Cosmic Star Formation Rate Density Research Articles

The Cosmic Merger Rate Density Evolution of Compact Binaries Formed in Young Star Clusters and in Isolated Binaries

Abstract Next generation ground-based gravitational-wave detectors will observe binary black hole (BBH) mergers up to redshift , probing the evolution of compact binary (CB) mergers across cosmic time. Here, we present a new data-driven model to estimate the cosmic merger rate density (MRD) evolution of CBs, by coupling catalogs of CB mergers with observational constraints on the cosmic star formation rate (SFR) density and on the metallicity evolution of the universe. We adopt catalogs of CB mergers derived from recent N-body and population-synthesis simulations, to describe the MRD of CBs formed in young star clusters (hereafter, dynamical CBs) and in the field (hereafter, isolated CBs). The local MRD of dynamical BBHs is Gpc−3 yr−1, consistent with the 90% credible interval from the first and second observing runs (O1 and O2) of the LIGO–Virgo collaboration, and with the local MRD of isolated BBHs ( Gpc−3 yr−1). The local MRD of dynamical and isolated black hole–neutron star binaries is and Gpc−3 yr−1, respectively. Both values are consistent with the upper limit inferred from O1 and O2. Finally, the local MRD of dynamical binary neutron stars (BNSs, Gpc−3 yr−1) is a factor of two lower than the local MRD of isolated BNSs ( Gpc−3 yr−1). The MRD for all CB classes grows with redshift, reaching its maximum at , and then decreases. This trend springs from the interplay between cosmic SFR, metallicity evolution, and delay time of binary compact objects.

ALMA twenty-six arcmin2 survey of GOODS-S at one millimeter (ASAGAO): Millimeter properties of stellar mass selected galaxies

Abstract We make use of the ALMA twenty-Six Arcmin2 survey of GOODS-S At One-millimeter (ASAGAO), deep 1.2 mm continuum observations of a 26-arcmin2 region in the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey-South (GOODS-S) obtained with Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA), to probe dust-enshrouded star formation in K-band selected (i.e., stellar mass selected) galaxies, which are drawn from the FourStar Galaxy Evolution Survey (ZFOURGE) catalog. Based on the ASAGAO combined map, which was created by combining ASAGAO and ALMA archival data in the GOODS-South field, we find that 24 ZFOURGE sources have 1.2 mm counterparts with a signal-to-noise ratio >4.5 (1σ ≃ 30–70 μJy beam−1 at 1.2 mm). Their median redshift is estimated to be $z$median = 2.38 ± 0.14. They generally follow the tight relationship of the stellar mass versus star formation rate (i.e., the main sequence of star-forming galaxies). ALMA-detected ZFOURGE sources exhibit systematically larger infrared (IR) excess (IRX ≡ LIR/LUV) compared to ZFOURGE galaxies without ALMA detections even though they have similar redshifts, stellar masses, and star formation rates. This implies the consensus stellar-mass versus IRX relation, which is known to be tight among rest-frame-ultraviolet-selected galaxies, cannot fully predict the ALMA detectability of stellar-mass-selected galaxies. We find that ALMA-detected ZFOURGE sources are the main contributors to the cosmic IR star formation rate density at $z$ = 2–3.

A New Census of the 0.2 < z < 3.0 Universe. I. The Stellar Mass Function

Abstract There has been a long-standing factor-of-two tension between the observed star formation rate density and the observed stellar mass buildup after z ∼ 2. Recently, we have proposed that sophisticated panchromatic SED models can resolve this tension, as these methods infer systematically higher masses and lower star formation rates than standard approaches. In a series of papers, we now extend this analysis and present a complete, self-consistent census of galaxy formation over 0.2 < z < 3 inferred with the Prospector galaxy SED-fitting code. In this work, Paper I, we present the evolution of the galaxy stellar mass function using new mass measurements of ∼105 galaxies in the 3D-HST and COSMOS-2015 surveys. We employ a new methodology to infer the mass function from the observed stellar masses: instead of fitting independent mass functions in a series of fixed redshift intervals, we construct a continuity model that directly fits for the redshift evolution of the mass function. This approach ensures a smooth picture of galaxy assembly and makes use of the full, non-Gaussian uncertainty contours in our stellar mass inferences. The resulting mass function has higher number densities at a fixed stellar mass than almost any other measurement in the literature, largely owing to the older stellar ages inferred by Prospector. The stellar mass density is ∼50% higher than previous measurements, with the offset peaking at z ∼ 1. The next two papers in this series will present the new measurements of the star-forming main sequence and the cosmic star formation rate density, respectively.

