Search Results
Astraeus I: The interplay between galaxy formation and reionization
We introduce a new self-consistent model of galaxy evolution and reionization, ASTRAEUS (seminumerical rAdiative tranSfer coupling of galaxy formaTion and Reionization in N-body dArk mattEr simUlationS), which couples a state-of-the-art N-body simulation with the semi-analytical galaxy evolution DELPHI and the seminumerical reionization scheme CIFOG. ASTRAEUS includes all the key processes of galaxy formation and evolution (including accretion, mergers, supernova, and radiative feedback) and follows the time and spatial evolution of the ionized regions in the intergalactic medium (IGM). Importantly, it explores different radiative feedback models that cover the physically plausible parameter space, ranging from a weak and delayed to a strong and immediate reduction of gas mass available for star formation. From our simulation suite that covers the different radiative feedback prescriptions and ionization topologies, we find that radiative feedback continuously reduces star formation in galaxies with Mh ≲ 109.5 M☉ upon local reionization; larger mass haloes are unaffected even for the strongest and immediate radiative feedback cases during reionization. For this reason, the ionization topologies of different radiative feedback scenarios differ only on scales smaller than 1–2 comoving Mpc, and significant deviations are found only when physical parameters (e.g. the escape fraction of ionizing photons) are altered based on galactic properties. Finally, we find that observables (the ultraviolet luminosity function, stellar mass function, reionization histories and ionization topologies) are hardly affected by the choice of the used stellar population synthesis models that model either single stars or binaries.
Cross-checking SMBH mass estimates in NGC 6958-I. Stellar dynamics from adaptive optics-Assisted MUSE observations
Supermassive black hole masses ( M BH ) can dynamically be estimated with various methods and using different kinematic tracers. Different methods have only been cross-checked for a small number of galaxies and often show discrepancies. To understand these discrepancies, detailed cross-comparisons of additional galaxies are needed. We present the first part of our cross-comparison between stellar-And gas-based M BH estimates in the nearby fast-rotating early-Type galaxy NGC 6958. The measurements presented here are based on ground-layer adaptive optics-Assisted Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) science verification data at around 0 . 6 spatial resolution. The spatial resolution is a key ingredient for the measurement and we provide a Gaussian parametrization of the adaptive optics-Assisted point spread function for various wavelengths. From the MUSE data, we extracted the stellar kinematics and constructed dynamical models. Using an axisymmetric Schwarzschild technique, we measured an M BH of (3 . 6 + 2 . 7-2 . 4 ) × 10 8 M at 3 significance taking kinematical and dynamical systematics (e.g. radially varying mass-To-light ratio) into account. We also added a dark halo, but our data do not allow us to constrain the dark matter fraction. Adding dark matter with an abundance matching prior results in a 25 per cent more massive black hole. Jeans anisotropic models return M BH of (4 . 6 + 2 . 5-2 . 7 ) × 10 8 and (8 . 6 + 0 . 8-0 . 8 ) × 10 8 M at 3 confidence for spherical and cylindrical alignments of the velocity ellipsoid, respectively. In a follow-up study, we will compare the stellar-based M BH with those from cold and warm gas tracers, which will provide additional constraints for the M BH for NGC 6958, and insights into assumptions that lead to potential systematic uncertainty.
The SEDIGISM survey: first data release and overview of the Galactic structure
The SEDIGISM (Structure, Excitation and Dynamics of the Inner Galactic Interstellar Medium) survey used the APEX telescope to map 84 deg2 of the Galactic plane between ℓ = −60° and +31° in several molecular transitions, including 13CO (2 – 1) and C18O (2 – 1), thus probing the moderately dense (∼103 cm−3) component of the interstellar medium. With an angular resolution of 30 arcsec and a typical 1σ sensitivity of 0.8–1.0 K at 0.25 km s−1 velocity resolution, it gives access to a wide range of structures, from individual star-forming clumps to giant molecular clouds and complexes. The coverage includes a good fraction of the first and fourth Galactic quadrants, allowing us to constrain the large-scale distribution of cold molecular gas in the inner Galaxy. In this paper, we provide an updated overview of the full survey and the data reduction procedures used. We also assess the quality of these data and describe the data products that are being made publicly available as part of this First Data Release (DR1). We present integrated maps and position–velocity maps of the molecular gas and use these to investigate the correlation between the molecular gas and the large-scale structural features of the Milky Way such as the spiral arms, Galactic bar and Galactic Centre. We find that approximately 60 per cent of the molecular gas is associated with the spiral arms and these appear as strong intensity peaks in the derived Galactocentric distribution. We also find strong peaks in intensity at specific longitudes that correspond to the Galactic Centre and well-known star-forming complexes, revealing that the 13CO emission is concentrated in a small number of complexes rather than evenly distributed along spiral arms.
