Faint End Of Luminosity Function Research Articles

The imprint of the first stars on the faint end of the white dwarf luminosity function

ABSTRACT Population III stars are characterized by extremely low metallicities as they are thought to be formed from a pristine gas in the early Universe. Although the existence of Population III stars is widely accepted, the lack of direct observational evidence hampers the study of the nature of the putative stars. In this article, we explore the possibilities of constraining the nature of the oldest stars by using the luminosity function of their remnants – white dwarfs. We study the formation and evolution of white dwarf populations by following star formation in a Milky Way-like galaxy using the semi-analytic model a-sloth. We derive the white dwarf luminosity function by applying a linear initial-final mass relation and Mestel’s cooling model. The obtained luminosity function is generally in agreement with available observations and theoretical predictions – with an exponential increase to a maximum of $M_{\mathrm{abs}} = 16$ and a sudden drop for $M_{\mathrm{abs}} \gt 16$. We explore the uncertainties of our model and compare them to the observational estimates. We adopt two different models of the initial mass function of Population III stars to show that the faint end of the luminosity function imprints the signature of Population III remnants. If the feature is detected in future observations, it would provide a clue to Population III stars and would also be an indirect evidence of low- to intermediate-mass Population III stars. We discuss the challenges and prospects for detecting the signatures.

Thesan-hr: galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization in warm dark matter, fuzzy dark matter, and interacting dark matter

ABSTRACT Using high-resolution cosmological radiation-hydrodynamic (RHD) simulations (thesan-hr), we explore the impact of alternative dark matter (altDM) models on galaxies during the Epoch of Reionization. The simulations adopt the IllustrisTNG galaxy formation model. We focus on altDM models that exhibit small-scale suppression of the matter power spectrum, namely warm dark matter (WDM), fuzzy dark matter (FDM), and interacting dark matter (IDM) with strong dark acoustic oscillations (sDAO). In altDM scenarios, both the halo mass functions and the ultraviolet luminosity functions at z ≳ 6 are suppressed at the low-mass/faint end, leading to delayed global star formation and reionization histories. However, strong non-linear effects enable altDM models to ‘catch up’ with cold dark matter (CDM) in terms of star formation and reionization. The specific star formation rates are enhanced in halos below the half-power mass in altDM models. This enhancement coincides with increased gas abundance, reduced gas depletion times, more compact galaxy sizes, and steeper metallicity gradients at the outskirts of the galaxies. These changes in galaxy properties can help disentangle altDM signatures from a range of astrophysical uncertainties. Meanwhile, it is the first time that altDM models have been studied in RHD simulations of galaxy formation. We uncover significant systematic uncertainties in reionization assumptions on the faint-end luminosity function. This underscores the necessity of accurately modeling the small-scale morphology of reionization in making predictions for the low-mass galaxy population. Upcoming James Webb Space Telescope imaging surveys of deep lensed fields hold potential for uncovering the faint low-mass galaxy population, which could provide constraints on altDM models.

Predictions for the abundance of high-redshift galaxies in a fuzzy dark matter universe

ABSTRACT During the last decades, rapid progress has been made in measurements of the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function (LF) for high-redshift galaxies (z ≥ 6). The faint-end of the galaxy LF at these redshifts provides powerful constraints on different dark matter (DM) models that suppress small-scale structure formation. In this work we perform full hydrodynamical cosmological simulations of galaxy formation using an alternative DM model composed of extremely light bosonic particles (m ∼ 10−22 eV), also known as fuzzy dark matter (FDM), and examine the predictions for the galaxy stellar mass function and LF at z ≥ 6 for a range of FDM masses. We find that for FDM models with bosonic mass m = 5 × 10−22 eV, the number density of galaxies with stellar mass $\rm M_* \sim 10^7 M_{\odot }$ is suppressed by $\sim 40\, {\rm per\, cent}$ at z = 9, $\sim 20\, {\rm per\, cent}$ at z = 5, and the UV LFs within magnitude range of −16 < MUV < −14 is suppressed by $\sim 60\, {\rm per\, cent}$ at z = 9, $\sim 20\, {\rm per\, cent}$ at z = 5 comparing to the cold dark matter counterpart simulation. Comparing our predictions with current measurements of the faint-end LFs (−18 ≤ MUV ≤ −14), we find that FDM models with m22 < 5 × 10−22 are ruled out at 3σ confidence level. We expect that future LF measurements by James Webb Space Telescope, which will extend down to MUV ∼ −13 for z ≲ 10, with a survey volume that is comparable to the Hubble Ultra Deep Field would have the capability to constrain FDM models to m ≳ 10−21 eV.

