Engineering topics

Blitz, Leo

Publications and source records attributed to Blitz, Leo.

13 records

DOE OSTI2017

The EDGE–CALIFA Survey: Variations in the Molecular Gas Depletion Time in Local Galaxies

We present results from the EDGE survey, a spatially resolved CO(1−0) follow-up to CALIFA, an optical Integral Field Unit survey of local galaxies. By combining the data products of EDGE and CALIFA, we study the variation in molecular gas depletion time (τ {sub dep}) on kiloparsec scales in 52 galaxies. We divide each galaxy into two parts: the center, defined as the region within 0.1 R{sub 25}, and the disk, defined as the region between 0.1 and 0.7 R{sub 25}. We find that 14 galaxies show a shorter τ {sub dep} (∼1 Gyr) in the center relative to that in the disk (τ {sub dep} ∼ 2.4 Gyr), which means the central region in those galaxies is more efficient at forming stars per unit molecular gas mass. This finding implies that the centers with shorter τ {sub dep} resemble the intermediate regime between galactic disks and starburst galaxies. Furthermore, the central drop in τ {sub dep} is correlated with a central increase in the stellar surface density, suggesting that a shorter τ {sub dep} is associated with molecular gas compression by the stellar gravitational potential. We argue that varying the CO-to-H{sub 2} conversion factor only exaggerates the central drop of τ {sub dep}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

CARMA Survey toward Infrared-bright Nearby Galaxies (STING). IV. Spatially Resolved {sup 13}CO in Spiral Galaxies

We present a {sup 13}CO(J=1→0) mapping survey of 12 nearby galaxies from the CARMA STING sample. The line intensity ratio R≡I[{sup 12}CO(J=1→0)]/I[{sup 13}CO(J=1→0)] is derived to study the variations in molecular gas properties. For 11 galaxies where it can be measured with high significance, the spatially resolved R on (sub)kiloparsec scales varies by up to a factor of 3–5 within a galaxy. Lower R values are usually found in regions with weaker {sup 12}CO. We attribute this apparent trend to a bias against measuring large R values when {sup 12}CO is weak. Limiting our analysis to the {sup 12}CO-bright regions that are less biased, we do not find that R on (sub)kiloparsec scales correlate with galactocentric distance, velocity dispersion, or the star formation rate. The lack of correlation between star formation rate and R indicates that the CO optical depth is not sensitive to stellar energy input, or that any such sensitivity is easily masked by other factors. Extending the analysis to all regions with {sup 12}CO emission by spectral stacking, we find that 5 out of 11 galaxies show higher stacked R for galactocentric radii of ≳1 kpc and Σ{sub SFR}≲0.1 M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} kpc{sup −2}, which could result from a greater contribution from diffuse gas. Moreover, significant galaxy-to-galaxy variations are found in R, but the global R does not strongly depend on dust temperature, inclination, or metallicity of the galaxy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

The EDGE-CALIFA Survey: Interferometric Observations of 126 Galaxies with CARMA

We present interferometric CO observations, made with the Combined Array for Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) interferometer, of galaxies from the Extragalactic Database for Galaxy Evolution survey (EDGE). These galaxies are selected from the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) sample, mapped with optical integral field spectroscopy. EDGE provides good-quality CO data (3σ sensitivity Σ{sub mol}∼11 M{sub ⊙} pc{sup −2} before inclination correction, resolution ∼1.4 kpc) for 126 galaxies, constituting the largest interferometric CO survey of galaxies in the nearby universe. We describe the survey and data characteristics and products, then present initial science results. We find that the exponential scale lengths of the molecular, stellar, and star-forming disks are approximately equal, and galaxies that are more compact in molecular gas than in stars tend to show signs of interaction. We characterize the molecular-to-stellar ratio as a function of Hubble type and stellar mass and present preliminary results on the resolved relations between the molecular gas, stars, and star-formation rate. We then discuss the dependence of the resolved molecular depletion time on stellar surface density, nebular extinction, and gas metallicity. EDGE provides a key data set to address outstanding topics regarding gas and its role in star formation and galaxy evolution, which will be publicly available on completion of the quality assessment.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Discovery of a Group of Receding, Variable Halo Stars toward Norma

We present results from spectroscopic observations of a trio of Cepheid candidates identified from K {sub s} -band light curves toward Norma. The spectra show that these stars are moving with a large and similar radial velocity—the heliocentric velocities are 171 ± 32 km s{sup −1}, 164 ± 37 km s{sup −1}, and 173 ± 20 km s{sup −1}. The average radial velocity is ∼169 km s{sup −1}, which is large and distinct from typical stars in the Galaxy’s stellar disk. Given the radial velocities and associated 1 σ error, we find that the combined probability that these three stars are foreground Milky Way disk stars is ∼7 × 10{sup −4}%, and the probability that these are large-amplitude spotted stars in a binary is ∼10{sup −5}%. These objects at l ∼ 333° and b ∼ −1° are therefore associated with the stellar halo. The identification of these sources as Type I Cepheids is not certain, and thus the distances of these sources are not yet well established. Assuming the 3.6 μ m period–luminosity relation of Type I Cepheids gives a distance of ∼78 kpc for these sources.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

