Galaxy Major Axis Research Articles

Measuring galaxy asymmetries in 3D

ABSTRACT One of the commonly used non-parametric morphometric statistics for galaxy profiles and images is the asymmetry statistic. With an eye to current and upcoming large neutral hydrogen (H i) surveys, we develop a 3D version of the asymmetry statistic that can be applied to datacubes. This statistic is more resilient to variations due to the observed geometry than 1D asymmetry measures, and can be successfully applied to lower spatial resolutions (3 – 4 beams across the galaxy major axis) than the 2D statistic. We have also modified the asymmetry definition from an ‘absolute difference’ version to a ‘squared difference’ version that removes much of the bias due to noise contributions for low signal-to-noise observations. Using a suite of mock asymmetric cubes we show that the background-corrected, squared difference 3D asymmetry statistic can be applied to many marginally resolved galaxies in large wide-area H i surveys such as WALLABY on the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP).

The MBHBM⋆ Project – II. Molecular gas kinematics in the lenticular galaxy NGC 3593 reveal a supermassive black hole

ABSTRACT As part of the Measuring Black Holes in below Milky Way-mass (M⋆) galaxies (MBHBM⋆) Project, we present a dynamical measurement of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass in the nearby lenticular galaxy NGC 3593, using cold molecular gas 12CO(2-1) emission observed at an angular resolution of ≈0${_{.}^{\prime\prime}}$3 (≈10 pc) with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Our ALMA observations reveal a circumnuclear molecular gas disc (CND) elongated along the galaxy major axis and rotating around the SMBH. This CND has a relatively low-velocity dispersion (≲10 km s−1) and is morphologically complex, with clumps having higher integrated intensities and velocity dispersions (≲25 km s−1). These clumps are distributed along the ridges of a two-arm/bi-symmetric spiral pattern surrounded by a larger ring-like structure (radius r ≈ 10 arcsec or ≈350 pc). This pattern likely plays an important role to bridge the molecular gas reservoirs in the CND and beyond (10 ≲ r ≲ 35 arcsec or 350 pc ≲ r ≲ 1.2 kpc). Using dynamical modelling, the molecular gas kinematics allow us to infer an SMBH mass $M_{\rm BH}=2.40_{-1.05}^{+1.87}\times 10^6$ M⊙ (only statistical uncertainties at the 3σ level). We also detect a massive core of cold molecular gas (CMC) of mass MCMC = (5.4 ± 1.2) × 106 M⊙ and effective (half-mass) radius rCMC,e = 11.2 ± 2.8 pc, co-spatial with a nuclear star cluster (NSC) of mass MNSC = (1.67 ± 0.48) × 107 M⊙ and effective radius rNSC,e = 5.0 ± 1.0 pc (or 0${_{.}^{\prime\prime}}$15 ± 0${_{.}^{\prime\prime}}$03). The mass profiles of the CMC and NSC are well described by Sérsic functions with indices 1−1.4. Our MBH and MNSC estimates for NGC 3593 agree well with the recently compiled MBH–MNSC scaling relation. Although the MNSC uncertainty is twice the inferred MBH, the rapid central rise of the rotation velocities of the CND (as the radius decreases) clearly suggests an SMBH. Indeed, our dynamical models show that even if MNSC is at the upper end of its allowed range, the evidence for a BH does not vanish, but remains with a lower limit of MBH > 3 × 105 M⊙.

