scholarly journals History and destiny of an emerging early-type galaxy

2018 ◽  
Vol 614 ◽  
pp. A32 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Weaver ◽  
B. Husemann ◽  
H. Kuntschner ◽  
I. Martín-Navarro ◽  
F. Bournaud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Radial Dependence ◽  
Starburst Galaxy ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Formation History ◽  
Major Merger ◽  
Disc Galaxies

Context. The merging of galaxies is one key aspect in our favourite hierarchical ΛCDM Universe and is an important channel leading to massive quiescent elliptical galaxies. Understanding this complex transformational process is ongoing. Aims. We aim to study NGC 7252, which is one of the nearest major-merger galaxy remnants, observed ~1 Gyr after the collision of presumably two gas-rich disc galaxies. It is therefore an ideal laboratory to study the processes inherent to the transformation of disc galaxies to ellipticals. Methods. We obtained wide-field IFU spectroscopy with the VLT-VIMOS integral-field spectrograph covering the central 50′′ × 50′′ of NGC 7252 to map the stellar and ionised gas kinematics, and the distribution and conditions of the ionised gas, revealing the extent of ongoing star formation and recent star formation history. Results. Contrary to previous studies, we find the inner gas disc not to be counter-rotating with respect to the stars. In addition, the stellar kinematics appear complex with a clear indication of a prolate-like rotation component which suggests a polar merger configuration. The ongoing star formation rate is 2.2 ± 0.6 M⊙ yr−1 and implies a typical depletion time of ~2 Gyr given the molecular gas content. Furthermore, the spatially resolved star formation history suggests a slight radial dependence, moving outwards at later times. We confirm a large AGN-ionised gas cloud previously discovered ~5 kpc south of the nucleus, and find a higher ionisation state of the ionised gas at the galaxy centre relative to the surrounding gas disc. Although the higher ionisation towards the centre is potentially degenerate within the central star forming ring, it may be associated with a low-luminosity AGN. Conclusions. Although NGC 7252 has been classified as post-starburst galaxy at the centre, the elliptical-like major-merger remnant still appears very active. A central kpc-scale gas disc has presumably re-formed quickly within the last 100 Myr after final coalescence. The disc features ongoing star formation, implying Gyr long timescale to reach the red sequence through gas consumption alone. While NGC 7252 is useful to probe the transformation from discs to ellipticals, it is not well-suited to study the transformation from blue to red at this point.

scholarly journals A Photometric Survey of Field Stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud: Probing its Star-Formation History

1999 ◽  
Vol 190 ◽  
pp. 343-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Smecker-Hane ◽  
J. S. Gallagher ◽  
Andrew Cole ◽  
P. B. Stetson ◽  
E. Tolstoy
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Stellar Population ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Large Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Formation History ◽  
Magnitude Diagram

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is unique among galaxies in the Local Group in that it is the most massive non-spiral, is relatively gas-rich, and is actively forming stars. Determining its star-formation rate (SFR) as a function of time will be a cornerstone in our understanding of galaxy evolution. The best method of deriving a galaxy's past SFR is to compare the densities of stars in a color-magnitude diagram (CMD), a Hess diagram, with model Hess diagrams. The LMC has a complex stellar population with ages ranging from 0 to ~ 14 Gyr and metallicities from −2 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲ −0.4, and deriving its SFR and simultaneously constraining model input parameters (distance, age-metallicity relation, reddening, and stellar models) requires well-populated CMDs that span the magnitude range 15 ≤ V ≤ 24. Although existing CMDs of field stars in the LMC show tantalizing evidence for a significant burst of star formation that occurred ~ 3 Gyr ago (for examples, see Westerlund et al. 1995; Vallenari et al. 1996; Elson, et al. 1997; Gallagher et al. 1999, and references therein), estimates of the enhancement in the SFR vary from factors of 3 to 50. This uncertainty is caused by the relatively large photometric errors that plague crowded ground-based images, and the small number statistics that plague CMDs created from single Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) images.

scholarly journals Chemo-Dynamical Models and the Star Formation History of Galaxies

1996 ◽  
Vol 171 ◽  
pp. 23-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Samland ◽  
G. Hensler
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Dynamical Models ◽  
Detailed Model ◽  
Formation History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Relevant Interaction

Sandage (1986) showed what the star formation rate (SFR) of galaxies of different Hubble type might look like. His curves are based on the study of Gallagher et al. (1984), who determined the SFR at three different epochs of galactic evolution. Sandage's figure establishes a connection of SFR and Hubble type but, as was already mentioned by Sandage, it “contains no physics”. In order to explore the background of this connection, however, it is necessary either to improve the observations or to model the evolution of galaxies self-consistently. However, the results of modelling the SFR are not reliable, if simplified models are used, which only describe some structural properties of galaxies. It is necessary to apply self-consistent models which take into consideration all relevant interaction processes between the gaseous and stellar components of a galaxy. Such models can be checked by comparison with observations like density and abundance distributions, star-gas content, velocities, velocity dispersions, mass-luminosity relations and age distributions of stars. A detailed model will show, whether the initial conditions, the feedback mechanisms during the evolution or the environment determine the evolution of a galaxy.

