Far-ultraviolet Research Articles

Far and extreme ultraviolet radiation fields and consequent disc destruction in star-forming regions

ABSTRACT The first stages of planet formation usually occur when the host star is still in a (relatively) dense star-forming region, where the effects of the external environment may be important for understanding the outcome of the planet formation process. In particular, star-forming regions that contain massive stars have strong far-ultraviolet (FUV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation fields, which can induce mass-loss from protoplanetary discs due to photoevaporation. In this paper, we present a parameter-space study of the expected FUV and EUV fields in N-body simulations of star-forming regions with a range of initial conditions. We then use recently published models to determine the mass-loss due to photoevaporation from protoplanetary discs. In particular, we focus on the effects of changing the initial degree of spatial structure and initial virial ratio in the star-forming regions, as well as the initial stellar density. We find that the FUV fields in star-forming regions are much higher than in the interstellar medium, even when the regions have stellar densities as low as in the Galactic field, due to the presence of intermediate-mass, and massive, stars (>5 M⊙). These strong radiation fields lead to the destruction of the gas component in protoplanetary discs within 1 Myr, implying that gas giant planets must either form extremely rapidly (<1 Myr), or that they exclusively form in star-forming regions like Taurus, which contain no intermediate-mass or massive stars. The latter scenario is in direct tension with meteoritic evidence from the Solar system that suggests the Sun and its protoplanetary disc was born in close proximity to massive stars.

Study of UV-bright stellar populations in the globular cluster NGC 1261 using Astrosat

ABSTRACT We present UV photometry of the globular cluster NGC 1261 using images acquired with the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) on board Astrosat. We performed point-spread function (PSF) photometry on four near-UV (NUV) and two far-UV (FUV) images and constructed UV colour–magnitude diagrams (CMDs), in combination with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), Gaia, and ground-based optical photometry for member stars. We detected the full horizontal branch (HB) in the NUV and blue HB in the FUV and identified two extreme HB (EHB) stars. HB stars have a tight sequence in UV–optical CMDs, well fitted with isochrones generated (age 12.6 Gyr, [Fe/H] = −1.27 metallicity) using updated BaSTI-IAC models. Effective temperatures (Teff), luminosities, and radii of bright HB stars were estimated using the spectral energy distribution. As we detect the complete sample of UV-bright HB stars, the hot end of the HB distribution is found to terminate at the G-jump ($T_{\rm eff}\, \sim$ 11500 K). The two EHB stars, fitted well with single spectra, have Teff = 31000 K and a mass = 0.495 M⊙, and follow the same Teff–radius relation as the blue HB stars. We constrain the formation pathways of these EHB stars to extreme mass loss in the RGB phase (due either to rotation or enhanced helium) or a early hot-flash scenario.

The time-scales probed by star formation rate indicators for realistic, bursty star formation histories from the FIRE simulations

ABSTRACT Understanding the rate at which stars form is central to studies of galaxy formation. Observationally, the star formation rates (SFRs) of galaxies are measured using the luminosity in different frequency bands, often under the assumption of a time-steady SFR in the recent past. We use star formation histories (SFHs) extracted from cosmological simulations of star-forming galaxies from the FIRE project to analyse the time-scales to which the H α and far-ultraviolet (FUV) continuum SFR indicators are sensitive. In these simulations, the SFRs are highly time variable for all galaxies at high redshift, and continue to be bursty to z = 0 in dwarf galaxies. When FIRE SFHs are partitioned into their bursty and time-steady phases, the best-fitting FUV time-scale fluctuates from its ∼10 Myr value when the SFR is time-steady to ≳100 Myr immediately following particularly extreme bursts of star formation during the bursty phase. On the other hand, the best-fitting averaging time-scale for H α is generally insensitive to the SFR variability in the FIRE simulations and remains ∼5 Myr at all times. These time-scales are shorter than the 100 and 10 Myr time-scales sometimes assumed in the literature for FUV and H α, respectively, because while the FUV emission persists for stellar populations older than 100 Myr, the time-dependent luminosities are strongly dominated by younger stars. Our results confirm that the ratio of SFRs inferred using H α versus FUV can be used to probe the burstiness of star formation in galaxies.