Revising Natal Kick Prescriptions in Population Synthesis Simulations

Abstract Natal kicks are a matter of debate and they significantly affect the merger rate density of compact objects. Here, we present a new simple formalism for natal kicks of neutron stars (NSs) and black holes (BHs). We describe the magnitude of the kick as , where f H05 is a normalization factor, drawn from a Maxwellian distribution with one-dimensional rms velocity σ = 265 km s−1, m ej is the mass of the supernova (SN) ejecta, and m rem is the mass of the compact object. This formalism matches the proper motions of young Galactic pulsars and can naturally account for the differences between core-collapse SNe of single stars, electron-capture SNe and ultra-stripped SNe occurring in interacting binaries. Finally, we use our new kick formalism to estimate the local merger rate density of binary NSs (R BNS), BH–NS binaries (R BHNS), and binary BHs (R BBH), based on the cosmic star formation rate density and metallicity evolution. In our fiducial model, we find R BNS ∼ 600 Gpc−3 yr−1, R BHNS ∼ 10 Gpc−3 yr−1, and R BBH ∼ 50 Gpc−3 yr−1, fairly consistent with the numbers inferred from the LIGO–Virgo collaboration.

Understanding galaxy formation and evolution through an all-sky submillimetre spectroscopic survey

Abstract We illustrate the extraordinary discovery potential for extragalactic astrophysics of a far-infrared/submillimetre (far-IR/submm) all-sky spectroscopic survey with a 3-m-class space telescope. Spectroscopy provides a three-dimensional view of the Universe and allows us to take full advantage of the sensitivity of present-day instrumentation, close to fundamental limits, overcoming the spatial confusion that affects broadband far-IR/submm surveys. A space telescope of the 3-m class (which has already been described in recent papers) will detect emission lines powered by star formation in galaxies out to $z\,{\simeq}\,8$ . It will specifically provide measurements of spectroscopic redshifts, star-formation rates (SFRs), dust masses, and metal content for millions of galaxies at the peak epoch of cosmic star formation and of hundreds of them at the epoch of reionisation. Many of these star-forming galaxies will be strongly lensed; the brightness amplification and stretching of their sizes will make it possible to investigate (by means of follow-up observations with high-resolution instruments like ALMA, JWST, and SKA) their internal structure and dynamics on the scales of giant molecular clouds (40–100 pc). This will provide direct information on the physics driving the evolution of star-forming galaxies. Furthermore, the arcmin resolution of the telescope at submm wavelengths is ideal for detecting the cores of galaxy proto-clusters, out to the epoch of reionisation. Due to the integrated emission of member galaxies, such objects (as well as strongly lensed sources) will dominate at the highest apparent far-IR luminosities. Tens of millions of these galaxy-clusters-in-formation will be detected at $z \simeq 2 - 3$ –3, with a tail extending out to $z\,{\simeq}\,7$ , and thousands of detections at $6\,{<}\,z\,{<}\,7$ . Their study will allow us to track the growth of the most massive halos well beyond what is possible with classical cluster surveys (mostly limited to $z\,\lesssim\, 1.5 - 2$ –2), tracing the history of star formation in dense environments and teaching us how star formation and galaxy-cluster formation are related across all epochs. The obscured cosmic SFR density of the Universe will thereby be constrained. Such a survey will overcome the current lack of spectroscopic redshifts of dusty star-forming galaxies and galaxy proto-clusters, representing a quantum leap in far-IR/submm extragalactic astrophysics.

