Mergers, Active Galactic Nuclei and Normal Galaxies: Contributions to the Distribution of Star Formation Rates and Infrared Luminosity Functions

We use a novel method to predict the contribution of normal star-forming galaxies, merger-induced bursts and obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN), to infrared luminosity functions (LFs) and global star formation rate (SFR) densities. We use empirical halo occupation constraints to populate haloes with galaxies and determine the distribution of normal and merging galaxies. Each system can then be associated with high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations. We predict the distribution of observed luminosities and SFRs, from different galaxy classes, as a function of redshift from z= 0 to 6. We provide fitting functions for the predicted LFs, quantify the uncertainties, and compare with observations. At all redshifts, ‘normal’ galaxies dominate the LF at moderate luminosities ∼L* (the ‘knee’). Merger-induced bursts increasingly dominate at L≫L*; at the most extreme luminosities, AGN are important. However, all populations increase in luminosity at higher redshifts, owing to increasing gas fractions. Thus, the ‘transition luminosity’ between normal and merger-dominated sources increases from the luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG)–ultraluminous infrared galaxy threshold at z∼ 0 to bright Hyper-LIRG thresholds at z∼ 2. The transition to dominance by obscured AGN evolves similarly, at factor of several higher LIR. At all redshifts, non-merging systems dominate the total luminosity/SFR density, with merger-induced bursts constituting ∼5–10 per cent and AGN ∼1–5 per cent. Bursts contribute little to scatter in the SFR–stellar mass relation. In fact, many systems identified as ‘ongoing’ mergers will be forming stars in their ‘normal’ (non-burst) mode. Counting this as ‘merger-induced’ star formation leads to a stronger apparent redshift evolution in the contribution of mergers to the SFR density. We quantify how the evolution in LFs depends on evolution in galaxy gas fractions, merger rates, and possible evolution in the Schmidt–Kennicutt relation. We discuss areas where more detailed study, with full radiative transfer treatment of complex three-dimensional clumpy geometries in mixed AGN–star-forming systems, is necessary

Cosmological Simulations of the Preheating Scenario for Galaxy Cluster Formation: Comparison to Analytic Models and Observations

We perform a set of non--radiative cosmological simulations of a preheated intracluster medium in which the entropy of the gas was uniformly boosted at high redshift. The results of these simulations are used first to test the current analytic techniques of preheating via entropy input in the smooth accretion limit. When the unmodified profile is taken directly from simulations, we find that this model is in excellent agreement with the results of our simulations. This suggests that preheated efficiently smoothes the accreted gas, and therefore a shift in the unmodified profile is a good approximation even with a realistic accretion history. When we examine the simulation results in detail, we do not find strong evidence for entropy amplification, at least for the high-redshift preheating model adopted here. In the second section of the paper, we compare the results of the preheating simulations to recent observations. We show -- in agreement with previous work -- that for a reasonable amount of preheating, a satisfactory match can be found to the mass-temperature and luminosity-temperature relations. However -- as noted by previous authors -- we find that the entropy profiles of the simulated groups are much too flat compared to observations. In particular, while rich clusters converge on the adiabatic self--similar scaling at large radius, no single value of the entropy input during preheating can simultaneously reproduce both the core and outer entropy levels. As a result, we confirm that the simple preheating scenario for galaxy cluster formation, in which entropy is injected universally at high redshift, is inconsistent with observations.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance of scar and ischemia burden early after acute ST elevation and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The acute coronary syndrome diagnosis includes different classifications of myocardial infarction, which have been shown to differ in their pathology, as well as their early and late prognosis. These differences may relate to the underlying extent of infarction and/or residual myocardial ischemia. The study aim was to compare scar and ischemia mass between acute non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), ST-elevation MI with Q-wave formation (Q-STEMI) and ST-elevation MI without Q-wave formation (Non-Q STEMI) in-vivo, using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR).</p> <p>Methods and results</p> <p>This was a prospective cohort study of twenty five consecutive patients with NSTEMI, 25 patients with thrombolysed Q-STEMI and 25 patients with thrombolysed Non-Q STEMI. Myocardial function (cine imaging), ischemia (adenosine stress first pass myocardial perfusion) and scar (late gadolinium enhancement) were assessed by CMR 2–6 days after presentation and before any invasive revascularisation procedure. All subjects gave written informed consent and ethical committee approval was obtained. Scar mass was highest in Q-STEMI, followed by Non-Q STEMI and NSTEMI (24.1%, 15.2% and 3.8% of LV mass, respectively; p < 0.0001). Ischemia mass showed the reverse trend and was lowest in Q-STEMI, followed by Non-Q STEMI and NSTEMI (6.9%, 14.7% and 19.9% of LV mass, respectively; p = 0.012). The combined mass of scar and ischemia was similar between the three groups (p = 0.17). The ratio of scar to ischemia was 3.5, 1.0 and 0.2 for Q-STEMI, Non-Q STEMI and NSTEMI, respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Prior to revascularisation, the ratio of scar to ischemia differs between NSTEMI, Non-Q STEMI and Q-STEMI, whilst the combined scar and ischemia mass is similar between these three types of MI. These results provide in-vivo confirmation of the diverse pathophysiology of different types of acute myocardial infarction and may explain their divergent early and late prognosis.</p

