scholarly journals What we learn from the Frontier Fields cluster MACS J0416.1-2403

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (A29B) ◽  
pp. 787-790
Author(s):  
S. H. Suyu ◽  
C. Grillo ◽  
P. Rosati
Keyword(s):  
Mass Distribution ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Galaxy Cluster ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Central Mass ◽  
Great Opportunity ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
James Webb Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift Universe

AbstractThe Frontier Fields cluster MACS J0416.1-2403 with its extensive imaging and spectroscopic data sets provides a great opportunity to study the mass distribution of the galaxy cluster and members, the high-redshift Universe and cosmology. By taking advantage of the observations in the 16 Hubble Space Telescope imaging bands of the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) survey and our large spectroscopic follow-up program with the VIsible Multi-Object Spectrograph (VIMOS) on the Very Large Telescope (VLT), we have been able to identify and obtain the spectroscopic redshifts of 10 important strong lensing systems in this cluster. Furthermore, we have selected and modeled the mass distribution of ~200 candidate cluster members residing in the inner regions of the cluster. We present the results on the model-predicted central mass profile and subhalo population, which are detailed in Grillo et al. (2015). Work is underway to quantify the effects of line-of-sight structures. These are essential elements to make progress in our understanding of the dark matter distribution in massive galaxy clusters and of the distant Universe within the current Frontier Fields initiative and before the advent of the James Webb Space Telescope.

scholarly journals Studying the physical properties of tidal features – I. Extracting morphological substructure in CANDELS observations and VELA simulations

2019 ◽  
Vol 486 (2) ◽  
pp. 2643-2659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kameswara Bharadwaj Mantha ◽  
Daniel H McIntosh ◽  
Cody P Ciaschi ◽  
Rubyet Evan ◽  
Henry C Ferguson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
Visual Appearance ◽  
James Webb Space Telescope ◽  
Profile Fitting ◽  
Major Merger ◽  
Merger Rate

Abstract The role of major mergers in galaxy evolution remains a key open question. Existing empirical merger identification methods use non-parametric and subjective visual classifications that can pose systematic challenges to constraining merger histories. As a first step towards overcoming these challenges, we develop and share publicly a new python-based software tool that identifies and extracts the flux-wise and area-wise significant contiguous regions from the model-subtracted residual images produced by popular parametric light-profile fitting tools (e.g. galfit). Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) H-band single-Sérsic residual images of 17 CANDELS galaxies, we demonstrate the tools ability to measure the surface brightness and improve the qualitative identification of a variety of common residual features (disc structures, spiral substructures, plausible tidal features, and strong gravitational arcs). We test our method on synthetic HST observations of a z ∼ 1.5 major merger from the VELA hydrodynamic simulations. We extract H-band residual features corresponding to the birth, growth, and fading of tidal features during different stages and viewing orientations at CANDELS depths and resolution. We find that the extracted features at shallow depths have noisy visual appearance and are susceptible to viewing angle effects. For a VELA z ∼ 3 major merger, we find that James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam observations can probe high-redshift tidal features with considerable advantage over existing HST capabilities. Further quantitative analysis of plausible tidal features extracted with our new software hold promise for the robust identification of hallmark merger signatures and corresponding improvements to merger rate constraints.

scholarly journals The predicted properties of helium-enriched globular cluster progenitors at high redshift

2020 ◽  
Vol 496 (3) ◽  
pp. 3222-3234
Author(s):  
David M Nataf ◽  
Shunsaku Horiuchi ◽  
Guglielmo Costa ◽  
Rosemary F G Wyse ◽  
Yuan-Sen Ting ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Optics ◽  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Cluster Formation ◽  
Stellar Populations ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
James Webb Space Telescope ◽  
Galactic Astronomy

ABSTRACT Globular cluster progenitors may have been detected by Hubble Space Telescope, and are predicted to be observable with James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and ground-based extremely large telescopes with adaptive optics. This has the potential to elucidate the issue of globular cluster formation and the origins of significantly helium-enriched subpopulations, a problem in Galactic astronomy with no satisfactory theoretical solution. Given this context, we use model stellar tracks and isochrones to investigate the predicted observational properties of helium-enriched stellar populations in globular cluster progenitors. We find that, relative to helium-normal populations, helium-enriched (ΔY = +0.12) stellar populations similar to those inferred in the most massive globular clusters, are expected, modulo some rapid fluctuations in the first ∼30 Myr, to be brighter and redder in the rest frame. At fixed age, stellar mass, and metallicity, a helium-enriched population is predicted to converge to being ∼0.40 mag brighter at $\lambda \approx 2.0\, {\mu \rm m}$, and to be 0.30-mag redder in the JWST–NIRCam colour (F070W − F200W), and to actually be fainter for $\lambda \lesssim 0.50 \, {\mu \rm m}$. Separately, we find that the time-integrated shift in ionizing radiation is a negligible $\sim \!5{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, though we show that the Lyman-α escape fraction could end up higher for helium-enriched stars.

