scholarly journals X-ray binaries as the origin of nebular He II emission in low-metallicity star-forming galaxies

2019 ◽  
Vol 622 ◽  
pp. L10 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Schaerer ◽  
T. Fragos ◽  
Y. I. Izotov
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
High Mass ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
X Ray Binaries

The origin of nebular He II emission, which is frequently observed in low-metallicity (O/H) star-forming galaxies, remains largely an unsolved question. Using the observed anticorrelation of the integrated X-ray luminosity per unit of star formation rate (LX/SFR) of an X-ray binary population with metallicity and other empirical data from the well-studied galaxy I Zw 18, we show that the observed He II λ4686 intensity and its trend with metallicity is naturally reproduced if the bulk of He+ ionizing photons are emitted by the X-ray sources. We also show that a combination of X-ray binary population models with normal single and/or binary stellar models reproduces the observed I(4686)/I(Hβ) intensities and its dependency on metallicity and age. We conclude that both empirical data and theoretical models suggest that high-mass X-ray binaries are the main source of nebular He II emission in low-metallicity star-forming galaxies.

scholarly journals Sub-galactic scaling relations between X-ray luminosity, star formation rate, and stellar mass

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (4) ◽  
pp. 5967-5984 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Kouroumpatzakis ◽  
A Zezas ◽  
P Sell ◽  
K Kovlakas ◽  
P Bonfini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
High Mass ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Formation History ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
X Ray Binaries ◽  
Intrinsic Scatter

ABSTRACT X-ray luminosity (LX) originating from high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) is tightly correlated with the host galaxy’s star formation rate (SFR). We explore this connection at sub-galactic scales spanning ∼7 dex in SFR and ∼8 dex in specific SFR (sSFR). There is good agreement with established relations down to SFR ≃ 10−3 M$_{\odot }\, \rm {yr^{-1}}$, below which an excess of X-ray luminosity emerges. This excess likely arises from low-mass X-ray binaries. The intrinsic scatter of the LX–SFR relation is constant, not correlated with SFR. Different star formation indicators scale with LX in different ways, and we attribute the differences to the effect of star formation history. The SFR derived from H α shows the tightest correlation with X-ray luminosity because H α emission probes stellar populations with ages similar to HMXB formation time-scales, but the H α-based SFR is reliable only for $\rm sSFR{\gt }10^{-12}$ M$_{\odot }\, \rm {yr^{-1}}$/M⊙.

scholarly journals X-rays from Green Pea analogues

2017 ◽  
Vol 470 (1) ◽  
pp. 606-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Brorby ◽  
P. Kaaret
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Active Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
High Mass ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Green Pea ◽  
X Ray Binaries

Abstract X-ray observations of two metal-deficient luminous compact galaxies (LCG; SHOC 486 and SDSS J084220.94+115000.2) with properties similar to the so-called Green Pea galaxies were obtained using the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Green Pea galaxies are relatively small, compact (a few kpc across) galaxies that get their green colour from strong [O iii] λ5007 Å emission, an indicator of intense, recent star formation. These two galaxies were predicted to have the highest observed count rates, using the X-ray luminosity–star formation rate (LX–SFR) relation for X-ray binaries, from a statistically complete sample drawn from optical criteria. We determine the X-ray luminosity relative to SFR and metallicity for these two galaxies. Neither exhibits any evidence of active galactic nuclei, and we suspect that the X-ray emission originates from unresolved populations of high-mass X-ray binaries. We discuss the LX–SFR–metallicity plane for star-forming galaxies and show that the two LCGs are consistent with the prediction of this relation. This is the first detection of Green Pea analogues in X-rays.

scholarly journals Connecting the metallicity dependence and redshift evolution of high-mass X-ray binaries

2020 ◽  
Vol 495 (1) ◽  
pp. 771-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca M Fornasini ◽  
Francesca Civano ◽  
Hyewon Suh
Keyword(s):  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Population Synthesis ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Best Fitting ◽  
Robust Measurements ◽  
X Ray Binaries

ABSTRACT The integrated X-ray luminosity (LX) of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) in a galaxy is correlated with its star formation rate (SFR), and the normalization of this correlation increases with redshift. Population synthesis models suggest that the redshift evolution of LX/SFR is driven by the metallicity (Z) dependence of HMXBs, and the first direct evidence of this connection was recently presented using galaxies at z ∼ 2. To confirm this result with more robust measurements and better constrain the LX–SFR–Z relation, we have studied the Z dependence of LX/SFR at lower redshifts. Using samples of star-forming galaxies at z = 0.1–0.9 with optical spectra from the hCOSMOS and zCOSMOS surveys, we stacked Chandra data from the COSMOS Legacy survey to measure the average LX/SFR as a function of Z in three redshift ranges: z = 0.1–0.25, 0.25–0.4, and 0.5–0.9. We find no significant variation of the LX–SFR–Z relation with redshift. Our results provide further evidence that the Z dependence of HMXBs is responsible for the redshift evolution of LX/SFR. Combining all available z > 0 measurements together, we derive a best-fitting LX–SFR–Z relation and assess how different population synthesis models describe the data. These results provide the strongest constraints to date on the LX–SFR–Z relation in the range of 8.0 < 12 + log(O/H) < 9.0.

