Far-infrared Measurements Research Articles

ALMA resolves extended star formation in high-z AGN host galaxies

Abstract We present high-resolution (0.3 arcsec) Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) 870 μm imaging of five z ≈ 1.5–4.5 X-ray detected AGN (with luminosities of L2–8keV > 1042 erg s−1). These data provide a ≳20 times improvement in spatial resolution over single-dish rest-frame far-infrared (FIR) measurements. The sub-millimetre emission is extended on scales of FWHM ≈ 0.2 arcsec–0.5 arcsec, corresponding to physical sizes of 1–3 kpc (median value of 1.8 kpc). These sizes are comparable to the majority of z=1–5 sub-millimetre galaxies (SMGs) with equivalent ALMA measurements. In combination with spectral energy distribution analyses, we attribute this rest-frame FIR emission to dust heated by star formation. The implied star-formation rate surface densities are ≈20–200 M⊙ yr−1 kpc−2, which are consistent with SMGs of comparable FIR luminosities (i.e. LIR ≈ [1–5] × 1012 L⊙). Although limited by a small sample of AGN, which all have high-FIR luminosities, our study suggests that the kpc-scale spatial distribution and surface density of star formation in high-redshift star-forming galaxies is the same irrespective of the presence of X-ray detected AGN.

Simulating far infrared spectra of Zn1-xMnxSe/GaAs epifilms, MnSe/ZnSe superlattices and predicting impurity modes of N, P defects in Zn1-xMnxSe

A comprehensive lattice dynamical study is reported to emphasize the vibrational behavior of perfect/imperfect zinc-blende (zb) ZnSe, MnSe and Zn1−xMnxSe alloys. Low temperature far-infrared (FIR) reflectivity measurements performed on a series of molecular beam epitaxy grown Zn1−xMnxSe/GaAs (001) epilayers have a typical ‘intermediate-phonon-mode’ behavior. Besides perceiving ZnSe- and MnSe-like TO-phonon resonances, the study also revealed a weak Mn alloy-disorder mode below MnSe band. A classical effective-medium theory of multilayer optics is used to evaluate dielectric tensors of both epilayers and substrate for simulating reflectivity and transmission spectra of ultrathin epifilms and superlattices at near normal and/or oblique incidence. In the framework of a realistic rigid-ion model and exploiting an average t-matrix Greens function (ATM-GF) theory we appraised the vibrational properties of nitrogen and phosphorous doped Zn-Mn chalcogenides. Lattice relaxations around isolated NSe (PSe) defects in ZnSe and zb MnSe are evaluated by first principles bond-orbital model that helped construct perturbation models for simulating the localized vibrational modes (LVMs). Calculated shift of impurity modes for isotopic 14NSe (15NSe) defects in ZnSe offered a strong revelation of an inflexible defect–host interaction. By retaining force constant change parameter of 14NSe (15NSe) in heavily N-doped ZnSe, the ATM-GF theory predicted (a) three non-degenerate LVMs for the photoluminescence defect center V Se-Zn-14NSe (V Se-Zn-15NSe) of C s symmetry, and (b) six impurity modes for the second nearest-neighbor NSe-Zn-NSe pair defect of C 2v symmetry. From the range of simulated defect modes, we have ruled out the possibility of N-pairs and justified the presence of VSe-Zn-NSe complex centers – likely to be responsible for the observed large absorption bandwidth in highly N-doped ZnSe. High resolution measurements of FIR absorption and/or Raman scattering spectroscopy are needed to validate the accuracy of our theoretical conjectures.

HD 76582's Circumstellar Debris Disk

AbstractThe debris disk host star HD 76582 was observed at 450 μm and 850 μm as part of the JCMT/SCUBA-2 debris disk legacy survey ‘Sub-millimetre Observations of Nearby Stars’ (SONS). The sub-millimetre data are inconsistent with a disk undergoing a steady-state collisional cascade. Combining the sub-millimetre (sub-mm) measurements with mid- and far-infrared measurements from Spitzer and Herschel, we simultaneously model the disk's thermal emission and radial extent in a self-consistent manner.

Constraints on Dark Matter Interactions with Standard Model Particles from Cosmic Microwave Background Spectral Distortions.

