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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,153 records · Page 64
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DOE OSTI2013

Multi-wavelength seds of Herschel-selected galaxies in the cosmos field

We combine Herschel Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer and Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver maps of the full 2 deg{sup 2} Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field with existing multi-wavelength data to obtain template and model-independent optical-to-far-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for 4218 Herschel-selected sources with log(L {sub IR}/L {sub ☉}) = 9.4-13.6 and z = 0.02-3.54. Median SEDs are created by binning the optical to far-infrared (FIR) bands available in COSMOS as a function of infrared luminosity. Herschel probes rest-frame wavelengths where the bulk of the infrared radiation is emitted, allowing us to more accurately determine fundamental dust properties of our sample of infrared luminous galaxies. We find that the SED peak wavelength (λ{sub peak}) decreases and the dust mass (M {sub dust}) increases with increasing total infrared luminosity (L {sub IR}). In the lowest infrared luminosity galaxies (log(L {sub IR}/L {sub ☉}) = 10.0-11.5), we see evidence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) features (λ ∼ 7-9 μm), while in the highest infrared luminosity galaxies (L {sub IR} > 10{sup 12} L {sub ☉}) we see an increasing contribution of hot dust and/or power-law emission, consistent with the presence of heating from an active galactic nucleus (AGN). We study the relationship between stellar mass and star formation rate of our sample of infrared luminous galaxies and find no evidence that Herschel-selected galaxies follow the SFR/M {sub *} 'main sequence' as previously determined from studies of optically selected, star-forming galaxies. Finally, we compare the mid-infrared to FIR properties of our infrared luminous galaxies using the previously defined diagnostic, IR8 ≡ L {sub IR}/L {sub 8}, and find that galaxies with L {sub IR} ≳ 10{sup 11.3} L {sub ☉} tend to systematically lie above (× 3-5) the IR8 'infrared main sequence', suggesting either suppressed PAH emission or an increasing contribution from AGN heating.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Direct observations of plasma upflows and condensation in a catastrophically cooling solar transition region loop

Minimal observational evidence exists for fast transition region (TR) upflows in the presence of cool loops. Observations of such occurrences challenge notions of standard solar atmospheric heating models as well as their description of bright TR emission. Using the EUV Imaging Spectrometer on board Hinode, we observe fast upflows (v {sub λ} ≤ –10 km s{sup –1}) over multiple TR temperatures (5.8 ≤log T ≤ 6.0) at the footpoint sites of a cool loop (log T ≤ 6.0). Prior to cool loop energizing, asymmetric flows of +5 km s{sup –1} and –60 km s{sup –1} are observed at footpoint sites. These flows, speeds, and patterns occur simultaneously with both magnetic flux cancellation (at the site of upflows only) derived from the Solar Dynamics Observatory's Helioseismic Magnetic Imager's line-of-sight magnetogram images, and a 30% mass influx at coronal heights. The incurred non-equilibrium structure of the cool loop leads to a catastrophic cooling event, with subsequent plasma evaporation indicating that the TR is the heating site. From the magnetic flux evolution, we conclude that magnetic reconnection between the footpoint and background field is responsible for the observed fast TR plasma upflows.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

The close binary properties of massive stars in the Milky Way and low-metallicity Magellanic Clouds

In order to understand the rates and properties of Type Ia and Type Ib/c supernovae, X-ray binaries, gravitational wave sources, and gamma-ray bursts as a function of galactic environment and cosmic age, it is imperative that we measure how the close binary properties of O- and B-type stars vary with metallicity. We have studied eclipsing binaries with early B main-sequence primaries in three galaxies with different metallicities: the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC, respectively) and the Milky Way (MW). The observed fractions of early B stars that exhibit deep eclipses 0.25 < Δm (mag) < 0.65 and orbital periods 2 < P (days) < 20 in the MW, LMC, and SMC span a narrow range of (0.7-1.0)%, which is a model-independent result. After correcting for geometrical selection effects and incompleteness toward low-mass companions, we find for early B stars in all three environments (1) a close binary fraction of (22 ± 5)% across orbital periods 2 < P (days) < 20 and mass ratios q = M {sub 2}/M {sub 1} > 0.1, (2) an intrinsic orbital period distribution slightly skewed toward shorter periods relative to a distribution that is uniform in log P, (3) a mass-ratio distribution weighted toward low-mass companions, and (4) a small, nearly negligible excess fraction of twins with q > 0.9. Our fitted parameters derived for the MW eclipsing binaries match the properties inferred from nearby, early-type spectroscopic binaries, which further validates our results. There are no statistically significant trends with metallicity, demonstrating that the close binary properties of massive stars do not vary across metallicities –0.7 < log(Z/Z {sub ☉}) < 0.0 beyond the measured uncertainties.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Hα star formation rates of z > 1 galaxy clusters in the IRAC shallow cluster survey