Elevated ionizing photon production efficiency in faint high-equivalent-width Lyman-α emitters
While low-luminosity galaxies dominate number counts at all redshifts, their contribution to cosmic reionization is poorly understood due to a lack of knowledge of their physical properties. We isolate a sample of 35 z ≈ 4–5 continuum-faint Lyman-α emitters from deep VLT/MUSE spectroscopy and directly measure their H α emission using stacked Spitzer/IRAC Ch. 1 photometry. Based on Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we determine that the average UV continuum magnitude is fainter than −16 (≈ 0.01 L*), implying a median Lyman-α equivalent width of 259 Å. By combining the H α measurement with the UV magnitude, we determine the ionizing photon production efficiency, ξion, a first for such faint galaxies. The measurement of log10 (ξion [Hz erg−1]) = 26.28 (+−002840) is in excess of literature measurements of both continuum- and emission line-selected samples, implying a more efficient production of ionizing photons in these lower luminosity, Lyman-α-selected systems. We conclude that this elevated efficiency can be explained by stellar populations with metallicities between 4 × 10−4 and 0.008, with light-weighted ages less than 3 Myr.
On the absence of backsplash analogues to NGC 3109 in the ΛcDM framework
The dwarf galaxy NGC 3109 is receding 105 km s-1 faster than expected in a Lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM) timing argument analysis of the Local Group and external galaxy groups within 8 Mpc. If this few-body model accurately represents long-range interactions in ΛCDM, this high velocity suggests that NGC 3109 is a backsplash galaxy that was once within the virial radius of the Milky Way and was slingshot out of it. Here, we use the Illustris TNG300 cosmological hydrodynamical simulation and its merger tree to identify backsplash galaxies. We find that backsplashers as massive (≥4.0 × 1010 M⊙) and distant (≥1.2 Mpc) as NGC 3109 are extremely rare, with none having also gained energy during the interaction with their previous host. This is likely due to dynamical friction. Since we identified 13 225 host galaxies similar to the Milky Way or M31, we conclude that postulating NGC 3109 to be a backsplash galaxy causes >3.96σ tension with the expected distribution of backsplashers in ΛCDM. We show that the dark matter only version of TNG300 yields much the same result, demonstrating its robustness to how the baryonic physics is modelled. If instead NGC 3109 is not a backsplasher, consistency with ΛCDM would require the 3D timing argument analysis to be off by 105 km s-1 for this rather isolated dwarf, which we argue is unlikely. We discuss a possible alternative scenario for NGC 3109 and the Local Group satellite planes in the context of MOND, where the Milky Way and M31 had a past close flyby 7-10 Gyr ago.
Astraeus - III. The environment and physical properties of reionization sources
In this work, we use the ASTRAEUS (seminumerical rAdiative tranSfer coupling of galaxy formaTion and Reionization in Nbody dArk mattEr simUlationS) framework that couples galaxy formation and reionization in the first billion years. Exploring a number of models for reionization feedback and the escape fraction of ionizing radiation from the galactic environment (fesc), we quantify how the contribution of star-forming galaxies (with halo masses Mh > 108.2 M☉) to reionization depends on the radiative feedback model, fesc, and the environmental overdensity. Our key findings are: (i) for constant fesc models, intermediate-mass galaxies (with halo masses of Mh ≃ 109−11 M☉ and absolute UV magnitudes of MUV ∼ −15 to −20) in intermediate-density regions (with overdensity log10(1 + δ) ∼ 0−0.8 on a 2 comoving Mpc spatial scale) drive reionization; (ii) scenarios where fesc increases with decreasing halo mass shift, the galaxy population driving reionization to lower mass galaxies (Mh ≲ 109.5 M☉) with lower luminosities (MUV ≳ −16) and overdensities [log10(1 + δ) ∼ 0−0.5 on a 2 comoving Mpc spatial scale]; (iii) reionization imprints its topology on the ionizing emissivity of low-mass galaxies (Mh ≲ 109 M☉] through radiative feedback. Low-mass galaxies experience a stronger suppression of star formation by radiative feedback and show lower ionizing emissivities in overdense regions; (iv) a change in fesc with galaxy properties has the largest impact on the sources of reionization and their detectability, with the radiative feedback strength and environmental overdensity playing a sub-dominant role; (v) James Webb Space Telescope-surveys (with a limiting magnitude of MUV = −16) will be able to detect the galaxies providing ∼60−70 per cent (∼10 per cent) of reionization photons at z = 7 for constant fesc models (scenarios where fesc increases with decreasing halo mass).
Astraeus - VI. Hierarchical assembly of AGN and their large-scale effect during the Epoch of Reionization
In this work, the sixth of a series, we use the seminumerical rAdiative tranSfer coupling of galaxy formaTion and Reionization in N-body dark-matter simUlationS (ASTRAEUS) framework to investigate the nature of the sources that reionized the Universe. We extend ASTRAEUS, which already couples a galaxy formation semi-analytical model with a detailed seminumerical reionization scheme, to include a model for black-hole formation, growth, and the production of ionizing radiation from associated active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We calibrate our fiducial AGN model to reproduce the bolometric luminosity function at z ≃ 5, and explore the role of the resulting AGN population in reionizing the Universe. We find that in all the models yielding a reasonable AGN luminosity function, galaxies dominate overwhelmingly the ionizing budget during the Epoch of Reionization, with AGN accounting for 1-10 per cent of the ionizing budget at z = 6 and starting to play a role only below z ≾ 5.