scholarly journals Star formation in outer rings of S0 galaxies

2020 ◽  
Vol 634 ◽  
pp. A102 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Proshina ◽  
O. Sil’chenko ◽  
A. Moiseev

Aims. Although S0 galaxies are often thought to be “red and dead”, they frequently demonstrate star formation organised in ring structures. We try to clarify the nature of this phenomenon and its difference from star formation in spiral galaxies. Here we study the moderate-luminosity nearby S0 galaxy, NGC 4513. Methods. By applying long-slit spectroscopy along the major axis of NGC 4513, we measured gas and star kinematics, Lick indices for the main body of the galaxy, and strong emission-line flux ratios in the ring. After inspecting the gas excitation in the ring using the line ratios diagnostic diagrams and showing that it is ionised by young stars, we determined the gas oxygen abundance using popular strong-line calibration methods. We estimated the star formation rate (SFR) in the outer ring using the archival Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) ultraviolet images of the galaxy. Results. The ionised gas counter-rotates the stars over the whole extension of NGC 4513 suggesting that it is being accreted from outside. The gas metallicity in the ring is slightly subsolar, [O/H] = −0.2 dex, matching the metallicity of the stellar component of the main galactic disc. However the stellar component of the ring is much more massive than can be explained by the current star formation level in the ring. We conclude that the ring of NGC 4513 is probably the result of tidal disruption of a massive gas-rich satellite, or may be the consequence of a long star-formation event provoked by gas accretion from a cosmological filament that started some 3 Gyr ago.

2020 ◽  
Vol 638 ◽  
pp. L10
Author(s):  
O. Sil’chenko ◽  
A. Moiseev

Aims. Even though S0 galaxies are usually thought to be ‘red and dead’, they often demonstrate star formation organised in ring structures. We try to clarify the nature of this phenomenon and the difference between this occurrence and star formation in spiral galaxies. The luminous S0 galaxy with a large ring, UGC 5936, is studied in this work. Methods. We measured gas and star kinematics by applying long-slit spectroscopy along the major axis of UGC 5936, as well as Lick indices for the main body of the galaxy and strong emission-line flux ratios in the ring. After inspecting the gas excitation in the ring using line ratio diagnostic diagrams and having ensured that it is ionised mostly by young stars, we determined the gas oxygen abundance with popular strong-line methods. We also proved the spatial proximity of the south-eastern dwarf satellite to UGC 5936 and measured its gas metallicity. Results. The ionised gas of the ring is excited by young stars and has solar metallicity. Star formation in the ring is rather prolonged and its intensity corresponds to the current HI content of UGC 5936 (to the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation). The whole morphology of the HI distribution implies current accretion of the cold gas from the satellite onto the outer disc of UGC 5936. The accretion being smooth and laminar provides a favourable condition for star formation ignition; this is a consequence of the satellite location and rotation in the plane of the stellar disc of the host galaxy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (4) ◽  
pp. 4940-4960
Author(s):  
Henry R M Zovaro ◽  
Robert Sharp ◽  
Nicole P H Nesvadba ◽  
Lisa Kewley ◽  
Ralph Sutherland ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Local examples of jet-induced star formation lend valuable insight into its significance in galaxy evolution and can provide important observational constraints for theoretical models of positive feedback. Using optical integral field spectroscopy, we present an analysis of the ISM conditions in Minkowski’s object (z = 0.0189), a peculiar star-forming dwarf galaxy located in the path of a radio jet from the galaxy NGC 541. Full spectral fitting with ppxf indicates that Minkowski’s object primarily consists of a young stellar population $\sim \! 10\, \rm Myr$ old, confirming that the bulk of the object’s stellar mass formed during a recent jet interaction. Minkowski’s object exhibits line ratios largely consistent with star formation, although there is evidence for a low level ($\lesssim \! 15 \, \rm per \, cent$) of contamination from a non-stellar ionizing source. Strong-line diagnostics reveal a significant variation in the gas-phase metallicity within the object, with $\log \left(\rm O / H \right) + 12$ varying by $\sim \! 0.5\, \rm dex$, which cannot be explained by in-situ star formation, an enriched outflow from the jet, or enrichment of gas in the stellar bridge between NGC 541 and NGC 545/547. We hypothesize that Minkowski’s object either (i) was formed as a result of jet-induced star formation in pre-existing gas clumps in the stellar bridge, or (ii) is a gas-rich dwarf galaxy that is experiencing an elevation in its star formation rate due to a jet interaction, and will eventually redden and fade, becoming an ultradiffuse galaxy as it is processed by the cluster.