The Star-forming Main Sequence and the Contribution of Dust-obscured Star Formation since z ∼ 4 from the Far-UV+IR Luminosity Functions

Abstract An analytical approach is proposed to study the evolution of the star-forming galaxy (SFG) main sequence (MS) and the fraction of dust-obscured star formation (SF) up to z ∼ 4. Far-ultraviolet (FUV) and infrared (IR) star formation rates (SFRs) are described as conditional probability functions of M *. We convolve them with the galaxy stellar mass function (GSMF) of SFGs to derive the FUV and IR luminosity functions (LFs). The two SF modes formalism is used to describe starburst galaxies. By fitting observed FUV and IR LFs, the parameterization of SFRFUV−M * and SFRIR− M * is constrained. Our derived SFRFUV+IR−M * reproduces the evolution of the MS as compared to other observational inferences. At any redshift, we find that the sSFRFUV+IR–M * relation for MS SFGs approaches a power law at the high-mass end. At lower masses, it bends, and eventually, the slope sign changes from negative to positive at very low masses. At z ∼ 0, this change of sign is at M * ∼ 5 × 108 M ⊙, close to the dust-obscured SF regime, M * ∼ 6 × 108 M ⊙. The slope sign change is related to the knee of the FUV LF. Our derived dust-obscured fractions agree with previous determinations at 0 ≤ z ≤ 2.5. Dust-obscured fractions depend strongly on mass with almost no dependence on redshift at z ≳ 1.2. At z ≲ 0.75, high-mass galaxies become more “transparent” compared to their high-redshift counterparts. On the other hand, low- and intermediate-mass galaxies have become more obscured by dust. The joint evolution of the GSMF and the FUV and IR LFs is a promising approach to study mass growth and dust formation/destruction mechanisms.

The horizontal branch morphology of the globular cluster NGC 1261 using AstroSat

We present the results obtained from the UV photometry of the globular cluster NGC 1261 using Far-UV (FUV) and Near-UV (NUV) images acquired with the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) onboard the Astrosat satellite. We utilized the UVIT data combined with HST, GAIA, and ground-based optical photometric data to construct the different UV colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs). We detected blue HB (BHB), and two extreme HB (EHB) stars in FUV, whereas full HB, i.e., red HB (RHB), BHB as well as EHB is detected in NUV CMDs. The 2 EHB stars, identified in both NUV and FUV, are confirmed members of the cluster. The HB stars form a tight sequence in UV-optical CMDs, which is almost aligned with Padova isochrones. This study sheds light on the significance of UV imaging to probe the HB morphology in GCs.

Nanowire Grid Reflecting Polarizers for Ultraviolet Applications

Polarimetry in the far ultraviolet (FUV) is a powerful tool in many applications such as UV/EUV ellipsometry, characterization and control of the beam polarization status in large scale facilities and solar physics. FUV polarizers are among the most difficult components to manufacture, mainly due to the lack of dichroic and transparent materials in this spectral range. Although many different solutions for their fabrication have been investigated in the last decades, surprisingly, the use of Wire Grid Polarizers (WGPs) is still poorly investigated in this spectral region. In this work, two different concepts of WGPs have been designed and optimized for the FUV range: one is based on absorptive nano-wires on top of an highly reflective substrate, and the second one is based on highly reflective nano-wires on top of an absorptive substrate. Different wires’ shapes have been considered and relative structures optimized at a target wavelength of 121.6 nm. Two very promising solutions have been selected, which exhibit a polarization degree over 99.9% and a TE-reflectance over 0.2. Their sensitivity to the wires’ dimension parameters have been investigated to assess their feasibility.

Ca II H&K stellar activity parameter: a proxy for extreme ultraviolet stellar fluxes

Atmospheric escape is an important factor shaping the exoplanet population and hence drives our understanding of planet formation. Atmospheric escape from giant planets is driven primarily by the stellar X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. Furthermore, EUV and longer wavelength UV radiation power disequilibrium chemistry in the middle and upper atmospheres. Our understanding of atmospheric escape and chemistry, therefore, depends on our knowledge of the stellar UV fluxes. While the far-ultraviolet (FUV) fluxes can be observed for some stars, most of the EUV range is unobservable due to the lack of a space telescope with EUV capabilities and, for the more distant stars, due to interstellar medium absorption. Therefore, it becomes essential to have an indirect means for inferring EUV fluxes from features observable at other wavelengths. We present here analytic functions for predicting the EUV emission of F-, G-, K-, and M-type stars from the log R′HK activity parameter that is commonly obtained from ground-based optical observations of the Ca II H&K lines. The scaling relations are based on a collection of about 100 nearby stars with published log R′HK and EUV flux values, the latter of which are either direct measurements or inferences from high-quality FUV spectra. The scaling relations presented here return EUV flux values with an accuracy of about a factor of three, which is slightly lower than that of other similar methods based on FUV or X-ray measurements.

