scholarly journals Globular cluster systems of relic galaxies

2021 ◽  
Vol 503 (2) ◽  
pp. 2406-2422
Author(s):  
Karla A Alamo-Martínez ◽  
Ana L Chies-Santos ◽  
Michael A Beasley ◽  
Rodrigo Flores-Freitas ◽  
Cristina Furlanetto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Stellar Kinematics ◽  
Distribution Width ◽  
Colour Distribution ◽  
Specific Frequency ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Comparable Mass

ABSTRACT We analyse the globular cluster (GC) systems of a sample of 15 massive, compact early-type galaxies (ETGs), 13 of which have already been identified as good relic galaxy candidates on the basis of their compact morphologies, old stellar populations and stellar kinematics. These relic galaxy candidates are likely the nearby counterparts of high-redshift red nugget galaxies. Using F814W (≈I) and F160W (≈H) data from the WFC3 camara onboard the Hubble Space Telescope, we determine the total number, luminosity function, specific frequency, colour, and spatial distribution of the GC systems (GCSs). We find lower specific frequencies (SN < 2.5 with a median of SN = 1) than ETGs of comparable mass. This is consistent with a scenario of rapid, early dissipative formation, with relatively low levels of accretion of low-mass, high-SN satellites. The GC half-number radii are compact, but follow the relations found in normal ETGs. We identify an anticorrelation between the specific angular momentum (λR) of the host galaxy and the (I − H) colour distribution width of their GCSs. Assuming that λR provides a measure of the degree of dissipation in massive ETGs, we suggest that the (I − H) colour distribution width can be used as a proxy for the degree of complexity of the accretion histories in these systems.

scholarly journals Testing the evolution of correlations between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies using eight strongly lensed quasars

2020 ◽  
Vol 501 (1) ◽  
pp. 269-280
Author(s):  
Xuheng Ding ◽  
Tommaso Treu ◽  
Simon Birrer ◽  
Adriano Agnello ◽  
Dominique Sluse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Holes ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Instrumental Resolution ◽  
The Moment

ABSTRACT One of the main challenges in using high-redshift active galactic nuclei (AGNs) to study the correlations between the mass of a supermassive black hole ($\mathcal {M}_{\rm BH}$) and the properties of its active host galaxy is instrumental resolution. Strong lensing magnification effectively increases instrumental resolution and thus helps to address this challenge. In this work, we study eight strongly lensed AGNs with deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging, using the lens modelling code lenstronomy to reconstruct the image of the source. Using the reconstructed brightness of the host galaxy, we infer the host galaxy stellar mass based on stellar population models. $\mathcal {M}_{\rm BH}$ are estimated from broad emission lines using standard methods. Our results are in good agreement with recent work based on non-lensed AGNs, demonstrating the potential of using strongly lensed AGNs to extend the study of the correlations to higher redshifts. At the moment, the sample size of lensed AGNs is small and thus they provide mostly a consistency check on systematic errors related to resolution for non-lensed AGNs. However, the number of known lensed AGNs is expected to increase dramatically in the next few years, through dedicated searches in ground- and space-based wide-field surveys, and they may become a key diagnostic of black holes and galaxy co-evolution.

scholarly journals Can intrinsic alignments of elongated low-mass galaxies be used to map the cosmic web at high redshift?

2019 ◽  
Vol 488 (4) ◽  
pp. 5580-5593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viraj Pandya ◽  
Joel Primack ◽  
Peter Behroozi ◽  
Avishai Dekel ◽  
Haowen Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Major Axis ◽  
Real Space ◽  
Significant Alignment ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Nearby Galaxies ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Hydrodynamical Simulations ◽  
Future Work

ABSTRACT Hubble Space Telescope observations show that low-mass ($M_*=10^9\!-\!10^{10}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$) galaxies at high redshift (z = 1.0–2.5) tend to be elongated (prolate) rather than disky (oblate) or spheroidal. This is explained in zoom-in cosmological hydrodynamical simulations by the fact that these galaxies are forming in cosmic web filaments where accretion happens preferentially along the direction of elongation. We ask whether the elongated morphology of these galaxies allows them to be used as effective tracers of cosmic web filaments at high redshift via their intrinsic alignments. Using mock light cones and spectroscopically confirmed galaxy pairs from the Cosmic Assembly Near-infared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS), we test two types of alignments: (1) between the galaxy major axis and the direction to nearby galaxies of any mass and (2) between the major axes of nearby pairs of low-mass, likely prolate, galaxies. The mock light cones predict strong signals in 3D real space, 3D redshift space, and 2D projected redshift space for both types of alignments (assuming prolate galaxy orientations are the same as those of their host prolate haloes), but we do not detect significant alignment signals in CANDELS observations. However, we show that spectroscopic redshifts have been obtained for only a small fraction of highly elongated galaxies, and accounting for spectroscopic incompleteness and redshift errors significantly degrades the 2D mock signal. This may partly explain the alignment discrepancy and highlights one of several avenues for future work.

