In order to investigate the effects of galaxy mergers throughout the interaction sequence, we present a study of 10 800 galaxies in close pairs and a smaller sample of 97 post-mergers identified in ...the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We find that the average central star formation rate (SFR) enhancement (×3.5) and the fraction of starbursts (20 per cent) peak in the post-merger sample. The post-mergers also show a stronger deficit in gas phase metallicity than the closest pairs, being more metal-poor than their control by −0.09 dex. Combined with the observed trends in SFR and the time-scales predicted in merger simulations, we estimate that the post-mergers in our sample have undergone coalescence within the last few hundred Myr. In contrast with the incidence of star-forming galaxies, the frequency of active galactic nuclei (AGN) peaks in the post-mergers, outnumbering AGN in the control sample by a factor of 3.75. Moreover, amongst the galaxies that host an AGN, the black hole accretion rates in the closest pairs and post-mergers are higher by a factor of ∼3 than AGN in the control sample. These results are consistent with a picture in which star formation is initiated early on in the encounter, with AGN activity peaking post-coalescence.
Galaxy-galaxy interactions are predicted to cause gas inflows leading to enhanced nuclear star formation. This prediction is borne out observationally, and is also supported by the gas-phase ...metallicity dilution in the inner regions of galaxies in close pairs. In this paper we test the further prediction that the gas inflows lead to enhanced accretion on to the central supermassive black hole, triggering activity in the nucleus. Based on a sample of 11 060 Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies with a close companion (r
p < 80 h
−1
70 kpc, ΔV < 200 km s−1), we classify active galactic nuclei (AGN) based either on emission line ratios or on spectral classification as a quasar. The AGN fraction in the close pairs sample is compared to a control sample of 110 600 mass- and redshift-matched control galaxies with no nearby companion. We find a clear increase in the AGN fraction in close pairs of galaxies with projected separations < 40 h
−1
70 kpc by up to a factor of 2.5 relative to the control sample although the enhancement depends on the chosen signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) cut of the sample. The increase in AGN fraction is strongest in equal-mass galaxy pairings, and weakest in the lower mass component of an unequal-mass pairing. The increased AGN fraction at small separations is accompanied by an enhancement in the number of 'composite' galaxies whose spectra are the result of photoionization by both AGN and stars. Our results indicate that AGN activity occurs (at least in some cases) well before final coalescence and concurrently with ongoing star formation. Finally, we find a marked increase at small projected separations of the fraction of pairs in which both galaxies harbour AGN. We demonstrate that the fraction of double AGN exceeds the expected random fraction, indicating that some pairs undergo correlated nuclear activity. We discuss some of the factors that have led to conflicting results in previous studies of AGN in close pairs. Taken together with complementary studies, we favour an interpretation where interactions trigger AGN, but are not the only cause of nuclear activity.
Abstract
We present a sample of 1899 galaxies with a close companion taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7. The galaxy pairs are selected to have velocity differences Δv < 300 km ...s−1, projected separations ( kpc, mass ratios between 0.1 and 10, and robust measurements of star formation rates and gas-phase metallicities. We match the galaxies in total stellar mass, redshift and local density to a set of 10 control galaxies per pair galaxy. For each pair galaxy, we can therefore calculate the statistical change in star formation rate (SFR) and metallicity associated with the interaction process. Relative to the control sample, we find that galaxies in pairs show typical SFR enhancements that are, on average, 60 per cent higher than the control sample at kpc. It is at these small separations that the strongest enhancements in SFR (by up to a factor of ∼10) are measured, although such starbursts are rare, even amongst the closest pairs. In addition, the pairs demonstrate more modest SFR enhancements of ∼30 per cent out to at least kpc (the widest separations in our sample). This is the first time that enhanced SFRs have been robustly detected out to such large projected separations. Galaxies in both major and minor mergers show significant SFR enhancements at all r
p
, although the strongest starbursts (with SFR enhancements of a factor of ∼10) appear to be found only in the major mergers. We also find evidence that SFR enhancements are synchronized in an interacting pair, such that a higher SFR in one galaxy is accompanied by an increased SFR in its companion. For the first time, we are also able to trace the metallicity changes in galaxy pairs as a function of projected separation. The metallicity is generally diluted in galaxy pairs by ∼0.02 dex, with an average metallicity decrement of −0.03 dex at the smallest separations, a trend that mirrors the SFR enhancements as a function of r
p
. The SFR and metallicity trends with projected separation are interpreted through a comparison with theoretical models. These simulations indicate that the peak in SFR enhancements at small separations is due to systems near the end of the merger process. The extended plateau in SFR enhancements out to at least kpc is dominated by galaxies that have made a pericentric passage and are now experiencing triggered star formation on their trajectory towards apogalacticon, or on a subsequent close approach.