Peculiarities in the Horizontal Branch Stars of Globular Cluster NGC 1851: Discovery of a Blue Straggler Companion to an EHB Star

Abstract We present a study of far-UV (FUV) bright horizontal branch (HB) stars to understand the peculiarities seen in the HB sequence of the globular cluster NGC 1851, using ground- and space-based multiwavelength data. Optical and UV color–magnitude diagrams are used to classify HB stars and their membership from Hubble Space Telescope and Gaia DR2 data. The spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the hot HB stars located from the core to tidal radii are constructed. The SEDs reveal that the HB stars near the “Grundahl jump” show a decrease in the FUV flux when atmospheric models of cluster metallicity are used for fitting, but a better fit is found with higher-metallicity models, as expected due to atmospheric diffusion. We report on four particularly interesting extreme HB (EHB) stars, two each in the inner and outer regions. We detect a subluminous EHB and “blue-hook” candidates with temperatures T eff ∼ 25,000 K and 31,000 K, respectively. We found an EHB star (T eff ∼ 17,000 K) with a radius that lies between the BHB and normal EHB stars. The most peculiar of our EHB stars (T eff ∼ 28,000 K) is found to be a photometric binary to a blue straggler star (BSS; T eff ∼ 7000 K), which is an important target for spectroscopic study. This discovery of the candidate EHB+BSS binary system could help to explain the mass loss in the red giant branch phase, leading to the formation of EHB stars.

ATLASGAL-selected massive clumps in the inner Galaxy

Aims. We study ten molecular transitions obtained from an unbiased 3 mm molecular line survey using the IRAM 30 m telescope toward 409 compact dust clumps identified by the APEX Telescope Large Area Survey of the Galaxy (ATLASGAL) to better understand the photodissociation regions (PDRs) associated with these clumps. The main goal of this study is to investigate whether the abundances of the selected molecules show any variations resulting from the PDR chemistry in different clump environments. Methods. We selected HCO, HOC+, C2H, c-C3H2, CN, H13CN, HC15N, and HN13C as PDR tracers, and H13CO+ and C18O as dense gas tracers. By using estimated optical depths of C2H and H13CN and assuming optically thin emission for other molecular transitions, we derived the column densities of those molecules and their abundances. To assess the influence of the presence and strength of ultra-violet radiation, we compare abundances of three groups of the clumps: HII regions, infrared bright non-HII regions, and infrared dark non-HII regions. Results. We detected C18O, H13CO+, C2H, c-C3H2, CN, and HN13C toward most of the observed dust clumps (detection rate >94%), and H13CN is also detected with a detection rate of 75%. On the other hand, HCO and HC15N show detection rates of 32 and 39%, respectively, toward the clumps, which are mostly associated with HII region sources: detection rates of HCO and HC15N toward the HII regions are 66 and 79%. We find that the abundances of HCO, CN, C2H, and c-C3H2 decrease as the H2 column density increases, indicating high visual extinction, while those of high-density tracers (i.e., H13CO+ and HC15N) are constant. In addition, N(HCO)/N(H13CO+) ratios significantly decrease as H2 column density increases, and, in particular, 82 clumps have X(HCO) ≳ 10−10 and N(HCO)/N(H13CO+) ≳ 1, which are indications of far-ultraviolet (FUV) chemistry. This suggests the observed HCO abundances are likely associated with FUV radiation illuminating the PDRs. We also find that high N(c-C3H2)/N(C2H) ratios found for HII regions that have high HCO abundances (≳10−10) are associated with more evolved clumps with high Lbol/Mclump. This trend might be associated with grain-surface processes, which determine the initial abundances of these molecules, and time-dependent effects in the clumps corresponding to the envelopes around dense PDRs and HII regions. In addition, some fraction of the measured abundances of the small hydrocarbons of the HII sources may be the result of the photodissociation of PAH molecules.

