scholarly journals Centrally concentrated molecular gas driving galactic-scale ionized gas outflows in star-forming galaxies

2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (3) ◽  
pp. 3802-3820
Author(s):  
L M Hogarth ◽  
A Saintonge ◽  
L Cortese ◽  
T A Davis ◽  
S M Croom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Control Sample ◽  
Joint Analysis ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Ionized Gas ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Star Forming

ABSTRACT We perform a joint analysis of high spatial resolution molecular gas and star-formation rate (SFR) maps in main-sequence star-forming galaxies experiencing galactic-scale outflows of ionized gas. Our aim is to understand the mechanism that determines which galaxies are able to launch these intense winds. We observed CO(1→0) at 1-arcsec resolution with ALMA in 16 edge-on galaxies, which also have 2-arcsec spatial-resolution optical integral field observations from the SAMI Galaxy Survey. Half the galaxies in the sample were previously identified as harbouring intense and large-scale outflows of ionized gas (‘outflow types’) and the rest serve as control galaxies. The data set is complemented by integrated CO(1→0) observations from the IRAM 30-m telescope to probe the total molecular gas reservoirs. We find that the galaxies powering outflows do not possess significantly different global gas fractions or star-formation efficiencies when compared with a control sample. However, the ALMA maps reveal that the molecular gas in the outflow-type galaxies is distributed more centrally than in the control galaxies. For our outflow-type objects, molecular gas and star-formation are largely confined within their inner effective radius (reff), whereas in the control sample, the distribution is more diffuse, extending far beyond reff. We infer that outflows in normal star-forming galaxies may be caused by dynamical mechanisms that drive molecular gas into their central regions, which can result in locally enhanced gas surface density and star-formation.

scholarly journals Simulations of the star-forming molecular gas in an interacting M51-like galaxy

2020 ◽  
Vol 492 (2) ◽  
pp. 2973-2995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin G Tress ◽  
Rowan J Smith ◽  
Mattia C Sormani ◽  
Simon C O Glover ◽  
Ralf S Klessen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Secondary Importance ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Cold Star ◽  
Self Gravity

ABSTRACT We present here the first of a series of papers aimed at better understanding the evolution and properties of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in a galactic context. We perform high-resolution, three-dimensional arepo simulations of an interacting galaxy inspired by the well-observed M51 galaxy. Our fiducial simulations include a non-equilibrium, time-dependent, chemical network that follows the evolution of atomic and molecular hydrogen as well as carbon and oxygen self-consistently. Our calculations also treat gas self-gravity and subsequent star formation (described by sink particles), and coupled supernova feedback. In the densest parts of the simulated interstellar medium (ISM), we reach sub-parsec resolution, granting us the ability to resolve individual GMCs and their formation and destruction self-consistently throughout the galaxy. In this initial work, we focus on the general properties of the ISM with a particular focus on the cold star-forming gas. We discuss the role of the interaction with the companion galaxy in generating cold molecular gas and controlling stellar birth. We find that while the interaction drives large-scale gas flows and induces spiral arms in the galaxy, it is of secondary importance in determining gas fractions in the different ISM phases and the overall star formation rate. The behaviour of the gas on small GMC scales instead is mostly controlled by the self-regulating property of the ISM driven by coupled feedback.

scholarly journals The EDGE-CALIFA survey: exploring the role of molecular gas on galaxy star formation quenching

2020 ◽  
Vol 644 ◽  
pp. A97
Author(s):  
D. Colombo ◽  
S. F. Sanchez ◽  
A. D. Bolatto ◽  
V. Kalinova ◽  
A. Weiß ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Average Value ◽  
First Results ◽  
Gas Consumption ◽  
Formation Efficiency

