Mid-IR Spectroscopy of Submm Galaxies: Extended Star Formation in High-z Galaxies

AbstractUltra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs; L > 1012 L⊙) are quite rare in the local universe, but seem to dominate the co-moving energy density at z > 2. Many are optically-faint, dust-obscured galaxies that have been identified only relatively recently by the detection of their thermal dust emission redshifted into the sub-mm wavelengths. These submm galaxies (SMGs) have been shown to be a massive objects (M* ~ 1011 M⊙) undergoing intense star-formation(SFRs ~ 102 − 103 M⊙ yr−1) and the likely progenitors of massive ellipticals today. However, the AGN contribution to the far-IR luminosity had for years remained a caveat to these results. We used the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) to investigate the energetics of 24 radio-identified and spectroscopically-confirmed SMGs in the redshift range of 0.6 < z < 3.2. We find emission from Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) – which are associated with intense star-formation activity – in >80% of our sample and find that the median mid-IR spectrum is well described by a starburst component with an additional power-law continuum representing < 32% AGN contribution to the far-IR luminosity. We also find evidence for a more extended distribution of warm dust in SMGs compared to the more compact nuclear bursts in local ULIRGs and starbursts, suggesting that SMGs are not simple high-redshift analogs of local ULIRGs or nuclear starbursts, but have star formation which resembles that seen in less-extreme star-forming environments at z ~ 0.

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Planck’s dusty GEMS

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201833679 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 620 ◽

pp. A60 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

R. Cañameras ◽

N. P. H. Nesvadba ◽

M. Limousin ◽

H. Dole ◽

R. Kneissl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Infrared Imaging ◽

High Redshift ◽

Dust Emission ◽

Galaxy Cluster ◽

Star Forming ◽

The Galaxy ◽

Mass Outflow ◽

Gas Accretion

We report the discovery of a molecular wind signature from a massive intensely star-forming clump of a few 109 M⊙, in the strongly gravitationally lensed submillimeter galaxy “the Emerald” (PLCK_G165.7+49.0) at z = 2.236. The Emerald is amongst the brightest high-redshift galaxies on the submillimeter sky, and was initially discovered with the Planck satellite. The system contains two magnificient structures with projected lengths of 28.5″ and 21″ formed by multiple, near-infrared arcs, falling behind a massive galaxy cluster at z = 0.35, as well as an adjacent filament that has so far escaped discovery in other wavebands. We used HST/WFC3 and CFHT optical and near-infrared imaging together with IRAM and SMA interferometry of the CO(4–3) line and 850 μm dust emission to characterize the foreground lensing mass distribution, construct a lens model with LENSTOOL, and calculate gravitational magnification factors between 20 and 50 in most of the source. The majority of the star formation takes place within two massive star-forming clumps which are marginally gravitationally bound and embedded in a 9 × 1010 M⊙, fragmented disk with 20% gas fraction. The stellar continuum morphology is much smoother and also well resolved perpendicular to the magnification axis. One of the clumps shows a pronounced blue wing in the CO(4–3) line profile, which we interpret as a wind signature. The mass outflow rates are high enough for us to suspect that the clump might become unbound within a few tens of Myr, unless the outflowing gas can be replenished by gas accretion from the surrounding disk. The velocity offset of –200 km s−1 is above the escape velocity of the clump, but not that of the galaxy overall, suggesting that much of this material might ultimately rain back onto the galaxy and contribute to fueling subsequent star formation.

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The molecular gas in Luminous Infrared Galaxies: a new emergent picture

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921313001117 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 8 (S292) ◽

pp. 209-214

Author(s):

