scholarly journals Disentangling the multiphase circumgalactic medium shared between a dwarf and a massive star-forming galaxy at z∼0.4

2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (3) ◽  
pp. 3987-3998
Author(s):  
Hasti Nateghi ◽  
Glenn G Kacprzak ◽  
Nikole M Nielsen ◽  
Sowgat Muzahid ◽  
Christopher W Churchill ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The multiphase circumgalactic medium (CGM) arises within the complex environment around a galaxy, or collection of galaxies, and possibly originates from a wide range of physical mechanisms. In this paper, we attempt to disentangle the origins of these multiphase structures and present a detailed analysis of the quasar field Q0122−003 field using Keck/KCWI galaxy observations and HST/COS spectra probing the CGM. Our re-analysis of this field shows that there are two galaxies associated with the absorption. We have discovered a dwarf galaxy, G_27kpc (M⋆ = 108.7 M⊙), at z = 0.39863 that is 27 kpc from the quasar sightline. G_27kpc is only +21 km s−1 from a more massive (M⋆ = 1010.5 M⊙) star-forming galaxy, G_163kpc, at an impact parameter of 163 kpc. While G_163kpc is actively forming stars (SFR = 6.9 M⊙ yr−1), G_27kpc has a low star-formation rate (SFR = 0.08 ± 0.03 M⊙ yr−1) and star formation surface density (ΣSFR = 0.006 M⊙ kpc−2 yr−1), implying no active outflows. By comparing galaxy SFRs, kinematics, masses, and distances from the quasar sightline to the absorption kinematics, column densities, and metallicities, we have inferred the following: (1) Part of the low-ionization phase has a metallicity and kinematics consistent with being accreted on to G_27kpc. (2) The remainder of the low ionization phase has metallicities and kinematics consistent with being intragroup gas being transferred from G_27kpc to G_163kpc. (3) The high ionization phase is consistent with being produced solely by outflows originating from the massive halo of G_163kpc. Our results demonstrate the complex nature of the multiphase CGM, especially around galaxy groups, and that detailed case-by-case studies are critical for disentangling its origins.

2021 ◽  
Vol 504 (2) ◽  
pp. 2325-2345
Author(s):  
Emanuel Sillero ◽  
Patricia B Tissera ◽  
Diego G Lambas ◽  
Stefano Bovino ◽  
Dominik R Schleicher ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present p-gadget3-k, an updated version of gadget-3, that incorporates the chemistry package krome. p-gadget3-k follows the hydrodynamical and chemical evolution of cosmic structures, incorporating the chemistry and cooling of H2 and metal cooling in non-equilibrium. We performed different runs of the same ICs to assess the impact of various physical parameters and prescriptions, namely gas metallicity, molecular hydrogen formation on dust, star formation recipes including or not H2 dependence, and the effects of numerical resolution. We find that the characteristics of the simulated systems, both globally and at kpc-scales, are in good agreement with several observable properties of molecular gas in star-forming galaxies. The surface density profiles of star formation rate (SFR) and H2 are found to vary with the clumping factor and resolution. In agreement with previous results, the chemical enrichment of the gas component is found to be a key ingredient to model the formation and distribution of H2 as a function of gas density and temperature. A star formation algorithm that takes into account the H2 fraction together with a treatment for the local stellar radiation field improves the agreement with observed H2 abundances over a wide range of gas densities and with the molecular Kennicutt–Schmidt law, implying a more realistic modelling of the star formation process.


2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 617-659
Author(s):  
Masami Ouchi ◽  
Yoshiaki Ono ◽  
Takatoshi Shibuya

Hydrogen Lyman-α (Lyα) emission has been one of the major observational probes for the high-redshift Universe since the first discoveries of high- z Lyα-emitting galaxies in the late 1990s. Due to the strong Lyα emission originated by resonant scattering and recombination of the most abundant element, Lyα observations witness not only Hii regions of star formation and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) but also diffuse Hi gas in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) and the intergalactic medium (IGM). Here, we review Lyα sources and present theoretical interpretations reached to date. We conclude the following: ▪  A typical Lyα emitter (LAE) at z ≳ 2 with a L* Lyα luminosity is a high- z counterpart of a local dwarf galaxy, a compact metal-poor star-forming galaxy (SFG) with an approximate stellar (dark matter halo) mass and star-formation rate of 108−9M⊙ (1010−11M⊙) and 1–10 M⊙ year−1, respectively. ▪  High- z SFGs ubiquitously have a diffuse Lyα-emitting halo in the CGM extending to the halo virial radius and beyond. ▪  Remaining neutral hydrogen at the epoch of cosmic reionization makes a strong dimming of Lyα emission for galaxies at z > 6 that suggests the late reionization history. The next-generation large-telescope projects will combine Lyα emission data with Hi Lyα absorptions and 21-cm radio data that map out the majority of hydrogen (Hi+Hii) gas, uncovering the exchanges of ( a) matter by outflow and inflow and ( b) radiation, relevant to cosmic reionization, between galaxies and the CGM/IGM.