2020 ◽  
Vol 635 ◽  
pp. A47 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Herrera-Camus ◽  
A. Janssen ◽  
E. Sturm ◽  
D. Lutz ◽  
S. Veilleux ◽  
...  

To understand the role that active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback plays in galaxy evolution, we need in-depth studies of the multi-phase structure and energetics of galaxy-wide outflows. In this work, we present new, deep (∼50 h) NOEMA CO(1-0) line observations of the molecular gas in the powerful outflow driven by the AGN in the ultra-luminous infrared galaxy IRAS F08572+3915. We spatially resolve the outflow, finding that its most likely configuration is a wide-angle bicone aligned with the kinematic major axis of the rotation disk. The molecular gas in the wind reaches velocities up to approximately ±1200 km s−1 and transports nearly 20% of the molecular gas mass in the system. We detect a second outflow component located ∼6 kpc northwest from the galaxy moving away at ∼900 km s−1, which could be the result of a previous episode of AGN activity. The total mass and energetics of the outflow, which includes contributions from the ionized, neutral, and warm and cold molecular gas phases, is strongly dominated by the cold molecular gas. In fact, the molecular mass outflow rate is higher than the star formation rate, even if we only consider the gas in the outflow that is fast enough to escape the galaxy, which accounts for ∼40% of the total mass of the outflow. This results in an outflow depletion time for the molecular gas in the central ∼1.5 kpc region of only ∼3 Myr, a factor of ∼2 shorter than the depletion time by star formation activity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 498 (3) ◽  
pp. 3215-3227
Author(s):  
Gabriella De Lucia ◽  
Lizhi Xie ◽  
Fabio Fontanot ◽  
Michaela Hirschmann

ABSTRACT In this paper, we take advantage of the GAlaxy Evolution and Assembly (GAEA) semi-analytic model to analyse the origin of secondary dependencies in the local galaxy mass–gas metallicity relation. Our model reproduces quite well the trends observed in the local Universe as a function of galaxy star formation rate and different gas-mass phases. We show that the cold gas content (whose largest fraction is represented by the atomic gas phase) can be considered as the third parameter governing the scatter of the predicted mass–metallicity relation, in agreement with the most recent observational measurements. The trends can be explained with fluctuations of the gas accretion rates: a decrease of the gas supply leads to an increase of the gas metallicity due to star formation, while an increase of the available cold gas leads to a metallicity depletion. We demonstrate that the former process is responsible for offsets above the mass–metallicity relation, while the latter is responsible for deviations below the mass–metallicity relation. In low- and intermediate-mass galaxies, these negative offsets are primarily determined by late gas cooling dominated by material that has been previously ejected due to stellar feedback.


2018 ◽  
Vol 620 ◽  
pp. A133 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Richtler ◽  
M. Hilker ◽  
K. Voggel ◽  
T. H. Puzia ◽  
R. Salinas ◽  
...  

Context. The isolated elliptical (IE) NGC 7796 is accompanied by an interesting early-type dwarf galaxy, named NGC 7796-DW1. It exhibits a tidal tail, very boxy isophotes, and multiple nuclei or regions (A, B, and C) that are bluer than the bulk population of the galaxy, indicating a younger age. These properties are suggestive of a dwarf–dwarf merger remnant. Aims. Dwarf–dwarf mergers are poorly understood, but may have a high importance for dwarf galaxy evolution. We want to investigate the properties of the dwarf galaxy and its components to find more evidence for a dwarf–dwarf merger or for alternative formation scenarios. Methods. We use the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) at the VLT to investigate NGC 7796-DW1. We extract characteristic spectra to which we apply the STARLIGHT population synthesis software to obtain ages and metallicities of the various population components of the galaxy. This permits us to isolate the emission lines for which fluxes and flux ratios can be measured and to which strong-line diagnostic tools can be applied. Results. The galaxy’s main body is old and metal-poor. A surprising result is the extended line emission in the galaxy, forming a ring-like structure with a projected diameter of 2.2 kpc. The line ratios fall into the regime of HII-regions, although OB-stellar populations cannot be identified by spectral signatures. The low Hα surface brightnesses indicate unresolved star-forming substructures, which means that broad-band colours are not reliable age or metallicity indicators. Nucleus A is a relatively old (7 Gyr or older) and metalpoor super star cluster, most probably the nucleus of the dwarf, now displaced. The star-forming regions B and C show younger and distinctly more metal-rich components. The emission line ratios of regions B and C indicate an almost solar oxygen abundance, if compared with radiation models of HII regions. Oxygen abundances from empirical calibrations point to only half-solar. The ring-like Hα-structure does not exhibit signs of rotation or orbital movements. Conclusions. NGC 7796-DW1 occupies a particular role in the group of transition-type galaxies with respect to its origin and current evolutionary state, being the companion of an IE. The dwarf–dwarf merger scenario is excluded because of the missing metal-rich merger component. A viable alternative is gas accretion from a reservoir of cold, metal-rich gas. NGC 7796 has to provide this gas within its X-ray bright halo. As illustrated by NGC 7796-DW1, cold accretion may be a general solution to the problem of extended star formation histories in transition dwarf galaxies.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S266) ◽  
pp. 499-499
Author(s):  
S. M. Petty ◽  
D. F. de Mello ◽  
J. P. Gardner ◽  
J. S. Gallagher

