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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2000

Massive Star Formation in NGC4038/4039: HII Regions and Supernova Remnants in "The Antennae"

The nearest merger, NGC4038/4039 ("The Antennae, Arp244), is undergoing a starburst apparently triggered and driven by the ongoing interaction. The system provides an excellent laboratory to study star formation processes because well-studied and nearby (21 Mpc assumed here). Models of the interaction suggest that the interaction's first periapse occurred 200 Myr ago, and that final coalescence will occur in another 100 Myr. Blue and H alpha images show a continuous loop of bright knots around the NGC4038 (northern) nucleus, continuing down through the NGC4039 (southern) nucleus. Recent HST V and I images resolve the star-forming knots into several thousand blue compact clusters, with ages 5Myr for the youngest clusters. Far Ultraviolet (lambda 1500A) observations directly detect O and B stars in regions of low extinction; the total mass of young stars so observed is approximately 8 x 10 (exp 5) solar mass. FIR observations imply a star formation rate of approximately 5 M (sub 0) dot yr (sup -1) or greater. We used the VLA at 6 and 4 cm to obtain high resolution radio images of the star-formation regions in NGC4038/4038. We used high resolution imaging to identify compact radio emitting regions and spectral indices of the compact regions to differentiate between thermal sources such as HII regions (flat spectra) and supernova, remnants (steep spectra). We found that compact radio sources produce approximately 12% and/sim 25 strongest radio emission occurs between the galaxies, at an optically unremarkable location near but not coincident with an extremely red cluster. The radio peak is at a location of intense star formation (as detected in the mid-IR, reference?) and of dense molecular gas. We identify 115 individual compact 6cm radio sources and 63 individual 4 cm sources in the system, to a limiting luminosity of approximately 2 x 10 (exp 1) 8 W Hz (sup -1) (or /sim4x the luminosity of Cas A). Of the strongest sources, for which the h flux densities are large enough to measure spectral indices with reasonable errors, we find that one third have nominally flat radio spectra (presumeable dominated by thermal emission from HII regions) and two thirds have nominally steep spectra (presumeably dominated by synchrotron emission from supernova, remnants). For the thermal sources, we derive typical masses of 10 (exp 4) to 10 (exp 5) solar mass in massive young stars and ionized gas masses of 10 (exp 3) - 10 (exp 4) solar mass. From the steep-spectrum sources, we derive a total system supernova rate of 0.2-0.3 yr (sup -1), about an order of magnitude larger than that expected from the currently observed O-star population. Taken together, these suggest that that a large number of O stars may have formed in the system in a short-lived burst, less than 10 (exp 6) yr in duration and about 3-4 Myr ago.

Neff, S. G.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Star formation in the Galactic Center GMC cores: Sagittarius B2 and the dust ridge

The total far-infrared luminosity and the ionizing flux inferred from radio continuum observations of the Galactic center region imply a rate of star formation per unit mass of molecular material comparable to that in the Galactic disk. However, H2O and OH masers commonly found in sites of high-mass star formation are relatively rare in the nuclear disk. Far-infrared studies suggest that the formation rate of stars with masses greater than approximately 20 Solar Mass is reduced in the central region compared to the Galactic disk. Star formation might be suppressed currently in the central region as a result of the different geometry and strength of the magnetic fields there, which arguably might tend to inhibit cloud collapse. High gas pressures implied by observations of the diffuse X-ray emission suggest that giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in the nuclear disk may be held together by external pressure rather than self-gravity. The gravitational collapse leading to the formation of high density cores may thus be suppressed in all but the most massive clouds.

Lis, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Star Formation Rates in Cooling Flow Clusters: A UV Pilot Study with Archival XMM-Newton Optical Monitor Data

We have analyzed XMM-Newton Optical Monitor (OM) UV (180-400 nm) data for a sample of 33 galaxies. 30 are cluster member galaxies, and nine of these are central cluster galaxies (CCGs) in cooling flow clusters having mass deposition rates which span a range of 8 - 525 Solar Mass/yr. By comparing the ratio of UV to 2MASS J band fluxes, we find a significant UV excess in many, but not all, cooling flow CCGs, a finding consistent with the outcome of previous studies based on optical imaging data (McNamara & O'Connell 1989; Cardiel, Gorgas, & Aragon-Salamanca 1998; Crawford et al. 1999). This UV excess is a direct indication of the presence of young massive stars, and therefore recent star formation, in these galaxies. Using the Starburst99 spectral energy distribution (SED) model of continuous star formation over a 900 Myr period, we derive star formation rates of 0.2 - 219 solar Mass/yr for the cooling flow sample. For 2/3 of this sample it is possible to equate Chandra/XMM cooling flow mass deposition rates with UV inferred star formation rates, for a combination of starburst lifetime and IMF slope. This is a pilot study of the well populated XMM UV cluster archive and a more extensive follow up study is currently underway.

