scholarly journals Most of the cool CGM of star-forming galaxies is not produced by supernova feedback

Author(s):  
Andrea Afruni ◽  
Filippo Fraternali ◽  
Gabriele Pezzulli

Abstract The characterization of the large amount of gas residing in the galaxy halos, the so called circumgalactic medium (CGM), is crucial to understand galaxy evolution across cosmic time. We focus here on the the cool (T ∼ 104 K) phase of this medium around star-forming galaxies in the local universe, whose properties and dynamics are poorly understood. We developed semi-analytical parametric models to describe the cool CGM as an outflow of gas clouds from the central galaxy, as a result of supernova explosions in the disc (galactic wind). The cloud motion is driven by the galaxy gravitational pull and by the interactions with the hot (T ∼ 106 K) coronal gas. Through a bayesian analysis, we compare the predictions of our models with the data of the COS-Halos and COS-GASS surveys, which provide accurate kinematic information of the cool CGM around more than 40 low-redshift star-forming galaxies, probing distances up to the galaxy virial radii. Our findings clearly show that a supernova-driven outflow model is not suitable to describe the dynamics of the cool circumgalactic gas. Indeed, to reproduce the data, we need extreme scenarios, with initial outflow velocities and mass loading factors that would lead to unphysically high energy coupling from the supernovae to the gas and with supernova efficiencies largely exceeding unity. This strongly suggests that, since the outflows cannot reproduce most of the cool gas absorbers, the latter are likely the result of cosmological inflow in the outer galaxy halos, in analogy to what we have previously found for early-type galaxies.

2021 ◽  
Vol 922 (2) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Kasper E. Heintz ◽  
Darach Watson ◽  
Pascal A. Oesch ◽  
Desika Narayanan ◽  
Suzanne C. Madden

Abstract The H i gas content is a key ingredient in galaxy evolution, the study of which has been limited to moderate cosmological distances for individual galaxies due to the weakness of the hyperfine H i 21 cm transition. Here we present a new approach that allows us to infer the H i gas mass M HI of individual galaxies up to z ≈ 6, based on a direct measurement of the [C ii]-to-H i conversion factor in star-forming galaxies at z ≳ 2 using γ-ray burst afterglows. By compiling recent [C ii]-158 μm emission line measurements we quantify the evolution of the H i content in galaxies through cosmic time. We find that M HI starts to exceed the stellar mass M ⋆ at z ≳ 1, and increases as a function of redshift. The H i fraction of the total baryonic mass increases from around 20% at z = 0 to about 60% at z ∼ 6. We further uncover a universal relation between the H i gas fraction M HI/M ⋆ and the gas-phase metallicity, which seems to hold from z ≈ 6 to z = 0. The majority of galaxies at z > 2 are observed to have H i depletion times, t dep,HI = M HI/SFR, less than ≈2 Gyr, substantially shorter than for z ∼ 0 galaxies. Finally, we use the [C ii]-to-H i conversion factor to determine the cosmic mass density of H i in galaxies, ρ HI, at three distinct epochs: z ≈ 0, z ≈ 2, and z ∼ 4–6. These measurements are consistent with previous estimates based on 21 cm H i observations in the local universe and with damped Lyα absorbers (DLAs) at z ≳ 2, suggesting an overall decrease by a factor of ≈5 in ρ HI(z) from the end of the reionization epoch to the present.


2019 ◽  
Vol 491 (3) ◽  
pp. 3672-3701 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Boardman ◽  
G Zasowski ◽  
A Seth ◽  
J Newman ◽  
B Andrews ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The Milky Way provides an ideal laboratory to test our understanding of galaxy evolution, owing to our ability to observe our Galaxy over fine scales. However, connecting the Galaxy to the wider galaxy population remains difficult, due to the challenges posed by our internal perspective and to the different observational techniques employed. Here, we present a sample of galaxies identified as Milky Way analogues on the basis of their stellar masses and bulge-to-total ratios, observed as part of the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory survey. We analyse the galaxies in terms of their stellar kinematics and populations as well as their ionized gas contents. We find our sample to contain generally young stellar populations in their outskirts. However, we find a wide range of stellar ages in their central regions, and we detect central active galactic nucleus-like or composite-like activity in roughly half of the sample galaxies, with the other half consisting of galaxies with central star-forming emission or emission consistent with old stars. We measure gradients in gas metallicity and stellar metallicity that are generally flatter in physical units than those measured for the Milky Way; however, we find far better agreement with the Milky Way when scaling gradients by galaxies’ disc scale lengths. From this, we argue much of the discrepancy in metallicity gradients to be due to the relative compactness of the Milky Way, with differences in observing perspective also likely to be a factor.