Hydrodynamical simulations of protoplanetary disks including irradiation of stellar photons

Context. In recent years hydrodynamical (HD) models have become important to describe the gas kinematics in protoplanetary disks, especially in combination with models of photoevaporation and/or magnetically driven winds. Our aim is to investigate how vertical shear instability (VSI) could influence the thermally driven winds on the surface of protoplanetary disks. Aims. In this first part of the project, we focus on diagnosing the conditions of the VSI at the highest numerical resolution ever recorded, and suggest at what resolution per scale height we obtain convergence. At the same time, we want to investigate the vertical extent of VSI activity. Finally, we determine the regions where extreme UV (EUV), far-UV (FUV), and X-ray photons are dominant in the disk. Methods. We perform global HD simulations using the PLUTO code. We adopt a global isothermal accretion disk setup, 2.5D (2 dimensions, 3 components) which covers a radial domain from 0.5 to 5.0 and an approximately full meridional extension. Our simulation runs cover a resolution from 12 to 203 cells per scale height. Results. We determine 50 cells per scale height to be the lower limit to resolve the VSI. For higher resolutions, ≥50 cells per scale height, we observe the convergence for the saturation level of the kinetic energy. We are also able to identify the growth of the “body” modes, with higher growth rate for higher resolution. Full energy saturation and a turbulent steady state is reached after 70 local orbits. We determine the location of the EUV heated region defined by Σr = 1019 cm−2 to be at HR ~ 9.7 and the FUV–X-ray heated boundary layer defined by Σr = 1022 cm−2 to be at HR ~ 6.2, making it necessary to introduce a hot atmosphere. For the first time we report the presence of small-scale vortices in the r − Z plane between the characteristic layers of large-scale vertical velocity motions. Such vortices could lead to dust concentration, promoting grain growth. Our results highlight the importance of combining photoevaporation processes in the future high-resolution studies of turbulence and accretion processes in disks.

Formation of the Musca filament: evidence for asymmetries in the accretion flow due to a cloud–cloud collision

Context.Dense molecular filaments are ubiquituous in the interstellar medium, yet their internal physical conditions and the role of gravity, turbulence, the magnetic field, radiation, and the ambient cloud during their evolution remain debated.Aims.We study the kinematics and physical conditions in the Musca filament, the ambient cloud, and the Chamaeleon-Musca complex to constrain the physics of filament formation.Methods.We produced CO(2–1) isotopologue maps with the APEX telescope that cut through the Musca filament. We further study a NANTEN212CO(1–0) map of the full Musca cloud, H Iemission of the Chamaeleon-Musca complex, aPlanckpolarisation map, line radiative transfer models,Gaiadata, and synthetic observations from filament formation simulations.Results.The Musca cloud, with a size of ~3–6 pc, contains multiple velocity components. Radiative transfer modelling of the CO emission indicates that the Musca filament consists of a cold (~10 K), dense (nH2∼ 104cm−3) crest, which is best described with a cylindrical geometry. Connected to the crest, a separate gas component atT~ 15 K andnH2∼ 103cm−3is found, the so-called strands. The velocity-coherent filament crest has an organised transverse velocity gradient that is linked to the kinematics of the nearby ambient cloud. This velocity gradient has an angle ≥30° with respect to the local magnetic field orientation derived fromPlanck, and the magnitude of the velocity gradient is similar to the transonic linewidth of the filament crest. Studying the large scale kinematics, we find coherence of the asymmetric kinematics from the 50 pc H Icloud down to the Musca filament. We also report a strong [C18O]/[13CO] abundance drop by an order of magnitude from the filament crest to the strands over a distance <0.2 pc in a weak ambient far-ultraviolet (FUV) field.Conclusions.The dense Musca filament crest is a long-lived (several crossing times), dynamic structure that can form stars in the near future because of continuous mass accretion replenishing the filament. This mass accretion on the filament appears to be triggered by a H Icloud–cloud collision, which bends the magnetic field around dense filaments. This bending of the magnetic field is then responsible for the observed asymmetric accretion scenario of the Musca filament, which is, for instance, seen as a V-shape in the position–velocity (PV) diagram.

