ABSTRACT
We derive the delay‐time distribution (DTD) of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) using a sample of 132 SNe Ia, discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey II (SDSS2) among 66 000 galaxies with ...spectral‐based star formation histories (SFHs). To recover the best‐fitting DTD, the SFH of every individual galaxy is compared, using Poisson statistics, to the number of SNe that it hosted (zero or one), based on the method introduced in Maoz et al. This SN sample differs from the SDSS2 SN Ia sample analysed by Brandt et al., using a related, but different, DTD recovery method. Furthermore, we use a simulation‐based SN detection‐efficiency function, and we apply a number of important corrections to the galaxy SFHs and SN Ia visibility times. The DTD that we find has 4σ detections in all three of its time bins: prompt (τ < 0.42 Gyr), intermediate (0.42 < τ < 2.4 Gyr) and delayed (τ > 2.4 Gyr), indicating a continuous DTD, and it is among the most accurate and precise among recent DTD reconstructions. The best‐fitting power‐law form to the recovered DTD is t−1.07 ± 0.07, consistent with generic ∼t−1 predictions of SN Ia progenitor models based on the gravitational‐wave‐induced mergers of binary white dwarfs. The time‐integrated number of SNe Ia per formed stellar mass is NSN/M = 0.00130 ± 0.00015 M⊙−1, or about 4 per cent of the stars formed with initial masses in the 3 ‐ 8 M⊙ range. This is lower than, but largely consistent with, several recent DTD estimates based on SN rates in galaxy clusters and in local‐volume galaxies, and is higher than, but consistent with NSN/M estimated by comparing volumetric SN Ia rates to cosmic SFH.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
ABSTRACT
We analyse the chemical properties of three z∼ 8 galaxies behind the galaxy cluster SMACS J0723.3-7327, observed as part of the Early Release Observations programme of the James Webb Space ...Telescope. Exploiting O iiiλ4363 auroral line detections in NIRSpec spectra, we robustly apply the direct Te method for the very first time at such high redshift, measuring metallicities ranging from extremely metal poor (12 + log(O/H)≈ 7) to about one-third solar. We also discuss the excitation properties of these sources, and compare them with local strong-line metallicity calibrations. We find that none of the considered diagnostics match simultaneously the observed relations between metallicity and strong-line ratios for the three sources, implying that a proper re-assessment of the calibrations may be needed at these redshifts. On the mass–metallicity plane, the two galaxies at z ∼ 7.6 ($\rm log(M_*/M_{\odot }) = 8.1, 8.7$) have metallicities that are consistent with the extrapolation of the mass–metallicity relation at z∼2–3, while the least massive galaxy at z ∼ 8.5 ($\rm log(M_*/M_{\odot }) = 7.8$) shows instead a significantly lower metallicity. The three galaxies show different level of offset relative to the Fundamental Metallicity Relation, with two of them (at z∼ 7.6) being marginally consistent, while the z∼ 8.5 source deviating significantly, being probably far from the smooth equilibrium between gas flows, star formation, and metal enrichment in place at later epochs.
ABSTRACT
We investigate which physical properties are most predictive of the position of local star forming galaxies on the BPT diagrams, by means of different Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. ...Exploiting the large statistics from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we define a framework in which the deviation of star-forming galaxies from their median sequence can be described in terms of the relative variations in a variety of observational parameters. We train artificial neural networks (ANN) and random forest (RF) trees to predict whether galaxies are offset above or below the sequence (via classification), and to estimate the exact magnitude of the offset itself (via regression). We find, with high significance, that parameters primarily associated to variations in the nitrogen-over-oxygen abundance ratio (N/O) are the most predictive for the N ii-BPT diagram, whereas properties related to star formation (like variations in SFR or EW(H α)) perform better in the S ii-BPT diagram. We interpret the former as a reflection of the N/O–O/H relationship for local galaxies, while the latter as primarily tracing the variation in the effective size of the S+ emitting region, which directly impacts the S ii emission lines. This analysis paves the way to assess to what extent the physics shaping local BPT diagrams is also responsible for the offsets seen in high redshift galaxies or, instead, whether a different framework or even different mechanisms need to be invoked.
