Abstract
The Astronomical Thermal Emission Camera (AzTEC) 1.1 mm survey of the two SCUBA HAlf Degree Extragalactic Survey (SHADES) fields is the largest (0.7 deg2) blank-field millimetre-wavelength ...(mm-wavelength) survey undertaken to date at a resolution of ≃18 arcsec and a depth of ≃1 mJy. We have used the deep optical to radio multiwavelength data in the SHADES Lockman Hole East and SXDF/UDS fields to obtain galaxy identifications for ≃64 per cent (≃80 per cent including tentative identifications) of the 148 AzTEC-SHADES 1.1 mm sources reported by Austermann et al., exploiting deep radio and 24 μm data complemented by methods based on 8 μm flux density and red optical-infrared (i − K) colour. This unusually high identification rate can be attributed to the relatively bright mm-wavelength flux density threshold, combined with the relatively deep supporting multifrequency data now available in these two well-studied fields. We have further exploited the optical-mid-infrared-radio data to derive an ≃60 per cent (≃75 per cent including tentative identifications) complete redshift distribution for the AzTEC-SHADES sources, yielding a median redshift of z ≃ 2.2, with a high-redshift tail extending to at least z ≃ 4. Despite the larger area probed by the AzTEC survey relative to the original SCUBA-SHADES imaging, the redshift distribution of the AzTEC sources is consistent with that displayed by the SCUBA sources, and reinforces tentative evidence that the redshift distribution of mm/submm sources in the Lockman Hole field is significantly different from that found in the SXDF/UDS field. Comparison with simulated surveys of similar scale extracted from semi-analytic models based on the Millennium simulation indicates that this is as expected if the mm/submm sources are massive (M > 1011 M⊙) star-forming galaxies tracing large-scale structures over scales of 10-20 Mpc. This confirms the importance of surveys covering several deg2 (as now underway with SCUBA2) to obtain representative samples of bright (sub)mm-selected galaxies. This work provides a foundation for the further exploitation of the Spitzer and Herschel data in the SHADES fields in the study of the stellar masses and specific star formation rates of the most active star-forming galaxies in cosmic history.
ABSTRACT
The origin of the Lyman α (Lyα) emission in galaxies is a long-standing issue: despite several processes known to originate this line (e.g. active galactic nucleus, star formation, cold ...accretion, shock heating), it is difficult to discriminate among these phenomena based on observations. Recent studies have suggested that the comparison of the ultraviolet (UV) and optical properties of these sources could solve the riddle. For this reason, we investigate the rest-frame UV and optical properties of Abell 2895b, a strongly lensed Lyα emitter at redshift z ∼ 3.7. From this study, we find that our target is a compact (rn ∼ 1.2 pkpc) star-forming (star formation rate ≃11 M⊙ yr−1) galaxy having a young stellar population. Interestingly, we measure a high ratio of the Hβ and the UV continuum monochromatic luminosities (L(Hβ)/L(UV) ≃ 100). Based on tracks of theoretical stellar models (starburst99 and bpass), we can only partially explain this result by assuming a recent (≲10 Myr), bursty episode of star formation and considering models characterized by binary stars, a top-heavy initial mass function and subsolar metallicities (Z ≲ 0.01 Z⊙). These assumptions also explain the observed low (C/O) abundance of our target (≃0.23(C/O)⊙). By comparing the UV and optical data sets, we find that the Lyα and UV continuum are more extended (×2) than the Balmer lines, and that the peak of the Lyα is offset (≃0.6 pkpc). The multiwavelength results of our analysis suggest that the observed Lyα emission originates from a recent star formation burst, likely taking place in an off-centre clump.
Dusty star-forming galaxies emit most of their light at far-infrared to millimeter wavelengths as their star formation is highly obscured. Far-infrared and millimeter observations have revealed their ...dust, neutral and molecular gas properties. The sensitivity of JWST at rest-frame optical and near-infrared wavelengths now allows the study of the stellar and ionized gas content. We investigate the spatially resolved distribution and kinematics of the ionized gas in GN20, a dusty star-forming galaxy at z = 4.0548. We present deep MIRI/MRS integral field spectroscopy of the near-infrared rest-frame emission of GN20. We detect spatially resolved Pa α , out to a radius of 6 kpc, distributed in a clumpy morphology. The star formation rate derived from Pa α (144 ± 9 M ⊙ yr −1 ) is only 7.7 ± 0.5% of the infrared star formation rate (1860 ± 90 M ⊙ yr −1 ). We attribute this to very high extinction ( A V = 17.2 ± 0.4 mag, or A V , mixed = 44 ± 3 mag), especially in the nucleus of GN20, where only faint Pa α is detected, suggesting a deeply buried starburst. We identify four, spatially unresolved, clumps in the Pa α emission. Based on the double peaked Pa α profile, we find that each clump consists of at least two sub-clumps. We find mass upper limits consistent with them being formed in a gravitationally unstable gaseous disk. The ultraviolet bright region of GN20 does not have any detected Pa α emission, suggesting an age of more than 10 Myr for this region of the galaxy. From the rotation profile of Pa α , we conclude that the gas kinematics are rotationally dominated and the v rot / σ m = 3.8 ± 1.4 is similar to low-redshift luminous infrared galaxies. From the Pa α kinematics, we cannot distinguish between a rotational profile of a large disk and a late stage merger mimicking a disk. We speculate that GN20 is in the late stage of a major merger, where the clumps in a large gas-rich disk are created by the major merger, while the central starburst is driven by the merger event.