The Environmental Dependence of the XCO Conversion Factor

Abstract is the most widely used observational tracer of molecular gas. The observable luminosity is translated to mass via a conversion factor, , which is a source of uncertainty and bias. Despite variations in , the empirically determined solar neighborhood value is often applied across different galactic environments. To improve understanding of , we employ 3D magnetohydrodynamics simulations of the interstellar medium (ISM) in galactic disks with a large range of gas surface densities, allowing for varying metallicity, far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation, and cosmic-ray ionization rate (CRIR). With the TIGRESS simulation framework we model the three-phase ISM with self-consistent star formation and feedback, and post-process outputs with chemistry and radiation transfer to generate synthetic CO (1–0) and (2–1) maps. Our models reproduce the observed CO excitation temperatures, line widths, and line ratios in nearby disk galaxies. decreases with increasing metallicity, with a power-law slope of −0.8 for the (1–0) line and −0.5 for the (2–1) line. also decreases at higher CRIR and is insensitive to the FUV radiation. As density increases, first decreases owing to increasing excitation temperature and then increases when the emission is fully saturated. We provide fits between and observable quantities such as the line ratio, peak antenna temperature, and line brightness, which probe local gas conditions. These fits, which allow for varying beam size, may be used in observations to calibrate out systematic biases. We also provide estimates of the CO-dark fraction at different gas surface densities, observational sensitivities, and beam sizes.

A 60 kpc Galactic Wind Cone in NGC 3079

Abstract Galactic winds are associated with intense star formation and active galactic nuclei. Depending on their formation mechanism and velocity, they may remove a significant fraction of gas from their host galaxies, thus suppressing star formation, enriching the intergalactic medium, and shaping the circumgalactic gas. However, the long-term evolution of these winds remains mostly unknown. We report the detection of a wind from NGC 3079 to at least 60 kpc from the galaxy. We detect the wind in far-ultraviolet (FUV) line emission to 60 kpc (as inferred from the broad FUV filter in the Galaxy Evolution Explorer) and X-rays to at least 30 kpc. The morphology, luminosities, temperatures, and densities indicate that the emission comes from shocked material, and the O/Fe ratio implies that the X-ray-emitting gas is enriched by Type II supernovae. If so, the speed inferred from simple shock models is about 500 km s−1, which is sufficient to escape the galaxy. However, the inferred kinetic energy in the wind from visible components is substantially smaller than canonical hot superwind models.

Estimating the Ages of FGK Dwarf Stars through the Use of GALEX FUV Magnitudes

Abstract Stellar age cannot be directly measured, yet age determinations are fundamental to understanding the evolution of stars, planets, and galaxies. The work presented here builds upon the idea of a stellar-activity age. We utilized far-ultraviolet (FUV) photometry acquired by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) space telescope as an indicator of chromospheric activity to infer ages of late-F, G, and K type dwarf stars. We derived a purely empirical correlation between FUV magnitudes and stellar age in conjunction with (B − V) color. Our attention is restricted to Sun-like stars with color range and absolute magnitude range 4.3 ≤ M V ≤ 5.3. The correlation is defined in terms of a FUV-excess parameter . We related stellar age, τ, to Q through the relation , where a and b are fit parameters and functions of (B − V). This correlation is functional up to 6 Gyr for FGK dwarfs. With such a correlation, one only needs Johnson (B − V) and FUV measurements to estimate the stellar age for Population i dwarf stars of solar-like temperature and metallicity. Such a calibration has utility in population studies of FGK dwarfs for further understanding of the chemical evolution of the Milky Way. As an illustration of one such application, we have constructed activity and FUV–age distributions for a sample of thin and thick disk stars, as distinguished by their chemical abundances. Considerable overlap is found between the activity distribution and age range of the two populations. We discuss the possibility that some high-[α/Fe] thick disk stars were formed as a result of the accretion of dwarf galaxies as recently as 4 Gyr ago.

Photon Counting Imaging with Low Noise and a Wide Dynamic Range for Aurora Observations.