The AGNIFS survey: distribution and excitation of the hot molecular and ionized gas in the inner kpc of nearby AGN hosts

ABSTRACT We use the Gemini NIFS instrument to map the H$_2\, 2.1218\, \mu$m and Brγ flux distributions in the inner 0.04–2 kpc of a sample of 36 nearby active galaxies (0.001 ≲ z ≲ 0.056) at spatial resolutions from 4 to 250 pc. We find extended emission in 34 galaxies. In ∼55 per cent of them, the emission in both lines is most extended along the galaxy major axis, while in the other 45 per cent the extent follows a distinct orientation. The emission of H2 is less concentrated than that of Brγ, presenting a radius that contains half of the flux 60 per cent greater, on average. The H2 emission is driven by thermal processes – X-ray heating and shocks – at most locations for all galaxies, where $0.4\lt \rm H_2/Br\gamma \lt 6$. For regions where H2/Brγ > 6 (seen in 40 per cent of the galaxies), shocks are the main H2 excitation mechanism, while in regions with H2/Brγ < 0.4 (25 per cent of the sample) the H2 emission is produced by fluorescence. The only difference we found between type 1 and type 2 active galactic nucleus (AGN) was in the nuclear emission-line equivalent widths that are smaller in type 1 than in type 2 due to a larger contribution to the continuum from the hot dusty torus in the former. The gas masses in the inner 125 pc radius are in the range 101−104 M⊙ for the hot H2 and 103−106 M⊙ for the ionized gas and would be enough to power the AGN in our sample for 105−108 yr at their current accretion rates.

MusE GAs FLOw and Wind V. The dust/metallicity-anisotropy of the circum-galactic medium

ABSTRACT We investigate whether the dust content of the circum-galactic medium (CGM) depends on the location of the quasar sightline with respect to the galaxy major-axis using 13 galaxy-Mg ii absorber pairs (9–81 kpc distance) from the MusE GAs FLOw and Wind (MEGAFLOW) survey at 0.4 < z < 1.4. The dust content of the CGM is obtained from [Zn/Fe] using ultraviolet and visual echelle spectrograph data. When a direct measurement of [Zn/Fe] is unavailable, we estimate the dust depletion from a method that consists in solving for the depletion from multiple singly ionized ions (e.g. Mn ii, Cr ii, and Zn ii) since each ion depletes on dust grains at different rates. We find a positive correlation between the azimuthal angle and [Zn/Fe] with a Pearson’s r = 0.70 ± 0.14. The sightlines along the major axis show [Zn/Fe] < 0.5, whereas the [Zn/Fe] is > 0.8 along the minor axis. These results suggest that the CGM along the minor axis is on average more metal enriched (by ≈ 1 dex) than the gas located along the major axis of galaxies provided that dust depletion is a proxy for metallicity. This anisotropic distribution is consistent with recent results on outflow and accretion in hydro-dynamical simulations.

Evidence for galaxy quenching in the green valley caused by a lack of a circumgalactic medium

ABSTRACT The relationship between a galaxy’s properties and its circumgalactic medium (CGM) provides a unique view of how galaxies evolve. We present an interesting edge-on (i = 86°) disc galaxy (G1547) where the CGM is probed by a background quasar at a distance of 84 kpc and within 10° of the galaxy major axis. G1547 does not have any detectable CGM absorption down to stringent limits, covering H i (EWr <0.02 Å, log(N(H i)/cm−2) < 12.6) and a range of low and high ionization absorption lines (O i, C ii, N ii, Si ii, C iii, N iii, Si iii, C iv, Si iv, N v, and O vi). This system is rare, given the covering fraction of $1.00_{-0.04}^{+0.00}$ for sub-L* galaxies within 50–100 kpc of quasar sightlines. G1547 has a low star formation rate (SFR, 1.1 M⊙ yr−1), specific SFR (sSFR, 1.5 × 10−10 yr−1), and ΣSFR (0.06 M⊙ yr−1 kpc−2) and does not exhibit active galactic nucleus or star-formation-driven outflows. Compared to the general population of galaxies, G1547 is in the green valley and has an above average metallicity with a negative gradient. When compared to other H i absorption-selected galaxies, we find that quiescent galaxies with log(sSFR/yr−1) < −11 have a low probability (4/12) of possessing detectable H i in their CGM, while all galaxies (40/40) with log(sSFR/yr−1) > −11 have H i absorption. We conclude that sSFR is a good indicator of the presence of H i CGM. Interestingly however, G1547 is the only galaxy with log(sSFR/yr−1) > −11 that has no detectable CGM. Given the properties of G1547, and its absent CGM, it is plausible that G1547 is undergoing quenching due to a lack of accreting fuel for star formation, with an estimated quenching time-scale of 4 ± 1 Gyr. G1547 provides a unique perspective into the external mechanisms that could explain the migration of galaxies into the green valley.