ABSTRACT
Using a sample of 11 478 spaxels in 34 galaxies with molecular gas, star formation, and stellar maps taken from the ALMA-MaNGA QUEnching and STar formation (ALMaQUEST) survey, we investigate ...the parameters that correlate with variations in star formation rates on kpc scales. We use a combination of correlation statistics and an artificial neural network to quantify the parameters that drive both the absolute star formation rate surface density (ΣSFR), as well as its scatter around the resolved star-forming main sequence (ΔΣSFR). We find that ΣSFR is primarily regulated by molecular gas surface density ($\Sigma _{\rm H_2}$) with a secondary dependence on stellar mass surface density (Σ⋆), as expected from an ‘extended Kennicutt–Schmidt relation’. However, ΔΣSFR is driven primarily by changes in star formation efficiency (SFE), with variations in gas fraction playing a secondary role. Taken together, our results demonstrate that whilst the absolute rate of star formation is primarily set by the amount of molecular gas, the variation of star formation rate above and below the resolved star-forming main sequence (on kpc scales) is primarily due to changes in SFE.
Abstract
We investigate the connection between star formation and molecular gas properties in galaxy mergers at low redshift (z ≤ 0.06). The study we present is based on IRAM 30-m CO(1–0) ...observations of 11 galaxies with a close companion selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The pairs have mass ratios ≤4, projected separations rp ≤ 30 kpc and velocity separations ΔV ≤ 300 km s−1, and have been selected to exhibit enhanced specific star formation rates (sSFRs). We calculate molecular gas (H2) masses, assigning to each galaxy a physically motivated conversion factor αCO, and we derive molecular gas fractions and depletion times. We compare these quantities with those of isolated galaxies from the extended CO Legacy Data base for the GALEX Arecibo SDSS Survey sample (xCOLDGASS; Saintonge et al.) with gas quantities computed in an identical way. Ours is the first study which directly compares the gas properties of galaxy pairs and those of a control sample of normal galaxies with rigorous control procedures and for which SFR and H2 masses have been estimated using the same method. We find that the galaxy pairs have shorter depletion times and an average molecular gas fraction enhancement of 0.4 dex compared to the mass matched control sample drawn from xCOLDGASS. However, the gas masses (and fractions) in galaxy pairs and their depletion times are consistent with those of non-mergers whose SFRs are similarly elevated. We conclude that both external interactions and internal processes may lead to molecular gas enhancement and decreased depletion times.
ABSTRACT
Starburst galaxies have elevated star formation rates (SFRs) for their stellar mass. In Ellison et al., we used integral field unit maps of SFR surface density (ΣSFR) and stellar mass ...surface density (Σ⋆) to show that starburst galaxies in the local universe are driven by SFRs that are preferentially boosted in their central regions. Here, we present molecular gas maps obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) observatory for 12 central starburst galaxies at z ∼ 0 drawn from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey. The ALMA and MaNGA data are well matched in spatial resolution, such that the ALMA maps of molecular gas surface density ($\Sigma _{\rm H_2}$) can be directly compared with MaNGA maps at kpc-scale resolution. The combination of $\Sigma _{\rm H_2}$, Σ⋆ and ΣSFR at the same resolution allow us to investigate whether central starbursts are driven primarily by enhancements in star formation efficiency (SFE) or by increased gas fractions. By computing offsets from the resolved Kennicutt-Schmidt relation ($\Sigma _{\rm H_2}$ versus ΣSFR) and the molecular gas main sequence (Σ⋆ versus $\Sigma _{\rm H_2}$), we conclude that the primary driver of the central starburst is an elevated SFE. We also show that the enhancement in ΣSFR is accompanied by a dilution in O/H, consistent with a triggering that is induced by metal poor gas inflow. These observational signatures are found in both undisturbed (9/12 galaxies in our sample) and recently merged galaxies, indicating that both interactions and secular mechanisms contribute to central starbursts.
We use pair and environmental classifications of ∼211 000 star-forming galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, along with a suite of merger simulations, to investigate the enhancement of star ...formation as a function of separation in galaxy pairs. Using a new technique for distinguishing between the influence of nearby neighbours and larger scale environment, we find a clear enhancement in star formation out to projected separations of ∼150 kpc, beyond which there is no net enhancement. We find the strongest enhancements at the smallest separations (especially <20 kpc), consistent with earlier work. Similar trends are seen in the simulations, which indicate that the strongest enhancements are produced in highly disturbed systems approaching final coalescence, whereas the more modest enhancements seen at wider separations are the result of starburst activity triggered at first pericentre passage, which persists as the galaxies move to larger separations. The absence of any net enhancement beyond 150 kpc provides reassurance that the detected enhancements are due to galaxy-galaxy interactions, rather than larger scale environmental effects or potential pair selection biases. A rough census indicates that 66 per cent of the enhanced star formation in our pair sample occurs at separations >30 kpc. We conclude that significant interaction-induced star formation is not restricted to merger remnants or galaxies with close companions; instead, a larger population of wider separation pairs exhibit enhanced star formation due to recent close encounters.