Padelis P. Papadopoulos ◽

Zhi-Yu Zhang ◽

Axel Weiss ◽

Paul van der Werf ◽

Kate Isaak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cosmic Ray ◽

Molecular Gas ◽

Infrared Galaxies ◽

Space Observatory ◽

Local Universe ◽

Star Forming ◽

Luminous Infrared Galaxies ◽

Physical Conditions ◽

J 13 ◽

Line Survey

AbstractResults from a large, multi-J CO, 13CO, and HCN line survey of Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs: LIR≥ 1010 L⊙) in the local Universe (z≤0.1), complemented by CO J=4–3 up to J=13–12 observations from the Herschel Space Observatory (HSO), paints a new picture for the average conditions of the molecular gas of the most luminous of these galaxies with turbulence and/or large cosmic ray (CR) energy densities UCR rather than far-UV/optical photons from star-forming sites as the dominant heating sources. Especially in ULIRGs (LIR>1012 L⊙) the Photon Dominated Regions (PDRs) can encompass at most a few % of their molecular gas mass while the large UCR∼ 103 UCR, Galaxy, and the strong turbulence in these merger/starbursts, can volumetrically heat much of their molecular gas to Tkin∼ (100-200) K, unhindered by the high dust extinctions. Moreover the strong supersonic turbulence in ULIRGs relocates much of their molecular gas at much higher average densities (≥104 cm−3) than in isolated spirals (∼ 102–103 cm−3). This renders low-J CO lines incapable of constraining the properties of the bulk of the molecular gas in ULIRGs, with substantial and systematic underestimates of its mass possible when only such lines are used. Finally a comparative study of multi-J HCN lines and CO SLEDs from J=1–0 up to J=13–12 of NGC 6240 and Arp 193 offers a clear example of two merger/starbursts whose similar low-J CO SLEDs, and LIR/LCO,1−0 and LHCN, 1−0/LCO,1-0 ratios (proxies of the so-called SF efficiency and dense gas mass fraction), yield no indications about their strongly diverging CO SLEDs beyond J=4–3, and ultimately the different physical conditions in their molecular ISM. The much larger sensitivity of ALMA and its excellent site in the Atacama desert now allows the observations necessary to assess the dominant energy sources of the molecular gas and its mass in LIRGs without depending on the low-J CO lines.

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xGASS: the role of bulges along and across the local star-forming main sequence

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/staa666 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 493 (4) ◽

pp. 5596-5605 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Robin H W Cook ◽

Luca Cortese ◽

Barbara Catinella ◽

Aaron Robotham

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

Main Sequence ◽

Formation Rate ◽

Stellar Mass ◽

Local Universe ◽

Star Forming ◽

Star Formation Activity ◽

The Galaxy ◽

Stellar Masses

ABSTRACT We use our catalogue of structural decomposition measurements for the extended GALEX Arecibo SDSS Survey (xGASS) to study the role of bulges both along and across the galaxy star-forming main sequence (SFMS). We show that the slope in the sSFR–M⋆ relation flattens by ∼0.1 dex per decade in M⋆ when re-normalizing specifice star formation rate (sSFR) by disc stellar mass instead of total stellar mass. However, recasting the sSFR–M⋆ relation into the framework of only disc-specific quantities shows that a residual trend remains against disc stellar mass with equivalent slope and comparable scatter to that of the total galaxy relation. This suggests that the residual declining slope of the SFMS is intrinsic to the disc components of galaxies. We further investigate the distribution of bulge-to-total ratios (B/T) as a function of distance from the SFMS (ΔSFRMS). At all stellar masses, the average B/T of local galaxies decreases monotonically with increasing ΔSFRMS. Contrary to previous works, we find that the upper envelope of the SFMS is not dominated by objects with a significant bulge component. This rules out a scenario in which, in the local Universe, objects with increased star formation activity are simultaneously experiencing a significant bulge growth. We suggest that much of the discrepancies between different works studying the role of bulges originate from differences in the methodology of structurally decomposing galaxies.

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Investigations of dust heating in M81, M83 and NGC 2403 with Herschel and Spitzer

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921312008812 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 7 (S284) ◽

pp. 97-100

Author(s):

George J. Bendo ◽

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

Flux Density ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Dust Emission ◽

Far Infrared ◽

Spectral Energy ◽

Star Forming ◽

Star Forming Regions ◽

Star Formation Activity ◽

Density Ratios

AbstractWe use Herschel Space Observatory and Spitzer Space Telescope 70-500 μm data along with ground-based optical and near-infrared data to understand how dust heating in the nearby face-on spiral galaxies M81, M83, and NGC 2403 is affected by the starlight from all stars and by the radiation from star-forming regions. We find that 70/160 μm flux density ratios tend to be more strongly influenced by star-forming regions. However, the 250/350 and 350/500 μm micron flux density ratios are more strongly affected by the light from the total stellar populations, suggesting that the dust emission at > 250 μm originates predominantly from a component that is colder than the dust seen at <160 μm and that is relatively unaffected by star formation activity. We conclude by discussing the implications of this for modelling the spectral energy distributions of both nearby and more distant galaxies and for using far-infrared dust emission to trace star formation.