Predictions for the angular dependence of gas mass flow rate and metallicity in the circumgalactic medium

ABSTRACT We use cosmological hydrodynamical simulations to examine the physical properties of the gas in the circumgalactic media (CGM) of star-forming galaxies as a function of angular orientation. We utilize TNG50 of the IllustrisTNG project, as well as the EAGLE simulation to show that observable properties of CGM gas correlate with azimuthal angle, defined as the galiocentric angle with respect to the central galaxy. Both simulations are in remarkable agreement in predicting a strong modulation of flow rate direction with azimuthal angle: inflow is more substantial along the galaxy major axis, while outflow is strongest along the minor axis. The absolute rates are noticeably larger for higher ($\log {(M_\star / \rm {M}_\odot)} \sim 10.5$) stellar mass galaxies, up to an order of magnitude compared to $\dot{M} \lesssim 1$ M⊙ yr−1 sr−1 for $\log {(M_\star / \rm {M}_\odot)}\sim 9.5$ objects. Notwithstanding the different numerical and physical models, both TNG50 and EAGLE predict that the average metallicity of the CGM is higher along the minor versus major axes of galaxies. The angular signal is robust across a wide range of galaxy stellar mass $8.5 \lt \log {(M_\star / \rm {M}_\odot)} \lt 10.5$ at z < 1. This azimuthal dependence is particularly clear at larger impact parameters b ≥ 100 kpc. Our results present a global picture, whereby despite the numerous mixing processes, there is a clear angular dependence of the CGM metallicity. We make forecasts for future large survey programmes that will be able to compare against these expectations. Indeed, characterizing the kinematics, spatial distribution and metal content of CGM gas is key to a full understanding of the exchange of mass, metals, and energy between galaxies and their surrounding environments.

The Relationship between Galaxy ISM and Circumgalactic Gas Metallicities

Abstract We present interstellar matter (ISM) and circumgalactic medium (CGM) metallicities for 25 absorption systems associated with isolated star-forming galaxies ( ) with 9.4 ≤ log(M */M ⊙) ≤ 10.9 and with absorption detected within (200 kpc). Galaxy ISM metallicities were measured using Hα/[N ii] emission lines from Keck/ESI spectra. CGM single-phase low-ionization metallicities were modeled using Markov Chain Monte Carlo and Cloudy analysis of absorption from HST/COS and Keck/HIRES or VLT/UVES quasar spectra. We find that the star-forming galaxy ISM metallicities follow the observed stellar mass–metallicity relation (1σ scatter 0.19 dex). CGM metallicity shows no dependence with stellar mass and exhibits a scatter of ∼2 dex. All CGM metallicities are lower than the galaxy ISM metallicities and are offset by log(dZ) = −1.17 ± 0.11. There is no obvious metallicity gradient as a function of impact parameter or virial radius (<2.3σ significance). There is no relationship between the relative CGM-galaxy metallicity and azimuthal angle. We find the mean metallicity differences along the major and minor axes are −1.13 ± 0.18 and −1.23 ± 0.11, respectively. Regardless of whether we examine our sample by low/high inclination or low/high impact parameter, or low/high N(H i), we do not find any significant relationship with relative CGM-galaxy metallicity and azimuthal angle. We find that 10/15 low column density systems (logN(H i) < 17.2) reside along the galaxy major axis while high column density systems (logN(H i) ≥ 17.2) reside along the minor axis. This suggests N(H i) could be a useful indicator of accretion/outflows. We conclude that CGM is not well mixed, given the range of galaxy-CGM metallicities, and that metallicity at low redshift might not be a good tracer of CGM processes. On the other hand, we should replace integrated line-of-sight, single-phase metallicities with multiphase, cloud–cloud metallicities, which could be more indicative of the physical processes within the CGM.