Understanding how galaxies cease to form stars represents an outstanding challenge for galaxy evolution theories. This process of “star formation quenching” has been related to various causes, including active galactic nuclei activity, the influence of large-scale dynamics, and the environment in which galaxies live. In this paper, we present the first results from a follow-up of CALIFA survey galaxies with observations of molecular gas obtained with the APEX telescope. Together with the EDGE-CARMA observations, we collected 12CO observations that cover approximately one effective radius in 472 CALIFA galaxies. We observe that the deficit of galaxy star formation with respect to the star formation main sequence (SFMS) increases with the absence of molecular gas and with a reduced efficiency of conversion of molecular gas into stars, which is in line with the results of other integrated studies. However, by dividing the sample into galaxies dominated by star formation and galaxies quenched in their centres (as indicated by the average value of the Hα equivalent width), we find that this deficit increases sharply once a certain level of gas consumption is reached, indicating that different mechanisms drive separation from the SFMS in star-forming and quenched galaxies. Our results indicate that differences in the amount of molecular gas at a fixed stellar mass are the primary drivers for the dispersion in the SFMS, and the most likely explanation for the start of star formation quenching. However, once a galaxy is quenched, changes in star formation efficiency drive how much a retired galaxy differs in its star formation rate from star-forming ones of similar masses. In other words, once a paucity of molecular gas has significantly reduced star formation, changes in the star formation efficiency are what drives a galaxy deeper into the red cloud, hence retiring it.

scholarly journals Quenching by gas compression and consumption

2019 ◽  
Vol 624 ◽  
pp. A81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison W. S. Man ◽  
Matthew D. Lehnert ◽  
Joël D. R. Vernet ◽  
Carlos De Breuck ◽  
Theresa Falkendal
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Relative Strength ◽  
Star Formation History ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Massive Galaxies ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Gas Compression ◽  
Formation History

The objective of this work is to study how active galactic nuclei (AGN) influence star formation in host galaxies. We present a detailed investigation of the star-formation history and conditions of a z = 2.57 massive radio galaxy based on VLT/X-shooter and ALMA observations. The deep rest-frame ultraviolet spectrum contains photospheric absorption lines and wind features indicating the presence of OB-type stars. The most significantly detected photospheric features are used to characterize the recent star formation: neither instantaneous nor continuous star-formation history is consistent with the relative strength of the Si IIλ1485 and S Vλ1502 absorption. Rather, at least two bursts of star formation took place in the recent past, at 6+1-2 Myr and ≳20 Myr ago, respectively. We deduce a molecular H2 gas mass of (3.9 ± 1.0) × 1010 M⊙ based on ALMA observations of the [C I] 3P2−3P1 emission. The molecular gas mass is only 13% of its stellar mass. Combined with its high star-formation rate of (1020-170+190 M⊙ yr-1, this implies a high star-formation efficiency of (26 ± 8) Gyr−1 and a short depletion time of (38 ± 12) Myr. We attribute the efficient star formation to compressive gas motions in order to explain the modest velocity dispersions (⩽55 km s−1) of the photospheric lines and of the star-forming gas traced by [C I]. Because of the likely very young age of the radio source, our findings suggest that vigorous star formation consumes much of the gas and works in concert with the AGN to remove any residual molecular gas, and eventually quenching star formation in massive galaxies.

scholarly journals Survival of molecular gas in a stellar feedback-driven outflow witnessed with the MUSE TIMER project and ALMA

2019 ◽  
Vol 488 (3) ◽  
pp. 3904-3928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Leaman ◽  
Francesca Fragkoudi ◽  
Miguel Querejeta ◽  
Gigi Y C Leung ◽  
Dimitri A Gadotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Ionized Gas ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Stellar Feedback ◽  
Dominant Component ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Field Lines