On the faint-end of the high-zgalaxy luminosity function

Recent measurements of the Luminosity Function (LF) of galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization (EoR, $z\gsim6$) indicate a very steep increase of the number density of low-mass galaxies populating the LF faint-end. However, as star formation in low-mass halos can be easily depressed or even quenched by ionizing radiation, a turnover is expected at some faint UV magnitudes. Using a physically-motivated analytical model, we quantify reionization feedback effects on the LF faint-end shape. We find that if reionization feedback is neglected, the power-law Schechter parameterization characterizing the LF faint-end remains valid up to absolute UV magnitude $\sim -9$. If instead radiative feedback is strong enough that quenches star formation in halos with circular velocity smaller than 50 km s$^{-1}$, the LF starts to drop at absolute UV magnitude $\sim -15$, i.e. slightly below the detection limits of current (unlensed) surveys at $z\sim5$. The LFs may rise again at higher absolute UV magnitude, where, as a result of interplay between reionization process and galaxy formation, most of the galaxy light is from relic stars formed before the EoR. We suggest that the galaxy number counts data, particularly in lensed fields, can put strong constraints on reionization feedback. In models with stronger reionization feedback, stars in galaxies with absolute UV magnitude higher than $\sim -13$ and smaller than $\sim - 8$ are typically older. Hence, the stellar age - UV magnitude relation can be used as an alternative feedback probe.

Deep spectroscopy of nearby galaxy clusters – I. Spectroscopic luminosity function of Abell 85

We present a new deep spectroscopic catalogue for Abell 85, within 3.0 $\times$ 2.6 Mpc$^2$ and down to $M_{r} \sim M_{r}^* +6$. Using the Visible Multi-Object Spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope (VIMOS@VLT) and the AutoFiber 2 at the William Herschel Telescope (AF2@WHT), we obtained almost 1,430 new redshifts for galaxies with $m_r \leq 21$ mag and $\langle \mu_{e,r} \rangle \leq 24$ mag arcsec$^{-2}$. These redshifts, together with SDSS-DR6 and NED spectroscopic information, result in 460 confirmed cluster members. This dataset allows the study of the luminosity function (LF) of the cluster galaxies covering three orders of magnitudes in luminosities. The total and radial LFs are best modelled by a double Schechter function. The normalized LFs show that their bright ($M_{r} \leq -21.5$) and faint ($M_{r}\geq -18.0$) ends are independent of clustercentric distance and similar to the field LFs unlike the intermediate luminosity range ($-21.5 \leq M_{r} \leq -18.0$). Similar results are found for the LFs of the dominant types of galaxies: red, passive, virialized and early-infall members. On the contrary, the LFs of blue, star forming, non-virialized and recent-infall galaxies are well described by a single Schechter function. These populations contribute to a small fraction of the galaxy density in the innermost cluster region. However, in the outskirts of the cluster, they have similar densities to red, passive, virialized and early-infall members at the LF faint end. These results confirm a clear dependence of the colour and star formation of Abell 85 members in the cluster centric distance.