We propose a new method to constrain elastic scattering between dark matter (DM) and standard model particles in the early Universe. Direct or indirect thermal coupling of nonrelativistic DM with photons leads to a heat sink for the latter. This results in spectral distortions of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the amplitude of which can be as large as a few times the DM-to-photon-number ratio. We compute CMB spectral distortions due to DM-proton, DM-electron, and DM-photon scattering for generic energy-dependent cross sections and DM mass m_{χ}≳1 keV. Using Far-Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer measurements, we set constraints on the cross sections for m_{χ}≲0.1 MeV. In particular, for energy-independent scattering we obtain σ_{DM-proton}≲10^{-24} cm^{2} (keV/m_{χ})^{1/2}, σ_{DM-electron}≲10^{-27} cm^{2} (keV/m_{χ})^{1/2}, and σ_{DM-photon}≲10^{-39} cm^{2} (m_{χ}/keV). An experiment with the characteristics of the Primordial Inflation Explorer would extend the regime of sensitivity up to masses m_{χ}~1 GeV.

Measurements of phosphorus and boron concentrations in Czochralski silicon wafer-thick samples by p-polarized Brewster incidence far-infrared transmission

Determination of phosphorus and boron concentrations in Czochralski-grown silicon wafer-thick samples has been examined by means of low-temperature high-resolution far-infrared transmission measurements with p-polarized light incident at Brewster angle. The measurements were taken at about 8.7 K with a spectral resolution of 0.5 cm−1 under halogen light illumination. Linear correlations are clearly obtained between the absorption coefficients of several phosphorus and boron transitions and their concentrations, which are approximately in the range of 7.7 × 1013–1.6 × 1015 atoms cm−3 for phosphorus and of 2.5 × 1014–7.6 × 1014 atoms cm−3 for boron. The correlations are obtained regardless of the surface processing conditions of the samples. These are because interference fringes due to internal multiple reflections in wafer-thick silicon samples are almost suppressed using this incidence. The detection limit of phosphorus is about 1.2 × 1013 atoms cm−3 and that of boron is about 4.2 × 1013 atoms cm−3. P-polarized Brewster angle incidence has made it possible to determine phosphorus and boron concentrations in wafer-thick samples.

First observation of the temperature-dependent light-induced response of Ge(25)As(10)Se(65) thin films.

Ge-rich ternary chalcogenide glasses (ChGs) exhibit photobleaching (PB) when illuminated with bandgap light. This effect originates from the combined effects of intrinsic structural changes and photo-oxidation. In a sharp contradiction to previous observations, in this Letter, we demonstrate, for the first time, that Ge-rich Ge(25)As(10)Se(65) ChG thin films exhibit photodarkening (PD) at 20 K and PB at 300 and 420 K after having been continuously illuminated for ∼3 hours. The temporal evolution of PD/PB shows distinct characteristics at the temperature of illumination, and provides valuable information on the light-induced structural changes. Furthermore, structure-specific far-infrared (FIR) absorption measurements give direct evidence of different structural units involved in PD/PB at the contrasting temperatures. By comparing the light-induced effects in vacuum and air, we conclude that intrinsic structural changes dominate over photo-oxidation in the observed PB in Ge(25)As(10)Se(65) ChG thin films.

Double-layered nitrocellulose membrane sample holding technique for THz and FIR spectroscopic measurements.

In terahertz (THz) and far-infrared (FIR) spectroscopic measurements, weak absorption spectral features due to small quantities of test sample can be masked by undesirable etalon fringe artifacts caused by multiple reflections within a pellet or a rigid sample holder. A double-layered nitrocellulose (NC) membrane structure is proposed in this paper as an alternative holder for small quantities of either dry or wet pure (no added polyethylene powder) samples with significantly reduced etalon artifacts. Utilizing a THz time-domain spectroscopy system and a synchrotron source, we demonstrate the performance of the NC structure across the THz/FIR spectrum, benchmarking against pellets holding similarly small quantities of α-lactose powder either with or without different grades of polyethylene powder. With only pure samples to consider, scattering can be mitigated effectively in NC-derived spectra to reduce their baselines.