Hicks, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Star Formation Rates in Cooling Flow Clusters: A UV Pilot Study with Archival XMM-Newton Optical Monitor Data

We have analyzed XMM-Newton Optical Monitor (OM) UV (180-400 nm) data for a sample of 33 galaxies. 30 are cluster member galaxies, and nine of these are central cluster galaxies (CCGs) in cooling flow clusters having mass deposition rates which span a range of 8 - 525 solar mass per year. By comparing the ratio of UV to 2MASS J band fluxes, we find a significant UV excess in many, but not all, cooling flow CCGs, a finding consistent with the outcome of previous studies based on optical imaging data (McNamara & O Connell 1989; Cardiel, Gorgas, & Aragon-Salamanca 1998; Crawford et al. 1999). This UV excess is a direct indication of the presence of young massive stars, and therefore recent star formation, in these galaxies. Using the Starburst99 spectral energy distribution (SED) model of continuous star formation over a 900 Myr period, we derive star formation rates of 0.2 - 219 solar mass per year for the cooling flow sample. For 2/3 of this sample it is possible to equate Chandra/XMM cooling flow mass deposition rates with UV inferred star formation rates, for a combination of starburst lifetime and IMF slope. This is a pilot study of the well populated XMM UV cluster archive and a more extensive follow up study is currently underway.

Hicks, A. K.↗
DOE OSTI2023

The Demographics, Stellar Populations, and Star Formation Histories of Fast Radio Burst Host Galaxies: Implications for the Progenitors

We present a comprehensive catalog of observations and stellar population properties for 23 highly secure host galaxies of fast radio bursts (FRBs). Our sample comprises 6 repeating FRBs and 17 apparent nonrepeaters. We present 82 new photometric and 8 new spectroscopic observations of these hosts. Using stellar population synthesis modeling and employing nonparametric star formation histories (SFHs), we find that FRB hosts have a median stellar mass of ≈10 9.9 M ⊙ , mass-weighted age ≈5.1 Gyr, and ongoing star formation rate ≈1.3 M ⊙ yr -1 but span wide ranges in all properties. Classifying the hosts by degree of star formation, we find that 87% (20 of 23 hosts) are star-forming, two are transitioning, and one is quiescent. The majority trace the star-forming main sequence of galaxies, but at least three FRBs in our sample originate in less-active environments (two nonrepeaters and one repeater). Across all modeled properties, we find no statistically significant distinction between the hosts of repeaters and nonrepeaters. However, the hosts of repeating FRBs generally extend to lower stellar masses, and the hosts of nonrepeaters arise in more optically luminous galaxies. While four of the galaxies with the clearest and most prolonged rises in their SFHs all host repeating FRBs, demonstrating heightened star formation activity in the last ≲100 Myr, one nonrepeating host shows this SFH as well. Our results support progenitor models with short delay channels (i.e., magnetars formed via core-collapse supernova) for most FRBs, but the presence of some FRBs in less-active environments suggests a fraction form through more delayed channels.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1982

Fragmentation of interstellar clouds and star formation

The principal issues are addressed: the fragmentation of molecular clouds into units of stellar mass and the impact of star formation on molecular clouds. The observational evidence for fragmentation is summarized, and the gravitational instability described of a uniform spherical cloud collapsing from rest. The implications are considered of a finite pressure for the minimum fragment mass that is attainable in opacity-limited fragmentation. The role of magnetic fields is discussed in resolving the angular momentum problem and in making the collapse anisotropic, with notable consequences for fragmentation theory. Interactions between fragments are described, with emphasis on the effect of protostellar winds on the ambient cloud matter and on inhibiting further star formation. Such interactions are likely to have profound consequences for regulating the rate of star formation and on the energetics and dynamics of molecular clouds.