THE VERY FAINT END OF THE UV LUMINOSITY FUNCTION OVER COSMIC TIME: CONSTRAINTS FROM THE LOCAL GROUP FOSSIL RECORD

We present a new technique to estimate the evolution of the very faint end of the UV luminosity function (LF) out to $z\sim5$. Measured star formation histories (SFHs) from the fossil record of Local Group galaxies are used to reconstruct the LF down to M$_{UV}\sim-5$ at $z\sim5$ and M$_{UV}\sim-1.5$ at $z<1$. Such faint limits are well beyond the current observational limits and are likely to remain beyond the limits of next generation facilities. The reconstructed LFs, when combined with direct measurements of the LFs at higher luminosity, are well-fit by a standard Schechter function with no evidence of a break to the faintest limits probed by this technique. The derived faint end slope, $\alpha$, steepens from $\approx-1.2$ at $z<1$ to $\approx-1.6$ at $4<z<5$. We test the effects of burstiness in the SFHs and find the recovered LFs to be only modestly affected. Incompleteness corrections for the faintest Local Group galaxies and the (unlikely) possibility of significant luminosity-dependent destruction of dwarf galaxies between high redshift and the present epoch are important uncertainties. These and other uncertainties can be mitigated with more detailed modeling and future observations. The reconstructed faint end LF from the fossil record can therefore be a powerful and complementary probe of the high redshift faint galaxies believed to play a key role in the reionization of the Universe.

The VIMOS-VLT Deep Survey

We have computed the evolution of the rest-frame B-band luminosity function (LF) for bulge and disk-dominated galaxies since z=1.2. We use a sample of 605 spectroscopic redshifts with I_{AB}<24 in the Chandra Deep Field South from the VIMOS-VLT Deep Survey, 3555 galaxies with photometric redshifts from the COMBO-17 multi-color data, coupled with multi-color HST/ACS images from the Great Observatories Origin Deep Survey. We split the sample in bulge- and disk-dominated populations on the basis of asymmetry and concentration parameters measured in the rest-frame B-band. We find that at z=0.4-0.8, the LF slope is significantly steeper for the disk-dominated population (\alpha=-1.19 \pm 0.07) compared to the bulge-dominated population (\alpha=-0.53 \pm 0.13). The LF of the bulge-dominated population is composed of two distinct populations separated in rest-frame color: 68% of red (B-I)_{AB}>0.9 and bright galaxies showing a strongly decreasing LF slope \alpha=+0.55 \pm 0.21, and 32% of blue (B-I)_{AB}<0.9 and more compact galaxies which populate the LF faint-end. We observe that red bulge-dominated galaxies are already well in place at z~1, but the volume density of this population is increasing by a factor 2.7 between z~1 and z~0.6. It may be related to the building-up of massive elliptical galaxies in the hierarchical scenario. In addition, we observe that the blue bulge-dominated population is dimming by 0.7 magnitude between z~1 and z~0.6. Galaxies in this faint and more compact population could possibly be the progenitors of the local dwarf spheroidal galaxies.

Securing the Faint End of the Galaxy Luminosity Function

AbstractThe history of the formation of galaxies must leave an imprint in the properties of the mass function of collapsed objects and in its observational manifestation, the galaxy luminosity function. At present the faint end of the luminosity function is poorly known. Accurate knowledge of the luminosity function over the full range of galaxy clustering scales would provide serious constraints on both initial cosmological conditions and modulating astrophysical processes.Wide field imaging surveys with large ground-based telescopes now provide the capability to identify dwarf galaxy candidates to very faint levels (μR ≈ 26 mag arcsec–2), too low in surface brightness for spectroscopy (measuring redshifts) even with telescopes like Keck. Other means have to be explored to get distance information for these candidates in order to separate cluster members from back/foreground systems beyond doubt. On the quest to establish the properties (slope and possible turning point) of the the faint end of the galaxy luminosity function we are employing the surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) method to determine adequate distances, potentially resulting in the best definition ever of the luminosity function to MR ≈ –11 in the cluster and group environments.

