We present sensitive 850 m imaging of the Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field using 640 hr of new and archival observations taken with SCUBA-2 at the East Asian Observatory's James Clerk ...Maxwell Telescope. The SCUBA-2 COSMOS survey (S2COSMOS) achieves a median noise level of 850 m = 1.2 mJy beam−1 over an area of 1.6 sq. degree (main; Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys footprint), and 850 m = 1.7 mJy beam−1 over an additional 1 sq. degree of supplementary (supp) coverage. We present a catalog of 1020 and 127 sources detected at a significance level of >4 and >4.3 in the main and supp regions, respectively, corresponding to a uniform 2% false-detection rate. We construct the single-dish 850 m number counts at S850 > 2 mJy and show that these S2COSMOS counts are in agreement with previous single-dish surveys, demonstrating that degree-scale fields are sufficient to overcome the effects of cosmic variance in the S850 = 2-10 mJy population. To investigate the properties of the galaxies identified by S2COSMOS sources we measure the surface density of near-infrared-selected galaxies around their positions and identify an average excess of 2.0 0.2 galaxies within a 13″ radius (∼100 kpc at z ∼ 2). The bulk of these galaxies represent near-infrared-selected submillimeter galaxies and/or spatially correlated sources and lie at a median photometric redshift of z = 2.0 0.1. Finally, we perform a stacking analysis at submillimeter and far-infrared wavelengths of stellar-mass-selected galaxies (M = 1010-1012 M ) from z = 0-4, obtaining high-significance detections at 850 m in all subsets (signal-to-noise ratio, S/N = 4-30), and investigate the relation between far-infrared luminosity, stellar mass, and the peak wavelength of the dust spectral energy distribution. The publication of this survey adds a new deep, uniform submillimeter layer to the wavelength coverage of this well-studied COSMOS field.
ABSTRACT
We have used ALMA and NOEMA to study the molecular gas reservoirs in 61 ALMA-identified submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) in the COSMOS, UDS, and ECDFS fields. We detect 12CO ($J_{\rm up} =$ ...2–5) emission lines in 50 sources, and C i(3P1 − 3P0) emission in eight, at $z =$ 1.2–4.8 and with a median redshift of 2.9 ± 0.2. By supplementing our data with literature sources, we construct a statistical CO spectral line energy distribution and find that the 12CO line luminosities in SMGs peak at Jup ∼ 6, consistent with similar studies. We also test the correlations of the CO, C i, and dust as tracers of the gas mass, finding the three to correlate well, although the CO and dust mass as estimated from the 3-mm continuum are preferable. We estimate that SMGs lie mostly on or just above the star-forming main sequence, with a median gas depletion timescale, tdep = Mgas/SFR, of 210 ± 40 Myr for our sample. Additionally, tdep declines with redshift across z ∼ 1–5, while the molecular gas fraction, μgas = Mgas/M*, increases across the same redshift range. Finally, we demonstrate that the distribution of total baryonic mass and dynamical line width, Mbaryon–σ, for our SMGs is consistent with that followed by early-type galaxies in the Coma cluster, providing strong support to the suggestion that SMGs are progenitors of massive local spheroidal galaxies. On the basis of this, we suggest that the SMG populations above and below an 870-μm flux limit of S870 ∼ 5 mJy may correspond to the division between slow and fast rotators seen in local early-type galaxies.
Hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (Hif-2α) is a potential therapeutic target for osteoarthritis (OA), but the application of this target in the delivery of therapeutic agents to chondrocytes remains a ...challenge. A chondrocyte-targeting vector was constructed in a previous study to enhance transfection efficiency and specificity of chondrocytes in vivo. This study used vectors to deliver small-interfering RNA (siRNA) and silenced Hif-2α expression to prevent cartilage degeneration in OA-affected mice. After siRNA transfection was conducted by cartilage-targeting nanoparticles, the protein levels of Hif-2α, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-13, -9), a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS-4, -5), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), type X collagen and nuclear factor (NF)-κB in interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β)-stimulated chondrocytes were determined. Chondrocyte-targeting ability was also determined by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled siRNA tracking under a confocal microscope. OA model was established by surgically destabilizing the knee joints of a mouse. Hif-2α siRNA was then delivered intra-articularly with nanoparticles in vivo. Cartilage degeneration and synovium inflammation in the knee joints were analyzed by histomorphometry. IL-1β levels in the synovial fluid were also measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In vitro assay results showed that catabolic factors, including Hif-2α, MMP-13 and -9, ADAMTS-4, VEGF, collagen type X and NF-κB, were downregulated after Hif-2α-siRNA transfection by chondrocyte-targeting nanoparticles. In vivo assay results with FITC-labeled siRNA tracking also confirmed that nanoparticles promoted the local concentration and prolonged the retention time of siRNA in the cartilage. Histological analysis results confirmed that nanoparticle-mediated siRNA maintained cartilage integrity and alleviated synovium inflammation. IL-1β levels decreased after siRNA was silenced by nanoparticles. Thus, chondrocyte-targeting nanoparticles could deliver Hif-2α siRNA to cartilage and specifically inhibit the expression of catabolic proteins.