2019 ◽  
Vol 486 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
R M Bielby ◽  
J P Stott ◽  
F Cullen ◽  
T M Tripp ◽  
J N Burchett ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present the first results from a study of O vi absorption around galaxies at z < 1.44 using data from a near-infrared grism spectroscopic Hubble Space Telescope Large Programme, the Quasar Sightline and Galaxy Evolution (QSAGE) survey. QSAGE is the first grism galaxy survey to focus on the circumgalactic medium at z ∼ 1, providing a blind survey of the galaxy population. The galaxy sample is H α flux limited (f(H α) > 2 × 10−17 erg s−1 cm−2) at 0.68 < z < 1.44, corresponding to ≳0.2–0.8 M⊙ yr−1. In this first of 12 fields, we combine the galaxy data with high-resolution STIS and COS spectroscopy of the background quasar to study O vi in the circumgalactic medium. At z ∼ 1, we find O vi absorption systems up to b ∼ 350 kpc (∼4Rvir) from the nearest detected galaxy. Further, we find ${\sim }50{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of ≳1 M⊙ yr−1 star-forming galaxies within 2Rvir show no associated O vi absorption to a limit of at least N(O vi) = 1013.9 cm−2. That we detect O vi at such large distances from galaxies and that a significant fraction of star-forming galaxies show no detectable O vi absorption disfavours outflows from ongoing star formation as the primary medium traced by these absorbers. Instead, by combining our own low- and high-redshift data with existing samples, we find tentative evidence for many strong (N(O vi) > 1014 cm−2) O vi absorption systems to be associated with M⋆ ∼ 109.5–10 M⊙ mass galaxies (Mhalo ∼ 1011.5–12 M⊙ dark matter haloes), and infer that they may be tracing predominantly collisionally ionized gas within the haloes of such galaxies.


1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 507-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yutaka Uchida ◽  
Kazunari Shibata

Characteristic behavior of cosmic jets predicted by a magnetodynamic mechanism proposed by Uchida and Shibata is discussed in terms of recent observational results of bipolar flows from star-forming regions as examples of low-energy cases. The theoretical model considers the twisting-up of part of the large-scale magnetic field with the driving mechanism being the contracting rotation of the accretion disk around the gravitating center. The twisted field screws out the mass from the surface layers of the disk along the large-scale external field, explaining the observed tuning-fork type of distribution of the cold CO bipolar flows, gradual acceleration of the flows from the vicinity of the disk, and the helical velocity field in the outflows, all of which are not easy to explain by previous hypotheses assuming the wind and blast from the central object. Prospects of application of this mechanism to high-energy jets from active galactic nuclei or such peculiar objects in the galaxy like SS433 or Sco X-1 are discussed from the point of view of the similarity inherent in the mechanism.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S341) ◽  
pp. 119-123
Author(s):  
Dian Triani ◽  
Darren Croton ◽  
Manodeep Sinha

AbstractWe build a theoretical picture of how the light from galaxies evolves across cosmic time. In particular, we predict the evolution of the galaxy spectral energy distribution (SED) by carefully integrating the star formation and metal enrichment histories of semi-analytic model (SAM) galaxies and combining these with stellar population synthesis models which we call mentari. Our SAM combines prescriptions to model the interplay between gas accretion, star formation, feedback process, and chemical enrichment in galaxy evolution. From this, the SED of any simulated galaxy at any point in its history can be constructed and compared with telescope data to reverse engineer the various physical processes that may have led to a particular set of observations. The synthetic SEDs of millions of simulated galaxies from mentari can cover wavelengths from the far UV to infrared, and thus can tell a near complete story of the history of galaxy evolution.


