The diagnostic power of radio spectra from star-forming galaxies

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S341) ◽  
pp. 177-186
Author(s):  
Eric J. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Microwave Emission ◽  
Radio Continuum ◽  
Continuum Emission ◽  
H Ii Regions ◽  
Synchrotron Emission ◽  
Very Large Array ◽  
Star Forming

AbstractRadio continuum emission from galaxies is powered by a combination of distinct physical processes, each providing unique diagnostic information. Over frequencies spanning ∼ 1–120 GHz, radio spectra of star-forming galaxies are primarily comprised of: (1) non-thermal synchrotron emission powered by accelerated cosmic-ray electrons/positrons; (2) free-free emission from young massive star-forming (H ii) regions; (3) anomalous microwave emission, which is a dominant, but completely unconstrained, foreground in cosmic microwave background experiments; and (4) cold, thermal dust emission that accounts for most of the dust and total mass content in the interstellar medium in galaxies. In this proceeding, we discuss these key energetic processes that contribute to the radio emission from star-forming galaxies, with an emphasis on frequencies ≳30 GHz, where current investigations of star formation within nearby galaxies show that the free-free emission begins to dominate over non-thermal synchrotron emission. We also discuss how planned radio facilities that will access these frequencies, such as a next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA), will be transformative to our understanding of the star formation process in galaxies.

scholarly journals The radio-infrared correlation in galaxies

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (H15) ◽  
pp. 417-417
Author(s):  
F. S. Tabatabaei ◽  
R. Beck ◽  
E. Berkhuijsen
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Radio Continuum ◽  
Continuum Emission ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Star Forming Regions ◽  
Main Components ◽  
Cold Dust ◽  
Ir Emission

The radio–infrared correlation holds within galaxies down to scales of about 50 pc (Hughes et al. 2006). It was explained as a direct and linear relationship between star formation and IR emission. However, one fact making the IR-star formation linkage less obvious is that the IR emission consists of at least two emission components, cold dust and warm dust. The cold dust emission may not be directly linked to the young stellar population. Furthermore, understanding the origin of the radio–IR correlation requires to discriminate between the two main components of the radio continuum emission, free-free and synchrotron emission. Although cosmic ray electrons originates also from the star forming regions (supernovae remnants; final episodes of massive stars), the synchrotron–IR correlation may not be as tight as thermal–IR correlation locally, as a result of convection and diffusion of the cosmic ray electrons from their place of birth. The magnetic field distribution may further modify the correlation.

scholarly journals Resolved spectral variations of the centimetre-wavelength continuum from the ρ Oph W photo-dissociation-region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Casassus ◽  
Matías Vidal ◽  
Carla Arce-Tord ◽  
Clive Dickinson ◽  
Glenn J White ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Cloud ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Image Synthesis ◽  
Microwave Emission ◽  
Radio Continuum ◽  
Continuum Emission ◽  
Parametric Image ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
Dust Grain

Abstract Cm-wavelength radio continuum emission in excess of free-free, synchrotron and Rayleigh-Jeans dust emission (excess microwave emission, EME), and often called ‘anomalous microwave emission’, is bright in molecular cloud regions exposed to UV radiation, i.e. in photo-dissociation regions (PDRs). The EME correlates with IR dust emission on degree angular scales. Resolved observations of well-studied PDRs are needed to compare the spectral variations of the cm-continuum with tracers of physical conditions and of the dust grain population. The EME is particularly bright in the regions of the ρ Ophiuchi molecular cloud (ρ Oph) that surround the earliest type star in the complex, HD 147889, where the peak signal stems from the filament known as the ρ Oph-W PDR. Here we report on ATCA observations of ρ Oph-W that resolve the width of the filament. We recover extended emission using a variant of non-parametric image synthesis performed in the sky plane. The multi-frequency 17 GHz to 39 GHz mosaics reveal spectral variations in the cm-wavelength continuum. At ∼30 arcsec resolutions, the 17-20 GHz intensities follow tightly the mid-IR, Icm∝I(8 μm), despite the breakdown of this correlation on larger scales. However, while the 33-39 GHz filament is parallel to IRAC 8 μm, it is offset by 15–20 arcsec towards the UV source. Such morphological differences in frequency reflect spectral variations, which we quantify spectroscopically as a sharp and steepening high-frequency cutoff, interpreted in terms of the spinning dust emission mechanism as a minimum grain size acutoff ∼ 6 ± 1 Å that increases deeper into the PDR.

