2,141 research outputs found
Star-forming Galaxies in the 'Redshift Desert'
We describe results of optical and near-IR observations of a large
spectroscopic sample of star-forming galaxies photometrically-selected to lie
in the redshift range 1.4 < z < 2.5, often called the ``redshift desert''
because of historical difficulty in obtaining spectroscopic redshifts in this
range. We show that the former ``redshift desert'' is now very much open to
observation.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of the ESO/USM/MPE
Workshop on "Multiwavelength Mapping of Galaxy Formation and Evolution", eds.
R. Bender and A. Renzin
The Origin of [O II] Emission in Recently Quenched Active Galaxy Nucleus Hosts
We have employed emission-line diagnostics derived from DEIMOS and NIRSPEC spectroscopy to determine the origin of the [O II] emission line observed in six active galactic nucleus (AGN) hosts at z ~ 0.9. These galaxies are a subsample of AGN hosts detected in the Cl1604 supercluster that exhibit strong Balmer absorption lines in their spectra and appear to be in a post-starburst or post-quenched phase, if not for their [O II] emission. Examining the flux ratio of the [N II] to Hα lines, we find that in five of the six hosts the dominant source of ionizing flux is AGN continuum emission. Furthermore, we find that four of the six galaxies have over twice the [O II] line luminosity that could be generated by star formation alone given their Hα line luminosities. This strongly suggests that AGN-excited narrow-line emission is contaminating the [O II] line flux. A comparison of star formation rates calculated from extinction-corrected [O II] and Hα line luminosities indicates that the former yields a five-fold overestimate of the current activity in these galaxies. Our findings reveal the [O II] line to be a poor indicator of star formation activity in a majority of these moderate-luminosity Seyferts. This result bolsters our previous findings that an increased fraction of AGN at high redshifts is hosted by galaxies in a post-starburst phase. The relatively high fraction of AGN hosts in the Cl1604 supercluster that show signs of recently truncated star formation activity may suggest that AGN feedback plays an increasingly important role in suppressing ongoing activity in large-scale structures at high redshift
The nonlinear Bernstein-Schr\"odinger equation in Economics
In this paper we relate the Equilibrium Assignment Problem (EAP), which is
underlying in several economics models, to a system of nonlinear equations that
we call the "nonlinear Bernstein-Schr\"odinger system", which is well-known in
the linear case, but whose nonlinear extension does not seem to have been
studied. We apply this connection to derive an existence result for the EAP,
and an efficient computational method.Comment: 8 pages, submitted to Lecture Notes in Computer Scienc
Matching structure and bargaining outcomes in buyer–seller networks
We examine the relationship between the matching structure of a bipartite (buyer-seller) network and the (expected) shares of the unit surplus that each connected pair in this network can create. We show that in different bargaining environments, these shares are closely related to the Gallai-Edmonds Structure Theorem. This theorem characterizes the structure of maximum matchings in an undirected graph. We show that the relationship between the (expected) shares and the tructure Theorem is not an artefact of a particular bargaining mechanism or trade centralization. However, this relationship does not necessarily generalize to non-bipartite networks or to networks with heterogeneous link values
The Morphologies of the Small Magellanic Cloud
We compare the distribution of stars of different spectral types, and hence
mean age, within the central SMC and find that the asymmetric structures are
almost exclusively composed of young main sequence stars. Because of the
relative lack of older stars in these features, and the extremely regular
distribution of red giant and clump stars in the SMC central body, we conclude
that tides alone are not responsible for the irregular appearance of the
central SMC. The dominant physical mechanism in determining the current-day
appearance of the SMC must be star formation triggered by a hydrodynamic
interaction between gaseous components. These results extend the results of
population studies (cf. Gardiner and Hatzidimitriou) inward in radius and also
confirm the suggestion of the spheroidal nature of the central SMC based on
kinematic arguments (Dopita et al; Hardy, Suntzeff & Azzopardi). Finally, we
find no evidence in the underlying older stellar population for a ``bar'' or
``outer arm'', again supporting our classification of the central SMC as a
spheroidal body with highly irregular recent star formation.Comment: 8 pages, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters (higher quality
figures available at http://ngala.as.arizona.edu/dennis/mcsurvey.html
The Rest-Frame Optical Properties of z~3 Galaxies
We present the results of a near-infrared imaging survey of z~3 Lyman Break
Galaxies (LBGs). The survey covers a total of 30 arcmin^2 and includes 118
photometrically selected LBGs with K_s band measurements, 63 of which also have
J band measurements, and 81 of which have spectroscopic redshifts. Using the
distribution of optical {\cal R} magnitudes from previous work and {\cal R}-K_s
colors for this sub-sample, we compute the rest-frame optical luminosity
function of LBGs. At the brightest magnitudes, where it is fairly well
constrained, this luminosity function strikingly exceeds locally determined
optical luminosity functions. The V-band luminosity density of only the
observed bright end of the z~3 LBG luminosity function already approaches that
of all stars in the local universe. For the 81 galaxies with measured
redshifts, we investigate the range of LBG stellar populations implied by the
photometry which generally spans the range 900--5500 AA in the rest-frame.
