3,446 research outputs found
A Search For Star Formation in the Smith Cloud
Motivated by the idea that a subset of HVCs trace dark matter substructure in
the Local Group, we search for signs of star formation in the Smith Cloud, a
nearby ~2x10^6 Msun HVC currently falling into the Milky Way. Using GALEX NUV
and WISE/2MASS NIR photometry, we apply a series of color and apparent
magnitude cuts to isolate candidate O and B stars that are plausibly associated
with the Smith Cloud. We find an excess of stars along the line of sight to the
cloud, but not at a statistically significant level relative to a control
region. The number of stars found in projection on the cloud after removing an
estimate of the contamination by the Milky Way implies an average star
formation rate surface density of 10^(-4.8 +/- 0.3) Msun yr^(-1) kpc^(-2),
assuming the cloud has been forming stars at a constant rate since its first
passage through the Milky Way ~70 Myr ago. This value is consistent with the
star formation rate expected based on the average gas density of the cloud. We
also discuss how the newly discovered star forming galaxy Leo P has very
similar properties to the Smith Cloud, but its young stellar population would
not have been detected at a statistically significant level using our method.
Thus, we cannot yet rule out the idea that the Smith Cloud is really a dwarf
galaxy.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
HI-MaNGA : tracing the physics of the neutral and ionized ISM with the second data release
We present the second data release for the H I-MaNGA programme of H I follow-up observations for the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey. This release contains measurements for 3669 unique galaxies, combining 2108 Green Bank Telescope observations with an updated crossmatch of the MaNGA sample with the ALFALFA survey. We combine these data with MaNGA spectroscopic measurements to examine relationships between H I-to-stellar mass ratio (MH I/M∗) and average ISM/star formation properties probed by optical emission lines. MH I/M∗ is very weakly correlated with the equivalent width of H α, implying a loose connection between the instantaneous star formation rate and the H I reservoir, although the link between MH I/M∗ and star formation strengthens when averaged even over only moderate time-scales (∼30 Myr). Galaxies with elevated H I depletion times have enhanced [O I]/H α and depressed H α surface brightness, consistent with more H I residing in a diffuse and/or shock-heated phase that is less capable of condensing into molecular clouds. Of all optical lines, MH I/M∗ correlates most strongly with oxygen equivalent width, EW(O), which is likely a result of the existing correlation between MH I/M∗ and gas-phase metallicity. Residuals in the MH I/M∗−EW(O) relation are again correlated with [O I]/H α and H α surface brightness, suggesting they are also driven by variations in the fraction of diffuse and/or shock-heated gas. We recover the strong anticorrelation between MH I/M∗ and gas-phase metallicity seen in previous studies. We also find a relationship between MH I/M∗ and [O I]6302/H α, suggesting that higher fractions of diffuse and/or shock-heated gas are more prevalent in gas-rich galaxies
ECO and RESOLVE: Galaxy Disk Growth in Environmental Context
We study the relationships between galaxy environments and galaxy properties
related to disk (re)growth, considering two highly complete samples that are
approximately baryonic mass limited into the high-mass dwarf galaxy regime, the
Environmental COntext (ECO) catalog (data release herein) and the B-semester
region of the REsolved Spectroscopy Of a Local VolumE (RESOLVE) survey. We
quantify galaxy environments using both group identification and smoothed
galaxy density field methods. We use by-eye and quantitative morphological
classifications plus atomic gas content measurements and estimates. We find
that blue early-type (E/S0) galaxies, gas-dominated galaxies, and UV-bright
disk host galaxies all become distinctly more common below group halo mass
~10^11.5 Msun, implying that this low group halo mass regime may be a preferred
regime for significant disk growth activity. We also find that blue early-type
and blue late-type galaxies inhabit environments of similar group halo mass at
fixed baryonic mass, consistent with a scenario in which blue early types can
regrow late-type disks. In fact, we find that the only significant difference
in the typical group halo mass inhabited by different galaxy classes is for
satellite galaxies with different colors, where at fixed baryonic mass red
early and late types have higher typical group halo masses than blue early and
late types. More generally, we argue that the traditional
morphology-environment relation (i.e., that denser environments tend to have
more early types) can be largely attributed to the morphology-galaxy mass
relation for centrals and the color-environment relation for satellites.Comment: 26 pages and 28 figures; v2 contains minor figure and text updates to
match final published version in ApJ; ECO data table release now available at
http://resolve.astro.unc.edu/pages/data.ph
The Fueling Diagram: Linking Galaxy Molecular-to-Atomic Gas Ratios to Interactions and Accretion
To assess how external factors such as local interactions and fresh gas
accretion influence the global ISM of galaxies, we analyze the relationship
between recent enhancements of central star formation and total
molecular-to-atomic (H2/HI) gas ratios, using a broad sample of field galaxies
spanning early-to-late type morphologies, stellar masses of 10^(7.2-11.2) Msun,
and diverse stages of evolution. We find that galaxies occupy several loci in a
"fueling diagram" that plots H2/HI vs. mass-corrected blue-centeredness, a
metric tracing the degree to which galaxies have bluer centers than the average
galaxy at their stellar mass. Spiral galaxies show a positive correlation
between H2/HI and mass-corrected blue-centeredness. When combined with previous
results linking mass-corrected blue-centeredness to external perturbations,
this correlation suggests a link between local galaxy interactions and
molecular gas inflow/replenishment. Intriguingly, E/S0 galaxies show a more
complex picture: some follow the same correlation, some are quenched, and a
distinct population of blue-sequence E/S0 galaxies (with masses below key
transitions in gas richness) defines a separate loop in the fueling diagram.