scholarly journals Wide-Field Slitless Spectroscopy with JWST's NIRISS

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (S319) ◽  
pp. 11-11
Author(s):  
William V. Dixon ◽  
Swara Ravindranath ◽  
Chris J. Willott
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Galaxy Cluster ◽  
Optical Emission ◽  
Resolving Power ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
First Stars ◽  
James Webb Space Telescope ◽  
Infrared Imager ◽  
High Redshift Universe

AbstractThe Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) aboard the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will offer wide-field slitless spectroscopy (WFSS) with a resolving power R = 150 at wavelengths from 0.8 to 2.25 microns. In this band, NIRISS will be sensitive to Lyman α emission lines and continuum breaks in the spectra of galaxies with redshifts 6 < z < 17, allowing it to probe the first stars and ionizing sources in the early universe. NIRISS observations of the high-redshift universe will provide a wealth of information on foreground objects, creating a unique library of optical emission-line spectra from the faintest galaxies at lower redshifts. To explore its ability to identify and characterize galaxies at all redshifts, we have modeled a NIRISS observation of a massive strong-lensing galaxy cluster and analyzed the synthetic images using standard software tools. Our simulations demonstrate that WFSS with NIRISS will provide a powerful tool for the exploration of galaxies near and far.

scholarly journals Candidate Population III stellar complex at z = 6.629 in the MUSE Deep Lensed Field

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (1) ◽  
pp. L81-L85 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Vanzella ◽  
M Meneghetti ◽  
G B Caminha ◽  
M Castellano ◽  
F Calura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rest Frame ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
Galaxy Cluster ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
James Webb Space Telescope ◽  
H Ii Region ◽  
Large Telescopes ◽  
The Continuum ◽  
Population Iii

ABSTRACT We discovered a strongly lensed (μ ≳ 40) Ly α emission at z = 6.629 (S/N ≃ 18) in the MUSE Deep Lensed Field (MDLF) targeting the Hubble Frontier Field (HFF) galaxy cluster MACS J0416. Dedicated lensing simulations imply that the Ly α emitting region necessarily crosses the caustic. The arc-like shape of the Ly α extends 3 arcsec on the observed plane and is the result of two merged multiple images, each one with a de-lensed Ly α luminosity L ≲ 2.8 × 1040 erg s−1 arising from a confined region (≲150 pc effective radius). A spatially unresolved Hubble Space Telescope(HST) counterpart is barely detected at S/N ≃ 2 after stacking the near-infrared bands, corresponding to an observed (intrinsic) magnitude m1500 ≳ 30.8 (≳35.0). The inferred rest-frame Ly α equivalent width is EW0 &gt; 1120 Å if the IGM transmission is TIGM &lt; 0.5. The low luminosities and the extremely large Ly α EW0 match the case of a Population III (Pop III) star complex made of several dozens stars (∼104 M⊙) that irradiate an H ii region crossing the caustic. While the Ly α and stellar continuum are among the faintest ever observed at this redshift, the continuum and the Ly α emissions could be affected by differential magnification, possibly biasing the EW0 estimate. The aforementioned tentative HST detection tends to favour a large EW0, making such a faint Pop III candidate a key target for the James Webb Space Telescope and Extremely Large Telescopes.

scholarly journals Asymmetric surface brightness structure of caustic crossing arc in SDSS J1226+2152: a case for dark matter substructure

2020 ◽  
Vol 495 (3) ◽  
pp. 3192-3208
Author(s):  
Liang Dai ◽  
Alexander A Kaurov ◽  
Keren Sharon ◽  
Michael Florian ◽  
Jordi Miralda-Escudé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Surface Brightness ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
Galaxy Cluster ◽  
Critical Curve ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
James Webb Space Telescope ◽  
Image Pairs

ABSTRACT We study the highly magnified arc SGAS J122651.3+215220 caused by a star-forming galaxy at zs = 2.93 crossing the lensing caustic cast by the galaxy cluster SDSS J1226+2152 (zl = 0.43), using Hubble Space Telescope observations. We report in the arc several asymmetric surface brightness features whose angular separations are a fraction of an arcsecond from the lensing critical curve and appear to be highly but unequally magnified image pairs of underlying compact sources, with one brightest pair having clear asymmetry consistently across four filters. One explanation of unequal magnification is microlensing by intracluster stars, which induces independent flux variations in the images of individual or groups of source stars in the lensed galaxy. For a second possibility, intracluster dark matter subhaloes invisible to telescopes effectively perturb lensing magnifications near the critical curve and give rise to persistently unequal image pairs. Our modelling suggests, at least for the most prominent identified image pair, that the microlensing hypothesis is in tension with the absence of notable asymmetry variation over a six-year baseline, while subhaloes of ∼106–$10^8\, \mathrm{ M}_\odot$ anticipated from structure formation with cold dark matter typically produce stationary and sizable asymmetries. We judge that observations at additional times and more precise lens models are necessary to stringently constrain temporal variability and robustly distinguish between the two explanations. The arc under this study is a scheduled target of a Director’s Discretionary Early Release Science program of the James Webb Space Telescope, which will provide deep images and a high-resolution view with integral field spectroscopy.