Silk, J.↗
NASA NTRS2021

On the Nature of AGN and Star Formation Enhancement in thez=3.1 SSA22Protocluster: The HST WFC3 IR View

We examine possible environmental sources of the enhanced star formation and active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity in the z=3.09 SSA22 protocluster using Hubble WFC3 F160W (∼1.6μm) observations of the SSA22 field, including new observations centered on eight X-ray selected protocluster AGN. To investigate the role of mergers in the observed AGN and star formation enhancement, we apply both quantitative (Sérsic-fit and Gini–M20)and visual morphological classifications to F160W images of protocluster Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) in the fields of the X-ray AGN and z∼3field LBGs in SSA22 and GOODS-N. We find no statistically significant differences between the morphologies and merger fractions of protocluster and field LBGs, though we are limited by small number statistics in the protocluster. We also fit the UV-to-near-IR spectral energy distributions of F160W-detected protocluster and field LBGs to characterize their stellar masses and star formation histories. We find that the mean protocluster LBG is a factor of∼2 times more massive and more attenuated than the mean z∼3field LBG. We take our results to suggest that ongoing mergers are not more common among protocluster LBGs than field LBGs, though protocluster LBGs appear to be more massive. We speculate that the larger mass of the protocluster LBGs contributes to the enhancement of SMBH mass and accretion rate in the protocluster, which in turn drives the observed protocluster AGN enhancement

Erik B. Monson↗
DOE OSTI2021

On the quenching of star formation in observed and simulated central galaxies: evidence for the role of integrated AGN feedback

ABSTRACT In this paper, we investigate how massive central galaxies cease their star formation by comparing theoretical predictions from cosmological simulations: EAGLE, Illustris, and IllustrisTNG with observations of the local Universe from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Our machine learning (ML) classification reveals supermassive black hole mass (MBH) as the most predictive parameter in determining whether a galaxy is star forming or quenched at redshift z = 0 in all three simulations. This predicted consequence of active galactic nucleus (AGN) quenching is reflected in the observations, where it is true for a range of indirect estimates of MBH via proxies as well as its dynamical measurements. Our partial correlation analysis shows that other galactic parameters lose their strong association with quiescence, once their correlations with MBH are accounted for. In simulations, we demonstrate that it is the integrated power output of the AGN, rather than its instantaneous activity, which causes galaxies to quench. Finally, we analyse the change in molecular gas content of galaxies from star-forming to passive populations. We find that both gas fractions (fgas) and star formation efficiencies (SFEs) decrease upon transition to quiescence in the observations but SFE is more predictive than fgas in the ML passive/star-forming classification. These trends in the SDSS are most closely recovered in IllustrisTNG and are in direct contrast with the predictions made by Illustris. We conclude that a viable AGN feedback prescription can be achieved by a combination of preventative feedback and turbulence injection which together quench star formation in central galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Size, shade, or shape? The contribution of galaxies of different types to the star formation history of the Universe from SDSS-IV MaNGA

ABSTRACT By fitting stellar populations to the fourth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey observations of ∼7000 suitably weighted individual galaxies, we reconstruct the star formation history of the Universe, which we find to be in reasonable agreement with previous studies. Dividing the galaxies by their present-day stellar mass, we demonstrate the downsizing phenomenon, whereby the more massive galaxies hosted the most star formation at earlier times. Further dividing the galaxy sample by colour and morphology, we find that a galaxy’s present-day colour tells us more about its historical contribution to the cosmic star formation history than its current morphology. We show that downsizing effects are greatest among galaxies currently in the blue cloud, but that the level of downsizing in galaxies of different morphologies depends quite sensitively on the morphological classification used, due largely to the difficulty in classifying the smaller low-mass galaxies from their ground-based images. Nevertheless, we find agreement that among galaxies with stellar masses $M_{\star } \gt 6\times 10^{9}\, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$, downsizing is most significant in spirals. However, there are complicating factors. For example, for more massive galaxies, we find that colour and morphology are predictors of the past star formation over a longer time-scale than in less massive systems. Presumably this effect is reflecting the longer period of evolution required to alter these larger galaxies’ physical properties, but shows that conclusions based on any single property do not tell the full story.

Peterken, Thomas↗
DOE OSTI2023

Effects of Magnetic Fields on Gas Dynamics and Star Formation in Nuclear Rings

Nuclear rings at the centers of barred galaxies are known to be strongly magnetized. To explore the effects of magnetic fields on star formation in these rings and nuclear gas flows, we run magnetohydrodynamic simulations in which there is a temporally constant magnetized inflow to the ring, representing a bar-driven inflow. The mass inflow rate is 1M ⊙ yr –1 , and we explore models with a range of field strength in the inflow. We adopt the TIGRESS framework developed by Kim & Ostriker to handle radiative heating and cooling, star formation, and resulting supernova (SN) feedback. We find that magnetic fields are efficiently amplified in the ring due to rotational shear and SN feedback. Within a few 100 Myr, the turbulent component Btrb in the ring saturates at ~35 μG (in rough equipartition with the turbulent kinetic energy density), while the regular component Breg exceeds 50 μG. Expanding superbubbles created by clustered SN explosions vertically drag predominantly toroidal fields from near the midplane to produce poloidal fields in high-altitude regions. The growth of magnetic fields greatly suppresses star formation at late times. Simultaneously, strong magnetic tension in the ring drives radially inward accretion flows from the ring to form a circumnuclear disk in the central region; this feature is absent in the unmagnetized model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1992