The radiation intensity of observed auroras in the far-ultraviolet (FUV) band varies dramatically with location for aerospace applications, requiring a photon counting imaging apparatus with a wide dynamic range. However, combining high spatial resolution imaging with high event rates is technically challenging. We developed an FUV photon counting imaging system for aurora observation. Our system mainly consists of a microchannel plate (MCP) stack readout using a wedge strip anode (WSA) with charge induction and high-speed electronics, such as a charge sensitive amplifier (CSA) and pulse shaper. Moreover, we constructed an anode readout model and a time response model for readout circuits to investigate the counting error in high counting rate applications. This system supports global rates of 500 kilo counts, 0.610 dark counts s−1 cm−2 at an ambient temperature of 300 K and 111 µm spatial resolution at 400 kilo counts s−1 (kcps). We demonstrate an obvious photon count loss at incident intensities close to the counting capacity of the system. To preserve image quality, the response time should be improved and some noise performance may be sacrificed. Finally, we also describe the correlation between counting rate and imaging resolution, which further guides the design of space observation instruments.

Simulation and optimization of a broadband reflective far ultraviolet polarimeter.

Traditional transmissive polarimetric methods can be used for wavelengths above 123 nm where birefringent materials transmit light and create significant birefringence. Below 123 nm, no suitable solution is known to measure the four Stokes parameters on a large wavelength range. Therefore, we study here an innovative reflective (rather than transmissive) polarimeter working in the far ultraviolet (FUV) range from 90 to 130 nm. We take advantage of the phase shift created by reflections as well as the different reflectivities for p (orthogonal ⊥) and s (parallel ∥ to the plane of incidence) polarizations to design an FUV polarimeter. Simulation of the analyzer and modulator using Mueller matrices coupled to polarimetric efficiencies calculations allowed optimization of reflective polarimeters for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. This opens up a new perspective for FUV polarimetry below 123 nm.

Illumination conditions within permanently shadowed regions at the lunar poles: Implications for in-situ passive remote sensing

Permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) at the lunar poles are of unique interest for science and exploration due to their low surface temperatures and potential for volatile sequestration. While not directly illuminated by the Sun, PSRs are exposed to faint sources of radiation such as starlight, Lyman alpha photons from the interplanetary medium, and sunlight scattered from the surrounding topography. These illumination sources are significant as they contribute to the thermal energy budget of PSRs, and also provide a photon source with which to observe areas otherwise obscured by shadow. In this work, we survey the illumination conditions from the aforementioned sources within northern and southern hemisphere PSRs at far ultraviolet (FUV), visible (vis) and infrared (IR) wavelengths. With respect to magnitude, it is shown that scattered sunlight is the brightest radiation source to reach the PSRs in the visible and IR spectral regimes. As well, we show that scattered sunlight contributes a considerable supply of FUV photons, and may exceed the interplanetary medium/starlight brightness in many PSR craters due to the temporal and spatial variance of scattered sunlight. This finding suggests a higher rate of photodesorption and lower adsorption residence times for water molecules than previously suggested, and, furthermore, indicates that this rate fluctuates diurnally, seasonally and geographically owing to the variability of the incoming solar flux. Large differences in the received solar energy are found between craters, with crater latitude and size being among the modulating influences. Within individual craters, strong spatial heterogeneities in scattered solar flux are found, with equator-facing PSR slopes receiving 40%–60% of the total energy of slopes oriented toward the pole. Finally, we show that the radiation available is sufficient to detect water ice using vis/FUV or vis/IR filter pairings, and such observations can be made with signal to noise >10 with an FUV-sensitive camera; however, with more scattered solar photons available for IR imaging, higher signal to noise ratios can be attained with a vis/IR filter pairing.

Physical properties and evolution of (sub-)millimetre-selected galaxies in the galaxy formation simulation shark