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 Testing star formation rate indicators using galaxy merger simulations and radiative transfer

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S262) ◽  
pp. 257-260
Author(s):  
Christopher C. Hayward ◽  
Patrik Jonsson ◽  
Kai Noeske ◽  
Stijn Wuyts ◽  
T. J. Cox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
Merging Galaxies ◽  
Formation History ◽  
Particle Hydrodynamics ◽  
Smoothed Particle

AbstractWe discuss our ongoing project analyzing N-body/smoothed-particle hydrodynamics simulations of isolated and merging galaxies, performed using GADGET-2 (Springel 2005), with the 3-D adaptive grid, polychromatic Monte Carlo radiative transfer code SUNRISE (Jonsson 2006). We apply commonly used UV, optical, and IR star formation rate (SFR) indicators to the integrated spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the simulated galaxies in order to determine how well the SFR indicators recover the instantaneous SFR in the simulations. The models underlying each SFR indicator must necessarily make assumptions about physical properties of the galaxies, e.g., the star formation history (SFH), whereas all such properties are known in the simulations. This enables us to test and compare SFR indicators in a way that is complementary to observational studies. We present one preliminary result of interest: even after correcting the Hα luminosity for dust using the Calzetti et al. (2000) attenuation law the SFR is significantly underestimated for simulated galaxies with SFR ≳ 10 M⊙ yr−1.

scholarly journals Dependence of gravitational wave transient rates on cosmic star formation and metallicity evolution history

2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (1) ◽  
pp. L6-L10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra N Tang ◽  
J J Eldridge ◽  
Elizabeth R Stanway ◽  
J C Bray
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Neutron Star ◽  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Compact Objects ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Compact Binary ◽  
Formation History ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
History Of

ABSTRACT We compare the impacts of uncertainties in both binary population synthesis models and the cosmic star formation history on the predicted rates of gravitational wave (GW) compact binary merger events. These uncertainties cause the predicted rates of GW events to vary by up to an order of magnitude. Varying the volume-averaged star formation rate density history of the Universe causes the weakest change to our predictions, while varying the metallicity evolution has the strongest effect. Double neutron star merger rates are more sensitive to assumed neutron star kick velocity than the cosmic star formation history. Varying certain parameters affects merger rates in different ways depending on the mass of the merging compact objects; thus some of the degeneracy may be broken by looking at all the event rates rather than restricting ourselves to one class of mergers.

scholarly journals The 1.4-GHz cosmic star formation history at z < 1.3

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E. Upjohn ◽  
Michael J. I. Brown ◽  
Andrew M. Hopkins ◽  
Nicolas J. Bonne
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Luminosity Function ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Radio Continuum ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Formation History ◽  
Radio Measurements ◽  
Radio Luminosity Function

AbstractWe measure the cosmic star formation history out to z = 1.3 using a sample of 918 radio-selected star-forming galaxies within the 2-deg2 COSMOS field. To increase our sample size, we combine 1.4-GHz flux densities from the VLA-COSMOS catalogue with flux densities measured from the VLA-COSMOS radio continuum image at the positions of I &lt; 26.5 galaxies, enabling us to detect 1.4-GHz sources as faint as 40 μJy. We find that radio measurements of the cosmic star formation history are highly dependent on sample completeness and models used to extrapolate the faint end of the radio luminosity function. For our preferred model of the luminosity function, we find the star formation rate density increases from 0.017 M⊙ yr−1 Mpc−3 at z ∼ 0.225 to 0.092 M⊙ yr−1 Mpc−3 at z ∼ 1.1, which agrees to within 40% of recent UV, IR and 3-GHz measurements of the cosmic star formation history.

scholarly journals Spatial variations in the star formation history of the Large Magellanic Cloud

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S256) ◽  
pp. 281-286
Author(s):  
Carme Gallart ◽  
Ingrid Meschin ◽  
Antonio Aparicio ◽  
Peter B. Stetson ◽  
Sebastián L. Hidalgo
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Outer Part ◽  
Large Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Galactocentric Distance ◽  
Formation History ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
History Of ◽  
Star Formation Histories