We present Hubble Space Telescope near-IR spectroscopy for 18 galaxy clusters at 1.0 <z < 1.5 in the IRAC Shallow Cluster Survey. We use Wide Field Camera 3 grism data to spectroscopically identify Hα emitters in both the cores of galaxy clusters as well as in field galaxies. We find a large cluster-to-cluster scatter in the star formation rates within a projected radius of 500 kpc, and many of our clusters (∼60%) have significant levels of star formation within a projected radius of 200 kpc. A stacking analysis reveals that dust reddening in these star-forming galaxies is positively correlated with stellar mass and may be higher in the field than the cluster at a fixed stellar mass. This may indicate a lower amount of gas in star-forming cluster galaxies than in the field population. Also, Hα equivalent widths of star-forming galaxies in the cluster environment are still suppressed below the level of the field. This suppression is most significant for lower mass galaxies (log M {sub *} < 10.0 M {sub ☉}). We therefore conclude that environmental effects are still important at 1.0 <z < 1.5 for star-forming galaxies in galaxy clusters with log M {sub *} ≲ 10.0 M {sub ☉}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

[Ne III]/[O II] as an ionization parameter diagnostic in star-forming galaxies

We present our parameterizations of the log([Ne III]λ3869/[O II]λ3727) (Ne3O2) and log([O III]λ5007/[O II]λ3727) (O3O2) ratios as diagnostics of ionization parameter in star-forming galaxies. Our calibrations are based on the Starburst99/Mappings III photoionization models, which extend up to the extremely high values of ionization parameter found in high-redshift galaxies. While similar calibrations have been presented previously for O3O2, this is the first such calibration of Ne3O2. We illustrate the tight correlation between these two ratios for star-forming galaxies and discuss the underlying physics that dictates their very similar evolution. Based on this work, we propose the Ne3O2 ratio as a new and useful diagnostic of ionization parameter for star-forming galaxies. Given the Ne3O2 ratio's relative insensitivity to reddening, this ratio is particularly valuable for use with galaxies that have uncertain amounts of extinction. The short wavelengths of the Ne3O2 ratio can also be applied out to very high redshifts, extending studies of galaxies' ionization parameters out to z ∼ 1.6 with optical spectroscopy and z ∼ 5.2 with ground-based near-infrared spectra.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

'Direct' gas-phase metallicities, stellar properties, and local environments of emission-line galaxies at redshifts below 0.90

Using deep narrow-band (NB) imaging and optical spectroscopy from the Keck telescope and MMT, we identify a sample of 20 emission-line galaxies at z = 0.065-0.90 where the weak auroral emission line, [O III] λ4363, is detected at ≥3σ. These detections allow us to determine the gas-phase metallicity using the 'direct' method. With electron temperature measurements, and dust attenuation corrections from Balmer decrements, we find that four of these low-mass galaxies are extremely metal-poor with 12 + log (O/H) ≤ 7.65 or one-tenth solar. Our most metal-deficient galaxy has 12 + log (O/H) = 7.24{sub −0.30}{sup +0.45} (95% confidence), similar to some of the lowest metallicity galaxies identified in the local universe. We find that our galaxies are all undergoing significant star formation with average specific star formation rate (SFR) of (100 Myr){sup –1}, and that they have high central SFR surface densities (average of 0.5 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} kpc{sup –2}). In addition, more than two-thirds of our galaxies have between one and four nearby companions within a projected radius of 100 kpc, which we find is an excess among star-forming galaxies at z = 0.4-0.85. We also find that the gas-phase metallicities for a given stellar mass and SFR lie systematically lower than the local M {sub *}-Z-(SFR) relation by ≈0.2 dex (2σ significance). These results are partly due to selection effects, since galaxies with strong star formation and low metallicity are more likely to yield [O III] λ4363 detections. Finally, the observed higher ionization parameter and high electron density suggest that they are lower redshift analogs to typical z ≳ 1 galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Statistical equilibrium of copper in the solar atmosphere