Globular cluster system of NGC 3613, a massive elliptical galaxy in a poor environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (S351) ◽  
pp. 84-88
Author(s):  
Bruno J. De Bórtoli ◽  
Lilia P. Bassino ◽  
Juan P. Caso ◽  
Ana I. Ennis
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Elliptical Galaxy ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Stellar Component ◽  
Magnitude Diagram ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Colour Distribution ◽  
Globular Cluster System

AbstractWe present an analysis of the globular cluster system (GCS) of the galaxy NGC 3613, an intrinsically bright elliptical galaxy (MV = −21.5) in a low density environment (it is the central galaxy of a group of a dozen galaxies). Based on Gemini/GMOS photometry of NGC 3613 we obtained the following properties for this GCS. A ‘blue tilt’ is detected in the colour-magnitude diagram. The colour distribution is bimodal, presenting the two classical globular cluster (GC) sub-populations. The spatial and azimuthal projected distributions show that red sub-population correlates with the stellar component of the host galaxy.

scholarly journals The case for a high-redshift origin of GRB 100205A

2019 ◽  
Vol 488 (1) ◽  
pp. 902-909
Author(s):  
A A Chrimes ◽  
A J Levan ◽  
E R Stanway ◽  
E Berger ◽  
J S Bloom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Late Time ◽  
Time Limits

Abstract The number of long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) known to have occurred in the distant Universe (z > 5) is small (∼15); however, these events provide a powerful way of probing star formation at the onset of galaxy evolution. In this paper, we present the case for GRB 100205A being a largely overlooked high-redshift event. While initially noted as a high-z candidate, this event and its host galaxy have not been explored in detail. By combining optical and near-infrared Gemini afterglow imaging (at t < 1.3 d since burst) with deep late-time limits on host emission from the Hubble Space Telescope, we show that the most likely scenario is that GRB 100205A arose in the range 4 < z < 8. GRB 100205A is an example of a burst whose afterglow, even at ∼1 h post burst, could only be identified by 8-m class IR observations, and suggests that such observations of all optically dark bursts may be necessary to significantly enhance the number of high-redshift GRBs known.

scholarly journals The XXL Survey

2018 ◽  
Vol 620 ◽  
pp. A20 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Koulouridis ◽  
M. Ricci ◽  
P. Giles ◽  
C. Adami ◽  
M. Ramos-Ceja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Gas Stripping ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Cluster Galaxies ◽  
Cluster Mass ◽  
Ram Pressure ◽  
Low Mass

Context. We present the results of a study of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) density in a homogeneous and well-studied sample of 167 bona fide X-ray galaxy clusters (0.1 < z < 0.5) from the XXL Survey, from the cluster core to the outskirts (up to 6r500). The results can provide evidence of the physical mechanisms that drive AGN and galaxy evolution within clusters, testing the efficiency of ram pressure gas stripping and galaxy merging in dense environments. Aims. The XXL cluster sample mostly comprises poor and moderately rich structures (M = 1013–4 × 1014 M⊙), a poorly studied population that bridges the gap between optically selected groups and massive X-ray selected clusters. Our aim is to statistically study the demographics of cluster AGNs as a function of cluster mass and host galaxy position. Methods. To investigate the effect of the environment on AGN activity, we computed the fraction of spectroscopically confirmed X-ray AGNs (LX [0.5-10 keV] > 1042 erg cm−1) in bright cluster galaxies with Mi* − 2 < M < Mi* + 1, up to 6r500 radius. The corresponding field fraction was computed from 200 mock cluster catalogues with reshuffled positions within the XXL fields. To study the mass dependence and the evolution of the AGN population, we further divided the sample into low- and high-mass clusters (below and above 1014M⊙, respectively) and two redshift bins (0.1–0.28 and 0.28–0.5). Results. We detect a significant excess of X-ray AGNs, at the 95% confidence level, in low-mass clusters between 0.5r500 and 2r500, which drops to the field value within the cluster cores (r < 0.5r500). In contrast, high-mass clusters present a decreasing AGN fraction towards the cluster centres, in agreement with previous studies. The high AGN fraction in the outskirts is caused by low-luminosity AGNs, up to LX [0.5-10 keV] = 1043 erg cm−1. It can be explained by a higher galaxy merging rate in low-mass clusters, where velocity dispersions are not high enough to prevent galaxy interactions and merging. Ram pressure stripping is possible in the cores of all our clusters, but probably stronger in deeper gravitational potentials. Compared with previous studies of massive or high-redshift clusters, we conclude that the AGN fraction in cluster galaxies anti-correlates strongly with cluster mass. The AGN fraction also increases with redshift, but at the same rate with the respective fraction in field galaxies.