How feedback shapes galaxies: an analytic model

ABSTRACT We introduce a simple analytic model of galaxy formation that links the growth of dark matter haloes in a cosmological background to the build-up of stellar mass within them. The model aims to identify the physical processes that drive the galaxy-halo co-evolution through cosmic time. The model restricts the role of baryonic astrophysics to setting the relation between galaxies and their haloes. Using this approach, galaxy properties can be directly predicted from the growth of their host dark matter haloes. We explore models in which the effective star formation efficiency within haloes is a function of mass (or virial temperature) and independent of time. Despite its simplicity, the model reproduces self-consistently the shape and evolution of the cosmic star formation rate density, the specific star formation rate of galaxies, and the galaxy stellar mass function, both at the present time and at high redshifts. By systematically varying the effective star formation efficiency in the model, we explore the emergence of the characteristic shape of the galaxy stellar mass function. The origin of the observed double Schechter function at low redshifts is naturally explained by two efficiency regimes in the stellar to halo mass relation, namely, a stellar feedback regulated stage, and a supermassive black hole regulated stage. By providing a set of analytic differential equations, the model can be easily extended and inverted, allowing the roles and impact of astrophysics and cosmology to be explored and understood.

Spatially resolved stellar mass buildup and quenching in massive disk galaxies over the last 10 Gyr revealed with spatially resolved SED fitting

AbstractDespite decreasing cosmic star formation rate density over the last 10 Gyr, the stellar mass (M*) buildups in galaxies were still progressing during this epoch. About 50% of the current M* density in the universe was built over the last ∼8.7 Gyr. In this research, we investigated the stellar mass buildup and quenching of spatially resolved regions within massive disk galaxies over the last 10 Gyr. We apply the spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting method to SEDs of sub-galactic regions in galaxies to derive the spatially resolved distributions of SFR and M* in the galaxies. This namely pixel-to-pixel SED fitting method is applied to massive disk galaxies at 0.01 < z < 0.02 and 0.8 < z < 1.8. We found that massive disk galaxies tend to build their M* and quench their star formation progressively from the central region to the outskirts, i.e. inside-out stellar mass buildup and quenching.

The Evolution of Baryonic Mass Function of Galaxies to z = 3

Abstract We combine the published stellar mass function (SMF) and gas scaling relations to explore the baryonic (stellar plus cold gas) mass function (BMF) of galaxies to redshift z = 3. We find evidence that at log(M baryon/M ☉) > 11.3, the BMF has evolved little since z ∼ 2.2. With the evolution of BMF and SMF, we investigate the baryon net accretion rate ( ) and stellar mass growth rate ( ) for the galaxy population of log(M star/M ☉) > 10. The ratio between these two quantities, / , decreases from / at z ∼ 2.5 to / at z ∼ 0.5, suggesting that massive galaxies are transforming from the “accretion-dominated” phase to the “depletion-dominated” phase from high-z to low-z. The transition of these two phases occurs at z ∼ 1.5, which is consistent with the onset redshift of the decline of cosmic star formation rate density (CSFD). This provides evidence to support the idea that the decline of CSFD since z ∼ 1.5 mainly results from the decline of baryon net accretion rate and star formation quenching in galaxies.