ABSTRACT
Strong line metallicity calibrations are widely used to determine the gas phase metallicities of individual H ii regions and entire galaxies. Over a decade ago, based on the Sloan Digital ...Sky Survey Data Release 4, Kewley & Ellison published the coefficients of third-order polynomials that can be used to convert between different strong line metallicity calibrations for global galaxy spectra. Here, we update the work of Kewley & Ellison in three ways. First, by using a newer data release, we approximately double the number of galaxies used in polynomial fits, providing statistically improved polynomial coefficients. Second, we include in the calibration suite five additional metallicity diagnostics that have been proposed in the last decade and were not included by Kewley & Ellison. Finally, we develop a new machine learning approach for converting between metallicity calibrations. The random forest (RF) algorithm is non-parametric and therefore more flexible than polynomial conversions, due to its ability to capture non-linear behaviour in the data. The RF method yields the same accuracy as the (updated) polynomial conversions, but has the significant advantage that a single model can be applied over a wide range of metallicities, without the need to distinguish upper and lower branches in R23 calibrations. The trained RF is made publicly available for use in the community.
Galaxy interactions are often accompanied by an enhanced star formation rate (SFR). Since molecular gas is essential for star formation, it is vital to establish whether and by how much galaxy ...interactions affect the molecular gas properties. We investigate the effect of interactions on global molecular gas properties by studying a sample of 58 galaxies in pairs and 154 control galaxies. Molecular gas properties are determined from observations with the JCMT, PMO, and CSO telescopes and supplemented with data from the xCOLD GASS and JINGLE surveys at 12CO(1-0) and 12CO(2-1). The SFR, gas mass ( ), and gas fraction (fgas) are all enhanced in galaxies in pairs by ∼2.5 times compared to the controls matched in redshift, mass, and effective radius, while the enhancement of star formation efficiency (SFE SFR/ ) is less than a factor of 2. We also find that the enhancements in SFR, and fgas, increase with decreasing pair separation and are larger in systems with smaller stellar mass ratio. Conversely, the SFE is only enhanced in close pairs (separation <20 kpc) and equal-mass systems; therefore, most galaxies in pairs lie in the same parameter space on the SFR- plane as controls. This is the first time that the dependence of molecular gas properties on merger configurations is probed statistically with a relatively large sample and a carefully selected control sample for individual galaxies. We conclude that galaxy interactions do modify the molecular gas properties, although the strength of the effect is dependent on merger configuration.
We use a sample of 9397 low-redshift (z ≤ 0.1) galaxies with a close companion to investigate the connection between mergers and luminous infrared (IR) galaxies (LIRGs). The pairs are selected from ...the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and have projected separations r
p ≤ 80 h
kpc, relative velocities ΔV ≤ 300 km s−1 and stellar mass ratios within a factor of 1:10. A control sample consisting of four galaxies per pair galaxy is constructed by simultaneously matching in stellar mass, redshift and environment to galaxies with no close companion. The IR luminosities (L
IR) of galaxies in the pair and control samples are determined from the SDSS - Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) matched catalogue of Hwang et al. Over the redshift range of our pairs sample, the IRAS matches are complete to LIRG luminosities (L
IR ≥ 1011 L), allowing us to investigate the connection between mergers and luminous IR galaxies. We find a trend for increasing LIRG fraction towards smaller pair separations, peaking at a factor of ∼5-10 above the median control fraction at the smallest separations (r
p
< 20 h
kpc), but remaining elevated by a factor ∼2-3 even out to 80 h
kpc (the widest separations in our sample). LIRG pairs predominantly have high star formation rates (SFRs), high extinction and are found in relatively low-density environments, relative to the full pairs sample. We also find that LIRGs are most likely to be found in high-mass galaxies which have an approximately equal-mass companion. We confirm the results of previous studies that both the active galactic nucleus (AGN) fraction and merger fraction increase strongly as a function of IR luminosity. About 7 per cent of LIRGs are associated with major mergers, as defined within the criteria and mass completion of our sample. Finally, we quantify an SFR offset (ΔSFR) as the enhancement (or decrement) relative to star-forming galaxies of the same mass and redshift. We demonstrate that there is a clear connection between the ΔSFR and the classification of a galaxy as a LIRG that is mass dependent. Most of the LIRGs in our merger sample are relatively high-mass galaxies (log (M
/M) > 10.5), likely because the SFR enhancement required to produce LIRG luminosities is more modest than at low masses. The ΔSFR offers a redshift-independent metric for the identification of the galaxies with the most enhanced star-forming rates that does not rely on fixed L
IR boundaries.
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