ABSTRACT Stellar feedback plays a significant role in modulating star formation, redistributing metals, and shaping the baryonic and dark structure of galaxies – however, the efficiency of its energy deposition to the interstellar medium is challenging to constrain observationally. Here we leverage HST and ALMA imaging of a molecular gas and dust shell ($M_{\mathrm{ H}_2} \sim 2\times 10^{5}\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$) in an outflow from the nuclear star-forming ring of the galaxy NGC 3351, to serve as a boundary condition for a dynamical and energetic analysis of the outflowing ionized gas seen in our MUSE TIMER survey. We use starburst99 models and prescriptions for feedback from simulations to demonstrate that the observed star formation energetics can reproduce the ionized and molecular gas dynamics – provided a dominant component of the momentum injection comes from direct photon pressure from young stars, on top of supernovae, photoionization heating, and stellar winds. The mechanical energy budget from these sources is comparable to low luminosity active galactic neuclei, suggesting that stellar feedback can be a relevant driver of bulk gas motions in galaxy centres – although here ≲10−3 of the ionized gas mass is escaping the galaxy. We test several scenarios for the survival/formation of the cold gas in the outflow, including in situ condensation and cooling. Interestingly, the geometry of the molecular gas shell, observed magnetic field strengths and emission line diagnostics are consistent with a scenario where magnetic field lines aided survival of the dusty ISM as it was initially launched (with mass-loading factor ≲1) from the ring by stellar feedback. This system’s unique feedback-driven morphology can hopefully serve as a useful litmus test for feedback prescriptions in magnetohydrodynamical galaxy simulations.

Kinematic asymmetry of galaxy pairs

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (S353) ◽  
pp. 262-263
Author(s):  
Shuai Feng ◽  
Shi-Yin Shen ◽  
Fang-Ting Yuan
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Velocity Field ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Control Sample ◽  
Interacting Galaxies ◽  
Ionized Gas ◽  
Galaxy Interaction ◽  
The Galaxy

AbstractThe interaction between galaxies is believed to be the main origin of the peculiarities of galaxies. It can disturb not only the morphology but also the kinematics of galaxies. These disturbed and asymmetric features are the indicators of galaxy interaction. We study the velocity field of ionized gas in galaxy pairs based on MaNGA survey. Using the kinemetry package, we fit the velocity field and quantify the degree of kinematic asymmetry. We find that the fraction of high kinematic asymmetry is much higher for galaxy pairs with dp⩽30h−1kpc. Moreover, compared to a control sample of single galaxies, we find that the star formation rate is enhanced in paired galaxies with high kinematic asymmetry. For paired galaxies with low kinematic asymmetry, no significant SFR enhancement has been found. The galaxy pairs with high kinematic asymmetry are more likely to be real interacting galaxies rather than projected pairs.

scholarly journals Spatially resolved signature of quenching in star-forming galaxies

2019 ◽  
Vol 490 (2) ◽  
pp. 2347-2366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvatore Quai ◽  
Lucia Pozzetti ◽  
Michele Moresco ◽  
Annalisa Citro ◽  
Andrea Cimatti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Gas Phase ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Radial Profile ◽  
Control Sample ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Radial Profiles ◽  
Two Samples

ABSTRACT Understanding when, how, and where star formation ceased (quenching) within galaxies is still a critical subject in galaxy evolution studies. Taking advantage of the new methodology developed by Quai et al. to select recently quenched galaxies, we explored the spatial information provided by the IFU data to get critical insights on this process. In particular, we analyse 10 SDSS-IV MaNGA galaxies that show regions with low [O iii]/H α compatible with a recent quenching of the star formation. We compare the properties of these 10 galaxies with those of a control sample of 8 MaNGA galaxies with ongoing star formation in the same stellar mass, redshift, and gas-phase metallicity range. The quenching regions found are located between 0.5 and 1.1 effective radii from the centre. This result is supported by the analysis of the average radial profile of the ionization parameter, which reaches a minimum at the same radii, while the one of the star-forming sample shows an almost flat trend. These quenching regions occupy a total area between ∼ 15 and 45 per cent of our galaxies. Moreover, the average radial profile of the star formation rate surface density of our sample is lower and flatter than that of the control sample, at any radii, suggesting a systematic suppression of the star formation in the inner part of our galaxies. Finally, the radial profiles of gas-phase metallicity of the two samples have a similar slope and normalization. Our results cannot be ascribed to a difference in the intrinsic properties of the analysed galaxies, suggesting a quenching scenario more complicated than a simple inside-out quenching.

scholarly journals Towards sub-kpc scale kinematics of molecular and ionized gas of star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1