Stellar feedback in dwarf irregular galaxies with radio continuum observations

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (S344) ◽  
pp. 255-258
Author(s):  
Volker Heesen ◽  
Aritra Basu ◽  
Elias Brinks ◽  
George Heald ◽  
Andrew Fletcher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Radio Continuum ◽  
Very Large Array ◽  
Radio Halo ◽  
Spatially Resolved ◽  
Ic 10 ◽  
Irregular Galaxies ◽  
Dwarf Irregular Galaxies

AbstractLow-mass dwarf irregular galaxies are subject to outflows, in which cosmic rays may play a very important role; they can be traced via their electron component, the cosmic ray electrons (CRe), in the radio continuum as non-thermal synchrotron emission. With the advent of sensitive low-frequency observations, such as with the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR), we can trace CRe far away from star formation sites. Together with GHz-observations, such as with the Very Large Array (VLA), we can study spatially resolved radio continuum spectra at matched angular resolution and sensitivity. Here, we present results from our 6-GHz VLA survey of 40 nearby dwarf galaxies and our LOFAR study of the nearby starburst dwarf irregular galaxy IC 10. We explore the relation of RC emission with star formation tracers and study in IC 10 the nature of a low-frequency radio halo, which we find to be the result of a galactic wind.

scholarly journals Radio continuum size evolution of star-forming galaxies over 0.35 < z < 2.25

2019 ◽  
Vol 625 ◽  
pp. A114 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. F. Jiménez-Andrade ◽  
B. Magnelli ◽  
A. Karim ◽  
G. Zamorani ◽  
M. Bondi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Gaussian Model ◽  
Cosmic Time ◽  
Radio Continuum ◽  
Continuum Emission ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
Galaxy Population

To better constrain the physical mechanisms driving star formation, we present the first systematic study of the radio continuum size evolution of star-forming galaxies (SFGs) over the redshift range 0.35 <  z <  2.25. We use the VLA COSMOS 3 GHz map (noise rms = 2.3 μJy beam−1, θbeam = 0.75 arcsec) to construct a mass-complete sample of 3184 radio-selected SFGs that reside on and above the main sequence (MS) of SFGs. We constrain the overall extent of star formation activity in galaxies by applying a 2D Gaussian model to their radio continuum emission. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations are used to validate the robustness of our measurements and characterize the selection function. We find no clear dependence between the radio size and stellar mass, M⋆, of SFGs with 10.5 ≲ log(M⋆/M⊙) ≲ 11.5. Our analysis suggests that MS galaxies are preferentially extended, while SFGs above the MS are always compact. The median effective radius of SFGs on (above) the MS of Reff = 1.5 ± 0.2 (1.0 ± 0.2) kpc remains nearly constant with cosmic time; a parametrization of the form Reff ∝ (1 + z)α yields a shallow slope of only α = −0.26 ± 0.08 (0.12 ± 0.14) for SFGs on (above) the MS. The size of the stellar component of galaxies is larger than the extent of the radio continuum emission by a factor ∼2 (1.3) at z = 0.5 (2), indicating star formation is enhanced at small radii. The galactic-averaged star formation rate surface density (ΣSFR) scales with the distance to the MS, except for a fraction of MS galaxies (≲10%) that harbor starburst-like ΣSFR. These “hidden” starbursts might have experienced a compaction phase due to disk instability and/or a merger-driven burst of star formation, which may or may not significantly offset a galaxy from the MS. We thus propose to use ΣSFR and distance to the MS in conjunction to better identify the galaxy population undergoing a starbursting phase.

scholarly journals Investigation of the cosmic ray population and magnetic field strength in the halo of NGC 891

2018 ◽  
Vol 615 ◽  
pp. A98 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. D. Mulcahy ◽  
A. Horneffer ◽  
R. Beck ◽  
M. Krause ◽  
P. Schmidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Field Strength ◽  
Magnetic Field Strength ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Radio Continuum ◽  
Continuum Emission ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Very Large Array ◽  
Field Strengths

