831 research outputs found
Apparent Clustering of Intermediate-redshift Galaxies as a Probe of Dark Energy
We show the apparent redshift-space clustering of galaxies in redshift range
of 0.2--0.4 provides surprisingly useful constraints on dark energy component
in the universe, because of the right balance between the density of objects
and the survey depth. We apply Fisher matrix analysis to the the Luminous Red
Galaxies (LRGs) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), as a concrete example.
Possible degeneracies in the evolution of the equation of state (EOS) and the
other cosmological parameters are clarified.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Phys.Rev.Lett., replaced with the accepted
versio
The Statistical Approach to Quantifying Galaxy Evolution
Studies of the distribution and evolution of galaxies are of fundamental
importance to modern cosmology; these studies, however, are hampered by the
complexity of the competing effects of spectral and density evolution.
Constructing a spectroscopic sample that is able to unambiguously disentangle
these processes is currently excessively prohibitive due to the observational
requirements. This paper extends and applies an alternative approach that
relies on statistical estimates for both distance (z) and spectral type to a
deep multi-band dataset that was obtained for this exact purpose.
These statistical estimates are extracted directly from the photometric data
by capitalizing on the inherent relationships between flux, redshift, and
spectral type. These relationships are encapsulated in the empirical
photometric redshift relation which we extend to z ~ 1.2, with an intrinsic
dispersion of dz = 0.06. We also develop realistic estimates for the
photometric redshift error for individual objects, and introduce the
utilization of the galaxy ensemble as a tool for quantifying both a
cosmological parameter and its measured error. We present deep, multi-band,
optical number counts as a demonstration of the integrity of our sample. Using
the photometric redshift and the corresponding redshift error, we can divide
our data into different redshift intervals and spectral types. As an example
application, we present the number redshift distribution as a function of
spectral type.Comment: 40 pages (LaTex), 21 Figures, requires aasms4.sty; Accepted by the
Astrophysical Journa
The GALEX UV luminosity function of the cluster of galaxies Abell 1367
We present the GALEX NUV (2310 A) and FUV (1530 A) galaxy luminosity
functions of the nearby cluster of galaxies A1367 in the magnitude range -20.3<
M_AB < -13.3. The luminosity functions are consistent with previous (~ 2 mag
shallower) estimates based on the FOCA and FAUST experiments, but display a
steeper faint-end slope than the GALEX luminosity function for local field
galaxies. Using spectro-photometric optical data we select out star-forming
systems from quiescent galaxies and study their separate contributions to the
cluster luminosity function. We find that the UV luminosity function of cluster
star-forming galaxies is consistent with the field. The difference between the
cluster and field LF is entirely due to the contribution at low luminosities
(M_AB >-16 mag) of non star-forming, early-type galaxies that are significantly
over dense in clusters.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in
Astrophysical Journal Letter
Large-Amplitude Ultraviolet Variations in the RR Lyrae Star ROTSE-I J143753.84+345924.8
The NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) satellite has obtained
simultaneous near and far ultraviolet light curves of the ROTSE-I Catalog RR
Lyrae ab-type variable star J143753.84+345924.8. A series of 38 GALEX Deep
Imaging Survey observations well distributed in phase within the star's
0.56432d period shows an AB=4.9mag variation in the far UV (1350-1750A) band
and an AB=1.8mag variation in the near UV (1750-2750A) band, compared with only
a 0.8mag variation in the broad, unfiltered ROTSE-I (4500-10000A) band. These
GALEX UV observations are the first to reveal a large RR Lyrae amplitude
variation at wavelengths below 1800A. We compare the GALEX and ROTSE-I
observations to predictions made by recent Kurucz stellar atmosphere models. We
use published physical parameters for the comparable period (0.57433d),
well-observed RR Lyrae star WY Antliae to compute predicted FUV, NUV, and
ROTSE-I light curves for J143753.84+345924.8. The observed light curves agree
with the Kurucz predictions for [Fe/H]=-1.25 to within AB=0.2mag in the GALEX
NUV and ROTSE-I bands, and within 0.5mag in the FUV. At all metallicities
between solar and one hundredth solar, the Kurucz models predict 6-8mag of
variation at wavelengths between 1000-1700A. Other variable stars with similar
temperature variations, such as Cepheids, should also have large-amplitude FUV
light curves, observable during the ongoing GALEX imaging surveys.Comment: This paper will be published as part of the Galaxy Evolution Explorer
(GALEX) Astrophysical Journal Letters Special Issue. Links to the full set of
papers will be available at http:/www.galex.caltech.edu/PUBLICATIONS after
November 22, 200
ESO Imaging Survey. The Stellar Catalogue in the Chandra Deep Field South
(abridged) Stellar catalogues in five passbands (UBVRI) over an area of
approximately 0.3 deg^2, comprising about 1200 objects, and in seven passbands
(UBVRIJK) over approximately 0.1 deg^2, comprising about 400 objects, in the
direction of the Chandra Deep Field South are presented.