AbstractBased on the quantitative analysis of a set of wide-field color—magnitude diagrams reaching the old main sequence-turnoffs, we present new LMC star-formation histories, and their variation with galactocentric distance. Some coherent features are found, together with systematic variations of the star-formation history among the three fields analyzed. We find two main episodes of star formation in all three fields, from 1 to 4 and 7 to 13 Gyr ago, with relatively low star formation around ≃ 4–7 Gyr ago. The youngest age in each field gradually increases with galactocentric radius; in the innermost field, LMC 0514–6503, an additional star formation event younger than 1 Gyr is detected, with star formation declining, however, in the last ≃ 200 Myr. The population is found to be older on average toward the outer part of the galaxy, although star formation in all fields seems to have started around 13 Gyr ago.

scholarly journals Binary stars on the galaxy SFH

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (S315) ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Zhang ◽  
L. Li ◽  
Z. Han
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Binary Stars ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Population Synthesis ◽  
Feedback Process ◽  
Formation History ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Degeneracy Problem

AbstractUsing the Yunnan-II evolutionary population synthesis models comprising binary stars, we find that the inclusion of binary stars can raise the derived stellar metallicity Z* and/or age t (degeneracy problem), raise the stellar mass M*, lower the gaseous metallicity Zgas and star formation rate (SFR) of galaxies. This means that a few stars form recently in galaxies, while more stars form during the entire evolution process when considering binary stars. If the degeneracy between t and Z* can be broken, its effect on the feedback process and star formation history can be determined.

scholarly journals Detection of a high-redshift molecular outflow in a primeval hyperstarburst galaxy

2019 ◽  
Vol 632 ◽  
pp. L7 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. C. Jones ◽  
R. Maiolino ◽  
P. Caselli ◽  
S. Carniani
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Starburst Galaxy ◽  
High Excitation ◽  
Star Formation Region ◽  
Molecular Outflow ◽  
Outflow Rate ◽  
Major Merger

We report the discovery of a high-redshift, massive molecular outflow in the starburst galaxy SPT 0346-52 (z = 5.656) via the detected absorption of high-excitation water transitions (H2O 42,3 − 41,4 and H2O 33,0 − 32,1) with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The host galaxy is one of the most powerful starburst galaxies at high redshift (star formation rate; SFR ∼3600 M⊙ year−1), with an extremely compact (∼320 pc) star formation region and a SFR surface density (ΣSFR ∼ 5500 M⊙ year−1 kpc−2) five times higher than “maximum” (i.e. Eddington-limited) starbursts, implying a highly transient phase. The estimated outflow rate is ∼500 M⊙ year−1, which is much lower than the SFR, implying that in this extreme starburst the outflow capabilities saturate and the outflow is no longer capable of regulating star formation, resulting in a runaway process in which star formation will use up all available gas in less than 30 Myr. Finally, while previous kinematic investigations of this source revealed possible evidence for an ongoing major merger, the coincidence of the hyper-compact starburst and high-excitation water absorption indicates that this is a single starburst galaxy surrounded by a disc.

scholarly journals The Cosmic Baryon and Metal Cycles

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 363-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Céline Péroux ◽  
J. Christopher Howk
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Mass Density ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Cosmic Time ◽  
Dust Content ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Neutral Gas ◽  
Formation History ◽  
The Universe

Characterizing the relationship between stars, gas, and metals in galaxies is a critical component of understanding the cosmic baryon cycle. We compile contemporary censuses of the baryons in collapsed structures and their chemical makeup and dust content. We show the following: ▪  The [Formula: see text] mass density of the Universe is well determined to redshifts [Formula: see text] and shows minor evolution with time. New observations of molecular hydrogen reveal its evolution mirrors that of the global star-formation rate density, implying a universal cosmic molecular gas depletion timescale. The low-redshift decline of the star-formation history is thus driven by the lack of molecular gas supply due to a drop in net accretion rate related to the decreased growth of dark matter halos. ▪  The metal mass density in cold gas ([Formula: see text] K) contains virtually all the metals produced by stars for [Formula: see text]. At lower redshifts, the contributors to the total amount of metals are more diverse; at [Formula: see text], most of the observed metals are bound in stars. Overall, there is little evidence for a “missing metals problem” in modern censuses. ▪  We characterize the dust content of neutral gas over cosmic time, finding the dust-to-gas and dust-to-metals ratios fall with decreasing metallicity. We calculate the cosmological dust mass density in the neutral gas up to [Formula: see text]. There is good agreement between multiple tracers of the dust content of the Universe.

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