AbstractWe explore the multiwavelength properties of three nearby starburst galaxies: NGC 3079, NGC 7673, and Mrk 08. We established that each of these galaxies has similar rest-frame far-ultraviolet (FUV) morphologies as Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at z ~ 1.5 and 4, when the age of the Universe was ~ 4.3 and ~ 1.6 Gyr, respectively. LBGs are at an important stage in galaxy evolution when the Universe had a peak in the star-formation-rate density. Many LBGs are primarily composed of star-forming clumps, i.e., stellar clusters, with a significant lack of older stellar populations. Here, we present the comparison of the spectral-energy distributions (SEDs) of three nearby starburst galaxies with those of typical LBGs. From our nearby sample, each object has been artificially redshifted to observe what the galaxies would look like at z ~ 1 to 4 in the rest-frame FUV. NGC 3079 is an edge-on Seyfert 2 galaxy. It has a bright bulge and is interacting with two other galaxies, with extended Hi only along NGC 3079. The redshifting process changes its appearance, so that at high z it looks like a chain galaxy with multiple knots of star formation and no bulge. NGC 7673 has extended Hi and the star formation is mostly within the inner optical region in the multiple star-forming clumps defining the galaxy morphology. In the FUV, the galaxy looks highly compact with little detail resolved. As it is artificially redshifted, the galaxy continues to look more spherical. Mrk 8 is a merging pair, with the two galaxies observable in the visible spectrum. It is classified as a Wolf–Rayet galaxy, which suggests a very young burst, and is composed of several large star-forming regions. The FUV image does not resolve the separate galaxies, and the appearance remains similar for each redshift. We use the Gini coefficient, M20, and the Sérsic index to quantify the morphologies. The SEDs of the objects have similarities with LBG stellar population models. Because these local galaxies can be studied in more detail, they act as a bridge between nearby observations of starburst galaxies and high-z starburst galaxies such as LBGs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (2) ◽  
pp. 2000-2011
Author(s):  
Jindra Gensior ◽  
J M Diederik Kruijssen

ABSTRACT In simple models of galaxy formation and evolution, star formation is solely regulated by the amount of gas present in the galaxy. However, it has recently been shown that star formation can be suppressed by galactic dynamics in galaxies that contain a dominant spheroidal component and a low gas fraction. This ‘dynamical suppression’ is hypothesized to also contribute to quenching gas-rich galaxies at high redshift, but its impact on the galaxy population at large remains unclear. In this paper, we assess the importance of dynamical suppression in the context of gas regulator models of galaxy evolution through hydrodynamic simulations of isolated galaxies, with gas-to-stellar mass ratios of 0.01–0.20 and a range of galactic gravitational potentials from disc-dominated to spheroidal. Star formation is modelled using a dynamics-dependent efficiency per free-fall time, which depends on the virial parameter of the gas. We find that dynamical suppression becomes more effective at lower gas fractions and quantify its impact on the star formation rate as a function of gas fraction and stellar spheroid mass surface density. We combine the results of our simulations with observed scaling relations that describe the change of galaxy properties across cosmic time, and determine the galaxy mass and redshift range where dynamical suppression may affect the baryon cycle. We predict that the physics of star formation can limit and regulate the baryon cycle at low redshifts (z ≲ 1.4) and high galaxy masses (M* ≳ 3 × 1010 M⊙), where dynamical suppression can drive galaxies off the star formation main sequence.