2019 ◽  
Vol 631 ◽  
pp. A91 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Girard ◽  
M. Dessauges-Zavadsky ◽  
F. Combes ◽  
J. Chisholm ◽  
V. Patrício ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Rotation Curve ◽  
Velocity Dispersion ◽  
Major Axis ◽  
Stellar Disk ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Ionized Gas ◽  
Rotation Curves ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Gas Kinematics

We compare the molecular and ionized gas kinematics of two strongly lensed galaxies at z ∼ 1 that lie on the main sequence at this redshift. The observations were made with ALMA and MUSE, respectively. We derive the CO and [O II] rotation curves and dispersion profiles of these two galaxies. We find a difference between the observed molecular and ionized gas rotation curves for one of the two galaxies, the Cosmic Snake, for which we obtain a spatial resolution of a few hundred parsec along the major axis. The rotation curve of the molecular gas is steeper than the rotation curve of the ionized gas. In the second galaxy, A521, the molecular and ionized gas rotation curves are consistent, but the spatial resolution is only a few kiloparsec on the major axis. Using simulations, we investigate the effect of the thickness of the gas disk and effective radius on the observed rotation curves and find that a more extended and thicker disk smoothens the curve. We also find that the presence of a strongly inclined (> 70°) thick disk (> 1 kpc) can smoothen the rotation curve because it degrades the spatial resolution along the line of sight. By building a model using a stellar disk and two gas disks, we reproduce the rotation curves of the Cosmic Snake with a molecular gas disk that is more massive and more radially and vertically concentrated than the ionized gas disk. Finally, we also obtain an intrinsic velocity dispersion in the Cosmic Snake of 18.5 ± 7 km s−1 and 19.5 ± 6 km s−1 for the molecular and ionized gas, respectively, which is consistent with a molecular disk with a smaller and thinner disk. For A521, the intrinsic velocity dispersion values are 11 ± 8 km s−1 and 54 ± 11 km s−1, with a higher value for the ionized gas. This could indicate that the ionized gas disk is thicker and more turbulent in this galaxy. These results highlight the diversity of the kinematics of galaxies at z ∼ 1 and the different spatial distribution of the molecular and ionized gas disks. It suggests the presence of thick ionized gas disks at this epoch and that the formation of the molecular gas is limited to the midplane and center of the galaxy in some objects.

scholarly journals PHIBSS2: survey design and z = 0.5 – 0.8 results

2019 ◽  
Vol 622 ◽  
pp. A105 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Freundlich ◽  
F. Combes ◽  
L. J. Tacconi ◽  
R. Genzel ◽  
S. Garcia-Burillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Sample Selection ◽  
Stellar Mass ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Gas Measurements ◽  
Deep Fields

Following the success of the Plateau de Bure high-z Blue Sequence Survey (PHIBSS), we present the PHIBSS2 legacy program, a survey of the molecular gas properties of star-forming galaxies on and around the star-formation main sequence (MS) at different redshifts using IRAM’s NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA). This survey significantly extends the existing sample of star-forming galaxies with CO molecular gas measurements, probing the peak epoch of star formation (z = 1 − 1.6) as well as its building-up (z = 2 − 3) and winding-down (z = 0.5 − 0.8) phases. The targets are drawn from the well-studied GOODS, COSMOS, and AEGIS cosmological deep fields and uniformly sample the MS in the stellar mass (M⋆) – star formation rate (SFR) plane with log(M⋆/M⊙) = 10 − 11.8 and SFR = 3.5 − 500 M⊙ yr−1 without morphological selection, thus providing a statistically meaningful census of star-forming galaxies at different epochs. We describe the survey strategy and sample selection before focusing on the results obtained at redshift z = 0.5 − 0.8, where we report 60 CO(2-1) detections out of 61 targets. We determine molecular gas masses between 2 × 109 and 5 × 1010 M⊙ and separately obtain disc sizes and bulge-to-total (B/T) luminosity ratios from HST I-band images. The median molecular gas-to-stellar mass ratio μgas∼ = 0.28 ± 0.04, gas fraction fgas∼ = 0.22 ± 0.02, and depletion time $ \widetilde{t_{\mathrm{depl}}} = 0.84 \pm 0.07\,\mathrm{Gyr} $ as well as their dependence with stellar mass and offset from the MS follow published scaling relations for a much larger sample of galaxies spanning a significantly wider range of redshifts, the cosmic evolution of the SFR being mainly driven by that of the molecular gas fraction. The galaxy-averaged molecular Kennicutt–Schmidt (KS) relation between molecular gas and SFR surface densities is strikingly linear, pointing towards similar star formation timescales within galaxies at any given epoch. In terms of morphology, the molecular gas content, the SFR, the disc stellar mass, and the disc molecular gas fraction do not seem to correlate with B/T and the stellar surface density, which suggests an ongoing supply of fresh molecular gas to compensate for the build-up of the bulge. Our measurements do not yield any significant variation of the depletion time with B/T and hence no strong evidence for morphological quenching within the scatter of the MS.