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A 3D view of galactic winds in luminous infrared galaxies

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921314010084 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 10 (S309) ◽

pp. 312-312

Author(s):

P. Martín-Fernández ◽

J. Jiménez-Vicente ◽

A. Zurita ◽

E. Mediavilla ◽

A. Castillo-Morales

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

Emission Lines ◽

Host Galaxy ◽

Infrared Galaxies ◽

Ionized Gas ◽

Luminous Infrared Galaxies ◽

Galactic Winds ◽

Star Formation Activity ◽

Galaxy Type ◽

Multi Phase

AbstractGalactic winds and outflows are an ubiquitous phenomenon in galaxies with active star formation and/or active nuclei. They constitute the main mechanism for redistributing dust and metals on large scales and are therefore a key ingredient to understand the life cycle of galaxies. Among galaxies, ULIRGs are of particular interest in this context, as they host intense starbursts and are likely to be the dominant star formers at z > 1. These objects have been shown to host important winds, but it is not yet known what is the frequency of galactic winds and their properties in galaxies with lower star formation rates (SFR). We are studying galactic winds in a sample of 21 galaxies with different SFRs (including ULIRGs) from observations with the INTEGRAL fiber spectrograph on the 4.2m WHT. In order to be able to address the complex multi–phase nature of the wind phenomenon, we have used the Na I D doublet absorption lines to trace cold gas, and a few emission lines (Hα, [N ii] and [S ii]) to trace the warmer ionized gas of the wind. The distribution and kinematics of both components in these objects is then analysed. Preliminary results show strong spatial correlation between regions with high non–circular velocities, areas with high star formation activity and regions with two different components in the emission lines. This set of data will help us to characterise the distribution and kinematics of the winds and their relation with the host galaxy type.

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Hidden Star Formation: The Ultraviolet Perspective

Highlights of Astronomy ◽

10.1017/s1539299600014155 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 489-492 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

G.R. Meurer ◽

T.M. Heckman ◽

M. Seibert ◽

J. Goldader ◽

D. Calzetti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

High Redshift ◽

Formation Rate ◽

Flux Ratio ◽

Far Infrared ◽

Infrared Galaxies ◽

Luminous Infrared Galaxies ◽

Lyman Break Galaxies ◽

Highly Sensitive ◽

Dust Absorption

AbstractMany recent estimates of the star formation rate density at high redshift rely on rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) data. These are highly sensitive to dust absorption. Applying a correlation between the far-infrared (FIR) to UV flux ratio and UV color found in local starbursts to galaxy samples out toz∼ 3, one can account for most of the FIR background. However, the correlation is based on a sample that does not include the most extreme starbursts, Ultra Luminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIGs). Our new UV images of ULIGs show that their FIR fluxes are underpredicted by this correlation by factors ranging from 7 to 70. We discuss how ULIGs compare to the various types of high-zgalaxies: sub-mm sources, Lyman Break Galaxies, and Extremely Red Objects.

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Spatially-Resolved View of High-Redshift Starbursts: the case of Sub-mm Galaxies

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921313004407 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 8 (S295) ◽

pp. 92-92

Author(s):

Karín Menéndez-Delmestre ◽

Andrew W. Blain ◽

Mark Swinbank ◽

Ian Smail ◽

Rob J. Ivison ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

Adaptive Optics ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Large Fraction ◽