An increasing number of microRNAs (miRNAs) are known to play crucial regulatory roles in floral organ differentiation and development. Yellow-horn (Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge) is an oil-rich seed ...shrub that has great potential for biodiesel production. To evaluate the roles of miRNAs in the regulation of flower development, we used high-throughput sequencing to characterize them from flower buds of double-flower yellow-horn mutant and wild-type plants. Approximately 33 million raw reads were obtained through Solexa sequencing of two small RNA libraries, and the conserved and novel miRNA locations were annotated. Nineteen conserved miRNAs (belonging to nine families) and eight novel miRNAs were identified from the two libraries. Twelve conserved and eight novel miRNA-star sequences were also discovered, providing additional evidence for the existence of miRNAs in this species. Thirteen miRNAs were differentially expressed between wild-type and mutant plants. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed the expression patterns of eight microRNAs, which were confirmed by sequencing. The assessed targets of these miRNAs are involved in transcriptional regulation, disease resistance, antioxidative metabolism, nucleobase regulation, and nucleic acid metabolism. This study opens up new avenues for understanding the roles of miRNAs in X. sorbifolia.
ABSTRACT
We present an ALMA study of the ∼180 brightest sources in the SCUBA-2 850-μm map of the COSMOS field from the S2COSMOS survey, as a pilot study for AS2COSMOS – a full survey of the ∼1000 ...sources in this field. In this pilot study, we have obtained 870-μm continuum maps of an essentially complete sample of the brightest 182 sub-millimetre sources ($S_{850\, \mu \rm m}\gt $ 6.2 mJy) in COSMOS. Our ALMA maps detect 260 sub-millimetre galaxies (SMGs) spanning a range in flux density of $S_{870\, \mu \rm m}$ = 0.7–19.2 mJy. We detect more than one SMG counterpart in 34 ± 2 per cent of sub-millimetre sources, increasing to 53 ± 8 per cent for SCUBA-2 sources brighter than $S_{850\, \mu \rm m}\gt $ 12 mJy. We estimate that approximately one-third of these SMG–SMG pairs are physically associated (with a higher rate for the brighter secondary SMGs, $S_{870\, \mu \rm m}\gtrsim$ 3 mJy), and illustrate this with the serendipitous detection of bright C ii 157.74-μm line emission in two SMGs, AS2COS 0001.1 and 0001.2 at z = 4.63, associated with the highest significance single-dish source. Using our source catalogue, we construct the interferometric 870-μm number counts at $S_{870\, \mu \rm m}\gt $ 6.2 mJy. We use the extensive archival data of this field to construct the multiwavelength spectral energy distribution of each AS2COSMOS SMG, and subsequently model this emission with magphys to estimate their photometric redshifts. We find a median photometric redshift for the $S_{870\, \mu \rm m}\gt $ 6.2 mJy AS2COSMOS sample of z = 2.87 ± 0.08, and clear evidence for an increase in the median redshift with 870-μm flux density suggesting strong evolution in the bright end of the 870-μm luminosity function.
We used the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) 12 m telescope to observe the JKAKc = 303 → 202, 322 → 221, and 321 → 220 transitions of para-H2CO at 218GHz simultaneously to determine kinetic ...temperatures of the dense gas in the central molecular zone (CMZ) of our Galaxy. The map extends over approximately 40′ × 8′ (~100 × 20pc2) along the Galactic plane with a linear resolution of 1.2pc. The strongest of the three lines, the H2CO (303 → 202) transition, is found to be widespread, and its emission shows a spatial distribution similar to ammonia. The relative abundance of para-H2CO is 0.5−1.2 × 10-9, which is consistent with results from lower frequency H2CO absorption lines. Derived gas kinetic temperatures for individual molecular clouds range from 50K to values in excess of 100K. While a systematic trend toward (decreasing) kinetic temperature versus (increasing) angular distance from the Galactic center (GC) is not found, the clouds with highest temperature (Tkin> 100K) are all located near the nucleus. For the molecular gas outside the dense clouds, the average kinetic temperature is 65 ± 10K. The high temperatures of molecular clouds on large scales in the GC region may be driven by turbulent energy dissipation and/or cosmic-rays instead of photons. Such a non-photon-driven thermal state of the molecular gas provides an excellent template for the more distant vigorous starbursts found in ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs).