Discovery of a Dark, Massive, ALMA-only Galaxy at z ∼ 5–6 in a Tiny 3 mm Survey

Abstract We report the serendipitous detection of two 3 mm continuum sources found in deep ALMA Band 3 observations to study intermediate-redshift galaxies in the COSMOS field. One is near a foreground galaxy at 1.″3, but is a previously unknown dust-obscured star-forming galaxy (DSFG) at probable z CO = 3.329, illustrating the risk of misidentifying shorter wavelength counterparts. The optical-to-millimeter spectral energy distribution (SED) favors a gray λ −0.4 attenuation curve and results in significantly larger stellar mass and SFR compared to a Calzetti starburst law, suggesting caution when relating progenitors and descendants based on these quantities. The other source is missing from all previous optical/near-infrared/submillimeter/radio catalogs (“ALMA-only”), and remains undetected even in stacked ultradeep optical (>29.6 AB) and near-infrared (>27.9 AB) images. Using the ALMA position as a prior reveals faint signal-to-noise ratio ∼ 3 measurements in stacked IRAC 3.6+4.5, ultradeep SCUBA2 850 μm, and VLA 3 GHz, indicating the source is real. The SED is robustly reproduced by a massive M* = 1010.8 M ⊙ and M gas = 1011 M ⊙, highly obscured A V ∼ 4, star-forming SFR ∼ 300 M ⊙ yr−1 galaxy at redshift z = 5.5 ± 1.1. The ultrasmall 8 arcmin2 survey area implies a large yet uncertain contribution to the cosmic star formation rate density CSFRD(z = 5) ∼ 0.9 × 10−2 M ⊙ yr−1 Mpc−3, comparable to all ultraviolet-selected galaxies combined. These results indicate the existence of a prominent population of DSFGs at z > 4, below the typical detection limit of bright galaxies found in single-dish submillimeter surveys, but with larger space densities ∼3 × 10−5 Mpc−3, higher duty cycles of 50%–100%, contributing more to the CSFRD, and potentially dominating the high-mass galaxy stellar mass function.

SCUBA-2 observations of candidate starbursting protoclusters selected by Planck and Herschel-SPIRE

ABSTRACT We present SCUBA-2 850 $\mathrm{ \mu}$m observations of 13 candidate starbursting protoclusters selected using Planck and Herschel data. The cumulative number counts of the 850 $\mathrm{ \mu}$m sources in 9 of 13 of these candidate protoclusters show significant overdensities compared to the field, with the probability <10−2 assuming the sources are randomly distributed in the sky. Using the 250, 350, 500, and 850 $\mathrm{ \mu}$m flux densities, we estimate the photometric redshifts of individual SCUBA-2 sources by fitting spectral energy distribution templates with an MCMC method. The photometric redshift distribution, peaking at 2 < z < 3, is consistent with that of known z > 2 protoclusters and the peak of the cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD). We find that the 850 $\mathrm{ \mu}$m sources in our candidate protoclusters have infrared luminosities of $L_{\mathrm{IR}}\gtrsim 10^{12}\, \mathrm{L}_{\odot }$ and star formation rates of SFR = (500–1500) M⊙ yr−1. By comparing with results in the literature considering only Herschel photometry, we conclude that our 13 candidate protoclusters can be categorized into four groups: six of them being high-redshift starbursting protoclusters, one being a lower redshift cluster or protocluster, three being protoclusters that contain lensed dusty star-forming galaxies or are rich in 850 $\mathrm{ \mu}$m sources, and three regions without significant Herschel or SCUBA-2 source overdensities. The total SFRs of the candidate protoclusters are found to be comparable or higher than those of known protoclusters, suggesting our sample contains some of the most extreme protocluster population. We infer that cross-matching Planck and Herschel data is a robust method for selecting candidate protoclusters with overdensities of 850 $\mathrm{ \mu}$m sources.

The ALMA Spectroscopic Survey in the HUDF: CO Luminosity Functions and the Molecular Gas Content of Galaxies through Cosmic History