High-resolution Velocity Fields of Low-mass Disk Galaxies. I. CO Observations

This paper is the first in a series whose aim is to examine the relative distributions of dark and baryonic matter as a function of star formation history in a representative sample of low-mass disk galaxies. In this paper, we present high-resolution {sup 12}CO(J=1→0) interferometry for a sample of 26 nearby dwarf galaxies that were obtained from the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA). Among these 26 galaxies, 14 have good CO detections, including 6 galaxies previously detected in single-dish CO measurements and 8 newly detected ones. We find a linear correlation between the CO flux and the mid- and far-IR flux from the WISE and IRAS catalogs. Compared to the far-IR flux, the mid-IR flux may be a better indication of whether a galaxy contains sufficient CO for detection at the level of instrument sensitivity of CARMA. This correlation might prove to be useful in future studies to help choosing other CO targets for observation. The median molecular mass (including helium) of our galaxies is 2.8×10{sup 8} M{sub ⊙}, which is consistent with past observations for dwarf galaxies. The molecular content is weakly correlated with the dynamical mass, r-band luminosity and size of the galaxies. The median ratios of molecular mass versus dynamical mass and molecular mass versus r-band luminosity are M{sub mol}/M{sub dyn}≈0.035 and M{sub mol}/L{sub r}≈0.078 M{sub ⊙}/L{sub r,⊙}, respectively, which are also consistent with past observations for dwarf galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

GIANT MOLECULAR CLOUDS IN THE EARLY-TYPE GALAXY NGC 4526

We present a high spatial resolution (≈20 pc) of {sup 12}CO(2 −1) observations of the lenticular galaxy NGC 4526. We identify 103 resolved giant molecular clouds (GMCs) and measure their properties: size R, velocity dispersion σ{sub v}, and luminosity L. This is the first GMC catalog of an early-type galaxy. We find that the GMC population in NGC 4526 is gravitationally bound, with a virial parameter α ∼ 1. The mass distribution, dN/dM ∝ M{sup −2.39±0.03}, is steeper than that for GMCs in the inner Milky Way, but comparable to that found in some late-type galaxies. We find no size–line width correlation for the NGC 4526 clouds, in contradiction to the expectation from Larson’s relation. In general, the GMCs in NGC 4526 are more luminous, denser, and have a higher velocity dispersion than equal-size GMCs in the Milky Way and other galaxies in the Local Group. These may be due to higher interstellar radiation field than in the Milky Way disk and weaker external pressure than in the Galactic center. In addition, a kinematic measurement of cloud rotation shows that the rotation is driven by the galactic shear. For the vast majority of the clouds, the rotational energy is less than the turbulent and gravitational energy, while the four innermost clouds are unbound and will likely be torn apart by the strong shear at the galactic center. We combine our data with the archival data of other galaxies to show that the surface density Σ of GMCs is not approximately constant, as previously believed, but varies by ∼3 orders of magnitude. We also show that the size and velocity dispersion of the GMC population across galaxies are related to the surface density, as expected from the gravitational and pressure equilibrium, i.e., σ{sub v} R{sup −1/2} ∝ Σ{sup 1/2}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

CLUSTERED CEPHEID VARIABLES 90 KILOPARSECS FROM THE GALACTIC CENTER

Distant regions close to the plane of our Galaxy are largely unexplored by optical surveys as they are hidden by dust. We have used near-infrared data (which minimizes dust obscuration) from the ESO Public survey VISTA Variables of the Via Lactea to search for distant stars at low latitudes. We have discovered four Cepheid variables within an angular extent of 1° centered at a Galactic longitude of l = −27.°4 and a Galactic latitude of b = −1.°08. We use the tightly constrained period–luminosity relationship that these pulsating stars obey to derive distances. We infer an average distance to these Cepheid variables of 90 kpc. The Cepheid variables are highly clustered in angle (within 1°) and in distance (the standard deviation of the distances is 12 kpc). These young (∼100 Myr old), pulsating stars are unexpected at such large distances from the Galactic disk, which terminates at ∼15 kpc. The highly clustered nature in distance and angle of the Cepheid variables suggests that the stars may be associated with a dwarf galaxy; its location and mass were earlier predicted by a dynamical analysis. The Cepheids are at an average distance of ∼2 kpc from the plane and their maximum projected separation is ∼1 kpc.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2014