DUST CONTINUUM EMISSION AS A TRACER OF GAS MASS IN GALAXIES

We use a sample of 36 galaxies from the KINGFISH (Herschel IR), HERACLES (IRAM CO), and THINGS (VLA HI) surveys to study empirical relations between Herschel infrared (IR) luminosities and the total mass of the interstellar gas (H2+HI). Such a comparison provides a simple empirical relationship without introducing the uncertainty of dust model fitting. We find tight correlations, and provide fits to these relations, between Herschel luminosities and the total gas mass integrated over entire galaxies, with the tightest, almost linear, correlation found for the longest wavelength data (SPIRE500). However, we find that accounting for the gas-phase metallicity (affecting the dust-to-gas ratio) is crucial when applying these relations to low-mass, and presumably high-redshift, galaxies. The molecular (H2) gas mass is found to be better correlated with the peak of the IR emission (e.g. PACS160), driven mostly by the correlation of stellar mass and mean dust temperature. When examining these relations as a function of galactocentric radius we find the same correlations, albeit with a larger scatter, up to a radius of 0.7 r_25 (within which most of the galaxy's baryonic mass resides). However, beyond this radius the same correlations no longer hold, with the gas mass (predominantly HI) increasing relative to the infrared emission. The tight relations found for the bulk of the galaxy's baryonic content suggest that the total gas masses of disk-like (non-merging) galaxies can be inferred from far-infrared continuum measurements in situations where only the latter are available, e.g. in ALMA continuum observations of high-redshift galaxies.

Analysis of far-infrared spectral radiance observations of the water vapor continuum in the Arctic

The Radiative Heating in Underexplored Bands Campaign (RHUBC) took place in Barrow, Alaska, in February and March 2007. During RHUBC, high resolution far-infrared spectra were measured simultaneously and independently by two different spectrometers – the Imperial College Tropospheric Airborne Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TAFTS) and the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program (ARM) Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer – Extended Range (AERI-ER). Co-incidental far-infrared downwelling radiance measurements from the two instruments show good agreement within their overlapping wavenumber measurement range (400–550cm−1). Radiance measurements taken using the TAFTS instrument are compared to the current Mlawer–Tobin–Clough–Kneizys–Davies (MT-CKD) version 2.5 water vapor continuum parameterization for the spectral range 350–500cm−1 (20–29μm). Simulated values agree with the TAFTS observations within uncertainties, enhancing confidence that MT-CKD 2.5 accurately represents the foreign-broadened water vapor continuum in this crucial spectral region.

The applicability of far-infrared fine-structure lines as star formation rate tracers over wide ranges of metallicities and galaxy types

We analyze the applicability of far-infrared fine-structure lines [CII] 158 micron, [OI] 63 micron and [OIII] 88 micron to reliably trace the star formation rate (SFR) in a sample of low-metallicity dwarf galaxies from the Herschel Dwarf Galaxy Survey and compare with a broad sample of galaxies of various types and metallicities in the literature. We study the trends and scatter in the relation between the SFR (as traced by GALEX FUV and MIPS 24 micron) and far-infrared line emission, on spatially resolved and global galaxy scales, in dwarf galaxies. We assemble far-infrared line measurements from the literature and infer whether the far-infrared lines can probe the SFR (as traced by the total-infrared luminosity) in a variety of galaxy populations. In metal-poor dwarfs, the [OI] and [OIII] lines show the strongest correlation with the SFR with an uncertainty on the SFR estimates better than a factor of 2, while the link between [CII] emission and the SFR is more dispersed (uncertainty factor of 2.6). The increased scatter in the SFR-L([CII]) relation towards low metal abundances, warm dust temperatures, large filling factors of diffuse, highly ionized gas suggests that other cooling lines start to dominate depending on the density and ionization state of the gas. For the literature sample, we evaluate the correlations for a number of different galaxy populations. The [CII] and [OI] lines are considered to be reliable SFR tracers in starburst galaxies, recovering the star formation activity within an uncertainty of factor 2. [Abridged]

Dust as a tracer of gas in galaxies

AbstractWe use a sample of 36 galaxies to study empirical relations between Herschel infrared (IR) luminosities and the total mass of the interstellar gas (H2 + HI). Such a comparison provides a simple empirical relationship without introducing the uncertainty of dust model fitting. We find tight correlations, and provide fits to these relations, between Herschel luminosities and the total gas mass integrated over entire galaxies, with the tightest, almost linear, correlation found for the longest wavelength data (SPIRE500). However, we find that accounting for the gas-phase metallicity (affecting the dust-to-gas ratio) is crucial when applying these relations to low-mass, and presumably high-redshift, galaxies. When examining these relations as a function of galactocentric radius, we find the same correlations, albeit with a larger scatter, up to radius of r ∼ 0.7r25 (containing most of a galaxy's baryonic mass). The tight relations found for the bulk of the galaxy's baryonic content suggest that total gas masses of disk-like (non-merging/ULIRG) galaxies can be inferred from far-infrared continuum measurements in situations where only the latter are available. This work is to appear in Groves et al. (2014).

