Engineering topics

Calzetti, D

Publications and source records attributed to Calzetti, D.

10 records

DOE OSTI2012

STAR FORMATION LAWS: THE EFFECTS OF GAS CLOUD SAMPLING

Recent observational results indicate that the functional shape of the spatially resolved star formation-molecular gas density relation depends on the spatial scale considered. These results may indicate a fundamental role of sampling effects on scales that are typically only a few times larger than those of the largest molecular clouds. To investigate the impact of this effect, we construct simple models for the distribution of molecular clouds in a typical star-forming spiral galaxy and, assuming a power-law relation between star formation rate (SFR) and cloud mass, explore a range of input parameters. We confirm that the slope and the scatter of the simulated SFR-molecular gas surface density relation depend on the size of the sub-galactic region considered, due to stochastic sampling of the molecular cloud mass function, and the effect is larger for steeper relations between SFR and molecular gas. There is a general trend for all slope values to tend to {approx}unity for region sizes larger than 1-2 kpc, irrespective of the input SFR-cloud relation. The region size of 1-2 kpc corresponds to the area where the cloud mass function becomes fully sampled. We quantify the effects of selection biases in data tracing the SFR, either as thresholds (i.e., clouds smaller than a given mass value do not form stars) or as backgrounds (e.g., diffuse emission unrelated to current star formation is counted toward the SFR). Apparently discordant observational results are brought into agreement via this simple model, and the comparison of our simulations with data for a few galaxies supports a steep (>1) power-law index between SFR and molecular gas.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

THE SIZE EVOLUTION OF PASSIVE GALAXIES: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE WIDE-FIELD CAMERA 3 EARLY RELEASE SCIENCE PROGRAM

We present the size evolution of passively evolving galaxies at z {approx} 2 identified in Wide-Field Camera 3 imaging from the Early Release Science program. Our sample was constructed using an analog to the passive BzK galaxy selection criterion, which isolates galaxies with little or no ongoing star formation at z {approx}> 1.5. We identify 30 galaxies in {approx}40 arcmin{sup 2} to H < 25 mag. By fitting the 10-band Hubble Space Telescope photometry from 0.22 {mu}m {approx}< {lambda}{sub obs} {approx}< 1.6 {mu}m with stellar population synthesis models, we simultaneously determine photometric redshift, stellar mass, and a bevy of other population parameters. Based on the six galaxies with published spectroscopic redshifts, we estimate a typical redshift uncertainty of {approx}0.033(1 + z). We determine effective radii from Sersic profile fits to the H-band image using an empirical point-spread function. By supplementing our data with published samples, we propose a mass-dependent size evolution model for passively evolving galaxies, where the most massive galaxies (M{sub *} {approx} 10{sup 11} M{sub Sun }) undergo the strongest evolution from z {approx} 2 to the present. Parameterizing the size evolution as (1 + z){sup -{alpha}}, we find a tentative scaling of {alpha} Almost-Equal-To (- 0.6 {+-} 0.7) + (0.9 {+-} 0.4)log (M{sub *}/10{sup 9} M{sub Sun }), where the relatively large uncertainties reflect the poor sampling in stellar mass due to the low numbers of high-redshift systems. We discuss the implications of this result for the redshift evolution of the M{sub *}-R{sub e} relation for red galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

