Abstract
We present a study of the incidence of active galactic nucleus (AGN) in a sample of major merging systems at 0.3 <
z
< 2.5. Galaxies in this merger sample have projected separations between ...3 and 15 kpc and are selected from the CANDELS/3D-Hubble Space Telescope catalogs using a peak-finding algorithm. AGNs in mergers and non-mergers are identified on the basis of their X-ray emission, optical lines, mid-infrared colors, and radio emission. Among galaxies with adequate measurements to find potential AGNs, we find a similar fraction of AGNs in mergers (16.4
%) compared to the fraction found in non-merging galaxies (15.4% ± 0.6%). In mergers, this fraction is obtained by assuming that, in unresolved observations, only one of the merging galaxies is the AGN source (16 merging systems have at least one AGN galaxy). The similarity between the fractions is possibly due to the higher availability of cold gas at high redshifts, where the excess of nuclear activity as a result of merging is less important than at lower redshifts. Star-forming galaxies have a higher incidence of AGNs than quiescent galaxies. In particular, starbursts in mergers are the most common sites of AGN activity, since they present higher AGN fractions and black hole accretion rates. We find no clear correlation between the black hole accretion rate and the galaxy properties (i.e., star formation rate, stellar mass) in mergers and non-mergers. However, mergers seem to have a higher correlation with star formation than non-mergers, which possibly indicates that the merging process is starting to influence the star formation and AGN activity even at this pre-coalescence stage.
We present high-spatial-resolution (∼0 2, or ∼3 pc) CO(2-1) observations of the nearest young starburst dwarf galaxy, NGC 5253, taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. We have ...identified 118 molecular clouds with average values of 4.3 pc in radius and 2.2 km s−1 in velocity dispersion, which comprise the molecular cloud complexes observed previously with ∼100 pc resolution. We derive for the first time in this galaxy the I(CO)-N(H2) conversion factor, cm−2(K km s−1)−1, based on the virial method. The line width and mass-to-size relations of the resolved molecular clouds present an offset on average toward higher line widths and masses with respect to quiescent regions in other nearby spiral galaxies and our Galaxy. The offset in the scaling relation reaches its maximum in regions close to the central starburst, where velocity dispersions are ∼0.5 dex higher and gas mass surface densities are as high as . These central clouds are gravitationally bound despite the high internal pressure. A spatial comparison with star clusters found in the literature enables us to identify six clouds that are associated with young star clusters. Furthermore, the star formation efficiencies (SFEs) of some of these clouds exceed those found in star-cluster-forming clouds within our Galaxy. We conclude that once a super star cluster is formed, the parent molecular clouds are rapidly dispersed by the destructive stellar feedback, which results in such a high SFE in the central starburst of NGC 5253.
ABSTRACT Compiling data from literature and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array archive, we show enhanced HCN(4-3)/HCO+(4-3) and/or HCN(4-3)/CS(7-6) integrated intensity ratios in ...circumnuclear molecular gas around active galactic nuclei (AGNs) compared to those in starburst (SB) galaxies (submillimeter HCN enhancement). The number of sample galaxies is significantly increased from our previous work. We expect that this feature could potentially be an extinction-free energy diagnostic tool of nuclear regions of galaxies. Non-LTE radiative transfer modelings of the above molecular emission lines involving both collisional and radiative excitation, as well as a photon trapping effect, were conducted to investigate the cause of the high line ratios in AGNs. As a result, we found that enhanced abundance ratios of HCN to HCO+ and HCN to CS in AGNs as compared to SB galaxies by a factor of a few to even 10 are a plausible explanation for the submillimeter HCN enhancement. However, a counterargument of a systematically higher gas density in AGNs than in SB galaxies can also be a plausible scenario. Although we cannot fully distinguish these two scenarios at this moment owing to an insufficient amount of multi-transition, multi-species data, the former scenario is indicative of abnormal chemical composition in AGNs. Regarding the actual mechanism to realize the composition, we suggest that it is difficult with conventional gas-phase X-ray-dominated region ionization models to reproduce the observed high line ratios. We might have to take into account other mechanisms such as neutral-neutral reactions that are efficiently activated in high-temperature environments and/or mechanically heated regions to further understand the high line ratios in AGNs.