First results with the boloSource() algorithm: photometry of faint standard stars observed by Herschel/PACS

The boloSource() algorithm is a tool to separate the signal of compact sources from that of the diffuse background in the timeline of far-infrared measurements performed by the PACS camera of the Herschel Space Observatory. An important characteristic and quality indicator of this method is that how well it can reproduce the flux of faint standard stars which have reliable flux estimates. For this propose we selected a few calibrator targets and constructed light curves by extracting point source flux for each repetition of the measurements independently using standard aperture photometry methods. These were compared with the light curves obtained using the boloSource() method on the same dataset. The results indicate that boloSource() provides a similar level of photometric accuracy and reproducibility as the usual flux extraction and photometry methods. This new technique will be developed further and also tested against other methods in more complex fields with the goal to make it usable for large-scale studies in the future.

THE SUBMILLIMETER POLARIZATION SPECTRUM OF M17

We present 450 {\mu}m polarimetric observations of the M17 molecular cloud obtained with the SHARP polarimeter at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. Across the observed region, the magnetic field orientation is consistent with previous submillimeter and far-infrared polarization measurements. Our observations are centered on a region of the molecular cloud that has been compressed by stellar winds from a cluster of OB stars. We have compared these new data with previous 350 {\mu}m polarimetry and find an anti-correlation between the 450 to 350 {\mu}m polarization magnitude ratio and the ratio of 21 cm to 450 {\mu}m intensity. The polarization ratio is lower near the east end of the studied region where the cloud is exposed to stellar winds and radiation. At the west end of the region, the polarization ratio is higher. We interpret the varying polarization spectrum as evidence supporting the radiative alignment torque (RAT) model for grain alignment, implying higher alignment efficiency in the region that is exposed to a higher anisotropic radiation field.

An interferometric study of the Fomalhaut inner debris disk

[Abridged] Debris disks are extrasolar analogs to the solar system planetesimal belts. The star Fomalhaut harbors a cold debris belt at 140 AU as well as evidence of a warm dust component, which is suspected of being a bright analog to the solar system's zodiacal dust. Interferometric observations obtained with the VLTI and the KIN have identified near- and mid-infrared excesses attributed to hot and warm exozodiacal dust in the inner few AU of the star. We performed parametric modeling of the exozodiacal disk using the GRaTeR radiative transfer code to reproduce the interferometric data, complemented by mid- to far-infrared measurements. A detailed treatment of sublimation temperatures was introduced to explore the hot population at the sublimation rim. We then used an analytical approach to successively testing several source mechanisms. A good fit to the data is found by two distinct dust populations: (1) very small, hence unbound, hot dust grains confined in a narrow region at the sublimation rim of carbonaceous material; (2) bound grains at 2 AU that are protected from sublimation and have a higher mass despite their fainter flux level. We propose that the hot dust is produced by the release of small carbon grains following the disruption of aggregates that originate from the warm component. A mechanism, such as gas braking, is required to further confine the small grains for a long enough time. In situ dust production could hardly be ensured for the age of the star, so the observed amount of dust must be triggered by intense dynamical activity. Fomalhaut may be representative of exozodis that are currently being surveyed worldwide. We propose a framework for reconciling the hot exozodi phenomenon with theoretical constraints: the hot component of Fomalhaut is likely the tip of the iceberg since it could originate from a warm counterpart residing near the ice line.

Far-infrared probe of energy gap in LaO1−xFxFeGe compound

We report on the electrical resistivity and far-infrared reflectance measurements of LaO1−xFxFeGe samples. Furthermore, we introduce a new method to probe the energy gap and determine its value. The onset transition temperature was 22.8 K for x = 0.13, and a clear anomaly was observed at 90 K in the ρ(T) curve for x = 0.11 with Tc = 20.6 K. We clearly observed the phonon-suppressed feature in reflectance spectra where F-doping caused a strong suppression of a peak at 200 cm−1. The energy gap above Tc, 2Δ = 2.10 meV, was determined from the measured spectra based on the changes in reflectivity by F-doping.

