scholarly journals Molecular Gas in the Central Regions of Barred Galaxies

1996 ◽  
Vol 157 ◽  
pp. 150-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Kenney
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Solid Body ◽  
Rotation Curve ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Barred Galaxies ◽  
Central Regions ◽  
Early Phases ◽  
Intense Star Formation

AbstractThe morphology and kinematics of molecular gas in the central regions of barred galaxies are described. The largest gas concentrations are often located near ILRs, although there is a range of morphologies. The gas motions associated with star-forming rings are predominantly circular, while motions just beyond the rings are often non-circular and in some cases show clear radial inflow. In barred galaxies with circumnuclear starbursts in early phases of evolution, the CO is centrally peaked, perhaps inside IILRs. The most intense star formation occurs where the gas motions are circular, and where the rotation curve rises steeply and is nearly solid body.

scholarly journals What drives galaxy quenching? Resolving molecular gas and star formation in the green valley

2020 ◽  
Vol 498 (1) ◽  
pp. L66-L71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simcha Brownson ◽  
Francesco Belfiore ◽  
Roberto Maiolino ◽  
Lihwai Lin ◽  
Stefano Carniani
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Spatially Resolved ◽  
Star Forming Regions ◽  
Central Regions

ABSTRACT We study quenching in seven green valley galaxies on kpc scales by resolving their molecular gas content using 12CO(1–0) observations obtained with NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array and Atacama Large Millimeter Array, and their star formation rate using spatially resolved optical spectroscopy from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory survey. We perform radial stacking of both data sets to increase the sensitivity to molecular gas and star formation, thereby avoiding biases against strongly quenched regions. We find that both spatially resolved gas fraction (fgas) and star formation efficiency ($\rm {SFE}$) are responsible for quenching green valley galaxies at all radii: both quantities are suppressed with respect to typical star-forming regions. fgas and $\rm {SFE}$ have roughly equal influence in quenching the outer disc. We are, however, unable to identify the dominant mechanism in the strongly quenched central regions. We find that fgas is reduced by $\rm \sim\! 1~dex$ in the central regions, but the star formation rate is too low to be measured, leading to upper limits for the $\rm {SFE}$. Moving from the outer disc to central regions, the reduction in fgas is driven by an increasing $\rm \Sigma _{\star }$ profile rather than a decreasing $\rm \Sigma _{H_{2}}$ profile. The reduced fgas may therefore be caused by a decrease in the gas supply rather than molecular gas ejection mechanisms, such as winds driven by active galactic nuclei. We warn more generally that studies investigating fgas may be deceiving in inferring the cause of quenching, particularly in the central (bulge-dominated) regions of galaxies.

scholarly journals Quenching by gas compression and consumption

2019 ◽  
Vol 624 ◽  
pp. A81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison W. S. Man ◽  
Matthew D. Lehnert ◽  
Joël D. R. Vernet ◽  
Carlos De Breuck ◽  
Theresa Falkendal
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Relative Strength ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Massive Galaxies ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Gas Compression ◽  
Formation History

The objective of this work is to study how active galactic nuclei (AGN) influence star formation in host galaxies. We present a detailed investigation of the star-formation history and conditions of a z = 2.57 massive radio galaxy based on VLT/X-shooter and ALMA observations. The deep rest-frame ultraviolet spectrum contains photospheric absorption lines and wind features indicating the presence of OB-type stars. The most significantly detected photospheric features are used to characterize the recent star formation: neither instantaneous nor continuous star-formation history is consistent with the relative strength of the Si IIλ1485 and S Vλ1502 absorption. Rather, at least two bursts of star formation took place in the recent past, at 6+1-2 Myr and ≳20 Myr ago, respectively. We deduce a molecular H2 gas mass of (3.9 ± 1.0) × 1010 M⊙ based on ALMA observations of the [C I] 3P2−3P1 emission. The molecular gas mass is only 13% of its stellar mass. Combined with its high star-formation rate of (1020-170+190 M⊙ yr-1, this implies a high star-formation efficiency of (26 ± 8) Gyr−1 and a short depletion time of (38 ± 12) Myr. We attribute the efficient star formation to compressive gas motions in order to explain the modest velocity dispersions (⩽55 km s−1) of the photospheric lines and of the star-forming gas traced by [C I]. Because of the likely very young age of the radio source, our findings suggest that vigorous star formation consumes much of the gas and works in concert with the AGN to remove any residual molecular gas, and eventually quenching star formation in massive galaxies.

scholarly journals Survival of molecular gas in a stellar feedback-driven outflow witnessed with the MUSE TIMER project and ALMA