Abstract
We present an ALMA-Herschel joint analysis of sources detected by the ALMA Lensing Cluster Survey (ALCS) at 1.15 mm. Herschel/PACS and SPIRE data at 100–500
μ
m are deblended for 180 ALMA ...sources in 33 lensing cluster fields that are detected either securely (141 sources; in our main sample) or tentatively at S/N ≥ 4 with cross-matched HST/Spitzer counterparts, down to a delensed 1.15 mm flux density of ∼0.02 mJy. We performed far-infrared spectral energy distribution modeling and derived the physical properties of dusty star formation for 125 sources (109 independently) that are detected at >2
σ
in at least one Herschel band. A total of 27 secure ALCS sources are not detected in any Herschel bands, including 17 optical/near-IR-dark sources that likely reside at
z
= 4.2 ± 1.2. The 16th, 50th, and 84th percentiles of the redshift distribution are 1.15, 2.08, and 3.59, respectively, for ALCS sources in the main sample, suggesting an increasing fraction of
z
≃ 1 − 2 galaxies among fainter millimeter sources (
f
1150
∼ 0.1 mJy). With a median lensing magnification factor of
μ
=
2.6
−
0.8
+
2.6
, ALCS sources in the main sample exhibit a median intrinsic star formation rate of
94
−
54
+
84
M
⊙
yr
−1
, lower than that of conventional submillimeter galaxies at similar redshifts by a factor of ∼3. Our study suggests weak or no redshift evolution of dust temperature with
L
IR
< 10
12
L
⊙
galaxies within our sample at
z
≃ 0 − 2. At
L
IR
> 10
12
L
⊙
, the dust temperatures show no evolution across
z
≃ 1–4 while being lower than those in the local universe. For the highest-redshift source in our sample (
z
= 6.07), we can rule out an extreme dust temperature (>80 K) that was reported for MACS0416 Y1 at
z
= 8.31.
Abstract
We report the multiwavelength properties of millimeter galaxies hosting X-ray detected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) from the ALMA Lensing Cluster Survey (ALCS). ALCS is an extensive survey ...of well-studied lensing clusters with ALMA, covering an area of 133 arcmin
2
over 33 clusters with a 1.2 mm flux-density limit of ∼60
μ
Jy (1
σ
). Utilizing the archival data of Chandra, we identify three AGNs at
z
= 1.06, 2.09, and 2.84 among the 180 millimeter sources securely detected in the ALCS (of which 155 are inside the coverage of Chandra). The X-ray spectral analysis shows that two AGNs are not significantly absorbed (
log
N
H
/
cm
−
2
<
23
), while the other shows signs of moderate absorption (
log
N
H
/
cm
−
2
∼
23.5
). We also perform spectral energy distribution modeling of X-ray to millimeter photometry. We find that our X-ray AGN sample shows both high mass-accretion rates (intrinsic 0.5–8 keV X-ray luminosities of ∼10
44–45
erg s
−1
) and star formation rates (≳100
M
⊙
yr
−1
). This demonstrates that a wide-area survey with ALMA and Chandra can selectively detect intense growth of both galaxies and supermassive black holes in the high-redshift universe.
We present the results of CO interferometric observations of the southern elliptical galaxy NGC 3557 with ALMA. We have detected both the CO(1-0) emission line and a relatively strong continuum at 3 ...mm. The continuum shows a flat-spectrum central unresolved source (at our angular resolution of 0 7) and two jets, associated with the larger-scale emission observed at lower frequencies. The molecular gas in NGC 3557 appears to be concentrated within 250 pc of the center, and shows evidence of organized rotation along the same axis as the stellar component and the symmetry axis of the nuclear dust absorption reported in the literature. We obtained of molecular gas, which has an average CO(2-1) to CO(1-0) line ratio of 0.7, which is relatively high when compared with the values reported in the literature for bona fide ellipticals observed with single-dish telescopes. NGC 3557 shows further a high excitation peak (i.e., CO(2-1)/CO(1-0) 1.1 0.3) offset 0 7 from the center, which appears to be associated with a region of higher velocity dispersion that does not share the overall rotation pattern of the molecular gas, but aligned with the radio jet. The molecular gas disk in this object appears to be stable to local gravitational instabilities.