Context. The form and evolution of the galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) at high redshifts provide crucial information on star formation history and mass assembly in the young Universe, close or ...even prior to the epoch of reionization. Aims. We used the unique combination of deep optical/near-infrared/mid-infrared imaging provided by HST, Spitzer, and the VLT in the CANDELS-UDS, GOODS-South, and HUDF fields to determine the GSMF over the redshift range 3.5 ≤ z ≤ 7.5. Methods. We used the HST WFC3/IR near-infrared imaging from CANDELS and HUDF09, reaching H ≃ 27 − 28.5 over a total area of 369 arcmin2, in combination with associated deep HST ACS optical data, deep Spitzer IRAC imaging from the SEDS programme, and deep Y and K-band VLT Hawk-I images from the HUGS programme, to select a galaxy sample with high-quality photometric redshifts. These have been calibrated with more than 150 spectroscopic redshifts in the range 3.5 ≤ z ≤ 7.5, resulting in an overall precision of σz/ (1 + z) ~ 0.037. With this database we have determined the low-mass end of the high-redshift GSMF with unprecedented precision, reaching down to masses as low as M∗ ~ 109 M⊙ at z = 4 and ~6 × 109 M⊙ at z = 7. Results. We find that the GSMF at 3.5 ≤ z ≤ 7.5 depends only slightly on the recipes adopted to measure the stellar masses, namely the photometric redshifts, the star formation histories, the nebular contribution, or the presence of AGN in the parent sample. The low-mass end of the GSMF is steeper than has been found at lower redshifts, but appears to be unchanged over the redshift range probed here. Meanwhile the high-mass end of the GSMF appears to evolve primarily in density, although there is also some evidence of evolution in characteristic mass. Our results are very different from previous mass function estimates based on converting UV galaxy luminosity functions into mass functions via tight mass-to-light relations. Integrating our evolving GSMF over mass, we find that the growth of stellar mass density is barely consistent with the time-integral of the star formation rate density over cosmic time at z> 4. Conclusions. These results confirm the unique synergy of the CANDELS+HUDF, HUGS, and SEDS surveys for the discovery and study of moderate/low-mass galaxies at high redshifts, and reaffirm the importance of space-based infrared selection for the unbiased measurement of the evolving GSMF in the young Universe.
This paper describes the observations and the first data release (DR1) of the ESO public spectroscopic survey “VANDELS, a deep VIMOS survey of the CANDELS CDFS and UDS fields”. The main targets of ...VANDELS are star-forming galaxies at redshift 2.4 < z < 5.5, an epoch when the Universe had not yet reached 20% of its current age, and massive passive galaxies in the range 1 < z < 2.5. By adopting a strategy of ultra-long exposure times, ranging from a minimum of 20 h to a maximum of 80 h per source, VANDELS is specifically designed to be the deepest-ever spectroscopic survey of the high-redshift Universe. Exploiting the red sensitivity of the refurbished VIMOS spectrograph, the survey is obtaining ultra-deep optical spectroscopy covering the wavelength range 4800–10 000 Å with a sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio to investigate the astrophysics of high-redshift galaxy evolution via detailed absorption line studies of well-defined samples of high-redshift galaxies. VANDELS-DR1 is the release of all medium-resolution spectroscopic data obtained during the first season of observations, on a 0.2 square degree area centered around the CANDELS-CDFS (Chandra deep-field south) and CANDELS-UDS (ultra-deep survey) areas. It includes data for all galaxies for which the total (or half of the total) scheduled integration time was completed. The DR1 contains 879 individual objects, approximately half in each of the two fields, that have a measured redshift, with the highest reliable redshifts reaching zspec ~ 6. In DR1 we include fully wavelength-calibrated and flux-calibrated 1D spectra, the associated error spectrum and sky spectrum, and the associated wavelength-calibrated 2D spectra. We also provide a catalog with the essential galaxy parameters, including spectroscopic redshifts and redshift quality flags measured by the collaboration. We present the survey layout and observations, the data reduction and redshift measurement procedure, and the general properties of the VANDELS-DR1 sample. In particular, we discuss the spectroscopic redshift distribution and the accuracy of the photometricredshifts for each individual target category, and we provide some examples of data products for the various target typesand the different quality flags. All VANDELS-DR1 data are publicly available and can be retrieved from the ESO archive. Two further data releases are foreseen in the next two years, and a final data release is currently scheduled for June 2020, which will include an improved rereduction of the entire spectroscopic data set.