While there are only weak constraints on the parameters for most of the
individual galaxies, there are strong trends in the sample as a whole. A
unified scenario which accounts for the observed trends in bright LBGs is one
in which a relatively short period of very rapid star-formation (hundreds of
M_sun/yr) lasts for roughly 50--100 Myr, after which both the extinction and
star-formation rate are considerably reduced and stars are formed at a more
quiescent, but still rapid, rate for at least a few hundred Myr. In our sample,
a considerable fraction (~20%) of the LBGs have best-fit star-formation ages ~>
1 Gyr, implied stellar masses of ~> 10^10 M_sun, and are still forming stars at
\~30 M_sun/yr.Comment: 61 pages including 19 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
Rest-Frame Ultraviolet Spectra of z~3 Lyman Break Galaxies
We present the results of a systematic study of the rest-frame UV
spectroscopic properties of Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs). The database of almost
1000 LBG spectra proves useful for constructing high S/N composite spectra. The
composite spectrum of the entire sample reveals a wealth of features
attributable to hot stars, HII regions, dust, and outflowing neutral and
ionized gas. By grouping the database according to galaxy parameters such as
Lyman-alpha equivalent width, UV spectral slope, and interstellar kinematics,
we isolate some of the major trends in LBG spectra which are least compromised
by selection effects. We find that LBGs with stronger Lyman-alpha emission have
bluer UV continua, weaker low-ionization interstellar absorption lines, smaller
kinematic offsets between Lyman-alpha and the interstellar absorption lines,
and lower star-formation rates. There is a decoupling between the dependence of
low- and high-ionization outflow features on other spectral properties. Most of
the above trends can be explained in terms of the properties of the large-scale
outflows seen in LBGs. According to this scenario, the appearance of LBG
spectra is determined by a combination of the covering fraction of outflowing
neutral gas which contains dust, and the range of velocities over which this
gas is absorbing. Higher sensitivity and spectral resolution observations are
still required for a full understanding of the covering fraction and velocity
dispersion of the outflowing neutral gas in LBGs, and its relationship to the
escape fraction of Lyman continuum radiation in galaxies at z~3.Comment: 28 pages including 17 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
Testing metallicity indicators at z~1.4 with the gravitationally lensed galaxy CASSOWARY 20
We present X-shooter observations of CASSOWARY 20 (CSWA 20), a star-forming
(SFR ~6 Msol/yr) galaxy at z=1.433, magnified by a factor of 11.5 by the
gravitational lensing produced by a massive foreground galaxy at z=0.741. We
analysed the integrated physical properties of the HII regions of CSWA 20 using
temperature- and density-sensitive emission lines. We find the abundance of
oxygen to be ~1/7 of solar, while carbon is ~50 times less abundant than in the
Sun. The unusually low C/O ratio may be an indication of a particularly rapid
timescale of chemical enrichment. The wide wavelength coverage of X-shooter
gives us access to five different methods for determining the metallicity of
CSWA 20, three based on emission lines from HII regions and two on absorption
features formed in the atmospheres of massive stars. All five estimates are in
agreement, within the factor of ~2 uncertainty of each method. The interstellar
medium of CSWA 20 only partially covers the star-forming region as viewed from
our direction; in particular, absorption lines from neutrals and first ions are
exceptionally weak. We find evidence for large-scale outflows of the
interstellar medium (ISM) with speeds of up 750 km/s, similar to the values
measured in other high-z galaxies sustaining much higher rates of star
formation.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
3D Lya radiation transfer. II. Fitting the Lyman break galaxy MS 1512-cB58 and implications for Lya emission in high-z starbursts
Using our 3D Lya radiation transfer code, we compute the radiation transfer
of Lya and UV continuum photons including dust. Observational constraints on
the neutral gas (column density, kinematics, etc.) are taken from other
analysis of this object. RESULTS: The observed Lya profile of MS 1512--cB58 is
reproduced for the first time taking radiation transfer and all observational
constraints into account. The observed absorption profile is found to result
naturally from the observed amount of dust and the relatively high HI column
density. Radiation transfer effects and suppresion by dust transform a strong
intrinsic Lya emission with EW(Lya)>~ 60 Ang into the observed faint superposed
Lya emission peak. We propose that the vast majority of LBGs have intrinsically
EW(Lya)~60-80 Ang or larger, and that the main physical parameter responsible
for the observed variety of Lya strengths and profiles in LBGs is N_H and the
accompanying variation of the dust content. Observed EW(Lya) distributions, Lya
luminosity functions, and related quantities must therefore be corrected for
radiation transfer and dust effects. The implications from our scenario on the
duty-cycle of Lya emitters are also discussed.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
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