RESOLVING THE FAR-IR LINE DEFICIT: PHOTOELECTRIC HEATING AND FAR-IR LINE COOLING IN NGC 1097 AND NGC 4559

The physical state of interstellar gas and dust is dependent on the processes which heat and cool this medium. To probe heating and cooling of the interstellar medium over a large range of infrared surface brightness, on sub-kiloparsec scales, we employ line maps of [C II] 158 {mu}m, [O I] 63 {mu}m, and [N II] 122 {mu}m in NGC 1097 and NGC 4559, obtained with the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer on board Herschel. We matched new observations to existing Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph data that trace the total emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We confirm at small scales in these galaxies that the canonical measure of photoelectric heating efficiency, ([C II] + [O I])/TIR, decreases as the far-infrared (far-IR) color, {nu}f{sub {nu}}(70 {mu}m) {nu}f{sub {nu}}(100 {mu}m), increases. In contrast, the ratio of far-IR cooling to total PAH emission, ([C II] + [O I])/PAH, is a near constant {approx}6% over a wide range of far-IR color, 0.5 < {nu}f{sub {nu}}(70 {mu}m) {nu}f{sub {nu}}(100 {mu}m) {approx}< 0.95. In the warmest regions, where {nu}f{sub {nu}}(70 {mu}m) {nu}f{sub {nu}}(100 {mu}m) {approx}> 0.95, the ratio ([C II] + [O I])/PAH drops rapidly to 4%. We derived representative values of the local ultraviolet radiation density, G{sub 0}, and the gas density, n{sub H}, by comparing our observations to models of photodissociation regions. The ratio G{sub 0}/n{sub H}, derived from fine-structure lines, is found to correlate with the mean dust-weighted starlight intensity, (U), derived from models of the IR spectral energy distribution. Emission from regions that exhibit a line deficit is characterized by an intense radiation field, indicating that small grains are susceptible to ionization effects. We note that there is a shift in the 7.7/11.3 {mu}m PAH ratio in regions that exhibit a deficit in ([C II] + [O I])/PAH, suggesting that small grains are ionized in these environments.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

A PANCHROMATIC CATALOG OF EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES AT INTERMEDIATE REDSHIFT IN THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE WIDE FIELD CAMERA 3 EARLY RELEASE SCIENCE FIELD

In the first of a series of forthcoming publications, we present a panchromatic catalog of 102 visually selected early-type galaxies (ETGs) from observations in the Early Release Science (ERS) program with the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) of the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey-South (GOODS-S) field. Our ETGs span a large redshift range, 0.35 {approx}< z {approx}< 1.5, with each redshift spectroscopically confirmed by previous published surveys of the ERS field. We combine our measured WFC3 ERS and Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) GOODS-S photometry to gain continuous sensitivity from the rest-frame far-UV to near-IR emission for each ETG. The superior spatial resolution of the HST over this panchromatic baseline allows us to classify the ETGs by their small-scale internal structures, as well as their local environment. By fitting stellar population spectral templates to the broadband photometry of the ETGs, we determine that the average masses of the ETGs are comparable to the characteristic stellar mass of massive galaxies, 10{sup 11} < M{sub *}[M{sub Sun }]<10{sup 12}. By transforming the observed photometry into the Galaxy Evolution Explorer FUV and NUV, Johnson V, and Sloan Digital Sky Survey g' and r' bandpasses we identify a noteworthy diversity in the rest-frame UV-optical colors and find the mean rest-frame (FUV-V) = 3.5 and (NUV-V) = 3.3, with 1{sigma} standard deviations {approx_equal}1.0. The blue rest-frame UV-optical colors observed for most of the ETGs are evidence for star formation during the preceding gigayear, but no systems exhibit UV-optical photometry consistent with major recent ({approx}<50 Myr) starbursts. Future publications which address the diversity of stellar populations likely to be present in these ETGs, and the potential mechanisms by which recent star formation episodes are activated, are discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

HERSCHEL FAR-INFRARED AND SUBMILLIMETER PHOTOMETRY FOR THE KINGFISH SAMPLE OF NEARBY GALAXIES

New far-infrared and submillimeter photometry from the Herschel Space Observatory is presented for 61 nearby galaxies from the Key Insights on Nearby Galaxies: A Far-Infrared Survey with Herschel (KINGFISH) sample. The spatially integrated fluxes are largely consistent with expectations based on Spitzer far-infrared photometry and extrapolations to longer wavelengths using popular dust emission models. Dwarf irregular galaxies are notable exceptions, as already noted by other authors, as their 500 {mu}m emission shows evidence for a submillimeter excess. In addition, the fraction of dust heating attributed to intense radiation fields associated with photodissociation regions is found to be (21 {+-} 4)% larger when Herschel data are included in the analysis. Dust masses obtained from the dust emission models of Draine and Li are found to be on average nearly a factor of two higher than those based on single-temperature modified blackbodies, as single blackbody curves do not capture the full range of dust temperatures inherent to any galaxy. The discrepancy is largest for galaxies exhibiting the coolest far-infrared colors.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