Faint Active Galactic Nuclei and the Ionizing Background

We determine the evolution of the faint, high-redshift, optical luminosity function (LF) of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) implied by several observationally motivated models of the ionizing background from 3 < z < 5. Our results depend crucially on whether we use the total ionizing rate measured by the proximity effect technique or the lower determination favored by the flux decrement distribution of Lyα forest lines. Assuming a faint-end LF slope of 1.58 and the SDSS estimates of the bright-end slope and normalization, we find that the LF must break at M = -24.2, -22.3, -20.8 at z = 3, 4, 5 if we adopt the lower ionization rate and assume no stellar contribution to the background. The breaks must occur at M = -20.6, -18.7, -18.7 for the proximity effect estimate. Since stars may also contribute to the background, these values are lower limits on the break luminosity, and they brighten by as much as ~2 mag if the escape fraction of ionizing photons from high-z galaxies is consistent with recent estimates: fesc = 0.16. By comparing our expectations to faint AGN searches in the Hubble Deep Field and high-z galaxy fields, we find that typically quoted proximity effect estimates of the background imply an overabundance of AGNs compared to the faint counts (even with fesc = 1). Even adopting the lower bound on proximity effect measurements, the stellar escape fraction must be high: fesc 0.2. Conversely, the lower flux decrement-derived background requires a smaller number of ionizing sources, and faint AGN counts are consistent with this estimate only if there is a limited stellar contribution, fesc 0.05. Our derived LFs together with the locally estimated black hole density suggest that the efficiency of converting mass to light in optically unobscured AGNs is somewhat lower than expected, 0.05 (all models). Comparison with similar estimates based on X-ray counts suggests that more than half of all AGNs are obscured in the UV/optical. We also derive lower limits on typical AGN lifetimes and obtain 107 yr for favored cases.

Dwarf LSB galaxies and their environment: The Virgo Cluster, the Ursa Major Cluster, isolated galaxies and voids

The widely varying dwarf galaxy counts in different environments provide a strong challenge to standard hierarchical clustering models. The luminosity function is not universal, but seems to be strongly dependent upon environment. In this paper we describe an automated procedure for detecting and measuring very Low Surface Brightness (LSB) features in deep CCD data. We apply this procedure to large area CCD survey fields of the Virgo cluster and find 105 dwarf LSB galaxies previously uncatalogued over an area of ∼14 sq deg. We show that there are many more faint (14≤MB≤–10) LSB galaxies than would be predicted from extrapolation of the Virgo cluster catalogue luminosity function. Over our limited range of measurement the faint end slope of the luminosity function becomesα=–1.6. Although these galaxies contribute a small fraction of the total stellar light of the cluster, they may contribute significantly to the mass in galaxies if they have large mass-to-light ratios similar to those recently measured for Local Group dwarf galaxies. By a comparison with different environments, the Virgo Cluster seems to be highly `dwarf rich' if considering the dwarf to giant ratio or it's luminosity function faint end slope.

VLT spectroscopy of galaxies lensed by the AC 114 cluster:

We present the first results of a spectroscopic survey of faint lensed galaxies in the core of the galaxy cluster AC 114 () obtained from observations with the FORS1 spectrograph mounted on the VLT-Antu (Unit Telescope 1). The galaxies were chosen according to both lensing and photometric redshift criteria in areas close to the high-z critical lines predicted by the gravitational lens model of Natarajan et al. (NKSE, 1998) for this cluster. All the target galaxies are found to correspond to background galaxies with redshift values in the [0.7, 3.5] interval. Our spectroscopic observations confirm the predicted lensing redshifts for 3 of the multiply-imaged galaxies, and together with predictions of the NKSE model led to the discovery of a new 5-image configuration at redshift . A revised NKS model, compatible with the redshift of this new multiple-image system, was generated and employed to calculate the gravitational amplifications of all the observed galaxies. The galaxies corresponding to the multiple-image systems are found to be intrinsically fainter, between 0.5 and 1.5 magnitudes, than the limiting magnitudes of existing blank field studies. When all the observed background galaxies are considered, the resulting intrinsic absolute magnitudes range from to -19, with a median value of -20.5. Therefore, a large gain in sensitivity towards low luminosity high-z objects can actually be obtained, in agreement with theoretical expectations. This method can be used advantageously to probe the high redshift Universe and, in particular, its application to an ensemble of massive cluster cores could constraint the faint end of luminosity function of high redshift galaxies.