Abstract We use the results from the ALMA large program ASPECS, the spectroscopic survey in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF), to constrain CO luminosity functions of galaxies and the resulting redshift evolution of ρ(H2). The broad frequency range covered enables us to identify CO emission lines of different rotational transitions in the HUDF at z > 1. We find strong evidence that the CO luminosity function evolves with redshift, with the knee of the CO luminosity function decreasing in luminosity by an order of magnitude from ∼2 to the local universe. Based on Schechter fits, we estimate that our observations recover the majority (up to ∼90%, depending on the assumptions on the faint end) of the total cosmic CO luminosity at z = 1.0–3.1. After correcting for CO excitation, and adopting a Galactic CO-to-H2 conversion factor, we constrain the evolution of the cosmic molecular gas density ρ(H2): this cosmic gas density peaks at z ∼ 1.5 and drops by a factor of to the value measured locally. The observed evolution in ρ(H2), therefore, closely matches the evolution of the cosmic star formation rate density ρ SFR. We verify the robustness of our result with respect to assumptions on source inclusion and/or CO excitation. As the cosmic star formation history can be expressed as the product of the star formation efficiency and the cosmic density of molecular gas, the similar evolution of ρ(H2) and ρ SFR leaves only little room for a significant evolution of the average star formation efficiency in galaxies since z ∼ 3 (85% of cosmic history).

Merging Rates of Compact Binaries in Galaxies: Perspectives for Gravitational Wave Detections

Abstract We investigate the merging rates of compact binaries in galaxies and the related detection rate of gravitational wave (GW) events with AdvLIGO/Virgo and with the Einstein Telescope. To this purpose, we rely on three basic ingredients: (i) the redshift-dependent galaxy statistics provided by the latest determination of the star formation rate functions from UV+far-IR/(sub)millimeter/radio data; (ii) star formation and chemical enrichment histories for individual galaxies, modeled on the basis of observations; and (iii) compact remnant mass distribution and prescriptions for merging of compact binaries from stellar evolution simulations. We present results for the intrinsic birth rate of compact remnants, the merging rates of compact binaries, GW detection rates, and GW counts, attempting to differentiate the outcomes among black hole–black hole, neutron star–neutron star, and black hole–neutron star mergers and to estimate their occurrence in disk and spheroidal host galaxies. We compare our approach with the one based on cosmic star formation rate density and cosmic metallicity, exploited by many literature studies; the merging rates from the two approaches are in agreement within the overall astrophysical uncertainties. We also investigate the effects of galaxy-scale strong gravitational lensing of GW in enhancing the rate of detectable events toward high redshift. Finally, we discuss the contribution of undetected GW emission from compact binary mergers to the stochastic background.

Dark-age reionization and galaxy formation simulation – XIX. Predictions of infrared excess and cosmic star formation rate density from UV observations

ABSTRACT We present a new analysis of high-redshift UV observations using a semi-analytic galaxy formation model, and provide self-consistent predictions of the infrared excess (IRX)–β relations and cosmic star formation rate density. We combine the Charlot & Fall dust attenuation model with the meraxes semi-analytic model, and explore three different parametrizations for the dust optical depths, linked to star formation rate, dust-to-gas ratio, and gas column density, respectively. A Bayesian approach is employed to statistically calibrate model-free parameters including star formation efficiency, mass loading factor, dust optical depths, and reddening slope directly against UV luminosity functions and colour–magnitude relations at $z$ ∼ 4–7. The best-fitting models show excellent agreement with the observations. We calculate IRX using energy balance arguments and find that the large intrinsic scatter in the IRX–β plane correlates with specific star formation rate. Additionally, the difference among the three dust models suggests at least a factor of 2 systematic uncertainty in the dust-corrected star formation rate when using the Meurer IRX–β relation at $z$ ≳ 4.

Metallicity of stars formed throughout the cosmic history based on the observational properties of star-forming galaxies

ABSTRACT Metallicity is one of the crucial factors that determine stellar evolution. To characterize the properties of stellar populations one needs to know the fraction of stars forming at different metallicities. Knowing how this fraction evolves over time is necessary e.g. to estimate the rates of occurrence of any stellar evolution related phenomena (e.g. double compact object mergers, gamma-ray bursts). Such theoretical estimates can be confronted with observational limits to validate the assumptions about the evolution of the progenitor system leading to a certain transient. However, to perform the comparison correctly one needs to know the uncertainties related to the assumed star formation history and chemical evolution of the Universe. We combine the empirical scaling relations and other observational properties of the star-forming galaxies to construct the distribution of the cosmic star formation rate density at different metallicities and redshifts. We address the question of uncertainty of this distribution due to currently unresolved questions, such as the absolute metallicity scale, the flattening in the star formation−mass relation or the low-mass end of the galaxy mass function. We find that the fraction of stellar mass formed at metallicities <10 per cent solar (>solar) since z = 3 varies by ∼18 per cent (∼26 per cent) between the extreme cases considered in our study. This uncertainty stems primarily from the differences in the mass–metallicity relations obtained with different methods. We confront our results with the local core-collapse supernovae observations. Our model is publicly available.