Author(s):  
Steven L. Finkelstein

AbstractAlthough the universe at redshifts greater than six represents only the first one billion years (< 10%) of cosmic time, the dense nature of the early universe led to vigorous galaxy formation and evolution activity which we are only now starting to piece together. Technological improvements have, over only the past decade, allowed large samples of galaxies at such high redshifts to be collected, providing a glimpse into the epoch of formation of the first stars and galaxies. A wide variety of observational techniques have led to the discovery of thousands of galaxy candidates at z > 6, with spectroscopically confirmed galaxies out to nearly z = 9. Using these large samples, we have begun to gain a physical insight into the processes inherent in galaxy evolution at early times. In this review, I will discuss (i) the selection techniques for finding distant galaxies, including a summary of previous and ongoing ground and space-based searches, and spectroscopic follow-up efforts, (ii) insights into galaxy evolution gleaned from measures such as the rest-frame ultraviolet luminosity function, the stellar mass function, and galaxy star-formation rates, and (iii) the effect of galaxies on their surrounding environment, including the chemical enrichment of the universe, and the reionisation of the intergalactic medium. Finally, I conclude with prospects for future observational study of the distant universe, using a bevy of new state-of-the-art facilities coming online over the next decade and beyond.


2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (H16) ◽  
pp. 377-377
Author(s):  
V. Strazzullo

AbstractThe X-ray luminous system XMMU J2235-2557 at z~1.4 is among the most massive of the very distant galaxy clusters, and remains a unique laboratory to observe environment-biased galaxy evolution already 9 Gyr ago (Lidman et al.2008, Rosati et al.2009, Strazzullo et al.2010). At a cosmic time when cluster cores start showing evidence of a still active galaxy population, star-forming (M>1010M⊙) galaxies in XMMU J2235-2557 are typically located beyond ~250kpc from the cluster center, with the cluster core already effectively quenched and dominated by massive galaxies on a tight red sequence, showing early-type spectral features and bulge-dominated morphologies. While masses and stellar populations of these red-sequence galaxies suggest that they have largely completed their formation, their size is found to be typically smaller that similarly massive early-type galaxies in the local Universe, in agreement with many high-redshift studies. This would leave room for later evolution, likely through non-secular processes, changing their structure to match their local counterparts. On the other hand, uncertainties and biases in the determination of masses and sizes, as well as in the local mass-size relation, and the possible effect of progenitor bias, still hamper a final conclusion on the actual relevance of size evolution for early-type galaxies in this dense high-redshift environment.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (A29B) ◽  
pp. 169-170
Author(s):  
Alexa Villaume ◽  
Charlie Conroy ◽  
Benjamin Johnson

AbstractThe IR emission from galaxies is a unique window into multiple aspects of galaxy evolution including star-formation rates, the age of galaxies, and galactic-scale dust processes. However, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars continue to introduce uncertainty into stellar population synthesis (SPS) models and limit our ability to interpret the IR light of galaxies. Here we focus on incorporating circumstellar dust around AGB stars in SPS models and understanding the extent to which they influence the IR light of galaxies. We find that the significance of the AGB dust contribution depends on the characteristics of the galaxy. For quiescent galaxies and metal-poor star forming galaxies, circumstellar dust emission can have a large effect, whereas for dusty star-forming galaxies the circumstellar emission is dwarfed by emission from dust in the ISM. The models with circumstellar dust also suggest, in agreement with previous work, that IR colors can be a powerful age diagnostic for older stellar systems. Models such as these will be essential for interpreting data that will be provided by JWST and other next generation IR facilities.


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.


1999 ◽  
Vol 186 ◽  
pp. 125-131
Author(s):  
Ann I. Zabludoff

One important approach to the study of galaxy evolution is to identify those galaxies whose spectral and/or morphological characteristics suggest that they are in transition. For example, “E+A” galaxies, which have strong Balmer absorption lines and no significant [OII] emission, are generally interpreted as post-starburst galaxies in which the star formation ceased within the last ~ Gyr (Fig. 1). This transition between a star forming and non-star forming state is a critical link in any galaxy evolution model in which a blue, star forming disk galaxy evolves into a SO or elliptical. Another possible evolutionary track is that the star formation in an “E+A” resumes at some later time, if enough gas remains in the galaxy after its starburst ends. Given this ambiguity, it is important to investigate (1) the environment's role in “E+A” evolution, (2) the stellar and gas morphologies of “E+A”s, (3) the likely progenitors of “E+A”s, and (4) how common the “E+A” phase is in the evolution of galaxies.


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