2019 ◽  
Vol 488 (3) ◽  
pp. 3904-3928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Leaman ◽  
Francesca Fragkoudi ◽  
Miguel Querejeta ◽  
Gigi Y C Leung ◽  
Dimitri A Gadotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Ionized Gas ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Stellar Feedback ◽  
Dominant Component ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Field Lines

ABSTRACT Stellar feedback plays a significant role in modulating star formation, redistributing metals, and shaping the baryonic and dark structure of galaxies – however, the efficiency of its energy deposition to the interstellar medium is challenging to constrain observationally. Here we leverage HST and ALMA imaging of a molecular gas and dust shell ($M_{\mathrm{ H}_2} \sim 2\times 10^{5}\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$) in an outflow from the nuclear star-forming ring of the galaxy NGC 3351, to serve as a boundary condition for a dynamical and energetic analysis of the outflowing ionized gas seen in our MUSE TIMER survey. We use starburst99 models and prescriptions for feedback from simulations to demonstrate that the observed star formation energetics can reproduce the ionized and molecular gas dynamics – provided a dominant component of the momentum injection comes from direct photon pressure from young stars, on top of supernovae, photoionization heating, and stellar winds. The mechanical energy budget from these sources is comparable to low luminosity active galactic neuclei, suggesting that stellar feedback can be a relevant driver of bulk gas motions in galaxy centres – although here ≲10−3 of the ionized gas mass is escaping the galaxy. We test several scenarios for the survival/formation of the cold gas in the outflow, including in situ condensation and cooling. Interestingly, the geometry of the molecular gas shell, observed magnetic field strengths and emission line diagnostics are consistent with a scenario where magnetic field lines aided survival of the dusty ISM as it was initially launched (with mass-loading factor ≲1) from the ring by stellar feedback. This system’s unique feedback-driven morphology can hopefully serve as a useful litmus test for feedback prescriptions in magnetohydrodynamical galaxy simulations.

scholarly journals The Connection between Molecular Gas and Star Formation in XUV Disks

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (S321) ◽  
pp. 214-216
Author(s):  
Linda C. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Molecular Hydrogen ◽  
Optical Disk ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Star Forming Regions

AbstractWe found that star-forming regions in extended ultraviolet (XUV) disks are generally consistent with the molecular-hydrogen Kennicutt-Schmidt law that applies within the inner, optical disk. This is true for star formation rates based on Hα + 24 μm data or FUV + 24 μm data. We estimated that the star-forming regions have ages of 1 − 7 Myr and propose that the presence or absence of molecular gas provides an additional “clock” that may help distinguish between aging and stochasticity as the explanation for the low Hα-to-FUV flux ratios in XUV disks. This contribution is a summary of the work originally presented in Watson et al. (2016).

scholarly journals A large amount of diffuse molecular gases in the bar of the strongly barred galaxy NGC 1300: cause of the low star formation efficiency

2020 ◽  
Vol 495 (4) ◽  
pp. 3840-3858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumiya Maeda ◽  
Kouji Ohta ◽  
Yusuke Fujimoto ◽  
Asao Habe ◽  
Kaito Ushio
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Full Width ◽  
Half Maximum ◽  
Barred Galaxies ◽  
Molecular Gases ◽  
Formation Efficiency

ABSTRACT In many barred galaxies, star formation efficiency (SFE) in the bar is lower than those in the arm and bar-end, and its cause has still not been clear. Focusing on the strongly barred galaxy NGC 1300, we investigate the possibility that the presence of a large amount of diffuse molecular gas, which would not contribute to the SF, makes the SFE low in appearance. We examine the relation between the SFE and the diffuse molecular gas fraction (fdif), which is derived using the 12CO(1–0) flux obtained from the interferometer of ALMA 12-m array, which has no sensitivity on diffuse (extended; full width at half-maximum ⪆700 pc) molecular gases due to the lack of ACA, and the total 12CO(1–0) flux obtained from Nobeyama 45-m single-dish telescope. We find that the SFE decreases with increasing fdif. The fdif and SFE are 0.74−0.91 and $0.06\!-\!0.16 ~\rm Gyr^{-1}$ in the bar regions, and 0.28−0.65 and $0.23\!-\!0.96 ~\rm Gyr^{-1}$ in the arm and bar-end regions, respectively. This result supports the idea that the presence of a large amount of diffuse molecular gas makes the SFE low. The suppression of the SFE in the bar has also been seen even when we exclude the diffuse molecular gas components. This suggests that the low SFE appears to be caused not only by a large amount of diffuse molecular gases but also by other mechanisms such as fast cloud–cloud collisions.

scholarly journals Galaxies hosting an active galactic nucleus: a view from the CALIFA survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 492 (3) ◽  
pp. 3073-3090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo A D Lacerda ◽  
Sebastián F Sánchez ◽  
R Cid Fernandes ◽  
Carlos López-Cobá ◽  
Carlos Espinosa-Ponce ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Morphological Type ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Main Role ◽  
Type I ◽  
Massive Galaxies ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Integral Field Spectroscopy ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Formation Efficiency