Abstract
Direct observations of low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies at
z
≳ 4 provide an indispensable opportunity for detailed inspection of the ionization radiation, gas flow, and metal enrichment in ...sources similar to those that reionized the universe. Combining the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Very Large Telescope/MUSE, and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, we present detailed observations of a strongly lensed, low-mass (≈10
7.6
M
⊙
) galaxy at
z
= 3.98 (also see Vanzella et al.). We identify strong narrow nebular emission, including C
iv
λ
λ
1548, 1550, He
ii
λ
1640, O
iii
λ
λ
1661, 1666, Ne
iii
λ
3868, O
ii
λ
3727, and the Balmer series of hydrogen from this galaxy, indicating a metal-poor H
ii
region (≲0.12
Z
⊙
) powered by massive stars. Further, we detect a metal-enriched damped Ly
α
system (DLA) associated with the galaxy with the H
i
column density of
N
H I
≈ 10
21.8
cm
−2
. The metallicity of the associated DLA may reach the supersolar metallicity (≳
Z
⊙
). Moreover, thanks to JWST and gravitational lensing, we present the resolved UV slope (
β
) map at the spatial resolution of ≈100 pc at
z
= 4, with steep UV slopes reaching
β
≈ −2.5 around three star-forming clumps. Combining with low-redshift analogs, our observations suggest that low-mass, low-metallicity galaxies, which dominate reionization, could be surrounded by a high covering fraction of the metal-enriched, neutral-gaseous clouds. This implies that the metal enrichment of low-mass galaxies is highly efficient, and further supports that in low-mass galaxies, only a small fraction of ionizing radiation can escape through the interstellar or circumgalactic channels with low-column-density neutral gas.
Abstract
The radio galaxy NGC 1052 casts absorption features of sulfur-bearing molecules, H
2
S, SO, SO
2
, and CS toward the radio continuum emission from the core and jets. Using the Atacama Large ...Millimeter/submillimeter Array, we have measured the equivalent widths of SO absorption features in multiple transitions and determined the temperatures of 344 ± 43 K and 26 ± 4 K in submillimeter and millimeter wavelengths, respectively. Since submillimeter and millimeter continuum represents the core and jets, the high and low temperatures of the absorbers imply a warm environment in the molecular torus and cooler downstream flows. The high temperature in the torus is consistent with the presence of 22 GHz H
2
O maser emission, vibrationally excited HCN and HCO
+
absorption lines, and sulfur-bearing molecules in the gas phase released from dust. The origin of the sulfur-bearing gas is ascribed to the evaporation of the icy dust component through a jet–torus interaction. Shock heating is the sole plausible mechanism to maintain such a high temperature of gas and dust in the torus. The implication of the jet–torus interaction also supports the collimation of the sub-relativistic jets by the gas pressure of the torus.
Abstract Sub/millimeter galaxies are a key population for the study of galaxy evolution because the majority of star formation at high redshifts occurred in galaxies deeply embedded in dust. To ...search for this population, we have performed an extensive survey with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), called the ALMA Lensing Cluster Survey (ALCS). This survey covers 133 arcmin 2 area and securely detects 180 sources at z ∼ 0.5–6 with a flux limit of ∼0.2 mJy at 1.2 mm. Here, we report the results of multiwavelength spectral energy distribution analysis of the whole ALCS sample, utilizing the observed-frame UV to millimeter photometry. We find that the majority of the ALCS sources lie on the star-forming main sequence, with a smaller fraction showing intense starburst activities. The ALCS sample contains high infrared-excess sources ( IRX = log ( L dust / L UV ) > 1 ), including two extremely dust-obscured galaxies (IRX > 5). We also confirm that the ALCS sample probes a broader range in lower dust mass than conventional submillimeter galaxy samples in the same redshift range. We identify six heavily obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN) candidates that are not detected in the archival Chandra data in addition to the three X-ray AGNs reported by Uematsu et al. (2023). The inferred AGN luminosity density shows a possible excess at z = 2–3 compared with that determined from X-ray surveys below 10 keV.
We present a giant molecular cloud (GMC) catalog of M33, containing 71 GMCs in total, based on wide-field and high-sensitivity CO(J = 3-2) observations with a spatial resolution of 100 pc using the ...ASTE 10 m telescope. Employing archival optical data, we identify 75 young stellar groups (YSGs) from the excess of the surface stellar density, and estimate their ages by comparing with stellar evolution models. A spatial comparison among the GMCs, YSGs, and H II regions enable us to classify GMCs into four categories: Type A, showing no sign of massive star formation (SF); Type B, being associated only with H II regions; Type C, with both H II regions and <10 Myr old YSGs; and Type D, with both H II regions and 10-30 Myr YSGs. Out of 65 GMCs (discarding those at the edges of the observed fields), 1 (1%), 13 (20%), 29 (45%), and 22 (34%) are Types A, B, C, and D, respectively. We interpret these categories as stages in a GMC evolutionary sequence. Assuming that the timescale for each evolutionary stage is proportional to the number of GMCs, the lifetime of a GMC with a mass >10 super(5) M sub(middot in circle) is estimated to be 20-40 Myr. In addition, we find that the dense gas fraction as traced by the CO(J = 3-2)/CO(J = 1-0) ratio is enhanced around SF regions. This confirms a scenario where dense gas is preferentially formed around previously generated stars, and will be the fuel for the next stellar generation. In this way, massive SF gradually propagates in a GMC until gas is exhausted.
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