The Environmental Dependence of the Infrared Luminosity and Stellar Mass Functions

We investigate the dependence of the galaxy infrared luminosity function (LF) and the associated stellar mass function (SMF) on environment and spectral type using photometry from the Two Micron All Sky Survey and redshifts from the Las Campanas Redshift Survey for galaxies brighter than MJ < -19 + 5 log h. In the field environment, the LFs of galaxies with emission lines have much steeper faint-end slopes (?J = -1.39) than those of galaxies without emission lines (?J = -0.59). In the cluster environment, however, even the non-emission-line galaxies have a steep faint-end LF (?J = -1.22). There is also a significant (95%) difference between the overall cluster and field LFs, ??J = -0.34 and ?M*J = -0.54. All these variations are more pronounced in the SMFs, which we compute by relating the strength of the 4000 ? break in the optical spectra to a stellar mass-to-light ratio.

Point object recognition — Some single- and multi-channel applications

High-precision photometric analysis of images of crowded stellar fields needs sophisticated algorithms. The photometric precision is, however, a strong function of the completeness of source detection. We discuss several aspects of this problem, both with relation to single- and multi-channel applications. In single images, we separate detection into two phases, source image enhancement and actual detection. Comparative tests show a point spread function pixel fitting technique to give the best results. For the fraction of undetectable stars still affecting image statistics, we have developed a technique to extract information about their effect on the faint-end luminosity function. We give two examples of multi-channel image fusion applications: (1) a combination of low- and high-resolution images and (2) removal of undersampling effects by sub-pixel image displacements. Preliminary results show considerable potential for these techniques.

An optical study of the faint end of the stellar luminosity function

We implement a new method by which to study the faint end of the field star luminosity function. The method relies on deep, multicolor photometry of fields projected against highly obscured, nearby molecular clouds. The clouds act as nearby opaque screens and delimit a well-defined survey volume which is in principle free of the problem of distinguishing nearby, intrinsically faint dwarf stars from more distant red giants. This study is based upon deep photographic and CCD photometry at optical (V, R, I) bandpasses toward the most highly obscured portions of the Taurus and Ophiuchus molecular clouds. The total volume delimited by the clouds is approximately 200 cu pc. Within this region our survey is complete for all stars brighter than M<SUB>V</SUB> = 16-17 mag; at R and I, the survey is complete down to the lowest mass stars capable of sustaining core hydrogen burning. We estimate the faint end of the field star luminosity function for the composite Taurus and Ophiuchus foreground sample and find that it resembles the local luminosity function down to M<SUB>V</SUB> approx. 16. At still fainter magnitudes we find more stars than do photometric parallex studies of the polar regions. This difference widens dramatically if even the simplest correction for incompleteness is applied to our data. We therefore tentatively conclude that the luminosity function rises beyond M<SUB>V</SUB> approx. 16; even if we discard our attempts to correct for incompleteness in the faintest magnitude bins, the luminosity function at least remains flat for the lowest mass stars. Our provisional finding that the luminosity function rises beyond its well-known peak at M<SUB>V</SUB> approx. 12-13, implies that the initial mass function (IMF) probably rises beyond the turnover point associated with this peak. Even if our most conservative estimate for the faint end of the luminosity function is used-in which no corrections are made for incompleteness-the IMF must at least remain flat down to the edge of the hydrogen-burning main sequence.