Context. Cosmic rays and magnetic fields play an important role for the formation and dynamics of gaseous halos of galaxies. Aims. Low-frequency radio continuum observations of edge-on galaxies are ideal to study cosmic-ray electrons (CREs) in halos via radio synchrotron emission and to measure magnetic field strengths. Spectral information can be used to test models of CRE propagation. Free–free absorption by ionized gas at low frequencies allows us to investigate the properties of the warm ionized medium in the disk. Methods. We obtained new observations of the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 891 at 129–163 MHz with the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) and at 13–18 GHz with the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager (AMI) and combine them with recent high-resolution Very Large Array (VLA) observations at 1–2 GHz, enabling us to study the radio continuum emission over two orders of magnitude in frequency. Results. The spectrum of the integrated nonthermal flux density can be fitted by a power law with a spectral steepening towards higher frequencies or by a curved polynomial. Spectral flattening at low frequencies due to free–free absorption is detected in star-forming regions of the disk. The mean magnetic field strength in the halo is 7 ± 2 μG. The scale heights of the nonthermal halo emission at 146 MHz are larger than those at 1.5 GHz everywhere, with a mean ratio of 1.7 ± 0.3, indicating that spectral ageing of CREs is important and that diffusive propagation dominates. The halo scale heights at 146 MHz decrease with increasing magnetic field strengths which is a signature of dominating synchrotron losses of CREs. On the other hand, the spectral index between 146 MHz and 1.5 GHz linearly steepens from the disk to the halo, indicating that advection rather than diffusion is the dominating CRE transport process. This issue calls for refined modelling of CRE propagation. Conclusions. Free–free absorption is probably important at and below about 150 MHz in the disks of edge-on galaxies. To reliably separate the thermal and nonthermal emission components, to investigate spectral steepening due to CRE energy losses, and to measure magnetic field strengths in the disk and halo, wide frequency coverage and high spatial resolution are indispensable.

scholarly journals Protostellar Outflows at the EarliesT Stages (POETS)

2018 ◽  
Vol 619 ◽  
pp. A107 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Sanna ◽  
L. Moscadelli ◽  
C. Goddi ◽  
V. Krishnan ◽  
F. Massi
Keyword(s):  
Spectral Index ◽  
Young Stars ◽  
Radio Continuum ◽  
Continuum Emission ◽  
Stellar Winds ◽  
Distance Measurements ◽  
Very Large Array ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Continuum Source ◽  
Star Forming Regions

Context. Weak and compact radio continuum and H2O masers are preferred tracers of the outflow activity nearby very young stars. Aims. We want to image the centimeter free–free continuum emission in the range 1–7 cm (26–4 GHz), which arises in the inner few 1000 au from those young stars also associated with bright H2O masers. We seek to study the radio continuum properties in combination with the H2O maser kinematics to quantify the outflow energetics powered by single young stars. Methods. We made use of the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in the B configuration at K band and the A configuration at both Ku and C bands in order to image the radio continuum emission toward 25 H2O maser sites with an angular resolution and thermal rms on the order of 0.′′1 and 10 μJy beam−1, respectively. These targets add to our pilot study of 11 maser sites previously presented. The sample of H2O maser sites was selected among those regions that have accurate distance measurements, obtained through maser trigonometric parallaxes, and H2O maser luminosities in excess of 10−6 L⊙. Results. We present high-resolution radio continuum images of 33 sources belonging to 25 star-forming regions. In each region, we detect radio continuum emission within a few 1000 au of the H2O masers’ position; 50% of the radio continuum sources are associated with bolometric luminosities exceeding 5 × 103 L⊙, including W33A and G240.32 + 0.07. We provide a detailed spectral index analysis for each radio continuum source, based on the integrated fluxes at each frequency, and produce spectral index maps with the multifrequency synthesis deconvolution algorithm of CASA. The radio continuum emission traces thermal bremsstrahlung in (proto)stellar winds and jets that have flux densities at 22 GHz below 3 mJy and spectral index values between − 0.1 and 1.3. We prove a strong correlation (r > 0.8) between the radio continuum luminosity (Lrad) and the H2O maser luminosity (LH2O) of (L8 GHz∕mJy kpc2) = 103.8 × (LH2O L⊙)0.74. This power-law relation is similar to that between the radio continuum and bolometric luminosities, which confirms earlier studies. Since H2O masers are excited through shocks driven by (proto)stellar winds and jets, these results provide support to the idea that the radio continuum emission around young stars is dominated by shock ionization, and this holds over several orders of magnitude of stellar luminosites (1–105 L⊙).

