657 research outputs found
Are star formation rates of galaxies bimodal?
Star formation rate (SFR) distributions of galaxies are often assumed to be
bimodal with modes corresponding to star-forming and quiescent galaxies,
respectively. Both classes of galaxies are typically studied separately and SFR
distributions of star-forming galaxies are commonly modelled as lognormals.
Using both observational data and results from numerical simulations, I argue
that this division into star-forming and quiescent galaxies is unnecessary from
a theoretical point of view and that the SFR distributions of the whole
population can be well fit by zero-inflated negative binomial distributions.
This family of distributions has 3 parameters that determine the average SFR of
the galaxies in the sample, the scatter relative to the star-forming sequence,
and the fraction of galaxies with zero SFRs, respectively. The proposed
distributions naturally account for (i) the discrete nature of star formation,
(ii) the presence of 'dead' galaxies with zero SFRs, and (iii) asymmetric
scatter. Excluding 'dead' galaxies, the distribution of log SFR is unimodal
with a peak at the star forming sequence and an extended tail towards low SFRs.
However, uncertainties and biases in the SFR measurements can create the
appearance of a bimodal distribution.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS Letters, proof
correcte
The Argo Simulation: I. Quenching of Massive Galaxies at High Redshift as a Result of Cosmological Starvation
Observations show a prevalence of high redshift galaxies with large stellar
masses and predominantly passive stellar populations. A variety of processes
have been suggested that could reduce the star formation in such galaxies to
observed levels, including quasar mode feedback, virial shock heating, or
galactic winds driven by stellar feedback. However, the main quenching
mechanisms have yet to be identified. Here we study the origin of star
formation quenching using Argo, a cosmological, hydrodynamical zoom-in
simulation that follows the evolution of a massive galaxy at . This
simulation adopts the same sub-grid recipes of the Eris simulations, which have
been shown to form realistic disk galaxies, and, in one version, adopts also a
mass and spatial resolution identical to Eris. The resulting galaxy has
properties consistent with those of observed, massive (M_* ~ 1e11 M_sun)
galaxies at z~2 and with abundance matching predictions. Our models do not
include AGN feedback indicating that supermassive black holes likely play a
subordinate role in determining masses and sizes of massive galaxies at high z.
The specific star formation rate (sSFR) of the simulated galaxy matches the
observed M_* - sSFR relation at early times. This period of smooth stellar mass
growth comes to a sudden halt at z=3.5 when the sSFR drops by almost an order
of magnitude within a few hundred Myr. The suppression is initiated by a
leveling off and a subsequent reduction of the cool gas accretion rate onto the
galaxy, and not by feedback processes. This "cosmological starvation" occurs as
the parent dark matter halo switches from a fast collapsing mode to a slow
accretion mode. Additional mechanisms, such as perhaps radio mode feedback from
an AGN, are needed to quench any residual star formation of the galaxy and to
maintain a low sSFR until the present time.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA
The link between star formation and gas in nearby galaxies
Observations of the interstellar medium are key to deciphering the physical
processes regulating star formation in galaxies. However, observational
uncertainties and detection limits can bias the interpretation unless carefully
modeled. Here I re-analyze star formation rates and gas masses of a
representative sample of nearby galaxies with the help of multi-dimensional
Bayesian modeling. Typical star forming galaxies are found to lie in a 'star
forming plane' largely independent of their stellar mass. Their star formation
activity is tightly correlated with the molecular and total gas content, while
variations of the molecular-gas-to-star conversion efficiency are shown to be
significantly smaller than previously reported. These data-driven findings
suggest that physical processes that modify the overall galactic gas content,
such as gas accretion and outflows, regulate the star formation activity in
typical nearby galaxies, while a change in efficiency triggered by, e.g.,
galaxy mergers or gas instabilities, may boost the activity of starbursts.Comment: 36 pages, 6 figures, additional supplementary material; supplementary
data provided as ancillary file
Real-time three-dimensional ultrasound : a valuable new tool in preoperative assessment of complex congenital cardiac disease
Evaluating complex cardiac defects in small children preoperatively requires multiple diagnostic procedures including echocardiography, and also invasive methods such as cardiac catheterisation, computer-tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. This article assesses the complex anatomy of the atrioventricular valves in atrioventricular septal defect using bedside real-time three-dimensional echocardiography and comparing these results to the anatomic findings at the time of operative intervention.peer-reviewe
Detecting Dark Matter Substructures around the Milky Way with Gaia
Cold Dark Matter (CDM) theory, a pillar of modern cosmology and astrophysics,
predicts the existence of a large number of starless dark matter halos
surrounding the Milky Way (MW). However, clear observational evidence of these
"dark" substructures remains elusive. Here, we present a detection method based
on the small, but detectable, velocity changes that an orbiting substructure
imposes on the stars in the MW disk. Using high-resolution numerical
simulations we estimate that the new space telescope Gaia should detect the
kinematic signatures of a few starless substructures provided the CDM paradigm
holds. Such a measurement will provide unprecedented constraints on the
primordial matter power spectrum at low-mass scales and offer a new handle onto
the particle physics properties of dark matter.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, 4 tables, revised version accepted for
publication in MNRA
The formation of massive, quiescent galaxies at cosmic noon
The cosmic noon (z~1.5-3) marked a period of vigorous star formation for most
galaxies. However, about a third of the more massive galaxies at those times
were quiescent in the sense that their observed stellar populations are
inconsistent with rapid star formation. The reduced star formation activity is
often attributed to gaseous outflows driven by feedback from supermassive black
holes, but the impact of black hole feedback on galaxies in the young Universe
is not yet definitively established. We analyze the origin of quiescent
galaxies with the help of ultra-high resolution, cosmological simulations that
include feedback from stars but do not model the uncertain consequences of
black hole feedback. We show that dark matter halos with specific accretion
rates below ~0.25-0.4 per Gyr preferentially host galaxies with reduced star
formation rates and red broad-band colors. The fraction of such halos in large
dark matter only simulations matches the observed fraction of massive quiescent
galaxies (~10^10-10^11 Msun). This strongly suggests that halo accretion rate
is the key parameter determining which massive galaxies at z~1.5-3 become
quiescent. Empirical models that connect galaxy and halo evolution, such as
halo occupation distribution or abundance matching models, assume a tight link
between galaxy properties and the masses of their parent halos. These models
will benefit from adding the specific accretion rate of halos as a second model
parameter.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, to appear in MNRAS Letter
The rotation of planet-hosting stars
Understanding the distribution of angular momentum during the formation of planetary systems is a key topic in astrophysics. Data from the Kepler and Gaia missions allow to investigate whether stellar rotation is correlated with the presence of planets around Sun-like stars. Here, we perform a statistical analysis of the rotation period of 493 planet-hosting stars. These are matched to a control sample, without detected planets, with similar effective temperatures, masses, radii, metallicities, and ages. We find that planet-hosting stars rotate on average 1.63 ± 0.40 d slower. The difference in rotation is statistically significant both in samples including and not including planets confirmed by radial velocity follow-up observations. We also analyse the dependence of rotation distribution on various stellar and planetary properties. Our results could potentially be explained by planet detection biases depending on the rotation period of their host stars in both RV and transit methods. Alternatively, they could point to a physical link between the existence of planets and stellar rotation, emphasizing the need to understand the role of angular momentum in the formation and evolution planetary systems
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