Simulating the effect of photoheating feedback during reionization

Abstract We present self-consistent radiation hydrodynamic simulations of hydrogen reionization performed with arepo-rt complemented by a state-of-the-art galaxy formation model. We examine how photoheating feedback, due to reionization, shapes the galaxies properties. Our fiducial model completes reionization by z ≈ 6 and matches observations of the Ly α forest, the cosmic microwave background electron scattering optical depth, the high-redshift ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function, and stellar mass function. Contrary to previous works, photoheating suppresses star formation rates by more than $50{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ only in haloes less massive than ∼108.4 M⊙ (∼108.8 M⊙) at z = 6 (z = 5), suggesting inefficient photoheating feedback from photons within galaxies. The use of a uniform UV background that heats up the gas at z ≈ 10.7 generates an earlier onset of suppression of star formation compared to our fiducial model. This discrepancy can be mitigated by adopting a UV background model with a more realistic reionization history. In the absence of stellar feedback, photoheating alone is only able to quench haloes less massive than ∼109 M⊙ at z ≳ 5, implying that photoheating feedback is sub-dominant in regulating star formation. In addition, stellar feedback, implemented as a non-local galactic wind scheme in the simulations, weakens the strength of photoheating feedback by reducing the amount of stellar sources. Most importantly, photoheating does not leave observable imprints in the UV luminosity function, stellar mass function, or the cosmic star formation rate density. The feasibility of using these observables to detect imprints of reionization therefore requires further investigation.

ALMA 26 arcmin2 Survey of GOODS-S at 1 mm (ASAGAO): Near-infrared-dark Faint ALMA Sources

Abstract We report detections of two 1.2 mm continuum sources (S 1.2 mm ∼ 0.6 mJy) without any counterparts in the deep H- and/or K-band image (i.e., K-band magnitude ≳26 mag). These near-infrared-dark faint millimeter sources are uncovered by ASAGAO, a deep and wide-field (≃26 arcmin2) Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 1.2 mm survey. One has a red IRAC (3.6 and 4.5 μm) counterpart, and the other has been independently detected at 850 and 870 μm using SCUBA2 and ALMA Band 7, respectively. Their optical-to-radio spectral energy distributions indicate that they can lie at z ≳ 3–5 and can be in the early phase of massive galaxy formation. Their contribution to the cosmic star formation rate density is estimated to be ∼1 × 10−3 M ⊙ yr−1 Mpc−3 if they lie somewhere in the redshift range of z ∼ 3–5. This value can be consistent with, or greater than, that of bright submillimeter galaxies (S 870 μm > 4.2 mJy) at z ∼ 3–5. We also uncover three more candidate near-infrared-dark faint ALMA sources without any counterparts (S 1.2 mm ∼ 0.45–0.86 mJy). These results show that an unbiased ALMA survey can reveal the dust-obscured star formation activities, which were missed in previous deep optical/near-infrared surveys.

An older, more quiescent universe from panchromatic SED fitting of the 3D-HST survey

AbstractGalaxies are complicated physical systems which obey complex scaling relationships; as a result, properties measured from broadband photometry are often highly correlated, degenerate, or both. Therefore, the accuracy of basic properties like stellar masses and star formation rates (SFRs) depend on the accuracy of many second-order galaxy properties, including star formation histories (SFHs), stellar metallicities, dust properties, and many others. Here, we re-assess measurements of galaxy stellar masses and SFRs using a 14-parameter physical model built in the Prospector Bayesian inference framework. We find that galaxies are ∼0.2 dex more massive and have ∼0.2 dex lower star formation rates than classic measurements. These measurements lower the observed cosmic star formation rate density and increase the observed buildup of stellar mass, finally bringing these two metrics into agreement at the factor-of-two level at 0.5 < z < 2.5.