DUST HEATING SOURCES IN GALAXIES: THE CASE OF M33 (HERM33ES)

Dust emission is one of the main windows to the physics of galaxies and to star formation as the radiation from young, hot stars is absorbed by the dust and reemitted at longer wavelengths. The recently launched Herschel satellite now provides a view of dust emission in the far-infrared at an unequaled resolution and quality up to 500 {mu}m. In the context of the Herschel HERM33ES open time key project, we are studying the moderately inclined Scd local group galaxy M33 which is located only 840 kpc away. In this article, using Spitzer and Herschel data ranging from 3.6 {mu}m to 500 {mu}m, along with H I, H{alpha} maps, and Galaxy Evolution Explorer ultraviolet data, we have studied the emission of the dust at the high spatial resolution of 150 pc. Combining Spitzer and Herschel bands, we have provided new, inclination-corrected, resolved estimators of the total infrared brightness and of the star formation rate from any combination of these bands. The study of the colors of the warm and cold dust populations shows that the temperature of the former is, at high brightness, dictated by young massive stars but, at lower brightness, heating is taken over by the evolved populations. Conversely, the temperature of the cold dust is tightly driven by the evolved stellar populations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

CALIBRATING EXTINCTION-FREE STAR FORMATION RATE DIAGNOSTICS WITH 33 GHz FREE-FREE EMISSION IN NGC 6946

Using free-free emission measured in the Ka band (26-40 GHz) for 10 star-forming regions in the nearby galaxy NGC 6946, including its starbursting nucleus, we compare a number of star formation rate (SFR) diagnostics that are typically considered to be unaffected by interstellar extinction. These diagnostics include non-thermal radio (i.e., 1.4 GHz), total infrared (IR; 8-1000 {mu}m), and warm dust (i.e., 24 {mu}m) emission, along with hybrid indicators that attempt to account for obscured and unobscured emission from star-forming regions including H{alpha} + 24 {mu}m and UV + IR measurements. The assumption is made that the 33 GHz free-free emission provides the most accurate measure of the current SFR. Among the extranuclear star-forming regions, the 24 {mu}m, H{alpha} + 24 {mu}m, and UV + IR SFR calibrations are in good agreement with the 33 GHz free-free SFRs. However, each of the SFR calibrations relying on some form of dust emission overestimates the nuclear SFR by a factor of {approx}2 relative to the 33 GHz free-free SFR. This is more likely the result of excess dust heating through an accumulation of non-ionizing stars associated with an extended episode of star formation in the nucleus rather than increased competition for ionizing photons by dust. SFR calibrations using the non-thermal radio continuum yield values which only agree with the 33 GHz free-free SFRs for the nucleus and underestimate the SFRs from the extranuclear star-forming regions by an average factor of {approx}2 and {approx}4-5 before and after subtracting local background emission, respectively. This result likely arises from the cosmic-ray (CR) electrons decaying within the starburst region with negligible escape, whereas the transient nature of star formation in the young extranuclear star-forming complexes allows for CR electrons to diffuse significantly further than dust-heating photons, resulting in an underestimate of the true SFR. Finally, we find that the SFRs estimated using the total 33 GHz flux density appear to agree well with those estimated using free-free emission due to the large thermal fractions present at these frequencies even when local diffuse backgrounds are not removed. Thus, rest-frame 33 GHz observations may act as a reliable method to measure the SFRs of galaxies at increasingly high redshift without the need of ancillary radio data to account for the non-thermal emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

THE DISPLACED DUSTY INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM OF NGC 3077: TIDAL STRIPPING IN THE M 81 TRIPLET