Abstract
We introduce an ALMA band 3 spectroscopic survey targeting the brightest submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) in the COSMOS field. Here we present the first results based on the 18 primary SMGs ...that have 870
μ
m flux densities of
S
870
= 12.4–19.3 mJy and are drawn from a parent sample of 260 ALMA-detected SMGs from the AS2COSMOS survey. We detect emission lines in 17 and determine their redshifts to be in the range of
z
= 2–5 with a median of 3.3 ± 0.3. We confirm that SMGs with brighter
S
870
are located at higher redshifts. The data additionally cover five fainter companion SMGs, and we obtain line detection in one. Together with previous studies, our results indicate that for SMGs that satisfy our selection, their brightest companion SMGs are physically associated with their corresponding primary SMGs ≥40% of the time, suggesting that mergers play a role in the triggering of star formation. By modeling the foreground gravitational fields, <10% of the primary SMGs can be strongly lensed with a magnification
μ
> 2. We determine that about 90% of the primary SMGs have lines that are better described by double Gaussian profiles, and the median separation of the two Gaussian peaks is 430 ± 40 km s
−1
. This allows estimates of an average baryon mass, which, together with the line dispersion measurements, puts our primary SMGs on the similar mass–
σ
correlation found on local early-type galaxies. Finally, the number density of our
z
> 4 primary SMGs is found to be
1
−
0.6
+
0.9
×
10
−
6
cMpc
−3
, suggesting that they can be the progenitors of
z
∼ 3−4 massive quiescent galaxies.
Abstract
We report the discovery of a 10 comoving megaparsec (cMpc)-scale structure traced by massive submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) at
z
∼ 4.6. These galaxies are selected from an emission line ...search of ALMA Band 7 observations targeting 184 luminous submillimeter sources (
S
850
μ
m
≥ 6.2 mJy) across 1.6 degrees
2
in the COSMOS field. We identify four C
ii
emitting SMGs and two probable C
ii
emitting SMG candidates at
z
= 4.60–4.64 with velocity-integrated signal-to-noise ratio of S/N > 8. Four of the six emitters are near-infrared blank SMGs. After excluding one SMG whose emission line is falling at the edge of the spectral window, all galaxies show clear velocity gradients along the major axes that are consistent with rotating gas disks. The estimated rotation velocities of the disks are 330–550 km s
−1
and the inferred host dark-matter halo masses are ∼2–8 × 10
12
M
⊙
. From their estimated halo masses and C
ii
luminosity function, we suggest that these galaxies have a high (50%–100%) duty cycle and high (∼0.1) baryon conversion efficiency (SFR relative to baryon accretion rate), and that they contribute ≃2% to the total star formation rate density at
z
= 4.6. These SMGs are concentrated within just 0.3% of the full survey volume, suggesting they are strongly clustered. The extent of this structure and the individual halo masses suggest that these SMGs will likely evolve into members of a ∼10
15
M
⊙
cluster at
z
= 0. This survey reveals a synchronized dusty starburst in massive halos at
z
> 4, which could be driven by mergers or fed by smooth gas accretion.
ABSTRACT
We report the discovery of an intrinsically faint, quintuply-imaged, dusty galaxy MACS0600-z6 at a redshift z = 6.07 viewed through the cluster MACSJ0600.1–2008 (z = 0.46). A ≃ 4σ dust ...detection is seen at 1.2mm as part of the ALMA Lensing Cluster Survey (ALCS), an on-going ALMA Large programme, and the redshift is secured via C ii 158 μm emission described in a companion paper. In addition, spectroscopic follow-up with GMOS/Gemini-North shows a break in the galaxy’s spectrum, consistent with the Lyman break at that redshift. We use a detailed mass model of the cluster and infer a magnification μ ≳ 30 for the most magnified image of this galaxy, which provides an unprecedented opportunity to probe the physical properties of a sub-luminous galaxy at the end of cosmic reionization. Based on the spectral energy distribution, we infer lensing-corrected stellar and dust masses of $\rm {2.9^{+11.5}_{-2.3}\times 10^9}$ and $\rm {4.8^{+4.5}_{-3.4}\times 10^6}$$\rm {M_{\odot }}$, respectively, a star formation rate of $\rm {9.7^{+22.0}_{-6.6} \, M_{\odot } \, yr^{-1}}$, an intrinsic size of $\rm {0.54^{+0.26}_{-0.14}}$ kpc, and a luminosity-weighted age of 200 ± 100 Myr. Strikingly, the dust production rate in this relatively young galaxy appears to be larger than that observed for equivalent, lower redshift sources. We discuss if this implies that early supernovae are more efficient dust producers and the consequences for using dust mass as a probe of earlier star formation.
Systematic cold biases exist in the simulation for 2 m air temperature in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) when using regional climate models and global atmospheric general circulation models. We updated the ...albedo in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model lower boundary condition using the Global LAnd Surface Satellite Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer albedo products and demonstrated evident improvement for cold temperature biases in the TP. It is the large overestimation of albedo in winter and spring in the WRF model that resulted in the large cold temperature biases. The overestimated albedo was caused by the simulated precipitation biases and over-parameterization of snow albedo. Furthermore, light-absorbing aerosols can result in a large reduction of albedo in snow and ice cover. The results suggest the necessity of developing snow albedo parameterization using observations in the TP, where snow cover and melting are very different from other low-elevation regions, and the influence of aerosols should be considered as well. In addition to defining snow albedo, our results show an urgent call for improving precipitation simulation in the TP.