scholarly journals All NIRspec Needs is HST/WFC3 Pre-Imaging? The Use of Milky Way Stars in WFC3 Imaging to Register NIRspec MSA Observations

2016 ◽  
Vol 05 (03) ◽  
pp. 1650008
Author(s):  
B. W. Holwerda ◽  
R. J. Bouwens ◽  
M. Trenti ◽  
M. A. Kenworthy
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Galactic Latitude ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
James Webb Space Telescope ◽  
Specific Formula ◽  
The Right ◽  
Guide Star

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be an exquisite new near-infrared observatory with imaging and multi-object spectroscopy through ESA’s NIRspec instrument with its unique Micro-Shutter Array (MSA), allowing for slits to be positioned on astronomical targets by opening specific [Formula: see text]-wide micro shutter doors. To ensure proper Target Acquisition (TA), the on-sky position of the MSA needs to be verified before spectroscopic observations start. An onboard centroiding program registers the position of pre-identified guide stars in a TA image, a short pre-spectroscopy exposure without dispersion (image mode) through the MSA with all shutters open. The outstanding issue is the availability of Galactic stars in the right luminosity range for TA relative to typical high redshift targets. We explore this here using the stars and [Formula: see text] candidate galaxies identified in the source extractor catalogs of Brightest of Reionizing Galaxies survey (BoRG[z8]), a pure-parallel program with Hubble Space Telescope Wide-Field Camera 3. We find that (a) a single WFC3 field contains enough Galactic stars to satisfy the NIRspec astrometry requirement (20 milli-arcseconds), provided its and the NIRspec TA’s are [Formula: see text] AB in WFC3 [Formula: see text], (b) a single WFC3 image can therefore serve as the pre-image if need be, (c) a WFC3 mosaic and accompanying TA image satisfy the astrometry requirement at [Formula: see text] AB mag in WFC3 [Formula: see text], (d) no specific Galactic latitude requires deeper TA imaging due to a lack of Galactic stars, and (e) a depth of [Formula: see text] AB mag in WFC3 [Formula: see text] is needed if a guide star in the same MSA quadrant as a target is required. We take the example of a BoRG identified [Formula: see text] candidate galaxy and require a Galactic star within 20[Formula: see text] of it. In this case, a depth of 25.5 AB in [Formula: see text] is required (with [Formula: see text]97% confidence).

Surveys of High-Redshift Galaxies

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham Loeb ◽  
Steven R. Furlanetto
Keyword(s):  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Spatial Correlations ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift Galaxies ◽  
James Webb Space Telescope ◽  
Observational Techniques ◽  
Mass Functions ◽  
Lower Redshift ◽  
Redshift Galaxies

This chapter details the study of high-redshift galaxies. It first outlines the telescopes used for observing these galaxies: the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and its follow ups, as well as the next-generation telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Next, the chapter discusses the methods for isolating candidate high-redshift galaxies from the foreground population of feeble lower-redshift galaxies. After outlining the observational techniques for identifying high-redshift galaxies, the chapter turns to the luminosity and mass functions, before enumerating strategies to constrain the statistical properties of galaxies, including “one point functions” like the luminosity or stellar mass functions as well as spatial correlations.

scholarly journals The Hubble PanCET program: Transit and Eclipse Spectroscopy of the Hot-Jupiter WASP-74b

2021 ◽  
Vol 162 (6) ◽  
pp. 271
Author(s):  
Guangwei Fu ◽  
Drake Deming ◽  
Erin May ◽  
Kevin Stevenson ◽  
David K. Sing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rayleigh Scattering ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
Absorption Feature ◽  
Spectral Library ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
Methane Absorption ◽  
James Webb Space Telescope ◽  
Hot Jupiter

Abstract Planets are like children with each one being unique and special. A better understanding of their collective properties requires a deeper understanding of each planet. Here we add the transit and eclipse spectra of hot-Jupiter WASP-74b into the ever growing data set of exoplanet atmosphere spectral library. With six transits and three eclipses using the Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope (Spitzer), we present the most complete and precise atmospheric spectra of WASP-74b. We found no evidence for TiO/VO nor super-Rayleigh scattering reported in previous studies. The transit shows a muted water feature with strong Rayleigh scattering extending into the infrared. The eclipse shows a featureless blackbody-like WFC3/G141 spectrum and a weak methane absorption feature in the Spitzer 3.6 μm band. Future James Webb Space Telescope follow-up observations are needed to confirm these results.

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