scholarly journals Field/isolated lenticular galaxies with high SN values: the case of NGC 4546 and its globular cluster system

2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (2) ◽  
pp. 2253-2270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos G Escudero ◽  
Favio R Faifer ◽  
Analía V Smith Castelli ◽  
Mark A Norris ◽  
Juan C Forte
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Gaussian Mixture ◽  
Brightness Distribution ◽  
Galactic Centre ◽  
Distance Modulus ◽  
Lenticular Galaxies ◽  
Additional Group ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Colour Distribution ◽  
Specific Frequency

ABSTRACT We present a photometric study of the field lenticular galaxy NGC 4546 using Gemini/GMOS imaging in g′r′i′z′. We perform a 2D image decomposition of the surface brightness distribution of the galaxy using galfit, finding that four components adequately describe it. The subtraction of this model from our images and the construction of a colour map allow us to examine in great detail the asymmetric dust structures around the galactic centre. In addition, we perform a detailed analysis of the globular cluster (GC) system of NGC 4546. Using a Gaussian Mixture Model algorithm in the colour–colour plane, we detected hints of multiple groups of GC candidates: the classic blue and red subpopulations, a group with intermediate colours that present a concentrated spatial distribution towards the galaxy, and an additional group towards the red end of the colour distribution. We estimate a total GC population for NGC 4546 of 390 ± 60 members and specific frequency SN = 3.3 ± 0.7, which is relatively high compared to the typical value for galaxies of similar masses and environment. We suggest that the unusual GC population substructures were possibly formed during the interaction that led to the formation of the young ultra-compact dwarf (NGC 4546-UCD1) found in this system. Finally, we estimate the distance modulus of NGC 4546 by analysing its luminosity function, resulting in (m − M) = 30.75 ± 0.12 mag (14.1 Mpc).

scholarly journals Chandra and Hubble Space Telescope observations of dark gamma-ray bursts and their host galaxies

2019 ◽  
Vol 486 (3) ◽  
pp. 3105-3117 ◽  
Author(s):  
A A Chrimes ◽  
A J Levan ◽  
E R Stanway ◽  
J D Lyman ◽  
A S Fruchter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Analysis ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Host Population ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Dust Component

Abstract We present a study of 21 dark gamma-ray burst (GRB) host galaxies, predominantly using X-ray afterglows obtained with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO) to precisely locate the burst in deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of the burst region. The host galaxies are well-detected in F160W in all but one case and in F606W imaging in 60 per cent of cases. We measure magnitudes and perform a morphological analysis of each galaxy. The asymmetry, concentration, and ellipticity of the dark burst hosts are compared against the host galaxies of optically bright GRBs. In agreement with other studies, we find that dark GRB hosts are redder and more luminous than the bulk of the GRB host population. The distribution of projected spatial offsets for dark GRBs from their host galaxy centroids is comparable to that of optically bright bursts. The dark GRB hosts are physically larger, more massive and redder, but are morphologically similar to the hosts of bright GRBs in terms of concentration and asymmetry. Our analysis constrains the fraction of high redshift (z &gt; 5) GRBs in the sample to 14 per cent, implying an upper limit for the whole long-GRB population of ≤4.4 per cent. If dust is the primary cause of afterglow darkening amongst dark GRBs, the measured extinction may require a clumpy dust component in order to explain the observed offset and ellipticity distributions.

scholarly journals The predicted properties of helium-enriched globular cluster progenitors at high redshift

2020 ◽  
Vol 496 (3) ◽  
pp. 3222-3234
Author(s):  
David M Nataf ◽  
Shunsaku Horiuchi ◽  
Guglielmo Costa ◽  
Rosemary F G Wyse ◽  
Yuan-Sen Ting ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Optics ◽  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Cluster Formation ◽  
Stellar Populations ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
James Webb Space Telescope ◽  
Galactic Astronomy