The 90% completeness level of the number counts is reached at approximately U
= 23.8, B = 24.0, V = 23.5, R = 23.0, I = 21.0, J = 20.5, K = 19.0.
A scheme is presented to select point sources from these catalogues, by
combining the SExtractor parameter CLASS_STAR from all available passbands.
Probable QSOs and unresolved galaxies are identified by using the previously
developed \chi^2-technique (Hatziminaoglou et al 2002), that fits the overall
spectral energy distributions to template spectra and determines the best
fitting template.
The observed number counts, colour-magnitude diagrams, colour-colour diagrams
and colour distributions are presented and, to judge the quality of the data,
compared to simulations based on the predictions of a Galactic Model convolved
with the estimated completeness functions and the error model used to describe
the photometric errors of the data.
The resulting stellar catalogues and the objects identified as likely QSOs
and unresolved galaxies with coordinates, observed magnitudes with errors and
assigned spectral types by the -technique are presented and are
publicly available.Comment: Paper as it will appear in print. Complete figures and tables can be
obtained from: http://www.eso.org/science/eis/eis_pub/eis_pub.html. Astronomy
& Astrophysics, accepted for publicatio
Modeling scale-dependent bias on the baryonic acoustic scale with the statistics of peaks of Gaussian random fields
Models of galaxy and halo clustering commonly assume that the tracers can be
treated as a continuous field locally biased with respect to the underlying
mass distribution. In the peak model pioneered by BBKS, one considers instead
density maxima of the initial, Gaussian mass density field as an approximation
to the formation site of virialized objects. In this paper, the peak model is
extended in two ways to improve its predictive accuracy. Firstly, we derive the
two-point correlation function of initial density peaks up to second order and
demonstrate that a peak-background split approach can be applied to obtain the
k-independent and k-dependent peak bias factors at all orders. Secondly, we
explore the gravitational evolution of the peak correlation function within the
Zel'dovich approximation. We show that the local (Lagrangian) bias approach
emerges as a special case of the peak model, in which all bias parameters are
scale-independent and there is no statistical velocity bias. We apply our
formulae to study how the Lagrangian peak biasing, the diffusion due to large
scale flows and the mode-coupling due to nonlocal interactions affect the scale
dependence of bias from small separations up to the baryon acoustic oscillation
(BAO) scale. For 2-sigma density peaks collapsing at z=0.3, our model predicts
a ~ 5% residual scale-dependent bias around the acoustic scale that arises
mostly from first-order Lagrangian peak biasing (as opposed to second-order
gravity mode-coupling). We also search for a scale dependence of bias in the
large scale auto-correlation of massive halos extracted from a very large
N-body simulation provided by the MICE collaboration. For halos with mass
M>10^{14}Msun/h, our measurements demonstrate a scale-dependent bias across the
BAO feature which is very well reproduced by a prediction based on the peak
model.Comment: (v1): 23 pages text, 8 figures + appendix (v2): typos fixed,
references added, accepted for publication in PR
GALEX UV Spectroscopy and Deep Imaging of LIRGs in the ELAIS S1 field
The ELAIS S1 field was observed by GALEX in both its Wide Spectroscopic and
Deep Imaging Survey modes. This field was previously observed by the Infrared
Space Observatory and we made use of the catalogue of multi-wavelength data
published by the ELAIS consortium to select galaxies common to the two samples.
