions (SED) and luminosities. Most OIMSs possess steep power-law SEDs over λrest = 1 â 10 ”m, indicating the presence of obscured AGN in agreement with Spitzer spectroscopy. These objects are extremely luminous at rest-frame near and mid-IR (ÎœLÎœ(5 ”m) â 1038 â 1039 W), consistent with accretion near the Eddington limit and further implying that they host buried QSOs. The majority of the IRAC detected OIRSs have flat 3.6 to 24 ”m SEDs, implying comparable emission from stellar photospheres and hot AGN illuminated dust. This may reflect relatively small amounts of dust close to the central engine or current low mass accretion rates. A small subset of OIRSs appear to be starburst dominated with photometric redshifts from 1.0 to 4.5. The OIMSs and OIRSs with significant starburst components have similar LK and stellar masses (Mâ â 1011 Mâ) assuming minimal AGN contribution. Roughly half of the OIRSs are not detected by Spitzerâs IRAC or MIPS. These are most likely z & 2 radio galaxies. The IRAC detected OIRSs are more likely than OIMSs to appear non point-like in the 3.6 ”m and 4.5 ”m images, suggesting that interactions play a role in triggering their activity. The AGN powered OIMSs may represent sub-millimeter galaxies making the transition from starburst to accretion dominance in their evolution to current epoch massive ellipticals
The 1<z<5 Infrared Luminosity Function of Type I Quasars
We determine the rest-frame 8 micron luminosity function of type I quasars
over the redshift range 1<z<5. Our sample consists of 292 24 micron sources
brighter than 1 mJy selected from 7.17 square degrees of the Spitzer Space
Telescope MIPS survey of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey Bootes field. The AGN
and Galaxy Evolution Survey (AGES) has measured redshifts for 270 of the R<21.7
sources and we estimate that the contamination of the remaining 22 sources by
stars and galaxies is low. We are able to select quasars missed by ultra-violet
excess quasar surveys, including reddened type I quasars and 2.2<z<3.0 quasars
with optical colors similar to main sequence stars. We find reddened type I
quasars comprise 20% of the type I quasar population. Nonetheless, the shape,
normalization, and evolution of the rest-frame 8 micron luminosity function is
comparable to that of quasars selected from optical surveys. The 8 micron
luminosity function of type I quasars is well approximated by a power-law with
index -2.75(+/-0.14). We directly measure the peak of the quasar space density
to be at z=2.6(+/-0.3).Comment: Accepted for publication in the ApJ, 19 pages, 12 figure
A Significant Population of Very Luminous Dust-Obscured Galaxies at Redshift z ~ 2
Observations with Spitzer Space Telescope have recently revealed a
significant population of high-redshift z~2 dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) with
large mid-IR to UV luminosity ratios. These galaxies have been missed in
traditional optical studies of the distant universe. We present a simple method
for selecting this high-z population based solely on the ratio of the observed
mid-IR 24um to optical R-band flux density. In the 8.6 sq.deg Bootes NDWFS
Field, we uncover ~2,600 DOG candidates (= 0.089/sq.arcmin) with 24um flux
densities F24>0.3mJy and (R-[24])>14 (i.e., F[24]/F[R] > 1000). These galaxies
have no counterparts in the local universe, and become a larger fraction of the
population at fainter F24, representing 13% of the sources at 0.3~mJy. DOGs
exhibit evidence of both star-formation and AGN activity, with the brighter
24um sources being more AGN- dominated. We have measured spectroscopic
redshifts for 86 DOGs, and find a broad z distribution centered at ~2.0.
Their space density is 2.82E-5 per cubic Mpc, similar to that of bright
sub-mm-selected galaxies at z~2. These redshifts imply very large luminosities
LIR>~1E12-14 Lsun. DOGs contribute ~45-100% of the IR luminosity density
contributed by all z~2 ULIRGs, suggesting that our simple selection criterion
identifies the bulk of z~2 ULIRGs. DOGs may be the progenitors of ~4L*
present-day galaxies seen undergoing a luminous,short- lived phase of bulge and
black hole growth. They may represent a brief evolution phase between SMGs and
less obscured quasars or galaxies. [Abridged]Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
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