This population appears to be composed of low-mass merger remnants currently in
late- or post-starburst states, in which the burst first consumes the H2 while
the galaxy center keeps getting bluer, then exhausts the H2, at which point the
burst population reddens as it ages. Multiple lines of evidence suggest
connected evolutionary sequences in the fueling diagram. In particular,
tracking total gas-to-stellar mass ratios within the diagram provides evidence
of fresh gas accretion onto low-mass E/S0s emerging from central starbursts.
Drawing on a comprehensive literature search, we suggest that virtually all
galaxies follow the same evolutionary patterns found in our broad sample.Comment: 24 pages, 11 figures (table 4 available at
http://user.physics.unc.edu/~dstark/table4_csv.txt), accepted for publication
in Ap
The Origin of Faint Tidal Features Around Galaxies in the RESOLVE Survey
We study tidal features (TFs) around galaxies in the REsolved Spectroscopy of a Local VolumE (RESOLVE) survey. Our sample consists of 1048 RESOLVE galaxies that overlap with the DECam Legacy Survey, which reaches an r-band 3σ depth of ∼27.9 mag arcsec−2 for a 100 arcsec2 feature. Images were masked, smoothed, and inspected for TFs like streams, shells, or tails/arms. We find TFs in 17±2% of our galaxies, setting a lower limit on the true frequency. The frequency of TFs in the gas-poor (gas-to-stellar mass ratio < 0.1) subsample is lower than in the gas-rich subsample (13±3% vs. 19±2%). Within the gas-poor subsample, galaxies with TFs have higher stellar and halo masses, ∼3× closer distances to nearest neighbors (in the same group), and possibly fewer group members at fixed halo mass than galaxies without TFs, but similar specific star formation rates. These results suggest TFs in gas-poor galaxies are typically streams/shells from dry mergers or satellite disruption. In contrast, the presence of TFs around gas-rich galaxies does not correlate with stellar or halo mass, suggesting these TFs are often tails/arms from resonant interactions. Similar to TFs in gas-poor galaxies, TFs in gas-rich galaxies imply 1.7x closer nearest neighbors in the same group; however, TFs in gas-rich galaxies are associated with diskier morphologies, higher star formation rates, and higher gas content. In addition to interactions with known neighbors, we suggest that TFs in gas-rich galaxies may arise from accretion of cosmic gas and/or gas-rich satellites below the survey limit
HI Rich but Low Star Formation galaxies in MaNGA: Physical Properties and Comparison to Control Samples
Gas rich galaxies are typically star-forming. We make use of HI-MaNGA, a
program of HI follow-up for the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point
Observatory (MaNGA) survey of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys to construct a
sample of unusual neutral hydrogen (HI, 21cm) rich galaxies which have low Star
Formation Rates (SFRs); using infra-red color from the Wide-field Infrared
Survey Explorer (WISE) as a proxy for specific SFR. Out of a set of 1575 MaNGA
galaxies with HI-MaNGA detections, we find 83 (5%) meet our selection criteria
to be HI rich with low SFR. We construct two stellar mass-matched control
samples: HI rich galaxies with typical SFR (High SF Control) and HI poor
galaxies with low SFR (Low HI Control). We investigate the properties of each
of these samples, comparing physical parameters such as ionization state maps,
stellar and ionized gas velocity and dispersion, environment measures,
metallicity, and morphology to search for the reasons why these unusual HI rich
galaxies are not forming stars. We find evidence for recent external accretion
of gas in some galaxies (via high counter-rotating fractions), along with some
evidence for AGN feedback (from a high cLIER and/or red geyser fraction), and
bar quenching (via an enhanced strong bar fraction). Some galaxies in the
sample are consistent with simply having their HI in a high angular momentum,
large radius, low density disc. We conclude that no single physical process can
explain all HI rich, low SFR galaxies.Comment: 15 pages, in press MNRAS. v2 following corrections noticed in proof
The stellar halo of isolated central galaxies in the Hyper Suprime-Cam imaging survey
We study the faint stellar halo of isolated central galaxies, by stacking
galaxy images in the HSC survey and accounting for the residual sky background
sampled with random points. The surface brightness profiles in HSC -band are
measured for a wide range of galaxy stellar masses
() and out to 120 kpc. Failing to account for
the stellar halo below the noise level of individual images will lead to
underestimates of the total luminosity by . Splitting galaxies
according to the concentration parameter of their light distributions, we find
that the surface brightness profiles of low concentration galaxies drop faster
between 20 and 100 kpc than those of high concentration galaxies. Albeit the
large galaxy-to-galaxy scatter, we find a strong self-similarity of the stellar
halo profiles. They show unified forms once the projected distance is scaled by
the halo virial radius. The colour of galaxies is redder in the centre and
bluer outside, with high concentration galaxies having redder and more
flattened colour profiles. There are indications of a colour minimum, beyond
which the colour of the outer stellar halo turns red again. This colour
minimum, however, is very sensitive to the completeness in masking satellite
galaxies. We also examine the effect of the extended PSF in the measurement of
the stellar halo, which is particularly important for low mass or low
concentration galaxies. The PSF-corrected surface brightness profile can be
measured down to 31 at 3-
significance. PSF also slightly flattens the measured colour profiles.Comment: accepted by MNRAS - Significant changes have been made compared with
the first version, including discussions on the extended PSF wings,
robustness of our results to source detection and masking thresholds and more
detailed investigations on the indications of positive colour gradient
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