Author(s):  
J K Barrera-Ballesteros ◽  
S F Sánchez ◽  
T Heckman ◽  
T Wong ◽  
A Bolatto ◽  
...  

Abstract The processes that regulate star formation are essential to understand how galaxies evolve. We present the relation between star formation rate density, ΣSFR , and hydrostatic midplane pressure, Ph , for 4260 star-forming regions of kpc size located in 96 galaxies included in the EDGE-CALIFA survey covering a wide range of stellar masses and morphologies. We find that these two parameters are tightly correlated, showing a smaller scatter in comparison to other star-forming relations. A power-law, with a slightly sub-linear index, is a good representation of this relation. Its residuals show a significant anti-correlation with both stellar age and metallicity whereas the total stellar mass may also play a secondary role in shaping the ΣSFR - Ph relation. For actively star-forming regions we find that the effective feedback momentum per unit stellar mass (p*/m*), measured from the Ph/ΣSFR ratio increases with Ph. The median value of this ratio for all the sampled regions is larger than the expected momentum just from supernovae explosions. Morphology of the galaxies, including bars, does not seem to have a significant impact in the ΣSFR - Ph relation. Our analysis indicates that local ΣSFR self-regulation comes mainly from momentum injection to the interstellar medium from supernovae explosions. However, other mechanisms in disk galaxies may also play a significant role in shaping the ΣSFR at kpc scales. Our results also suggest that Ph is the main parameter that modulates star formation at kpc scales, rather than individual components of the baryonic mass.


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 644 ◽  
pp. A125
Author(s):  
Cecilia Bacchini ◽  
Filippo Fraternali ◽  
Gabriele Pezzulli ◽  
Antonino Marasco

In the last decades, much effort has been put into finding the star formation law, which could unequivocally link the gas and the star formation rate (SFR) densities measured on a sub-kiloparsec scale in star-forming galaxies. The conventional approach of using the observed surface densities to infer star formation laws has however revealed a major and well-known issue, as such relations are valid for the high-density regions of galaxies but break down in low-density and HI-dominated environments. Recently, an empirical correlation between the total gas (HI+H2) and the SFR volume densities was obtained for a sample of nearby disc galaxies and for the Milky Way. This volumetric star formation (VSF) law is a single power-law with no break and a smaller intrinsic scatter with respect to the star formation laws based on the surface density. In this work, we explore the VSF law in the regime of dwarf galaxies in order to test its validity in HI-dominated, low-density, and low-metallicity environments. In addition, we assess this relation in the outskirts of spiral galaxies, which are low-density and HI-dominated regions similar to dwarf galaxies. Remarkably, we find that the VSF law, namely ρSFR ∝ ρgasα with α ≈ 2, is valid for both these regimes. This result indicates that the VSF law, which holds unbroken for a wide range of gas (≈3 dex) and SFR (≈6 dex) volume densities, is the empirical relation with the smallest intrinsic scatter and is likely more fundamental than surface-based star formation laws.