We present the detection of extended ({approx}30 kpc{sup 2}) dust emission in the tidal H I arm near NGC 3077 (member of the M 81 triplet) using SPIRE on board Herschel. Dust emission in the tidal arm is typically detected where the H I column densities are >10{sup 21} cm{sup -2}. The SPIRE band ratios show that the dust in the tidal arm is significantly colder ({approx}13 K) than in NGC 3077 itself ({approx}31 K), consistent with the lower radiation field in the tidal arm. The total dust mass in the tidal arm is {approx}1.8 x 10{sup 6} M{sub sun} (assuming {beta} = 2), i.e., substantially larger than the dust mass associated with NGC 3077 ({approx}2 x 10{sup 5} M{sub sun}). Where dust is detected, the dust-to-gas ratio is (6 {+-} 3) x 10{sup -3}, consistent within the uncertainties with what is found in NGC 3077 and nearby spiral galaxies with Galactic metallicities. The faint H II regions in the tidal arm cannot be responsible for the detected enriched material and are not the main source of the dust heating in the tidal arm. We conclude that the interstellar medium (atomic H I, molecules, and dust) in this tidal feature was pre-enriched and stripped off NGC 3077 during its recent interaction ({approx}3 x 10{sup 8} yr ago) with M 82 and M 81. This implies that interaction can efficiently remove heavy elements and enriched material (dust and molecular gas) from galaxies. As interactions were more frequent at large look-back times, it is conceivable that they could substantially contribute (along with galactic outflows) to the enrichment of the intergalactic medium.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2010

UV-DROPOUT GALAXIES IN THE GOODS-SOUTH FIELD FROM WFC3 EARLY RELEASE SCIENCE OBSERVATIONS

We combine new high sensitivity ultraviolet (UV) imaging from the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) with existing deep HST/Advanced Camera for Surveys optical images from the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) program to identify UV-dropouts, which are Lyman break galaxy (LBG) candidates at z {approx_equal} 1-3. These new HST/WFC3 observations were taken over 50 arcmin{sup 2} in the GOODS-South field as a part of the Early Release Science program. The uniqueness of these new UV data is that they are observed in three UV/optical (WFC3 UVIS) channel filters (F225W, F275W, and F336W), which allows us to identify three different sets of UV-dropout samples. We apply Lyman break dropout selection criteria to identify F225W-, F275W-, and F336W-dropouts, which are z {approx_equal} 1.7, 2.1, and 2.7 LBG candidates, respectively. We use multi-wavelength imaging combined with available spectroscopic and photometric redshifts to carefully access the validity of our UV-dropout candidates. Our results are as follows: (1) these WFC3 UVIS filters are very reliable in selecting LBGs with z {approx_equal} 2.0, which helps to reduce the gap between the well-studied z {approx}> 3 and z {approx} 0 regimes; (2) the combined number counts with average redshift z {approx_equal} 2.2 agree very well with the observed change in the surface densities as a function of redshift when compared with the higher redshift LBG samples; and (3) the best-fit Schechter function parameters from the rest-frame UV luminosity functions at three different redshifts fit very well with the evolutionary trend of the characteristic absolute magnitude, M*, and the faint-end slope, {alpha}, as a function of redshift. This is the first study to illustrate the usefulness of the WFC3 UVIS channel observations to select z {approx}< 3 LBGs. The addition of the new WFC3 on the HST has made it possible to uniformly select LBGs from z {approx_equal} 1 to z {approx_equal} 9 and significantly enhance our understanding of these galaxies using HST sensitivity and resolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2010

A METHOD FOR MEASURING VARIATIONS IN THE STELLAR INITIAL MASS FUNCTION

We present a method for investigating variations in the upper end of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) by probing the production rate of ionizing photons in unresolved, compact star clusters with ages {<=}10{sup 7} yr and with different masses. We test this method by performing a pilot study on the young cluster population in the nearby galaxy NGC5194 (M51a), for which multi-wavelength observations from the Hubble Space Telescope are available. Our results indicate that the proposed method can probe the upper end of the IMF in galaxies located out to at least {approx}10 Mpc, i.e., a factor {approx}200 further away than what is possible by counting individual stars in young compact clusters. Our results for NGC5194 show no obvious dependence of the upper mass end of the IMF on the mass of the star cluster down to {approx}10{sup 3} M{sub sun}, although more extensive analyses involving lower mass clusters and other galaxies are needed to confirm this conclusion.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