Context. Ionized outflows, revealed by broad asymmetric wings of the O III λ5007 line, are commonly observed in active galactic nuclei (AGN) but the low intrinsic spatial resolution of the ...observations has generally prevented a detailed characterization of their properties. The MAGNUM survey aims at overcoming these limitations by focusing on the nearest AGN, including NGC 1365, a nearby Seyfert galaxy (D ∼ 17 Mpc), hosting a low-luminosity active nucleus (Lbol ∼ 2 × 1043 erg s−1). Aims. We want to obtain a detailed picture of the ionized gas in the central ∼5 kpc of NGC 1365 in terms of physical properties, kinematics, and ionization mechanisms. We also aim to characterize the warm ionized outflow as a function of distance from the nucleus and its relation with the nuclear X-ray wind. Methods. We employed optical integral-field spectroscopic observations from VLT/MUSE to investigate the warm ionized gas and Chandra ACIS-S X-ray data for the hot highly-ionized phase. We obtained flux, kinematic, and diagnostic maps of the optical emission lines, which we used to disentangle outflows from gravitational motions in the disk and measure the gas properties down to a spatial resolution of ∼70 pc. We then performed imaging spectroscopy on Chandra ACIS-S data guided by the matching with MUSE maps. Results. The O III emission mostly traces a kpc-scale biconical outflow ionized by the AGN having velocities up to ∼200 km s−1. Hα emission traces instead star formation in a circumnuclear ring and along the bar, where we detect non-circular streaming gas motions. Soft X-rays are predominantly due to thermal emission from the star-forming regions, but we manage to isolate the AGN photoionized component which nicely matches the O III emission. The mass outflow rate of the extended ionized outflow is similar to that of the nuclear X-ray wind and then decreases with radius, implying that the outflow either slows down or that the AGN activity has recently increased. However, the hard X-ray emission from the circumnuclear ring suggests that star formation might in principle contribute to the outflow. The integrated mass outflow rate, kinetic energy rate, and outflow velocity are broadly consistent with the typical relations observed in more luminous AGN.
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FMFMET, NUK, UL, UM, UPUK
ABSTRACT
We present near-infrared observations of 42 gravitationally lensed galaxies obtained in the framework of the KMOS Lensed Emission Lines and VElocity Review (KLEVER) Survey, a programme aimed ...at investigating the spatially resolved properties of the ionized gas in 1.2 < z < 2.5 galaxies by means of a full coverage of the YJ, H, and K near-infrared bands. Detailed metallicity maps and gradients are derived for a subsample of 28 galaxies from reconstructed source-plane emission-line maps, exploiting the variety of different emission-line diagnostics provided by the broad wavelength coverage of the survey. About $85 {{\, per\ cent}}$ of these galaxies are characterized by metallicity gradients shallower than $0.05\ \rm dex\, kpc^{-1}$ and $89{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ are consistent with a flat slope within 3σ ($67{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ within 1σ), suggesting a mild evolution with cosmic time. In the context of cosmological simulations and chemical evolution models, the presence of efficient feedback mechanisms and/or extended star formation profiles on top of the classical ‘inside-out’ scenario of mass assembly is generally required to reproduce the observed flatness of the metallicity gradients beyond z ∼ 1. Three galaxies with significantly (>3σ) ‘inverted’ gradients are also found, showing an anticorrelation between metallicity and star formation rate density on local scales, possibly suggesting recent episodes of pristine gas accretion or strong radial flows in place. Nevertheless, the individual metallicity maps are characterized by a variety of different morphologies, with flat radial gradients sometimes hiding non-axisymmetric variations on kpc scales, which are washed out by azimuthal averages, especially in interacting systems or in those undergoing local episodes of recent star formation.