The ASTRA Spectrophotometer: A July 2004 Progress Report

A cross-dispersed spectrophotometer with CCD detector and its automated 0.5-m telescope at the Fairborn Observatory, now under construction, should begin observations in 6 to 9 months. The Citadel ASTRA Telescope will be able to observe Vega the primary standard, make rapid measurements of the naked-eye stars, use 10 minutes per hour to obtain photometric measurements of the nightly extinction, and obtain high quality observations of V=10.5 mag. stars in an hour. The approximate wavelength range is 3300-9000A with a resolution of 14A in first and 7A in second order. Filter photometric magnitudes and indices will be calibrated in part for use as quality checks. Science observations for major projects such as comparisons with model atmospheres codes and for exploratory investigations should also begin in the first year. The ASTRA team realizes to deal with this potential data flood that they will need help to make the best scientific uses of the data. Thus they are interested in discussing possible collaborations. In less than a year of normal observing, all isolated stars in the Bright Star Catalog that can be observed can have their fluxes well measured. Some A Star related applications are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures. Poster presented at IAU Symposium 224 "The A Star Puzzle", 7-13 July 2004, Poprad, Slovaki

EXCITATION of COUPLED STELLAR MOTIONS in the GALACTIC DISK by ORBITING SATELLITES

We use a set of high-resolution N-body simulations of the Galactic disk to study its interactions with the population of cosmologically predicted satellites. One simulation illustrates that multiple passages of massive satellites with different velocities through the disk generate a wobble, which has the appearance of rings in face-on projections of the stellar disk. They also produce flares in the outer disk parts and gradually heat the disk through bending waves. A different numerical experiment shows that an individual satellite as massive as the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy passing through the disk will drive coupled horizontal and vertical oscillations of stars in underdense regions with small associated heating. This experiment shows that vertical excursions of stars in these low-density regions can exceed 1 kpc in the Solar neighborhood, resembling the recently locally detected coherent vertical oscillations. They can also induce non-zero vertical streaming motions as large as 10-20 km s-1, which is consistent with recent observations in the Galactic disk. This phenomenon appears as a local ring with modest associated disk heating. © 2016. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved

Constraining Cosmic Evolution of Type Ia Supernovae

We present the first large-scale effort of creating composite spectra of high-redshift type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and comparing them to low-redshift counterparts. Through the ESSENCE project, we have obtained 107 spectra of 88 high-redshift SNe Ia with excellent light-curve information. In addition, we have obtained 397 spectra of low-redshift SNe through a multiple-decade effort at Lick and Keck Observatories, and we have used 45 UV spectra obtained by HST/IUE. The low-redshift spectra act as a control sample when comparing to the ESSENCE spectra. In all instances, the ESSENCE and Lick composite spectra appear very similar. The addition of galaxy light to the Lick composite spectra allows a nearly perfect match of the overall spectral-energy distribution with the ESSENCE composite spectra, indicating that the high-redshift SNe are more contaminated with host-galaxy light than their low-redshift counterparts. This is caused by observing objects at all redshifts with the same slit width, which corresponds to different projected distances. After correcting for the galaxy-light contamination, subtle differences in the spectra remain. We have estimated the systematic errors when using current spectral templates for K-corrections to be ~0.02 mag. The variance in the composite spectra give an estimate of the intrinsic variance in low-redshift maximum-light SN spectra of ~3% in the optical and growing toward the UV. The difference between the maximum light low and high-redshift spectra constrain SN evolution between our samples to be < 10% in the rest-frame optical.Comment: 22 pages, 22 figures, submitted to ApJ. Composite spectra can be downloaded from http://astro.berkeley.edu/~rfoley/composite

The Outer Disks of Early-Type Galaxies. I. Surface-Brightness Profiles of Barred Galaxies