Star formation in protogalactic clouds

The physical processes determining the rate of star formation in protogalactic clouds and the resulting effects on the structure of the galaxies are examined with reference to analytical results and numerical simulations. For spheroidal systems, it is found that rapid star formation cannot be prevented once the density exceeds a typical value. The corresponding length scale is comparable to the length scales of spheroidal systems. The gas is converted into stars at a time scale of 2 Gyr or less, during which the total luminosity of the protogalaxy in ionizing photons is 10 exp 43-44 ergs/s, and the gas is enriched to solar abundance with a steep gradient. A simplistic analysis of the resulting stellar distribution finds that de Vaucouleurs profiles may naturally result. The Faber-Jackson relation is also found to follow naturally. The Fischer-Tully relation follows by an analysis similar to that used to derive the Faber-Jackson relation, provided that the peak rotational velocity is determined by the bulge mass.

Lin, Douglas N. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Star formation - The influence of velocity fields and turbulence

It is shown that the Jeans mass for gravitational collapse can be very much reduced by the influence velocity fields, even when allowance is made for non-isothermal gas behavior. We examine the role of turbulence in establishing the initial stellar mass function and show that the flattening and/or turnover at the low mass end may be a signature of interstellar turbulence. We consider also the implications of primordial turbulence for the formation of stars in the early universe.

Hunter, J. H., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Strong dependence of Type Ia supernova standardization on the local specific star formation rate

As part of an on-going effort to identify, understand and correct for astrophysics biases in the standardization of Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) for cosmology, we have statistically classified a large sample of nearby SNe Ia into those that are located in predominantly younger or older environments. This classification is based on the specific star formation rate measured within a projected distance of 1 kpc from each SN location (LsSFR). This is an important refinement compared to using the local star formation rate directly, as it provides a normalization for relative numbers of available SN progenitors and is more robust against extinction by dust. We find that the SNe Ia in predominantly younger environments are Δ Y = 0.163 ± 0.029 mag (5.7 σ ) fainter than those in predominantly older environments after conventional light-curve standardization. This is the strongest standardized SN Ia brightness systematic connected to the host-galaxy environment measured to date. The well-established step in standardized brightnesses between SNe Ia in hosts with lower or higher total stellar masses is smaller, at Δ M = 0.119 ± 0.032 mag (4.5 σ ), for the same set of SNe Ia. When fit simultaneously, the environment-age offset remains very significant, with Δ Y = 0.129 ± 0.032 mag (4.0 σ ), while the global stellar mass step is reduced to Δ M = 0.064 ± 0.029 mag (2.2 σ ). Thus, approximately 70% of the variance from the stellar mass step is due to an underlying dependence on environment-based progenitor age. Also, we verify that using the local star formation rate alone is not as powerful as LsSFR at sorting SNe Ia into brighter and fainter subsets. Standardization that only uses the SNe Ia in younger environments reduces the total dispersion from 0.142 ± 0.008 mag to 0.120 ± 0.010 mag. Overall, we show that as environment-ages evolve with redshift, a strong bias, especially on the measurement of the derivative of the dark energy equation of state, can develop. Fortunately, data that measure and correct for this effect using our local specific star formation rate indicator, are likely to be available for many next-generation SN Ia cosmology experiments.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1987

Nuclear star formation on 100 parsec scales: 10" resolution radio continuum, HI and CO observations

A program of radio line and continuum studies of star formation in nearby spiral galaxies is reported. The objective is a search for hot gas and peculiar dynamics in spiral nuclei with 10" to 30" angular resolution. Vigorous star formation is found to be a common phenomenon in the inner kpc of spirals. Arcsecond resolution observations of radio continuum emission at 6 and 2 cm were used to separate the thermal and nonthermal radio components. It was found that thermal and nonthermal emission are well mixed even on sizescales of 10 pc. To understand the reason for the increased level of star formation activity in spiral nuclei, HI and CO emission in these galaxies is studied. The CO transition was detected in M51, M82, NGC 253, NGC 6946 and IC 342 with T sub a approx. 0.5 to 2.0 K, at 20" angular resolution. The dynamics and spatial distribution of nuclear gas are being studied using VLA HI maps with 30" synthesized beams. Evidence for noncircular motions in HI was found in the nucleus of IC 342.