scholarly journals Observations of H2O maser and continuum emission in AFGL 2591

2002 ◽  
Vol 206 ◽  
pp. 68-71
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Trinidad ◽  
Salvador Curiel ◽  
Jorge Cantó ◽  
José M. Torrelles ◽  
Luis F. Rodríguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radio Continuum ◽  
Continuum Emission ◽  
Molecular Flow ◽  
Large Array ◽  
Very Large Array ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Bipolar Outflow ◽  
Maser Line ◽  
H Ii Region

We report results of radio continuum (1.3 and 3.6 cm) and H2O maser line observations, made with the Very Large Array (A configuration), toward the star-forming region AFGL 2591. We detected 85 maser spots toward this region, which are distributed in three main groups. Two of these groups spatially coincide with the radio continuum sources VLA 2 and VLA 3. The maser spots associated with VLA 3 are distributed along a shell-like structure of 0.01 and nearly perpendicular to the CO bipolar outflow. We propose that VLA 3 is the center of the observed molecular flow in this region. Finally, we confirm that AFGL 2591 region is a cluster of B type stars, each one with its own optically thin H II region.

scholarly journals Resolving a dusty, star-forming SHiZELS galaxy at z = 2.2 with HST, ALMA and SINFONI on kiloparsec scales

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
R K Cochrane ◽  
P N Best ◽  
I Smail ◽  
E Ibar ◽  
C Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Emission Line ◽  
Rest Frame ◽  
Far Infrared ◽  
Radio Continuum ◽  
Continuum Emission ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Alpha Emission ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Dust Distribution

Abstract We present ∼0.15″ spatial resolution imaging of SHiZELS-14, a massive ($M_{*}\sim 10^{11}\, \rm {M_{\odot }}$), dusty, star-forming galaxy at z = 2.24. Our rest-frame $\sim 1\, \rm {kpc}$-scale, matched-resolution data comprise four different widely used tracers of star formation: the $\rm {H}\alpha$ emission line (from SINFONI/VLT), rest-frame UV continuum (from HST F606W imaging), the rest-frame far-infrared (from ALMA), and the radio continuum (from JVLA). Although originally identified by its modest $\rm {H}\alpha$ emission line flux, SHiZELS-14 appears to be a vigorously star-forming ($\rm {SFR}\sim 1000\, \rm {M_{\odot }\, yr^{-1}}$) example of a submillimeter galaxy, probably undergoing a merger. SHiZELS-14 displays a compact, dusty central starburst, as well as extended emission in $\rm {H}\alpha$ and the rest-frame optical and FIR. The UV emission is spatially offset from the peak of the dust continuum emission, and appears to trace holes in the dust distribution. We find that the dust attenuation varies across the spatial extent of the galaxy, reaching a peak of at least AHα ∼ 5 in the most dusty regions, although the extinction in the central starburst is likely to be much higher. Global star-formation rates inferred using standard calibrations for the different tracers vary from $\sim 10\!-\!1000\, \rm {M_{\odot }\, yr^{-1}}$, and are particularly discrepant in the galaxy’s dusty centre. This galaxy highlights the biased view of the evolution of star-forming galaxies provided by shorter wavelength data.

scholarly journals Probing the initial conditions of high-mass star formation

2019 ◽  
Vol 627 ◽  
pp. A85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuan-Peng Zhang ◽  
Timea Csengeri ◽  
Friedrich Wyrowski ◽  
Guang-Xing Li ◽  
Thushara Pillai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Radio Continuum ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
High Angular Resolution ◽  
H Ii Regions ◽  
Mass Star