Spectroscopic Techniques ◽

Infrared Galaxies ◽

Star Forming ◽

Luminous Infrared Galaxies ◽

Disk Structure ◽

Hα Emission

AbstractUltra-luminous infrared galaxies (LIR > 1012 L⊙) are locally rare, but appear to dominate the co-moving energy density at higher redshifts (z>2). Many of these are optically-faint, dust-obscured galaxies that have been identified by the detection of their thermal dust emission at sub-mm wavelengths. Multi-wavelength spectroscopic follow-up observations of these sub-mm galaxies (SMGs) have shown that they are massive (Mstellar ~ 1011 M⊙) objects undergoing intense star-formation (SFRs ~ 102−103 M⊙ yr−1) with a mean redshift of z ~ 2, coinciding with the epoch of peak quasar activity. The large fraction of AGNs in SMGs and the derived SMBH masses (M• < 108 M⊙) in these galaxies suggest that the submm phase may play an important role in the rapid growth of SMBHs. When both AGN and star-formation activity are present, long-slit spectroscopic techniques face difficulties in disentangling their contributions and may result in SFR and mass overestimates. We present an integral field view of the Hα emission in a sample of 3 SMGs at z~1.4–2.4 with the IFU instrument OSIRIS on Keck. Designed to be used with Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics, OSIRIS allows a spatial resolution of up to 10× higher than what has been possible in previous seeing-limited studies of the ionized gas in these galaxies. Our main results are the following: (1) We detect multiple galactic-scale sub-components: the compact, broad Hα emission (FWHM >1000 km s−1) likely associated with an AGN, the more extended narrow-line Hα emission (FWHM ≲500 km s−1) of star-forming regions; the latter are dominated by multiple 1–2 kpc sized Hα-bright clumps, each contributing 1-25% of the total clump-integrated Hα emission. (2) We derive clump dynamical masses ~1–10×109M⊙, 1–2 orders of magnitude larger than the kpc-scaled stellar clumps uncovered in optically-selected z ~ 2 star-forming galaxies. (3) We determine high star-formation rate surface densities (ΣSFR~1–50 M⊙yr−1 kpc−2, after extinction correction), similar to local starbursts and luminous infrared galaxies. In contrast to these local environments, SMGs undergo such intense activity on significantly larger spatial scales as revealed by extended Hα emission over 4–16 kpc. (4) We find no evidence of ordered global motion as it would be found in a disk, but rather large velocity offsets (~ few × 100 km s−1) between the distinct stellar clumps. The merger interpretation is likely the most accurate scenario for the SMGs in our sample. However, the final test of whether an underlying disk structure is present will come from studies of the cold gas at the high spatial resolutions possible with ALMA.We refer the reader to Menéndez-Delmestre et al. (2012) for more details.

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Star Formation in Isolated LIRGs: Clues to Star-forming Processes at Higher z

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921311022769 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 6 (S277) ◽

pp. 195-198

Author(s):

Isaura Fuentes-Carrera ◽

Lorenzo Olguín ◽

Patricia Ambrocio-Cruz ◽

Simon Verley ◽

Margarita Rosado ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

Large Fraction ◽

Formation Rate ◽

Local Universe ◽

Star Forming ◽

Luminous Infrared Galaxies ◽

History Of ◽

Observational Techniques ◽

Intermediate Redshift ◽

Very High

AbstractLuminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) are galaxies with LIR > 1011 L⊙. For a star-forming galaxy to emit at a LIRG level, it must have a very high star formation rate (SFR). In the local Universe, the star formation (SF) is primarily triggered by interactions. However, at intermediate redshift, a large fraction of LIRGs are disk galaxies with little sign of recent merger activity. The question arises whether the intermediate redshift LIRGs are “triggered” or experiencing “normal”, if elevated, SF. Understanding these SF processes is important since this type of systems may have contributed to 20% or more of the cosmic SFR in the early Universe. In order to address this issue we study similar systems in the Local Universe, that is isolated late-type galaxies displaying LIRG activity. We use different observational techniques in order to trace the star-forming history of these systems. Here we present preliminary results.

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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon excitation in nearby spiral galaxies

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/staa1589 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 496 (2) ◽

pp. 1393-1417 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

G J Bendo ◽

N Lu ◽

A Zijlstra

Keyword(s):

Star Formation ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon ◽

Aromatic Hydrocarbon ◽

Spiral Galaxies ◽

Dust Emission ◽

Stellar Populations ◽

Mid Infrared ◽

Star Forming ◽

Evolved Stars ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic

ABSTRACT We have examined polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) excitation in a sample of 25 nearby face-on spiral galaxies using the ratio of mid-infrared PAH emission to dust mass. Within 11 of the galaxies, we found that the PAH excitation was straightforwardly linked to ultraviolet (UV) or mid-infrared star formation tracers, which, along with other results studying the relation of PAH emission to star formation, indicates that the PAHs are most strongly excited in dusty shells around the star-forming (SF) regions. Within another five galaxies, the PAH emission is enhanced around SF regions only at specific galactocentric radii. In six more galaxies, PAH excitation is more strongly correlated with the evolved stellar populations as traced by 3.6 μm emission. The results for the remaining three galaxies were ambiguous. The radial gradients of the PAH/dust ratios were generally not linked to log(O/H) gradients except when the log(O/H) gradients were relatively steep. Galaxies in which PAHs were excited by evolved stars had relatively high far-UV to mid-infrared ratios, implying that variations in the link between PAH excitation and different stellar populations are connected to changes in dust attenuation within galaxies. Alternately, differences in morphology could make it more likely that PAHs are excited by evolved stars, as five of the six galaxies where this occurs are late-type flocculent spiral galaxies. These heterogeneous results demonstrate the complexity of describing PAH excitation and have broad implications for using PAH emission as a star formation tracer as well as for modelling dust emission and radiative transfer.

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