Turner, Jean L.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Directly Imaging Damped Ly-Alpha Galaxies at Redshifts Greater Than 2. III: The Star Formation Rates of Neutral Gas Reservoirs at Redshifts of Approximately 2.7

We present results from a survey designed to probe the star formation properties of 32 damped Ly alpha systems (DLAs) at redshifts of approximately 2.7. By using the "double-DLA" technique that eliminates the glare of the bright background quasars, we directly measure the rest-frame FUV flux from DLAs and their neighbouring galaxies. At the position of the absorbing gas, we place stringent constraints on the unobscured star formation rates (SFRs) of DLAs to 2 sigma limits of psi less than 0.09−0.27 solar mass yr(exp −1), corresponding to SFR surface densities sigma(sub sfr) less than 10(exp −2.6)−10(exp −1.5) solar mass yr(exp −1) kpc(exp −2). The implications of these limits for the star formation law, metal enrichment, and cooling rates of DLAs are examined. By studying the distribution of impact parameters as a function of SFRs for all the galaxies detected around these DLAs, we place new direct constraints on the bright end of the UV luminosity function of DLA hosts. We find that less than or equal to 13% of the hosts have psi greater than or equal to 2 solar mass yr(exp −1) at impact parameters b(sub dla) less than or equal to (psi/solar mass yr(exp −1))(exp 0.8) + 6 kpc, differently from current samples of confirmed DLA galaxies. Our observations also disfavor a scenario in which the majority of DLAs arise from bright LBGs at distances 20 less than or equal to b(sub dla) less than 100 kpc. These new findings corroborate a picture in which DLAs do not originate from highly star forming systems that are coincident with the absorbers, and instead suggest that DLAs are associated with faint, possibly isolated, star-forming galaxies. Potential shortcomings of this scenario and future strategies for further investigation are discussed.

Directly↗
NASA NTRS1992

Global star formation in the L1630 molecular cloud

The first systematic and coordinated surveys for both dense gas and young stellar objects within a single molecular cloud, the L1630 molecular cloud are compared. It is found that (1) star formation in the L1630 molecular cloud occurs almost exclusively within the dense gas; (2) star formation does not occur uniformly throughout the dense gas and is strongly favored in a few very massive dense cores, where efficient conversion of molecular gas into stars has resulted in the production of rich stellar clusters; and (3) high gas densities and high gas mass may be necessary but not sufficient conditions for the formation of star clusters since two of the five most massive dense cores in the cloud have very low levels of star formation activity.

Lada, Elizabeth A.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Some Like it Hot: Linking Diffuse X-Ray Luminosity, Baryonic Mass, and Star Formation Rate in Compact Groups of Galaxies

We present an analysis of the diffuse X-ray emission in 19 compact groups (CGs) of galaxies observed with Chandra. The hottest, most X-ray luminous CGs agree well with the galaxy cluster X-ray scaling relations in L(x-T) and (L(x-sigma), even in CGs where the hot gas is associated with only the brightest galaxy. Using Spitzer photometry, we compute stellar masses and classify Hickson CGs 19, 22, 40, and 42, and RSCGs 32, 44, and 86 as fossil groups using a new definition for fossil systems that includes a broader range of masses. We find that CGs with total stellar and Hi masses are great than or equal to 10(sup (11.3) solar mass are often X-ray luminous, while lower-mass CGs only sometimes exhibit faint, localized X-ray emission. Additionally, we compare the diffuse X-ray luminosity against both the total UV and 24 micron star formation rates of each CG and optical colors of the most massive galaxy in each of the CGs. The most X-ray luminous CGs have the lowest star formation rates, likely because there is no cold gas available for star formation, either because the majority of the baryons in these CGs are in stars or the X-ray halo, or due togas stripping from the galaxies in CGs with hot halos. Finally, the optical colors that trace recent star formation histories of the most massive group galaxies do not correlate with the X-ray luminosities of the CGs, indicating that perhaps the current state of the X-ray halos is independent of the recent history of stellar mass assembly in the most massive galaxies.

galaxies: groups: general aEuro" X-rays: galaxies↗