Context. Fragmentation and feedback are two important processes during the early phases of star formation. Aims. Massive clumps tend to fragment into clusters of cores and condensations, some of which form high-mass stars. In this work, we study the structure of massive clumps at different scales, analyze the fragmentation process, and investigate the possibility that star formation is triggered by nearby H ii regions. Methods. We present a high angular resolution study of a sample of massive proto-cluster clumps G18.17, G18.21, G23.97N, G23.98, G23.44, G23.97S, G25.38, and G25.71. Combining infrared data at 4.5, 8.0, 24, and 70 μm, we use a few arcsecond resolution, radiometer and millimeter inteferometric data taken at 1.3 cm, 3.5 mm, 1.3 mm, and 870 μm to study their fragmentation and evolution. Our sample is unique in the sense that all the clumps have neighboring H ii regions. Taking advantage of that, we tested triggered star formation using a novel method where we study the alignment of the center of mass traced by dust emission at multiple scales. Results. The eight massive clumps, identified based on single-dish observations, have masses ranging from 228 to 2279 M⊙ within an effective radius of Reff ~ 0.5 pc. We detect compact structures towards six out of the eight clumps. The brightest compact structures within infrared bright clumps are typically associated with embedded compact radio continuum sources. The smaller scale structures of Reff ~ 0.02 pc observed within each clump are mostly gravitationally bound and massive enough to form at least a B3-B0 type star. Many condensations have masses larger than 8 M⊙ at a small scale of Reff ~ 0.02 pc. We find that the two infrared quiet clumps with the lowest mass and lowest surface density with <300 M⊙ do not host any compact sources, calling into question their ability to form high-mass stars. Although the clumps are mostly infrared quiet, the dynamical movements are active at clump scale (~1 pc). Conclusions. We studied the spatial distribution of the gas conditions detected at different scales. For some sources we find hints of external triggering, whereas for others we find no significant pattern that indicates triggering is dynamically unimportant. This probably indicates that the different clumps go through different evolutionary paths. In this respect, studies with larger samples are highly desired.

scholarly journals Deciphering the radio star formation correlation on kpc scales

2020 ◽  
Vol 633 ◽  
pp. A144 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Vollmer ◽  
M. Soida ◽  
R. Beck ◽  
M. Powalka
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Spiral Galaxies ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Radio Continuum ◽  
Continuum Emission ◽  
Smoothing Kernel ◽  
The Magnetic Field

One of the tightest correlations in astronomy is the relation between the integrated radio continuum and the far-infrared (FIR) emission. Within nearby galaxies, variations in the radio–FIR correlation have been observed, mainly because the cosmic ray electrons migrate before they lose their energy via synchrotron emission or escape. The major cosmic-ray electron transport mechanisms within the plane of galactic disks are diffusion, and streaming. A predicted radio continuum map can be obtained by convolving the map of cosmic-ray electron sources, represented by that of the star formation, with adaptive Gaussian and exponential kernels. The ratio between the smoothing lengthscales at 6 cm and 20 cm can be used to determine, between diffusion and streaming, which is the dominant transport mechanism. The dependence of the smoothing lengthscale on the star formation rate bears information on the dependence of the magnetic field strength, or the ratio between the ordered and turbulent magnetic field strengths on star formation. Star formation maps of eight rather face-on local and Virgo cluster spiral galaxies were constructed from Spitzer and Herschel infrared and GALEX UV observations. These maps were convolved with adaptive Gaussian and exponential smoothing kernels to obtain model radio continuum emission maps. It was found that in asymmetric ridges of polarized radio continuum emission, the total power emission is enhanced with respect to the star formation rate. At a characteristic star formation rate of $ \dot{\Sigma}_*=8 \times 10^{-3}\,M_{\odot} $ yr−1 kpc−2, the typical lengthscale for the transport of cosmic-ray electrons is l = 0.9 ± 0.3 kpc at 6 cm, and l = 1.8 ± 0.5 kpc at 20 cm. Perturbed spiral galaxies tend to have smaller lengthscales. This is a natural consequence of the enhancement of the magnetic field caused by the interaction. The discrimination between the two cosmic-ray electron transport mechanisms, diffusion, and streaming is based on (i) the convolution kernel (Gaussian or exponential); (ii) the dependence of the smoothing kernel on the local magnetic field, and thus on the local star formation rate; (iii) the ratio between the two smoothing lengthscales via the frequency dependence of the smoothing kernel, and (iv) the dependence of the smoothing kernel on the ratio between the ordered and the turbulent magnetic field. Based on our empirical results, methods (i) and (ii) cannot be used to determine the cosmic ray transport mechanism. Important asymmetric large-scale residuals and a local dependence of the smoothing length on Bord/Bturb are most probably responsible for the failure of methods (i) and (ii), respectively. On the other hand, the classifications based on l6 cm/l20 cm (method iii) and Bord/Bturb (method iv), are well consistent and complementary. We argue that in the six Virgo spiral galaxies, the turbulent magnetic field is globally enhanced in the disk. Therefore, the regions where the magnetic field is independent of the star formation rate are more common. In addition, Bord/Bturb decreases, leading to a diffusion lengthscale that is smaller than the streaming lengthscale. Therefore, cosmic ray electron streaming dominates in most of the Virgo spiral galaxies.

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