Infrared to vacuum-ultraviolet ellipsometry and optical Hall-effect study of free-charge carrier parameters in Mg-doped InN

Infrared to vacuum-ultraviolet spectroscopic ellipsometry and far-infrared optical Hall-effect measurements are applied to conclude on successful p-type doping of InN films. A representative set of In-polar Mg-doped InN films with Mg concentrations ranging from 1.2×1016 cm−3 to 3.9×1021 cm−3 is investigated. The data are compared and discussed in dependence of the Mg concentration. Differences between n-type and p-type conducting samples are identified and explained. p-type conductivity in the Mg concentration range between 1.1×1018 cm−3 and 2.9×1019 cm−3 is indicated by the appearance of a dip structure in the infrared spectral region related to a loss in reflectivity of p-polarized light as a consequence of reduced LO phonon plasmon coupling, by vanishing free-charge carrier induced birefringence in the optical Hall-effect measurements, and by a sudden change in phonon-plasmon broadening behavior despite continuous change in the Mg concentration. By modeling the near-infrared-to-vacuum-ultraviolet ellipsometry data, information about layer thickness, electronic interband transitions, as well as surface roughness is extracted in dependence of the Mg concentration. A parameterized model that accounts for the phonon-plasmon coupling is applied for the infrared spectral range to determine the free-charge carrier concentration and mobility parameters in the doped bulk InN layer as well as the GaN template and undoped InN buffer layer. The optical Hall-effect best-match model parameters are consistent with those obtained from infrared ellipsometry analysis.

In-plane and out-of-plane plasma resonances in optimally doped La1.84Sr0.16CuO4

We addressed the inconsistency between the electron mass anisotropy ratios determined by the far-infrared experiments and DC conductivity measurements. By eliminating possible sources of error and increasing the sensitivity and resolution in the far-infrared reflectivity measurement on the single crystalline and on the polycrystalline La1.84Sr0.16CuO4, we have unambiguously identified that the source of the mass anisotropy problem is in the estimation of the free electron density involved in the charge transport. In this study we found that only 2.8% of the total doping-induced charge density is itinerant at optimal doping. Our result not only resolves the mass anisotropy puzzle but also points to a novel electronic structure formed by the rest of the electrons.

Low temperature measurements by infrared spectroscopy in CoFe2O4 ceramic

Abstract This paper presents results of new far-infrared and middle-infrared measurements (wavenumber range of 4000–100 cm−1) of the CoFe2O4 ceramic in the temperature range from 300 K to 8 K. The band positions and their shapes remain constant across the wide temperature range. The quality of the sample was investigated by X-ray, EDS and EPMA studies. The CoFe2O4 retains the cubic structure (Fd - 3m) across the temperature range from 85 K to 360 K without any traces of distortion. Based on current knowledge the polycrystalline CoFe2O4 does not exhibit any phase transitions across the temperature range from 8 K to 300 K.

Pressure dependence of the Verwey transition in magnetite: An infrared spectroscopic point of view

We investigated the electronic and vibrational properties of magnetite at temperatures from 300 K down to 10 K and for pressures up to 10 GPa by far-infrared reflectivity measurements. The Verwey transition is manifested by a drastic decrease of the overall reflectance and the splitting of the phonon modes as well as the activation of additional phonon modes. In the whole studied pressure range, the down-shift of the overall reflectance spectrum saturates and the maximum number of phonon modes is reached at a critical temperature, which sets a lower bound for the Verwey transition temperature Tv. Based on these optical results, a pressure-temperature phase diagram for magnetite is proposed.

Possible origin of the anomalous far-infrared absorption by small metal particles

We carried out the far-infrared transmission measurements on the ligand stabilized Au55 particles dispersed in CsI. We found that the far-infrared absorption coefficient recovers the ω2-dependence (the same behavior as the classical electric dipole-like absorption) for frequencies above the crossover energy Ec=ℏ2/2mea2∼160cm−1 (a=particle radius) while the absorption coefficient below Ec, which arises from the transitions of the electrons between the discrete energy levels, saturates to a value ∼4cm−1 at ω∼Ec. Since Ec of the small metal particles (a>20Å) studied in the past falls well below the lowest frequency typically accessible for the far-infrared spectroscopy (ω∼20cm−1), we conclude that all the previously measured far-infrared absorption must have been an extension of the absorption of the quantum regime set at Ec, making the absorption measured in the typical far-IR window (20cm−1<ω<120cm−1) anomalously large when compared with the classical electric dipole absorption by the same size particles.