ABSTRACT We thoroughly explore the properties of (sub)-millimetre (mm) selected galaxies (SMGs) in the shark semi-analytic model of galaxy formation. Compared to observations, the predicted number counts at wavelengths (λ) 0.6–2 mm and redshift distributions at 0.1–2 mm, agree well. At the bright end (≳1 mJy), shark galaxies are a mix of mergers and disc instabilities. These galaxies display a stacked far-ultraviolet (FUV)-to-far-infrared (FIR) spectrum that agrees well with observations. We predict that current optical/NIR surveys are deep enough to detect bright (>1 mJy) λ = 0.85–2 mm-selected galaxies at z ≲ 5, but too shallow to detect counterparts at higher redshift. A James Webb Space Telescope 10 000s survey should detect all counterparts for galaxies with S0.85mm ≳ 0.01 mJy. We predict SMG’s disks contribute significantly (negligibly) to the rest-frame UV (IR). We investigate the 0 ≤ z ≤ 6 evolution of the intrinsic properties of >1 mJy λ = 0.85–2 mm-selected galaxies finding their: (i) stellar masses are $\gt 10^{10.2}\rm \, M_{\odot }$, with the 2 mm ones tracing the most massive galaxies ($\gt 10^{11}\rm \, M_{\odot }$); (ii) specific star formation rates (SFR) are mildly (≈3–10 times) above the main sequence (MS); (iii) host halo masses are $\gtrsim 10^{12.3}\, \rm M_{\odot }$, with 2 mm galaxies tracing the most massive haloes (protoclusters); (iv) SMGs have lower dust masses ($\approx 10^{8}\, \rm M_{\odot }$), higher dust temperatures (≈40–45 K) and higher rest-frame V-band attenuation (>1.5) than MS galaxies; (v) sizes decrease with redshift, from 4 kpc at z = 1 to ≲1 kpc at z = 4; and (vi) the carbon monoxide line spectra of S0.85mm ≳ 1 mJy sources peak at 4 → 3. Finally, we study the contribution of SMGs to the molecular gas and cosmic SFR density at 0 ≤ z ≤ 10, finding that >1 mJy sources make a negligible contribution at z ≳ 3 and 5, respectively, suggesting current observations have unveiled the majority of the SF at 0 ≤ z ≤ 10.

Factories of CO-dark gas: molecular clouds with limited star formation efficiencies by far-ultraviolet feedback

ABSTRACT The star formation in molecular clouds is inefficient. The ionizing extreme-ultraviolet radiation (hν ≥ 13.6 eV) from young clusters has been considered as a primary feedback effect to limit the star formation efficiency (SFE). Here, we focus on the effects of stellar far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation (6 eV ≤ hν ≤ 13.6 eV) during the cloud disruption stage. The FUV radiation may further reduce the SFE via photoelectric heating, and it also affects the chemical states of the gas that is not converted to stars (‘cloud remnants’) via photodissociation of molecules. We have developed a one-dimensional semi-analytical model that follows the evolution of both the thermal and chemical structure of a photodissociation region (PDR) during the dynamical expansion of an H ii region. We investigate how the FUV feedback limits the SFE, supposing that the star formation is quenched in the PDR where the temperature is above a threshold value (e.g. 100 K). Our model predicts that the FUV feedback contributes to reduce the SFEs for massive (Mcl ≳ 105 M⊙) clouds with low surface densities ($\Sigma _{\rm cl}\lesssim 100~{\rm M}_\odot \, {\rm pc}^{-2}$). Moreover, we show that a large part of the H2 molecular gas contained in the cloud remnants should be ‘CO-dark’ under the FUV feedback for a wide range of cloud properties. Therefore, the dispersed molecular clouds are potential factories of CO-dark gas, which returns into the cycle of the interstellar medium.

Neutral Exospheric Temperatures From the GOLD Mission

AbstractObservations of far‐ultraviolet (FUV) dayglow by the Global‐scale Observations of Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission provide a new opportunity for determining how geomagnetic storms alter the temperature of the thermosphere and enable us to quantify the global‐scale response of the thermosphere to solar extreme‐ultraviolet (EUV) variability. Relative temperature changes can be measured by monitoring changes in the scale height of molecular nitrogen as observed in Lyman‐Birge‐Hopfield (LBH) band emissions. Mean scale heights are derived from GOLD FUV observations using Chapman function fits to altitude profiles of LBH band emissions. We provide an overview of the theoretical basis for the GOLD Level 2 exospheric temperature algorithm, including a generalization of a standard Chapman function fitting technique to allow for gravity and temperature gradients. Effects on derived exospheric temperatures from instrument artifacts and stars in the GOLD field of view are reviewed. We also discuss GOLD Level 1C LIM and Level 2 TLIMB data products and present representative examples of each. We show that exospheric temperatures vary with local time and correlate weakly with solar activity but more strongly with geomagnetic activity. Finally, we present results from a preliminary data product validation that show good qualitative agreement with predictions from a global reference atmospheric model.