Star-formation efficiency at 600Myr of cosmic time

AbstractCurrent observations suggest an accelerated evolution of the cosmic star formation rate density for 8 < z < 10, indicating that galaxy assembly experienced an extremely intense phase during the first ∼600Myr years of cosmic time. We performed a systematic search of ultrabright star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 8 over the COSMOS/UltraVISTA survey, identifying 16 candidate Lyman-break galaxies. The still large uncertainties on the associated volume density do not yet allow us to ascertain whether a different star-formation efficiency (SFE) existed at early cosmic epochs. Leveraging the deepest Spitzer/IRAC data available from the GREATS program over the CANDELS/GOODS fields, we also constructed stacked SEDs of sub- L* LBGs at z ∼ 8. We find extreme nebular line emission (EW0 (Hα) ∼ 1000Å), high specific star-formation rates (∼10/Gyr) and indication of an inverse Balmer break. These results point toward very young ages (<100 Myr), and, combined with measurements at lower redshifts, that the SFE evolved only marginally during the first ∼1.5Gyr of cosmic history.

Serendipitous discovery of an “ALMA-only” galaxy at 5 < z < 6 in an ALMA 3-mm survey

AbstractWe discuss the serendipitous discovery of a dusty high-redshift galaxy in a small (8 arcmin2) ALMA 3-mm survey Williams et al. (2019). The galaxy was previously unknown and is absent from existing multi-wavelength catalogs (“ALMA-only”). Using the ALMA position as prior, we perform forced deblended photometry to constrain its spectral energy distribution. The spectral energy distribution is well described by a massive (M* = 1010.8 M⊙) and highly obscured (AV ∼ 4) galaxy at redshift z = 5.5 ± 1.1 with star formation rate ∼ 300 M⊙yr−1. Our small survey area implies an uncertain but large contribution to the cosmic star formation rate density, similar to the contribution from all ultraviolet-selected galaxies combined at this redshift. This galaxy likely traces an abundant population of massive galaxies absent from current samples of infrared-selected or sub-millimeter galaxies, but with larger space densities, higher duty cycles, and significant contribution to the cosmic star-formation rate and stellar mass densities.

An Older, More Quiescent Universe from Panchromatic SED Fitting of the 3D-HST Survey

Abstract Galaxy observations are influenced by many physical parameters: stellar masses, star formation rates (SFRs), star formation histories (SFHs), metallicities, dust, black hole activity, and more. As a result, inferring accurate physical parameters requires high-dimensional models that capture or marginalize over this complexity. Here we reassess inferences of galaxy stellar masses and SFRs using the 14-parameter physical model Prospector- α built in the Prospector Bayesian inference framework. We fit the photometry of 58,461 galaxies from the 3D-HST catalogs at 0.5 < z < 2.5. The resulting stellar masses are ∼0.1–0.3 dex larger than the fiducial masses while remaining consistent with dynamical constraints. This change is primarily due to the systematically older SFHs inferred with Prospector. The SFRs are ∼0.1–1+ dex lower than UV+IR SFRs, with the largest offsets caused by emission from “old” (t > 100 Myr) stars. These new inferences lower the observed cosmic SFR density by ∼0.2 dex and increase the observed stellar mass growth by ∼0.1 dex, finally bringing these two quantities into agreement and implying an older, more quiescent universe than found by previous studies at these redshifts. We corroborate these results by showing that the Prospector- α SFHs are both more physically realistic and much better predictors of the evolution of the stellar mass function. Finally, we highlight examples of observational data that can break degeneracies in the current model; these observations can be incorporated into priors in future models to produce new and more accurate physical parameters.