ABSTRACT
We present a comparison of the nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio (N/O) in 37 high-redshift galaxies at z ∼ 2 taken from the KMOS Lensed Emission Lines and VElocity Review (KLEVER) Survey with a ...comparison sample of local galaxies, taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The KLEVER sample shows only a mild enrichment in N/O of +0.1 dex when compared to local galaxies at a given gas-phase metallicity (O/H), but shows a depletion in N/O of −0.35 dex when compared at a fixed stellar mass (M*). We find a strong anticorrelation in local galaxies between N/O and SFR in the M*–N/O plane, similar to the anticorrelation between O/H and SFR found in the mass–metallicity relation (MZR). We use this anticorrelation to construct a fundamental nitrogen relation (FNR), analogous to the fundamental metallicity relation (FMR). We find that KLEVER galaxies are consistent with both the FMR and the FNR. This suggests that the depletion of N/O in high-z galaxies when considered at a fixed M* is driven by the redshift evolution of the mass–metallicity relation in combination with a near redshift-invariant N/O–O/H relation. Furthermore, the existence of an fundamental nitrogen relation suggests that the mechanisms governing the fundamental metallicity relation must be probed by not only O/H, but also N/O, suggesting pure-pristine gas inflows are not the primary driver of the FMR, and other properties such as variations in galaxy age and star formation efficiency must be important.
Recovery of the supernova (SN) delay-time distribution (DTD) - the SN rate versus time that would follow a hypothetical brief burst of star formation - can shed light on SN progenitors and physics, ...as well as on the time-scales of chemical enrichment. Previous attempts to reconstruct the DTD have been based either on comparison of mean SN rates versus redshift to cosmic star-formation history (SFH), or on the comparison of SN rates among galaxies with different mean ages. Here, we present an approach to recover the SN DTD that avoids the averaging and loss of information of other schemes. We compare the SFHs of individual galaxies to the numbers of SNe discovered by a survey in each galaxy (generally zero, sometimes one SN, rarely a few). We apply the method to a subsample of 3505 galaxies, hosting 82 type-Ia SNe (SNe Ia) and 119 core-collapse supernovae (CC SNe), from the Lick Observatory Supernova Search (LOSS), that have SFHs reconstructed from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra. We find a >2σ SN Ia DTD signal in our shortest-delay, 'prompt' bin at <420 Myr. We identify and study a systematic error, due to the limited aperture of the SDSS spectroscopic fibres, that causes some of the prompt signal to leak to the later bins of the DTD. After accounting for this systematic error, we demonstrate that a prompt SN Ia contribution is required by the data at the >99 per cent confidence level. We further find a 4σ indication of SNe Ia that are 'delayed' by >2.4 Gyr. Thus, the data support the existence of both prompt and delayed SNe Ia. We measure the time integral over the SN DTD. For CC SNe we find a total yield of 0.010 ± 0.002 SNe per M⊙ formed, in excellent agreement with expectations, if all stars more massive than 8 M⊙ lead to visible SN explosions. This argues against scenarios in which the minimum mass for core-collapse SNe is ≳10 M⊙, or in which a significant fraction of massive stars collapse without an accompanying explosion. For SNe Ia, the time-integrated yield is 0.0023 ± 0.0006 SNe per M⊙ formed, most of them with delays <2.4 Gyr. Finally, we show the robust performance of the method on simulated samples, and demonstrate that its application to already existing SN samples, such as the full LOSS sample, but with complete and unbiased SFH estimates for the survey galaxies, could provide an accurate and detailed measurement of the SN Ia DTD.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Star formation and quenching are two of the most important processes in galaxy formation and evolution. We explore in the local universe the interrelationships among key integrated galaxy properties, ...including stellar mass M*, star formation rate (SFR), specific SFR (sSFR), molecular gas mass M H 2 , star formation efficiency (SFE) of the molecular gas, and the molecular gas to stellar mass ratio . We aim to identify the most fundamental scaling relations among these key galaxy properties and their interrelationships. We show that the integrated M H 2 -SFR, SFR-M*, and M H 2 -M* relations can be simply transformed from the -sSFR, SFE- , and SFE-sSFR relations, respectively. The transformation, in principle, can increase or decrease the scatter of each relation. Interestingly, we find that the latter three relations all have significantly smaller scatter than the corresponding former three. We show that the probability to achieve the observed small scatter by accident is extremely close to zero. This suggests that the smaller scatters of the latter three relations are driven by a more universal physical connection among these quantities. We then show that the large scatters in the former relations are due to their systematic dependence on other galaxy properties, and on the star formation and quenching process. We propose the sSFR- -SFE relation as the fundamental formation relation (FFR), which governs the star formation and quenching process and provides a simple framework to study galaxy evolution. Other scaling relations, including the integrated Kennicutt-Schmidt law, star-forming main sequence, and molecular gas main sequence, can all be derived from the FFR.
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