We present photometric redshifts and spectral energy distribution (SED) classifications for a sample of 1542 optically identified sources detected with XMM in the COSMOS field. Our template fitting ...classifies 46 sources as stars and 464 as nonactive galaxies, while the remaining 1032 require templates with an active galactic nucleus (AGN) contribution. High accuracy in the derived photometric redshifts was accomplished as the result of (1) photometry in up to 30 bands with high-significance detections, (2) a new set of SED templates, including 18 hybrids covering the far-UV to mid-infrared, which have been constructed by the combination of AGNs and nonactive galaxies templates, and (3) multiepoch observations that have been used to correct for variability (most important for type 1 AGNs). The reliability of the photometric redshifts is evaluated using the subsample of 442 sources with measured spectroscopic redshifts. We achieved an accuracy of for i* AB < 22.5 ( for i* AB < 24.5). The high accuracies were accomplished for both type 2 (where the SED is often dominated by the host galaxy) and type 1 AGNs and QSOs out to z = 4.5. The number of outliers is a large improvement over previous photometric redshift estimates for X-ray-selected sources (4.0% and 4.8% outliers for i* AB < 22.5 and i* AB < 24.5, respectively). We show that the intermediate band photometry is vital to achieving accurate photometric redshifts for AGNs, whereas the broad SED coverage provided by mid-infrared (Spitzer/IRAC) bands is important to reduce the number of outliers for normal galaxies.
We report the discovery of a Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) galaxy group at z = 4.32 lensed by the massive galaxy cluster ACT-CL J0102-4915 (aka El Gordo) at z = 0.87, associated with a 1.2 ...mm source that is at a 2.07 0.88 kpc projected distance from one of the group galaxies. Three images of the whole system appear in the image plane. The 1.2 mm source has been detected within the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) Lensing Cluster Survey (ALCS). As this ALMA source is undetected at wavelengths λ < 2 m, its redshift cannot be independently determined, however, the three lensing components indicate that it belongs to the same galaxy group at z = 4.32. The four members of the MUSE galaxy group have low to intermediate stellar masses (∼107-1010 M ) and star formation rates (SFRs) of 0.4-24 M yr−1, resulting in high specific SFRs (sSFRs) for two of them, which suggest that these galaxies are growing fast (with stellar mass doubling times of only ∼2 × 107 yr). This high incidence of starburst galaxies is likely a consequence of interactions within the galaxy group, which is compact and has high velocity dispersion. Based on the magnification-corrected sub-/millimeter continuum flux density and estimated stellar mass, we infer that the ALMA source is classified as an ordinary ultra-luminous infrared galaxy (with associated dust-obscured SFR ∼ 200-300 M yr−1) and lies on the star formation main sequence. This reported case of an ALMA/MUSE group association suggests that some presumably isolated ALMA sources are in fact signposts of richer star-forming environments at high redshifts.
We present MIRI/JWST medium-resolution spectroscopy (MRS) and imaging (MIRIM) of the lensed galaxy MACS1149-JD1 at a redshift of z = 9.1092 ± 0.0002, when the Universe was about 530 Myr old. We ...detect, for the first time, spatially resolved H α emission in a galaxy at a redshift above nine. The structure of the H α emitting gas consists of two clumps, S and N, carrying about 60% and 40% of the total flux, respectively. The total H α luminosity implies an instantaneous star-formation rate in the range of 3.2 ± 0.3 and 5.3 ± 0.4 M ⊙ yr −1 for sub-solar and solar metallicities. The ionizing photon production efficiency, log( ζ ion ), shows a spatially resolved structure with values of 25.55 ± 0.03; 25.47 ± 0.03; and 25.91 ± 0.09 Hz erg −1 for the integrated galaxy and clumps S and N, respectively. The H α rest-frame equivalent width, EW 0 (H α ), is 726 −182 +660 Å for the integrated galaxy, but it presents extreme values of 531 −96 +300 Å and ≥1951 Å for clumps S and N, respectively. The spatially resolved ionizing photon production efficiency is within the range of values measured in galaxies at a redshift above six and well above the canonical value (25.2 ± 0.1 Hz erg −1 ). The EW 0 (H α ) is a factor of two lower than the predicted value at z = 9.11 based on the extrapolation of the evolution of the EW 0 (H α ) with redshifts, ∝(1 + z ) 2.1 , including galaxies detected with JWST. The extreme difference of the EW 0 (H α ) for clumps S and N indicates the presence of a recent (< 5 Myr) stellar burst in clump N and a star formation over a larger period of time (e.g., ∼50 Myr) in clump S. The different ages of the stellar population place MACS1149-JD1 and clumps N and S at different locations in the log( ζ ion ) to EW 0 (H α ) plane and above the main relation defined from intermediate- and high-redshift ( z = 3 − 7) galaxies detected with JWST. Finally, clump S and N show very different H α kinematics, with velocity dispersions of 56 ± 4 km s −1 and 113 ± 33 km s −1 , likely indicating the presence of outflows or increased turbulence in clump N. The dynamical mass M dyn = (2.4 ± 0.5) × 10 9 M ⊙ , obtained from the size of the integrated H α ionized nebulae and its velocity dispersion, is within the range previously measured with the spatially resolved OIII88 μm line.
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