Non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) line formation for neutral copper in the one-dimensional solar atmospheres is presented for the atomic model, including 96 terms of Cu I and the ground state of Cu II. The accurate oscillator strengths for all the line transitions in model atom and photoionization cross sections were calculated using the R-matrix method in the Russell-Saunders coupling scheme. The main NLTE mechanism for Cu I is the ultraviolet overionization. We find that NLTE leads to systematically depleted total absorption in the Cu I lines and, accordingly, positive abundance corrections. Inelastic collisions with neutral hydrogen atoms produce minor effects on the statistical equilibrium of Cu I in the solar atmosphere. For the solar Cu I lines, the departures from LTE are found to be small, the mean NLTE abundance correction of ∼0.01 dex. It was found that the six low-excitation lines, with excitation energy of the lower level E {sub exc} ≤ 1.64 eV, give a 0.14 dex lower mean solar abundance compared to that from the six E {sub exc} > 3.7 eV lines, when applying experimental gf-values of Kock and Richter. Without the two strong resonance transitions, the solar mean NLTE abundance from 10 lines of Cu I is log ε{sub ☉}(Cu) = 4.19 ± 0.10, which is consistent within the error bars with the meteoritic value 4.25 ± 0.05 of Lodders et al. The discrepancy between E {sub exc} = 1.39-1.64 eV and E {sub exc} > 3.7 eV lines can be removed when the calculated gf-values are adopted and a mean solar abundance of log ε{sub ☉}(Cu) = 4.24 ± 0.08 is derived.

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DOE OSTI2014

Limits on surface gravities of Kepler planet-candidate host stars from non-detection of solar-like oscillations

We present a novel method for estimating lower-limit surface gravities (log g) of Kepler targets whose data do not allow the detection of solar-like oscillations. The method is tested using an ensemble of solar-type stars observed in the context of the Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium. We then proceed to estimate lower-limit log g for a cohort of Kepler solar-type planet-candidate host stars with no detected oscillations. Limits on fundamental stellar properties, as provided by this work, are likely to be useful in the characterization of the corresponding candidate planetary systems. Furthermore, an important byproduct of the current work is the confirmation that amplitudes of solar-like oscillations are suppressed in stars with increased levels of surface magnetic activity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Physical properties of emission-line galaxies at z ∼ 2 from near-infrared spectroscopy with Magellan fire

We present results from near-infrared spectroscopy of 26 emission-line galaxies at z ∼ 2.2 and z ∼ 1.5 obtained with the Folded-port InfraRed Echellette (FIRE) spectrometer on the 6.5 m Magellan Baade telescope. The sample was selected from the WFC3 Infrared Spectroscopic Parallels survey, which uses the near-infrared grism of the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) to detect emission-line galaxies over 0.3 ≲ z ≲ 2.3. Our FIRE follow-up spectroscopy (R ∼ 5000) over 1.0-2.5 μm permits detailed measurements of the physical properties of the z ∼ 2 emission-line galaxies. Dust-corrected star formation rates for the sample range from ∼5-100 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} with a mean of 29 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}. We derive a median metallicity for the sample of 12 + log(O/H) = 8.34 or ∼0.45 Z {sub ☉}. The estimated stellar masses range from ∼10{sup 8.5}-10{sup 9.5} M {sub ☉}, and a clear positive correlation between metallicity and stellar mass is observed. The average ionization parameter measured for the sample, log U ≈ –2.5, is significantly higher than what is found for most star-forming galaxies in the local universe, but similar to the values found for other star-forming galaxies at high redshift. We derive composite spectra from the FIRE sample, from which we measure typical nebular electron densities of ∼100-400 cm{sup –3}. Based on the location of the galaxies and composite spectra on diagnostic diagrams, we do not find evidence for significant active galactic nucleus activity in the sample. Most of the galaxies, as well as the composites, are offset diagram toward higher [O III]/Hβ at a given [N II]/Hα, in agreement with other observations of z ≳ 1 star-forming galaxies, but composite spectra derived from the sample do not show an appreciable offset from the local star-forming sequence on the [O III]/Hβ versus [S II]/Hα diagram. We infer a high nitrogen-to-oxygen abundance ratio from the composite spectrum, which may contribute to the offset of the high-redshift galaxies from the local star-forming sequence in the [O III]/Hβ versus [N II]/Hα diagram. We speculate that the elevated nitrogen abundance could result from substantial numbers of Wolf-Rayet stars in starbursting galaxies at z ∼ 2.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Spectral energy distribution fitting of HETDEX pilot survey Lyα emitters in cosmos and GOODS-N