ABSTRACT We study the presence of optically-selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) within a sample of 867 galaxies extracted from the extended Calar-Alto Legacy Integral Field spectroscopy Area (eCALIFA) spanning all morphological classes. We identify 10 Type-I and 24 Type-II AGNs, amounting to ∼4 per cent of our sample, similar to the fraction reported by previous explorations in the same redshift range. We compare the integrated properties of the ionized and molecular gas, and stellar population of AGN hosts and their non-active counterparts, combining them with morphological information. The AGN hosts are found in transitory parts (i.e. green-valley) in almost all analysed properties which present bimodal distributions (i.e. a region where reside star-forming galaxies and another with quiescent/retired ones). Regarding morphology, we find AGN hosts among the most massive galaxies, with enhanced central stellar-mass surface density in comparison to the average population at each morphological type. Moreover, their distribution peaks at the Sab-Sb classes and none are found among very late-type galaxies (>Scd). Finally, we inspect how the AGN could act in their hosts regarding the quenching of star-formation. The main role of the AGN in the quenching process appears to be the removal (or heating) of molecular gas, rather than an additional suppression of the already observed decrease of the star-formation efficiency from late-to-early type galaxies.

scholarly journals The lifecycle of molecular clouds in nearby star-forming disc galaxies

2019 ◽  
Vol 493 (2) ◽  
pp. 2872-2909 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélanie Chevance ◽  
J M Diederik Kruijssen ◽  
Alexander P S Hygate ◽  
Andreas Schruba ◽  
Steven N Longmore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Flux Ratio ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
H Ii Regions ◽  
Dynamical Processes ◽  
Nearby Star ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Spatially Resolved ◽  
Stellar Feedback ◽  
Disc Galaxies

ABSTRACT It remains a major challenge to derive a theory of cloud-scale ($\lesssim100$ pc) star formation and feedback, describing how galaxies convert gas into stars as a function of the galactic environment. Progress has been hampered by a lack of robust empirical constraints on the giant molecular cloud (GMC) lifecycle. We address this problem by systematically applying a new statistical method for measuring the evolutionary timeline of the GMC lifecycle, star formation, and feedback to a sample of nine nearby disc galaxies, observed as part of the PHANGS-ALMA survey. We measure the spatially resolved (∼100 pc) CO-to-H α flux ratio and find a universal de-correlation between molecular gas and young stars on GMC scales, allowing us to quantify the underlying evolutionary timeline. GMC lifetimes are short, typically $10\!-\!30\,{\rm Myr}$, and exhibit environmental variation, between and within galaxies. At kpc-scale molecular gas surface densities $\Sigma _{\rm H_2}\ge 8\,\rm {M_\odot}\,{{\rm pc}}^{-2}$, the GMC lifetime correlates with time-scales for galactic dynamical processes, whereas at $\Sigma _{\rm H_2}\le 8\,\rm {M_\odot}\,{{\rm pc}}^{-2}$ GMCs decouple from galactic dynamics and live for an internal dynamical time-scale. After a long inert phase without massive star formation traced by H α (75–90 per cent of the cloud lifetime), GMCs disperse within just $1\!-\!5\,{\rm Myr}$ once massive stars emerge. The dispersal is most likely due to early stellar feedback, causing GMCs to achieve integrated star formation efficiencies of 4–10 per cent. These results show that galactic star formation is governed by cloud-scale, environmentally dependent, dynamical processes driving rapid evolutionary cycling. GMCs and H ii regions are the fundamental units undergoing these lifecycles, with mean separations of $100\!-\!300\,{{\rm pc}}$ in star-forming discs. Future work should characterize the multiscale physics and mass flows driving these lifecycles.

scholarly journals High-J CO Intensity Measurements for Galaxies Observed by the Herschel FTS

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (S315) ◽  
pp. 26-29
Author(s):  
Julia Kamenetzky ◽  
Naseem Rangwala ◽  
Jason Glenn ◽  
Philip Maloney ◽  
Alex Conley
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Star Forming Regions ◽  
J 13 ◽  
Systematic Effects ◽  
Nearby Galaxies ◽  
Co Emission