ABSTRACT Globular cluster progenitors may have been detected by Hubble Space Telescope, and are predicted to be observable with James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and ground-based extremely large telescopes with adaptive optics. This has the potential to elucidate the issue of globular cluster formation and the origins of significantly helium-enriched subpopulations, a problem in Galactic astronomy with no satisfactory theoretical solution. Given this context, we use model stellar tracks and isochrones to investigate the predicted observational properties of helium-enriched stellar populations in globular cluster progenitors. We find that, relative to helium-normal populations, helium-enriched (ΔY = +0.12) stellar populations similar to those inferred in the most massive globular clusters, are expected, modulo some rapid fluctuations in the first ∼30 Myr, to be brighter and redder in the rest frame. At fixed age, stellar mass, and metallicity, a helium-enriched population is predicted to converge to being ∼0.40 mag brighter at $\lambda \approx 2.0\, {\mu \rm m}$, and to be 0.30-mag redder in the JWST–NIRCam colour (F070W − F200W), and to actually be fainter for $\lambda \lesssim 0.50 \, {\mu \rm m}$. Separately, we find that the time-integrated shift in ionizing radiation is a negligible $\sim \!5{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, though we show that the Lyman-α escape fraction could end up higher for helium-enriched stars.

scholarly journals Hierarchical fragmentation in high redshift galaxies revealed by hydrodynamical simulations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baptiste Faure ◽  
Frédéric Bournaud ◽  
Jérémy Fensch ◽  
Emanuele Daddi ◽  
Manuel Behrendt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Lensing ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
High Redshift Galaxies ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Hydrodynamical Simulations ◽  
Gas Clusters ◽  
Very High ◽  
Redshift Galaxies

Abstract High-redshift star-forming galaxies have very different morphologies compared to nearby ones. Indeed, they are often dominated by bright star-forming structures of masses up to 108 − 9 M⊙ dubbed «giant clumps». However, recent observations questioned this result by showing only low-mass structures or no structure at all. We use Adaptative Mesh Refinement hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies with parsec-scale resolution to study the formation of structures inside clumpy high-redshift galaxies. We show that in very gas-rich galaxies star formation occurs in small gas clusters with masses below 107 − 8 M⊙ that are themselves located inside giant complexes with masses up to 108 and sometimes 109 M⊙ . Those massive structures are similar in mass and size to the giant clumps observed in imaging surveys, in particular with the Hubble Space Telescope. Using mock observations of simulated galaxies, we show that at very high resolution with instruments like the Atacama Large Millimeter Array or through gravitational lensing, only low-mass structures are likely to be detected, and their gathering into giant complexes might be missed. This leads to the non-detection of the giant clumps and therefore introduces a bias in the detection of these structures. We show that the simulated giant clumps can be gravitationally bound even when undetected in mocks representative for ALMA observations and HST observations of lensed galaxies. We then compare the top-down fragmentation of an initially warm disc and the bottom-up fragmentation of an initially cold disc to show that the process of formation of the clumps does not impact their physical properties.

scholarly journals Early-type galaxies in low-density environments: NGC 6876 explored through its globular cluster system

2019 ◽  
Vol 488 (1) ◽  
pp. 770-781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana I Ennis ◽  
Lilia P Bassino ◽  
Juan P Caso ◽  
Bruno J De Bórtoli
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Galaxy Cluster ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Distance Modulus ◽  
Early Type ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Colour Distribution ◽  
Poor Group ◽  
Early Type Galaxy ◽  
Massive Galaxy

ABSTRACT We present the results of a photometric study of the early-type galaxy NGC 6876 and the surrounding globular cluster (GC) system. The host galaxy is a massive elliptical, the brightest of this type in the Pavo Group. According to its intrinsic brightness (Mv ∼ −22.7), it is expected to belong to a galaxy cluster instead of a poor group. Observational material consists of g′, r′, i′ images obtained with the Gemini/GMOS camera. The selected GC candidates present a clear bimodal colour distribution at different galactocentric radii, with mean colours and dispersions for the metal-poor (‘blue’) and metal-rich (‘red’) typical of old GCs. The red subpopulation dominates close to the galaxy centre, in addition to the radial projected distribution showing that they are more concentrated towards the galaxy centre. The azimuthal projected distribution shows an overdensity in the red subpopulation in the direction of a trail observed in X-ray that could be evidence of interactions with its spiral neighbour NGC 6872. The turnover of the luminosity function gives an estimated distance modulus (m − M) ≈ 33.5 and the total population amounts to 9400 GCs, i.e. a quite populous system. The halo mass obtained using the number ratio (i.e. the number of GCs with respect to the baryonic and dark mass) gives a total of ∼1013, meaning it is a very massive galaxy, given the environment.

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