scholarly journals X-ray properties of He ii λ 1640 emitting galaxies in VANDELS

2020 ◽  
Vol 496 (3) ◽  
pp. 3796-3807
Author(s):  
A Saxena ◽  
L Pentericci ◽  
D Schaerer ◽  
R Schneider ◽  
R Amorin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Formation Rate ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Set Constraints ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
Matched Samples ◽  
X Ray Binaries

ABSTRACT We explore X-ray emission from a sample of 18 He ii λ1640 emitting star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 2.3–3.6 from the VANDELS survey in the Chandra Deep Field South, to set constraints on the role of X-ray sources in powering the He ii emission. We find that 4 He ii emitters have tentative detections with S/N ∼ 2 and have X-ray luminosities, LX = 1.5−4.9 × 1041 erg s−1. The stacked luminosity of all 18 He ii emitters is 2.6 × 1041 erg s−1, and that of a subset of 13 narrow He ii emitters (FHWM(He ii) < 1000 km s−1) is 3.1 × 1041 erg s−1. We also measure stacked LX for non-He ii emitters through bootstrapping of matched samples, and find LX = 2.5 × 1041 erg s−1, which is not significantly different from LX measured for He ii emitters. The LX per star formation rate for He ii emitters (log (LX/SFR) ∼ 40.0) and non-emitters (log (LX/SFR) ∼ 39.9) are also comparable and in line with the redshift evolution and metallicity dependence predicted by models. Due to the non-significant difference between the X-ray emission from galaxies with and without He ii, we conclude that X-ray binaries or weak or obscured active galactic nuclei are unlikely to be the dominant producers of He ii ionizing photons in VANDELS star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 3. Given the comparable physical properties of both He ii emitters and non-emitters reported previously, alternative He ii ionizing mechanisms such as localized low-metallicity stellar populations, Pop-III stars, etc. may need to be explored.

scholarly journals High-mass X-ray binaries in nearby metal-poor galaxies: on the contribution to nebular He ii emission

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (1) ◽  
pp. 941-957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Senchyna ◽  
Daniel P Stark ◽  
Jordan Mirocha ◽  
Amy E Reines ◽  
Stéphane Charlot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Formation Rate ◽  
Stellar Atmospheres ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
High Ionization ◽  
Binary Evolution ◽  
Joint Contribution ◽  
X Ray Binaries

ABSTRACT Despite significant progress both observationally and theoretically, the origin of high-ionization nebular He ii emission in galaxies dominated by stellar photoionization remains unclear. Accretion-powered radiation from high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) is still one of the leading proposed explanations for the missing He+-ionizing photons, but this scenario has yet to be conclusively tested. In this paper, we present nebular line predictions from a grid of photoionization models with input spectral energy distributions containing the joint contribution of both stellar atmospheres and a multicolour disc model for HMXBs. This grid demonstrates that HMXBs are inefficient producers of the photons necessary to power He ii, and can only boost this line substantially in galaxies with HMXB populations large enough to power X-ray luminosities of 1042 erg s−1 per unit star formation rate (SFR). To test this, we assemble a sample of 11 low-redshift star-forming galaxies with high-quality constraints on both X-ray emission from Chandra and He ii emission from deep optical spectra, including new observations with the MMT. These data reveal that the HMXB populations of these nearby systems are insufficient to account for the observed He ii strengths, with typical X-ray luminosities or upper limits thereon of only 1040–1041 erg s−1 per SFR. This indicates that HMXBs are not the dominant source of He+ ionization in these metal-poor star-forming galaxies. We suggest that the solution may instead reside in revisions to stellar wind predictions, softer X-ray sources, or very hot products of binary evolution at low metallicity.

scholarly journals Effects of metallicity on high-mass X-ray binary formation

2019 ◽  
Vol 491 (3) ◽  
pp. 3606-3612 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Ponnada ◽  
M Brorby ◽  
P Kaaret
Keyword(s):  
Luminosity Function ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
High Mass ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Binary Formation ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Solar Metallicity ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
X Ray Binaries

ABSTRACT The heating of the intergalactic medium in the early, metal-poor Universe may have been partly due to radiation from high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). Previous investigations on the effect of metallicity have used galaxies of different types. To isolate the effects of metallicity on the production of HMXBs, we study a sample consisting only of 46 blue compact dwarf galaxies covering metallicity in the range 12+log(O/H) of 7.15–8.66. To test the hypothesis of metallicity dependence in the X-ray luminosity function (XLF), we fix the XLF form to that found for near-solar metallicity galaxies and use a Bayesian method to constrain the XLF normalization as a function of star formation rate for three different metallicity ranges in our sample. We find an increase by a factor of 4.45 ± 2.04 in the XLF normalization between the metallicity ranges 7.1–7.7 and 8.2–8.66 at a statistical significance of 99.79 per cent. Our results suggest that HMXB production is enhanced at low metallicity, and consequently that HMXBs may have contributed significantly to the reheating of the early Universe.