AbstractMolecular gas is the raw material for star formation and is commonly traced by the carbon monoxide (CO) molecule. The atmosphere blocks all but the lowest-J transitions of CO for observatories on the ground, but the launch of the Herschel Space Observatory revealed the CO emission of nearby galaxies from J = 4−3 to J = 13−12. Herschel showed that mid- and high-J CO lines in nearby galaxies are emitted from warm gas, accounting for approximately 10% of the molecular mass, but the majority of the CO luminosity. The energy budget of this warm, highly-excited gas is a significant window into the feedback interactions among molecular gas, star formation, and galaxy evolution. Likely, mechanical heating is required to explain the excitation. Such gas has also been observed in star forming regions within our galaxy.We have examined all ~300 spectra of galaxies from the Herschel Fourier Transform Spectrometer and measured line fluxes or upper limits for the CO J = 4−3 to J = 13−12, [CI], and [NII] 205 micron lines in ~200 galaxies, taking systematic effects of the FTS into account. We will present our line fitting method, illustrate trends available so far in this large sample, and preview the full 2-component radiative transfer likelihood modeling of the CO emission using an illustrative sample of 20 galaxies, including comparisons to well-resolved galactic regions. This work is a comprehensive study of mid- and high-J CO emission among a variety of galaxy types, and can be used as a resource for future (sub)millimeter studies of galaxies with ground-based instruments.

scholarly journals Low dust emissivities and radial variations in the envelopes of Class 0 protostars: possible signature of early grain growth

2019 ◽  
Vol 632 ◽  
pp. A5 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Galametz ◽  
A. J. Maury ◽  
V. Valdivia ◽  
L. Testi ◽  
A. Belloche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Grain Growth ◽  
Central Region ◽  
Radial Gradient ◽  
Central Regions ◽  
Dust Composition ◽  
Dust Grain ◽  
Early Phases ◽  
Inner Envelope

Context. Analyzing the properties of dust and its evolution in the early phases of star formation is crucial to put constraints on the collapse and accretion processes as well as on the pristine properties of planet-forming seeds. Aims. In this paper, we aim to investigate the variations of the dust grain size in the envelopes of the youngest protostars. Methods. We analyzed Plateau de Bure interferometric observations at 1.3 and 3.2 mm for 12 Class 0 protostars obtained as part of the CALYPSO survey. We performed our analysis in the visibility domain and derived dust emissivity index (β1−3mm) profiles as a function of the envelope radius at 200–2000 au scales. Results. Most of the protostellar envelopes show low dust emissivity indices decreasing toward the central regions. The decreasing trend remains after correction of the (potentially optically thick) central region emission, with surprisingly low β1−3mm < 1 values across most of the envelope radii of NGC 1333-IRAS 4A, NGC 1333-IRAS 4B, SVS13B, and Serpens-SMM4. Conclusions. We discuss the various processes that could explain such low and varying dust emissivity indices at envelope radii 200–2000 au. Our observations of extremely low dust emissivity indices could trace the presence of large (millimeter-size) grains in Class 0 envelopes, in which case our results would point to a radial increase of the dust grain size toward the inner envelope regions. While it is expected that large grains in young protostellar envelopes could be built via grain growth and coagulation, we stress that the typical timescales required to build millimeter grains in current coagulation models are at odds with the youth of our Class 0 protostars. Additional variations in the dust composition could also partly contribute to the low β1−3mm we observe. We find that the steepness of the β1−3mm radial gradient depends strongly on the envelope mass, which might favor a scenario in which large grains are built in high-density protostellar disks and transported to the intermediate envelope radii, for example with the help of outflows and winds.

scholarly journals Simulations of the star-forming molecular gas in an interacting M51-like galaxy

2020 ◽  
Vol 492 (2) ◽  
pp. 2973-2995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin G Tress ◽  
Rowan J Smith ◽  
Mattia C Sormani ◽  
Simon C O Glover ◽  
Ralf S Klessen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Secondary Importance ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Cold Star ◽  
Self Gravity

ABSTRACT We present here the first of a series of papers aimed at better understanding the evolution and properties of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in a galactic context. We perform high-resolution, three-dimensional arepo simulations of an interacting galaxy inspired by the well-observed M51 galaxy. Our fiducial simulations include a non-equilibrium, time-dependent, chemical network that follows the evolution of atomic and molecular hydrogen as well as carbon and oxygen self-consistently. Our calculations also treat gas self-gravity and subsequent star formation (described by sink particles), and coupled supernova feedback. In the densest parts of the simulated interstellar medium (ISM), we reach sub-parsec resolution, granting us the ability to resolve individual GMCs and their formation and destruction self-consistently throughout the galaxy. In this initial work, we focus on the general properties of the ISM with a particular focus on the cold star-forming gas. We discuss the role of the interaction with the companion galaxy in generating cold molecular gas and controlling stellar birth. We find that while the interaction drives large-scale gas flows and induces spiral arms in the galaxy, it is of secondary importance in determining gas fractions in the different ISM phases and the overall star formation rate. The behaviour of the gas on small GMC scales instead is mostly controlled by the self-regulating property of the ISM driven by coupled feedback.

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