2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (S244) ◽  
pp. 326-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Makarova ◽  
D. Makarov

AbstractWe consider the star formation properties of dwarf galaxies in the Cen A group observed within our HST/ACS projects number 9771 and 10235. We model color-magnitude diagrams of the galaxies under consideration and measure star formation rate and metallicity dependence on time. We study the environmental dependence of the galaxy evolution and probable origin of the dwarf galaxies in the group.


2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (2) ◽  
pp. 2289-2301
Author(s):  
Glenn G Kacprzak ◽  
Nikole M Nielsen ◽  
Hasti Nateghi ◽  
Christopher W Churchill ◽  
Stephanie K Pointon ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The relationship between a galaxy’s properties and its circumgalactic medium (CGM) provides a unique view of how galaxies evolve. We present an interesting edge-on (i = 86°) disc galaxy (G1547) where the CGM is probed by a background quasar at a distance of 84 kpc and within 10° of the galaxy major axis. G1547 does not have any detectable CGM absorption down to stringent limits, covering H i (EWr <0.02 Å, log(N(H i)/cm−2) < 12.6) and a range of low and high ionization absorption lines (O i, C ii, N ii, Si ii, C iii, N iii, Si iii, C iv, Si iv, N v, and O vi). This system is rare, given the covering fraction of $1.00_{-0.04}^{+0.00}$ for sub-L* galaxies within 50–100 kpc of quasar sightlines. G1547 has a low star formation rate (SFR, 1.1 M⊙ yr−1), specific SFR (sSFR, 1.5 × 10−10 yr−1), and ΣSFR (0.06 M⊙ yr−1 kpc−2) and does not exhibit active galactic nucleus or star-formation-driven outflows. Compared to the general population of galaxies, G1547 is in the green valley and has an above average metallicity with a negative gradient. When compared to other H i absorption-selected galaxies, we find that quiescent galaxies with log(sSFR/yr−1) < −11 have a low probability (4/12) of possessing detectable H i in their CGM, while all galaxies (40/40) with log(sSFR/yr−1) > −11 have H i absorption. We conclude that sSFR is a good indicator of the presence of H i CGM. Interestingly however, G1547 is the only galaxy with log(sSFR/yr−1) > −11 that has no detectable CGM. Given the properties of G1547, and its absent CGM, it is plausible that G1547 is undergoing quenching due to a lack of accreting fuel for star formation, with an estimated quenching time-scale of 4 ± 1 Gyr. G1547 provides a unique perspective into the external mechanisms that could explain the migration of galaxies into the green valley.


2020 ◽  
Vol 501 (1) ◽  
pp. 236-253
Author(s):  
Jonathan J Davies ◽  
Robert A Crain ◽  
Andrew Pontzen

ABSTRACT We examine the influence of dark matter halo assembly on the evolution of a simulated ∼L⋆ galaxy. Starting from a zoom-in simulation of a star-forming galaxy evolved with the EAGLE galaxy formation model, we use the genetic modification technique to create a pair of complementary assembly histories: one in which the halo assembles later than in the unmodified case, and one in which it assembles earlier. Delayed assembly leads to the galaxy exhibiting a greater present-day star formation rate than its unmodified counterpart, while in the accelerated case the galaxy quenches at z ≃ 1, and becomes spheroidal. We simulate each assembly history nine times, adopting different seeds for the random number generator used by EAGLE’s stochastic subgrid implementations of star formation and feedback. The systematic changes driven by differences in assembly history are significantly stronger than the random scatter induced by this stochasticity. The sensitivity of ∼L⋆ galaxy evolution to dark matter halo assembly follows from the close coupling of the growth histories of the central black hole (BH) and the halo, such that earlier assembly fosters the formation of a more massive BH, and more efficient expulsion of circumgalactic gas. In response to this expulsion, the circumgalactic medium reconfigures at a lower density, extending its cooling time and thus inhibiting the replenishment of the interstellar medium. Our results indicate that halo assembly history significantly influences the evolution of ∼L⋆ central galaxies, and that the expulsion of circumgalactic gas is a crucial step in quenching them.


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