分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: We present the first direct spectroscopic measurement of the stellar velocity dispersion function (VDF) for massive quiescent and star-forming galaxies at $0.6 100$ km s$^{-1}$) and extend to star-forming galaxies. We are largely consistent with the high-sigma tail measured from BOSS, and we find that the VDF remains constant from the median redshift of LEGA-C, $z\sim0.8$, to the present day.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: We compare ionised gas and stellar kinematics of 16 star-forming galaxies ($\log(M_\star/M_\odot)=9.7-11.2$, SFR=6-86 $M_\odot/yr$) at $z\sim1$ using near-infrared integral field spectroscopy (IFS) of H$\alpha$ emission from the KMOS$^{\rm 3D}$ survey and optical slit spectroscopy of stellar absorption and gas emission from the LEGA-C survey. H$\alpha$ is dynamically colder than stars, with higher disc rotation velocities (by ~45 per cent) and lower disc velocity dispersions (by a factor ~2). This is similar to trends observed in the local Universe. We find higher rotational support for H$\alpha$ relative to [OII], potentially explaining systematic offsets in kinematic scaling relations found in the literature. Regarding dynamical mass measurements, for six galaxies with cumulative mass profiles from Jeans Anisotropic Multi-Gaussian Expansion (JAM) models the H$\alpha$ dynamical mass models agree remarkably well out to ~10 kpc for all but one galaxy (average $\Delta M_{\rm dyn}(R_{e,\rm F814W})<0.1$ dex). Simpler dynamical mass estimates based on integrated stellar velocity dispersion are less accurate (standard deviation 0.24 dex). Differences in dynamical mass estimates are larger, for example, for galaxies with stronger misalignments of the H$\alpha$ kinematic major axis and the photometric position angle, highlighting the added value of IFS observations for dynamics studies. The good agreement between the JAM models and the dynamical models based on H$\alpha$ kinematics at $z\sim1$ corroborates the validity of dynamical mass measurements from H$\alpha$ IFS observations also for higher redshift rotating disc galaxies.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Rejuvenating galaxies are unusual galaxies that fully quench and then subsequently experience a "rejuvenation" event to become star-forming once more. Rejuvenation rates vary substantially in models of galaxy formation: 10%-70% of massive galaxies are expected to experience rejuvenation by z = 0. Measuring the rate of rejuvenation is therefore important for calibrating the strength of star formation feedback mechanisms. However, these observations are challenging because rejuvenating systems blend in with normal star-forming galaxies in broadband photometry. In this paper, we use the galaxy spectral energy distribution (SED)-fitting code Prospector to search for observational markers that distinguish normal star-forming galaxies from rejuvenating galaxies. We find that rejuvenating galaxies have smaller Balmer absorption line equivalent widths (EWs) than star-forming galaxies. This is analogous to the well-known "K + A" or post-starburst galaxies, which have strong Balmer absorption due to A-stars dominating the light: in this case, rejuvenating systems have a lack of A-stars, instead resembling "O - A" systems. We find star-forming galaxies that have H$\beta$, H$\gamma$, and/or H$\delta$ absorption EWs $\lesssim 3${\AA} corresponds to a highly pure selection of rejuvenating systems. Interestingly, while this technique is highly effective at identifying mild rejuvenation, "strongly" rejuvenating systems remain nearly indistinguishable from star-forming galaxies due to the well-known stellar outshining effect. We conclude that measuring Balmer absorption line EWs in star-forming galaxy populations is an efficient method to identify rejuvenating populations, and discuss several techniques to either remove or resolve the nebular emission which typically lies on top of these absorption lines.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: We present the first comparison of observed stellar continuum spectra of high-redshift galaxies and mock galaxy spectra generated from hydrodynamical simulations. The mock spectra are produced from the IllustrisTNG TNG100 simulation combined with stellar population models and take into account dust attenuation and realistic observational effects (aperture effects and noise). We compare the simulated $D_n4000$ and EW(H$\delta$) of galaxies with $10.5 \leq \log(M_\ast/M_\odot) \leq 11.5$ at $0.6 \leq z \leq 1.0$ to the observed distributions from the LEGA-C survey. TNG100 globally reproduces the observed distributions of spectral indices, implying that the age distribution of galaxies in TNG100 is generally realistic. Yet there are small but significant differences. For old galaxies, TNG100 shows small $D_n4000$ when compared to LEGA-C, while LEGA-C galaxies have larger EW(H$\delta$) at fixed $D_n4000$. There are several possible explanations: 1) LEGA-C galaxies have overall older ages combined with small contributions (a few percent in mass) from younger ($<1$~Gyr) stars, while TNG100 galaxies may not have such young sub-populations; 2) the spectral mismatch could be due to systematic uncertainties in the stellar population models used to convert stellar ages and metallicities to observables. In conclusion, the latest cosmological galaxy formation simulations broadly reproduce the global age distribution of galaxies at $z\sim1$ and, at the same time, the high quality of the latest observed and simulated datasets help constrain stellar population synthesis models as well as the physical models underlying the simulations.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: JWST/MIRI imaging of the nearby galaxies IC 5332, NGC 628, NGC 1365 and NGC 7496 from PHANGS reveals a richness of gas structures that in each case form a quasi-regular network of interconnected filaments, shells and voids. We examine whether this multi-scale network of structure is consistent with the fragmentation of the gas disk through gravitational instability. We use FilFinder to detect the web of filamentary features in each galaxy and determine their characteristic radial and azimuthal spacings. These spacings are then compared to estimates of the most Toomre-unstable length (a few kpc), the turbulent Jeans length (a few hundred pc) and the disk scale height (tens of pc) reconstructed using PHANGS-ALMA observations of the molecular gas as a dynamical tracer. Our analysis of the four galaxies targeted in this work indicates that Jeans-scale structure is pervasive. Future work will be essential for determining how the structure observed in gas disks impacts not only the rate and location of star formation but also how stellar feedback interacts positively or negatively with the surrounding multi-phase gas reservoir.