Among the 959 objects with GALEX spectroscopy, 88 are present in the ELAIS
catalog and 19 are galaxies with an optical spectroscopic redshift. The
distribution of redshifts covers the range . The selected galaxies
have bolometric IR luminosities (deduced from the flux using ISOCAM) which means that we cover a wide range of galaxies from
normal to Ultra Luminous IR Galaxies. The mean () UV luminosity (not
corrected for extinction) amounts to
L_\sun for the low-z () sample. The UV slope (assuming
) correlates with the GALEX FUV-NUV color if
the sample is restricted to galaxies below . Taking advantage of the
UV and IR data, we estimate the dust attenuation from the IR/UV ratio and
compare it to the UV slope . We find that it is not possible to uniquely
estimate the dust attenuation from for our sample of galaxies. These
galaxies are highly extinguished with a median value .
Once the dust correction applied, the UV- and IR-based SFRs correlate. For the
closest galaxy with the best quality spectrum, we see a feature consistent with
being produced by a bump near 220nm in the attenuation curve.Comment: This paper has been published as part of the GALEX ApJL Special Issue
(ApJ 619, L63
UV-optical colors as probes of early-type galaxy evolution
We have studied ∼2100 early-type galaxies in the SDSS DR3 which have been detected by the GALEX Medium Imaging Survey (MIS), in the redshift range O <z <0.1.1. Combining GALEXUV photometry with corollary optical data from the SDSS, we find that, at a 95% confidence level, at least ∼30% of galaxies in this sample have UV to optical colors consistent with some recent star formation within the last Gyr. In particular, galaxies with an NUV - r color less than 5.5 are very likely to have experienced such recent star formation, taking into account the possibility of a contribution to NUV flux from the UV upturn phenomenon. We find quantitative agreement between the observations and the predictions of a semianalytical ACDM hierarchical merger model and deduce that early-type galaxies in the redshift range 0 <z <0.11 have ∼ 1 % -3 % of their stellar mass in stars less than 1 Gyr old. The average age of this recently formed population is ∼300-500 Myr. We also find that "monolithically" evolving galaxies, where recent star formation can be driven solely by recycled gas from stellar mass loss, cannot exhibit the blue colors (NUV - r <5.5) seen in a significant fraction (∼30%) of our observed sample.Peer reviewe
Galaxy Luminosity Functions to z~1: DEEP2 vs. COMBO-17 and Implications for Red Galaxy Formation
The DEEP2 and COMBO-17 surveys are used to study the evolution of the
luminosity function of red and blue galaxies to . Schechter function
fits show that, since , dims by 1.3 mag per unit redshift
for both color classes, of blue galaxies shows little change, while
for red galaxies has formally nearly quadrupled. At face value, the
number density of blue galaxies has remained roughly constant since ,
whereas that of red galaxies has been rising. Luminosity densities support both
conclusions, but we note that most red-galaxy evolution occurs between our data
and local surveys and in our highest redshift bin, where the data are weakest.
We discuss the implications of having most red galaxies emerge after
from precursors among the blue population, taking into account the properties
of local and distant E/S0s. We suggest a ``mixed'' scenario in which some blue
galaxies have their star-formation quenched in gas-rich mergers, migrate to the
red sequence with a variety of masses, and merge further on the red sequence in
one or more purely stellar mergers. E/S0s of a given mass today will have
formed via different routes, in a manner that may help to explain the
fundamental plane and other local scaling laws.Comment: Submitted to ApJ. 73 pages, 12 figures. Part II of a two-paper
series. The entire paper is available as a single postscript file at:
http://www.ucolick.org/~cnaw/paper2_submitted.ps.g
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