CONNECTION BETWEEN DYNAMICALLY DERIVED INITIAL MASS FUNCTION NORMALIZATION AND STELLAR POPULATION PARAMETERS

We report on empirical trends between the dynamically determined stellar initial mass function (IMF) and stellar population properties for a complete, volume-limited sample of 260 early-type galaxies from the ATLAS{sup 3D} project. We study trends between our dynamically derived IMF normalization α{sub dyn} ≡ (M/L){sub stars}/(M/L){sub Salp} and absorption line strengths, and interpret these via single stellar population-equivalent ages, abundance ratios (measured as [α/Fe]), and total metallicity, [Z/H]. We find that old and alpha-enhanced galaxies tend to have on average heavier (Salpeter-like) mass normalization of the IMF, but stellar population does not appear to be a good predictor of the IMF, with a large range of α{sub dyn} at a given population parameter. As a result, we find weak α{sub dyn}-[α/Fe] and α{sub dyn} –Age correlations and no significant α{sub dyn} –[Z/H] correlation. The observed trends appear significantly weaker than those reported in studies that measure the IMF normalization via the low-mass star demographics inferred through stellar spectral analysis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1994

Determining structure in molecular clouds

We descibe an automatic, objective routine for analyzing the clumpy structure in a spectral line position-position-velocity data cube. The algorithm works by first contouring the data at a multiple of the rms noise of the observations, then searches for peaks of emission which locate the clumps, and then follows them down to lower intensities. No a proiri clump profile is assumed. By creating simulated data, we test the performance of the algorithm and show that a contour map most accurately depicts internal structure at a contouring interval equal to twice the rms noise of the map. Blending of clump emission leads to small errors in mass and size determinations and in severe cases can result in a number of clumps being misidentified as a single unit, flattening the measured clump mass spectrum. The algorithm is applied to two real data sets as an example of its use. The Rosette molecular cloud is a 'typical' star-forming cloud, but in the Maddalena molecular cloud high-mass star formation is completely absent. Comparison of the two clump lists generated by the algorithm show that on a one-to-one basis the clumps in the star-forming cloud have higher peak temperatures, higher average densities, and are more gravitationally bound than in the non-star-forming cloud. Collective properties of the clumps, such as temperature-size-line-width-mass relations appear very similar, however. Contrary to the initial results reported in a previous paper (Williams & Blitz 1993), we find that the current, more thoroughly tes ted analysis finds no significant difference in the clump mass spectrum of the two clouds.

Williams, Jonathan P.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Extreme gas pressures in the Galactic bulge

It is proposed that the characteristics of molecular gas in the innermost region of the Galactic Center reflect the existence of high gas pressure - about 5 x 10 exp 6 k/cu cm, or two and half order of magnitude higher than that in the solar neighorhood - in the inner 500 pc of the Galaxy. This high pressure can be inferred from the presence of hot X-ray-emitting gas, which is also known to be present in the bulges of many other galaxies. The molecular gas in these bulges should thus resemble that in the center of the Galaxy.

Spergel, David N.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Molecular clouds without detectable CO

The clouds identified by Desert, Bazell, and Boulanger (DBB clouds) in their search for high-latitude molecular clouds were observed in the CO (J = 1-0) line, but only 13 percent of the sample was detected. The remaining 87 percent are diffuse molecular clouds with CO abundances of about 10 to the -6th, a typical value for diffuse clouds. This hypothesis is shown to be consistent with Copernicus data. The DBB clouds are shown to ben an essentially complete catalog of diffuse molecular clouds in the solar vicinity. The total molecular surface density in the vicinity of the sun is then only about 20 percent greater than the 1.3 solar masses/sq pc determined by Dame et al. (1987). Analysis of the CO detections indicates that there is a sharp threshold in extinction of 0.25 mag before CO is detectable and is derived from the IRAS I(100) micron threshold of 4 MJy/sr. This threshold is presumably where the CO abundance exhibits a sharp increase

Blitz, Leo↗

NASA NTRS1988

Broad-wing molecular lines without internal energy sources

The discovery of broad CO wings in four high-latitude molecular clouds which do not have associated internal energy sources is reported. The velocity width of the wings is as much as five times greater than the width of the cloud cores. Neither visible stars brighter than the background population, optical nebulosity, nor IRAS point sources are found at the position of the wings, except for one case with an IRAS source 3 arcmin from the peak position of the wings. The possibility that the wings are the result of conductive interfaces resulting from cold molecular clouds in a hotter ambient medium is examined, and it is concluded that the expected column density of such gas is more than three orders of magnitude smaller than that observed.

Blitz, Leo↗

NASA NTRS1987

The local interstellar medium

The structure of the local interstellar medium is reviewed with emphasis on the new observations of the cold neutral component. The properties of the high latitude molecular clouds are discussed as well as their relationship to the 'infrared cirrus' and atomic gas. The molecular clouds are shown to lie preferentially along the loops and filaments of local H I gas, but a detailed examination shows the CO and H I peaks are offset from one another. An expansion velocity of 7 km/s is derived for one of the shells, suggesting an expansion energy of about 8 x 10 to the 47th ergs, which is somewhat smaller than that expected for a supernova explosion. If the pressure in the clumps of the high latitude clouds is in equilibrium with the surrounding gas, the pressure in the shells is 10,000-100,000/cu cm K, an order of magnitude higher than what is generally argued to exist in the interstellar medium.

Blitz, Leo↗