We present a study of 66 barred, early-type (S0-Sb) disk galaxies, focused on the disk surface brightness profile outside the bar region and the nature of Freeman Type I and II profiles, their origins, and their possible relation to disk truncations. This paper discusses the data and their reduction, outlines our classification system, and presents $R$-band profiles and classifications for all galaxies in the sample. The profiles are derived from a variety of different sources, including the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (Data Release 5). For about half of the galaxies, we have profiles derived from more than one telescope; this allows us to check the stability and repeatability of our profile extraction and classification. The vast majority of the profiles are reliable down to levels of mu_R ~ 27 mag arcsec^-2; in exceptional cases, we can trace profiles down to mu_R > 28. We can typically follow disk profiles out to at least 1.5 times the traditional optical radius R_25; for some galaxies, we find light extending to ~ 3 R_25. We classify the profiles into three main groups: Type I (single-exponential), Type II (down-bending), and Type III (up-bending). The frequencies of these types are approximately 27%, 42%, and 24%, respectively, plus another 6% which are combinations of Types II and III. We further classify Type II profiles by where the break falls in relation to the bar length, and in terms of the postulated mechanisms for breaks at large radii ("classical trunction" of star formation versus the influence of the Outer Lindblad Resonance of the bar). We also classify the Type III profiles by the probable morphology of the outer light (disk or spheroid). Illustrations are given for all cases. (Abridged)Comment: 41 pages, 26 PDF figures. To appear in the Astronomical Journal. Version with full-resolution figures available at http://www.mpe.mpg.de/~erwin/research

Quest for COSMOS Submillimeter Galaxy Counterparts using CARMA and VLA: Identifying Three High-redshift Starburst Galaxies

We report on interferometric observations at 1.3 mm at 2"-3" resolution using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy. We identify multi-wavelength counterparts of three submillimeter galaxies (SMGs; F_(1mm) > 5.5 mJy) in the COSMOS field, initially detected with MAMBO and AzTEC bolometers at low, ~10"-30", resolution. All three sources—AzTEC/C1, Cosbo-3, and Cosbo-8—are identified to coincide with positions of 20 cm radio sources. Cosbo-3, however, is not associated with the most likely radio counterpart, closest to the MAMBO source position, but with that farther away from it. This illustrates the need for intermediate-resolution (~2") mm-observations to identify the correct counterparts of single-dish-detected SMGs. All of our three sources become prominent only at NIR wavelengths, and their mm-to-radio flux based redshifts suggest that they lie at redshifts z ≳ 2. As a proof of concept, we show that photometric redshifts can be well determined for SMGs, and we find photometric redshifts of 5.6 ± 1.2, 1.9^(+0.9)_(–0.5), and ~4 for AzTEC/C1, Cosbo-3, and Cosbo-8, respectively. Using these we infer that these galaxies have radio-based star formation rates of ≳ 1000 M_☉ yr^(–1) and IR luminosities of ~10^(13) L_☉ consistent with properties of high-redshift SMGs. In summary, our sources reflect a variety of SMG properties in terms of redshift and clustering, consistent with the framework that SMGs are progenitors of z ~ 2 and today's passive galaxies

Precise Identifications of Submillimeter Galaxies: Measuring the History of Massive Star-Forming Galaxies to z>5

We carried out extremely sensitive Submillimeter Array (SMA) 340 GHz (860 micron) continuum imaging of a complete sample of SCUBA 850 micron sources (>4 sigma) with fluxes >3 mJy in the GOODS-N. Using these data and new SCUBA-2 data, we do not detect 4 of the 16 SCUBA sources, and we rule out the original SCUBA fluxes at the 4 sigma level. Three more resolve into multiple fainter SMA galaxies, suggesting that our understanding of the most luminous high-redshift dusty galaxies may not be as reliable as we thought. 10 of the 16 independent SMA sources have spectroscopic redshifts (optical/infrared or CO) to z=5.18. Using a new, ultradeep 20 cm image obtained with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (rms of 2.5 microJy), we find that all 16 of the SMA sources are detected at >5 sigma. Using Herschel far-infrared (FIR) data, we show that the five isolated SMA sources with Herschel detections are well described by an Arp 220 spectral energy distribution template in the FIR. They also closely obey the local FIR-radio correlation, a result that does not suffer from a radio bias. We compute the contribution from the 16 SMA sources to the universal star formation rate (SFR) per comoving volume. With individual SFRs in the range 700-5000 solar masses per year, they contribute ~30% of the extinction-corrected ultraviolet-selected SFR density from z=1 to at least z=5. Star formation histories determined from extinction-corrected ultraviolet populations and from submillimeter galaxy populations only partially overlap, due to the extreme ultraviolet faintness of some submillimeter galaxies.Comment: 26 pages, minor changes to match published versio