scholarly journals The dependence of mass and environment on the secular processes of AGNs in terms of morphology, colour, and specific star-formation rate

2018 ◽  
Vol 620 ◽  
pp. A113 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Argudo-Fernández ◽  
I. Lacerna ◽  
S. Duarte Puertas
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Active Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Stellar Mass ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Late Type ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Isolated Galaxies

Context. Galaxy mass and environment play a major role in the evolution of galaxies. In the transition from star-forming to quenched galaxies, active galactic nuclei (AGNs) also have a principal action therein. However, the connections between these three actors are still uncertain. Aims. In this work we investigate the effects of stellar mass and the large-scale structure (LSS) environment on the fraction of optical nuclear activity in a population of isolated galaxies, where AGN would not be triggered by recent galaxy interactions or mergers. Methods. As a continuation of a previous work, we focus on isolated galaxies to study the effect of stellar mass and the LSS in terms of morphology (early- and late-type), colour (red and blue), and specific star-formation rate (quenched and star-forming). To explore where AGN activity is affected by the LSS, we separate galaxies into two groups, of low- and high mass, respectively, and use the tidal strength parameter to quantify the effects. Results. We found that AGN is strongly affected by stellar mass in “active” galaxies (namely late-type, blue, and star-forming), but that mass has no influence on “quiescent” galaxies (namely early-type, red, and quenched), at least for masses down to 1010 M⊙. In relation to the LSS, we found an increase in the fraction of star-forming nuclei galaxies with denser LSS in low-mass star-forming and red isolated galaxies. Regarding AGN, we find a clear increase in the fraction of AGNs with denser environment in quenched and red isolated galaxies, independently of the stellar mass. Conclusions. Active galactic nuclei activity appears to be “mass triggered” in active isolated galaxies. This means that AGN activity is independent of the intrinsic properties of the galaxies, but is dependent on their stellar mass. On the other hand, AGN activity appears to be “environment triggered” in quiescent isolated galaxies, where the fraction of AGNs as a function of specific star formation rate and colour increases from void regions to denser LSS, independently of stellar mass.

scholarly journals Different generations of HMXBs: clues about their formation efficiency from Magellanic Clouds studies

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (S346) ◽  
pp. 316-321
Author(s):  
Vallia Antoniou ◽  
Andreas Zezas ◽  
Jeremy J. Drake ◽  
Carles Badenes ◽  
Frank Haberl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Mass ◽  
Nearby Star ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Ob Stars ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Number Ratio ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
Star Binary ◽  
Formation Efficiency ◽  
X Ray Binaries

AbstractNearby star-forming galaxies offer a unique environment to study the populations of young (<100 Myr) accreting binaries. These systems are tracers of past populations of massive stars that heavily affect their immediate environment and parent galaxies. Using a Chandra X-ray Visionary program, we investigate the young neutron-star binary population in the low metallicity of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) by reaching quiescent X-ray luminosity levels (~few times 1032 erg/s). We present the first measurement of the formation efficiency of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) as a function of the age of their parent stellar populations by using 3 indicators: the number ratio of HMXBs to OB stars, to the SFR, and to the stellar mass produced during the specific star-formation burst they are associated with. In all cases, we find that the HMXB formation efficiency increases as a function of time up to ~40–60 Myr, and then gradually decreases.

Probing the building blocks of galaxies: Sub-galactic scaling relations between X-ray luminosity, SFR and stellar mass

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S341) ◽  
pp. 162-166
Author(s):  
K. Kouroumpatzakis ◽  
A. Zezas ◽  
P. H. Sell ◽  
P. Bonfini ◽  
M. L. N. Ashby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Stellar Mass ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Scaling Relations ◽  
Local Universe ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Star Formation Activity ◽  
X Ray Binaries

AbstractIt is well known that X-ray luminosity (Lx) originating from high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) is tightly correlated with the host galaxy’s star formation rate (SFR). We explore this connection using a sample representative of the star-formation activity in the local Universe (Star-Formation Reference Survey; SFRS) along with a comprehensive set of star-formation (radio, FIR, 24μm, 8 μm, Hα, UV, SED fitting) and stellar mass (K-band, 3.6 μm, SED fitting) indicators, and Chandra observations. We investigate the Lx–SFR and Lx– stellar mass (M*) scaling relations down to sub-galactic scales of ∼lkpc2. This way we extend these relations to extremely low SFR (∼10−6M⊙.yr−1) and M* (∼104M⊙). We also quantify their scatter and their dependence on the age of the local stellar populations as inferred from the different age sensitive SFR indicators. These results are particularly important for setting the benchmark for the formation of X-ray binaries in vigorous, but low SFR objects such as galaxies in the early Universe.

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