We use broadband photometry extending from the rest-frame UV to the near-IR to fit the individual spectral energy distributions of 63 bright (L(Lyα) > 10{sup 43} erg s{sup –1}) Lyα emitting galaxies (LAEs) in the redshift range 1.9 < z < 3.6. We find that these LAEs are quite heterogeneous, with stellar masses that span over three orders of magnitude, from 7.5 < log M/M {sub ☉} < 10.5. Moreover, although most LAEs have small amounts of extinction, some high-mass objects have stellar reddenings as large as E(B – V) ∼ 0.4. Interestingly, in dusty objects the optical depths for Lyα and the UV continuum are always similar, indicating that Lyα photons are not undergoing many scatters before escaping their galaxy. In contrast, the ratio of optical depths in low-reddening systems can vary widely, illustrating the diverse nature of the systems. Finally, we show that in the star-formation-rate-log-mass diagram, our LAEs fall above the 'main-sequence' defined by z ∼ 3 continuum selected star-forming galaxies. In this respect, they are similar to submillimeter-selected galaxies, although most LAEs have much lower mass.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Intergalactic medium emission observations with the cosmic web imager. I. The circum-QSO medium of QSO 1549+19, and evidence for a filamentary gas inflow

The Palomar Cosmic Web Imager (PCWI), an integral field spectrograph designed to detect and map low surface brightness emission, has obtained imaging spectroscopic maps of Lyα from the circum-QSO medium (CQM) of QSO HS1549+19 at redshift z = 2.843. Extensive extended emission is detected from the CQM, consistent with fluorescent and pumped Lyα produced by the ionizing and Lyα continuum of the QSO. Many features present in PCWI spectral images match those detected in narrow-band images. Filamentary structures with narrow line profiles are detected in several cases as long as 250-400 kpc. One of these is centered at a velocity redshifted with respect to the systemic velocity, and displays a spatially collimated and kinematically cold line profile increasing in velocity width approaching the QSO. This suggests that the filament gas is infalling onto the QSO, perhaps in a cold accretion flow. Because of the strong ionizing flux, the neutral column density is low, typically N(H I)∼10{sup 12}--10{sup 15} cm{sup −2}, and the line center optical depth is also low (typically τ{sub 0} < 10), insufficient to display well separated double peak emission characteristic of higher line optical depths. With a simple ionization and cloud model we can very roughly estimate the total gas mass (log M {sub gas} = 12.5 ± 0.5) and the total (log M {sub tot} = 13.3 ± 0.5). We can also calculate a kinematic mass from the total line profile (2 × 10{sup 13} M {sub ☉}), which agrees with the mass estimated from the gas emission. The intensity-binned spectrum of the CQM shows a progression in kinematic properties consistent with heirarchical structure formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Why is there a dearth of close-in planets around fast-rotating stars?

We propose that the reported dearth of Kepler objects of interest (KOIs) with orbital periods P {sub orb} ≲ 2-3 days around stars with rotation periods P {sub rot} ≲ 5-10 days can be attributed to tidal ingestion of close-in planets by their host stars. We show that the planet distribution in this region of the log P {sub orb}-log P {sub rot} plane is qualitatively reproduced with a model that incorporates tidal interaction and magnetic braking as well as the dependence on the stellar core-envelope coupling timescale. We demonstrate the consistency of this scenario with the inferred break in the P {sub orb} distribution of close-in KOIs and point out a potentially testable prediction of this interpretation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Improved determination of the atmospheric parameters of the pulsating sdB star Feige 48