2019 ◽  
Vol 485 (4) ◽  
pp. 5411-5422 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Arabsalmani ◽  
S Roychowdhury ◽  
T K Starkenburg ◽  
L Christensen ◽  
E Le Floc’h ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We report Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), Very Large Telescope (VLT), and Spitzer Space Telescope observations of ESO 184−G82, the host galaxy of GRB 980425/SN 1998bw, that yield evidence of a companion dwarf galaxy at a projected distance of 13 kpc. The companion, hereafter GALJ193510-524947, is a gas-rich, star-forming galaxy with a star formation rate of $\rm 0.004\, M_{\odot }\, yr^{-1}$, a gas mass of $10^{7.1\pm 0.1} \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot}$, and a stellar mass of $10^{7.0\pm 0.3} \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot}$. The interaction between ESO 184−G82 and GALJ193510-524947 is evident from the extended gaseous structure between the two galaxies in the GMRT H i 21 cm map. We find a ring of high column density H i gas, passing through the actively star-forming regions of ESO 184−G82 and the GRB location. This ring lends support to the picture in which ESO 184−G82 is interacting with GALJ193510-524947. The massive stars in GALJ193510-524947 have similar ages to those in star-forming regions in ESO 184−G82, also suggesting that the interaction may have triggered star formation in both galaxies. The gas and star formation properties of ESO 184−G82 favour a head-on collision with GALJ193510-524947 rather than a classical tidal interaction. We perform state-of-the-art simulations of dwarf–dwarf mergers and confirm that the observed properties of ESO 184−G82 can be reproduced by collision with a small companion galaxy. This is a very clear case of interaction in a gamma-ray burst host galaxy and of interaction-driven star formation giving rise to a gamma-ray burst in a dense environment.


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 492 (2) ◽  
pp. 2818-2827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Lupi ◽  
Stefano Bovino

ABSTRACT Current galaxy observations suggest that a roughly linear correlation exists between the [C ii] emission and the star formation rate, either as spatially resolved or integrated quantities. Observationally, this correlation seems to be independent of metallicity, but the very large scatter does not allow to properly assess whether this is true. On the other hand, theoretical models tend to suggest a metallicity dependence of the correlation. In this study, we investigate the metallicity evolution of the correlation via a high-resolution zoom-in cosmological simulation of a dwarf galaxy employing state-of-the-art sub-grid modelling for gas cooling, star formation, and stellar feedback, and that self-consistently evolves the abundances of metal elements out of equilibrium. Our results suggest that the correlation should evolve with metallicity, in agreement with theoretical predictions, but also that this evolution can be hardly detected in observations, because of the large scatter. We also find that most of the [C ii] emission is associated with neutral gas at low-intermediate densities, whereas the highest emissivity is produced by the densest regions around star-forming regions.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S292) ◽  
pp. 307-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.-H. R. Chen ◽  
R. Indebetouw ◽  
E. Muller ◽  
M. Messineo ◽  
K. M. Menten ◽  
...  

AbstractThe relationship between star formation rate (SFR) and the gas surface density (Σgas) is one of the most critical links between star formation and galaxy evolution. The observed SFR- Σgas relation, the “Schmidt-Kennicutt (S-K) law”, is tight when properties are averaged over kpc, but breaks down at the scale of giant molecular clouds (GMCs). To understand the physics governing the variations at GMC scales and the tight correlation at kpc scales, spatially and temporally resolved data covering a wide range of linear scale are needed. We have used the Spitzer surveys of the Large Magellanic Cloud and Magellanic Bridge to identify massive young stellar objects (YSOs), estimate “instantaneous” SFRs, and compare them to the S-K relation. These instantaneous SFRs are further compared to that estimated from integrated Hα and 24 μm luminosities to examine how SFRs vary on 10 Myr timescales. We have also used SINFONI near-IR integral field spectra of two Galactic mini-starbursts W31 and W43 to determine their underlying massive stellar content, estimate the SFRs, and compare to the S-K relation. To investigate evironmental effects on star formation, we have used complete YSO samples in the LMC and the Bridge to estimate global star formation efficiencies (SFE) in these two systems.


2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (S237) ◽  
pp. 378-383
Author(s):  
Mark R. Krumholz

AbstractOne of the outstanding puzzles about star formation is why it proceeds so slowly. Giant molecular clouds convert only a few percent of their gas into stars per free-fall time, and recent observations show that this low star formation rate is essentially constant over a range of scales from individual cluster-forming molecular clumps in the Milky Way to entire starburst galaxies. This striking result is perhaps the most basic fact that any theory of star formation must explain. I argue that a model in which star formation occurs in virialized structures at a rate regulated by supersonic turbulence can explain this observation. The turbulence in turn is driven by star formation feedback, which injects energy to offset radiation from isothermal shocks and keeps star-forming structures from wandering too far from virial balance. This model is able to reproduce observational results covering a wide range of scales, from the formation times of young clusters to the extragalactic IR-HCN correlation, and makes additional quantitative predictions that will be testable in the next few years.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document