scholarly journals The first 62 AGN observed with SDSS-IV MaNGA – IV. Gas excitation and star formation rate distributions

2019 ◽  
Vol 486 (4) ◽  
pp. 5075-5093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janaína C do Nascimento ◽  
Thaisa Storchi-Bergmann ◽  
Nícolas D Mallmann ◽  
Rogério Riffel ◽  
Gabriele S Ilha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Mass Density ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Control Sample ◽  
The Body ◽  
Ionized Gas ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Line Region ◽  
The Galaxy

Abstract We present maps of the ionized gas flux distributions, excitation, star formation rate (SFR), surface mass density ΣH+, and obtain total values of SFR and ionized gas masses M for 62 active galactic nuclei (AGN) observed with SDSS-IV MaNGA and compare them with those of a control sample of 112 non-active galaxies. The most luminous AGN – with $L(\rm {[O\,{\small III}]}\lambda 5007) \ge 3.8\times 10^{40}\, \mbox{erg}\, \mbox{s}^{-1}$, and those hosted by earlier type galaxies are dominated by Seyfert excitation within 0.2 effective radius Re from the nucleus, surrounded by LINER excitation or transition regions, while the less luminous and hosted by later-type galaxies show equally frequent LINER and Seyfert excitation within $0.2\, R_\mathrm{ e}$. The extent R of the region ionized by the AGN follows the relation $R\propto \, L(\rm {[O\,{\small III}]})^{0.5}$ – as in the case of the broad-line region. The SFR distribution over the region ionized by hot stars is similar for AGN and controls, while the integrated SFR – in the range 10−3–10 M⊙ yr−1 is also similar for the late-type subsample, but higher in the AGN for 75 per cent of the early-type subsample. We thus conclude that there is no signature of AGN quenching star formation in the body of the galaxy in our sample. We also find that 66 per cent of the AGN have higher ionized gas masses M than the controls – in the range 105–3 × 107 M⊙ – while 75 per cent of the AGN have higher ΣH+ within $0.2\, R_\mathrm{ e}$ than the control galaxies.

SDSS-IV MaNGA: Testing the Metallicity Distribution across the Merging Sequence

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (A30) ◽  
pp. 263-264
Author(s):  
Jorge K. Barrera-Ballesteros ◽  
Li-hwai Lin ◽  
Bu-Ching Hsieh ◽  
Hsi-An Pan ◽  
Sebastian Sánchez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Robust Control ◽  
Radial Distribution ◽  
Metal Content ◽  
Control Sample ◽  
Ionized Gas ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Metallicity Distribution

AbstractInteractions and mergers have been known as key scenarios to enhance global star formation rates and to lower the metal content of galaxies. However, little is known on how interactions affect the spatial distribution of gas metallicities. Thanks to the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey we are able to statistically constrain the impact of interactions across the optical distributions of galaxies. In this study, we compare the radial distribution of the ionized gas metallicity from a sample of 329 interacting objects – covering different interaction stages – with a statistical robust control sample. Our results suggest that galaxies close to coalesce tend to have flat, lower metallicities than non-interacting star-forming galaxies.

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