As part of a multifaceted effort to better exploit the asteroseismological potential of the pulsating sdB star Feige 48, we present an improved spectroscopic analysis of that star based on new grids of NLTE, fully line-blanketed model atmospheres. To that end, we gathered four high signal-to-noise ratio time-averaged optical spectra of varying spectral resolutions from 1.0 Å to 8.7 Å, and we made use of the results of four independent studies to fix the abundances of the most important metals in the atmosphere of Feige 48. The mean atmospheric parameters we obtained from our four spectra of Feige 48 are: T {sub eff} = 29,850 ± 60 K, log g = 5.46 ± 0.01, and log N(He)/N(H) = –2.88 ± 0.02. We also modeled, for the first time, the He II line at 1640 Å from the STIS archive spectrum of the star, and with this line we found an effective temperature and a surface gravity that match well with the values obtained with the optical data. With some fine tuning of the abundances of the metals visible in the optical domain, we were able to achieve a very good agreement between our best available spectrum and our best-fitting synthetic one. Our derived atmospheric parameters for Feige 48 are in rather good agreement with previous estimates based on less sophisticated models. This underlines the relatively small effects of the NLTE approach combined with line blanketing in the atmosphere of this particular star, implying that the current estimates of the atmospheric parameters of Feige 48 are reliable and secure.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Comparing M31 and Milky Way satellites: The extended star formation histories of Andromeda II and Andromeda XVI

We present the first comparison between the lifetime star formation histories (SFHs) of M31 and Milky Way (MW) satellites. Using the Advanced Camera for Surveys on board the Hubble Space Telescope, we obtained deep optical imaging of Andromeda II (And II; M{sub V} = –12.0; log(M {sub *}/M {sub ☉}) ∼ 6.7) and Andromeda XVI (And XVI; M{sub V} = –7.5; log(M {sub *}/M {sub ☉}) ∼ 4.9) yielding color-magnitude diagrams that extend at least 1 mag below the oldest main-sequence turnoff, and are similar in quality to those available for the MW companions. And II and And XVI show strikingly similar SFHs: both formed 50%-70% of their total stellar mass between 12.5 and 5 Gyr ago (z ∼ 5-0.5) and both were abruptly quenched ∼5 Gyr ago (z ∼ 0.5). The predominance of intermediate age populations in And XVI makes it qualitatively different from faint companions of the MW and clearly not a pre-reionization fossil. Neither And II nor And XVI appears to have a clear analog among MW companions, and the degree of similarity in the SFHs of And II and And XVI is not seen among comparably faint-luminous pairs of MW satellites. These findings provide hints that satellite galaxy evolution may vary substantially among hosts of similar stellar mass. Although comparably deep observations of more M31 satellites are needed to further explore this hypothesis, our results underline the need for caution when interpreting satellite galaxies of an individual system in a broader cosmological context.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The angular clustering of WISE-selected active galactic nuclei: Different halos for obscured and unobscured active galactic nuclei

We calculate the angular correlation function for a sample of ∼170,000 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) extracted from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) catalog, selected to have red mid-IR colors (W1 – W2 > 0.8) and 4.6 μm flux densities brighter than 0.14 mJy). The sample is expected to be >90% reliable at identifying AGNs and to have a mean redshift of (z) = 1.1. In total, the angular clustering of WISE AGNs is roughly similar to that of optical AGNs. We cross-match these objects with the photometric Sloan Digital Sky Survey catalog and distinguish obscured sources with r – W2 > 6 from bluer, unobscured AGNs. Obscured sources present a higher clustering signal than unobscured sources. Since the host galaxy morphologies of obscured AGNs are not typical red sequence elliptical galaxies and show disks in many cases, it is unlikely that the increased clustering strength of the obscured population is driven by a host galaxy segregation bias. By using relatively complete redshift distributions from the COSMOS survey, we find that obscured sources at (z) ∼ 0.9 have a bias of b = 2.9 ± 0.6 and are hosted in dark matter halos with a typical mass of log (M/M {sub ☉} h {sup –1}) ∼ 13.5. In contrast, unobscured AGNs at (z) ∼ 1.1 have a bias of b = 1.6 ± 0.6 and inhabit halos of log (M/M {sub ☉} h {sup –1}) ∼ 12.4. These findings suggest that obscured AGNs inhabit denser environments than unobscured AGNs, and they are difficult to reconcile with the simplest AGN unification models, where obscuration is driven solely by orientation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Resolved H I imaging of a population of massive H I-rich galaxies with suppressed star formation

Despite the existence of well-defined relationships between cold gas and star formation, there is evidence that some galaxies contain large amounts of H I that do not form stars efficiently. By systematically assessing the link between H I and star formation within a sample of galaxies with extremely high H I masses (log M{sub H{sub I}}/M{sub ☉} > 10), we uncover a population of galaxies with an unexpected combination of high H I masses and low specific star formation rates that exists primarily at stellar masses greater than log M{sub *}/M{sub ☉} ∼ 10.5. We obtained H I maps of 20 galaxies in this population to understand the distribution of the H I and the physical conditions in the galaxies that could be suppressing star formation in the presence of large quantities of H I. We find that all of the galaxies we observed have low H I surface densities in the range in which inefficient star formation is common. The low H I surface densities are likely the main cause of the low specific star formation rates, but there is also some evidence that active galactic nuclei or bulges contribute to the suppression of star formation. The sample's agreement with the global star formation law highlights its usefulness as a tool for understanding galaxies that do not always follow expected relationships.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Implications of plasma beam instabilities for the statistics of the Fermi hard gamma-ray blazars and the origin of the extragalactic gamma-ray background

Fermi has been instrumental in constraining the luminosity function and redshift evolution of gamma-ray bright BL Lac objects, a subpopulation of blazars with almost featureless optical spectra. This includes limits on the spectrum and anisotropy of the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGRB), redshift distribution of nearby Fermi active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and the construction of a logN-log S relation. Based on these, it has been argued that the evolution of the gamma-ray bright BL Lac population must be much less dramatic than that of other AGNs. However, critical to such claims is the assumption that inverse Compton cascades reprocess emission above a TeV into the Fermi energy range, substantially enhancing the strength of the observed limits. Here we demonstrate that in the absence of such a process, due, e.g., to the presence of virulent plasma beam instabilities that preempt the cascade, a population of TeV-bright BL Lac objects that evolve similarly to quasars is consistent with the population of hard gamma-ray BL Lac objects observed by Fermi. Specifically, we show that a simple model for the properties and luminosity function is simultaneously able to reproduce their logN-log S relation, local redshift distribution, and contribution to the EGRB and its anisotropy without any free parameters. Insofar as the naturalness of a picture in which the hard gamma-ray BL Lac population exhibits the strong redshift evolution observed in other tracers of the cosmological history of accretion onto halos is desirable, this lends support for the absence of the inverse Compton cascades and the existence of the beam plasma instabilities.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The physical conditions, metallicity and metal abundance ratios in a highly magnified galaxy at z = 3.6252

We present optical and near-IR imaging and spectroscopy of SGAS J105039.6+001730, a strongly lensed galaxy at z = 3.6252 magnified by >30×, and derive its physical properties. We measure a stellar mass of log(M{sub *}/M{sub ☉}) = 9.5 ± 0.35, star formation rates from [O II] λλ3727 and Hβ of 55 ± 25 and 84 ± 24 M{sub ☉} yr{sup –1}, respectively, an electron density of n{sub e} ≤ 10{sup 3} cm{sup –2}, an electron temperature of T{sub e} ≤ 14,000 K, and a metallicity of 12 + log(O/H) = 8.3 ± 0.1. The strong C III] λλ1907,1909 emission and abundance ratios of C, N, O, and Si are consistent with well-studied starbursts at z ∼ 0 with similar metallicities. Strong P Cygni lines and He II λ1640 emission indicate a significant population of Wolf-Rayet stars, but synthetic spectra of individual populations of young, hot stars do not reproduce the observed integrated P Cygni absorption features. The rest-frame UV spectral features are indicative of a young starburst with high ionization, implying either (1) an ionization parameter significantly higher than suggested by rest-frame optical nebular lines, or (2) differences in one or both of the initial mass function and the properties of ionizing spectra of massive stars. We argue that the observed features are likely the result of a superposition of star forming regions with different physical properties. These results demonstrate the complexity of star formation on scales smaller than individual galaxies, and highlight the importance of systematic effects that result from smearing together the signatures of individual star forming regions within galaxies.

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