MusE GAs FLOw and Wind (MEGAFLOW) – III. Galactic wind properties using background quasars

ABSTRACT We present results from our on-going MusE GAs FLOw and Wind (MEGAFLOW) survey, which consists of 22 quasar lines of sight, each observed with the integral field unit MUSE and the UVES spectrograph at the ESO Very Large Telescopes (VLT). The goals of this survey are to study the properties of the circumgalactic medium around z ∼ 1 star-forming galaxies. The absorption-line selected survey consists of 79 strong Mg ii absorbers (with rest-frame equivalent width ≳0.3 Å) and, currently, 86 associated galaxies within 100 projected kpc of the quasar with stellar masses (M⋆) from 109 to 1011 M⊙. We find that the cool halo gas traced by Mg ii is not isotropically distributed around these galaxies from the strong bi-modal distribution in the azimuthal angle of the apparent location of the quasar with respect to the galaxy major axis. This supports a scenario in which outflows are bi-conical in nature and co-exist with a co-planar gaseous structure extending at least up to 60–80 kpc. Assuming that absorbers near the minor axis probe outflows, the current MEGAFLOW sample allowed us to select 26 galaxy–quasar pairs suitable for studying winds. From this sample, using a simple geometrical model, we find that the outflow velocity only exceeds the escape velocity when M⋆ ≲ 4 × 109 M⊙, implying the cool material is likely to fall back except in the smallest haloes. Finally, we find that the mass loading factor η, the ratio between the ejected mass rate and the star formation rate, appears to be roughly constant with respect to the galaxy mass.

Testing the Tremaine–Weinberg Method Applied to Integral-field Spectroscopic Data Using a Simulated Barred Galaxy

Abstract Tremaine and Weinberg (TW) proposed a conceptually simple procedure relying on long-slit spectroscopy to measure the pattern speeds of bars (Ωp) in disk galaxies. Using a simulated galaxy, we investigate the potential biases and uncertainties of TW measurements using increasingly popular integral-field spectrographs (IFSs), for which multiple pseudo-slits (and thus independent measurements) can be constructed with a single observation. Most importantly, to establish the spatial coverage required and ensure the validity of the measurements, the inferred Ωp must asymptotically converge as the (half-)length of each pseudo-slit used is increased. The requirement for our simulation is to reach ≈1.3 times the half-light radius, but this may vary from galaxy to galaxy. Only those slits located within the bar region yield accurate measurements. We confirm that the position angle of the disk is the dominant source of systematic error in TW Ωp measurements, leading to under/overestimates of tens of percent for inaccuracies of even a few degrees. Recasting the data so that the data grid aligns with the disk major axis leads to slightly reduced uncertainties. Accurate measurements are obtained only for well-defined ranges of the bar angle (relative to the galaxy major axis) ϕ bar and the inclination angle i, here 10° ≲ ϕ bar ≲ 75° and 105° ≲ ϕ bar ≲ 170° and 15° ≲ i ≲ 70°. The adopted (pseudo-)slit widths, spatial resolution, and (unless extremely aggressive) spatial binning of IFS data have no significant impact on the measurements. Our results thus provide useful guidelines for reliable and accurate direct Ωp measurements with IFS observations.

Can intrinsic alignments of elongated low-mass galaxies be used to map the cosmic web at high redshift?

ABSTRACT Hubble Space Telescope observations show that low-mass ($M_*=10^9\!-\!10^{10}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$) galaxies at high redshift (z = 1.0–2.5) tend to be elongated (prolate) rather than disky (oblate) or spheroidal. This is explained in zoom-in cosmological hydrodynamical simulations by the fact that these galaxies are forming in cosmic web filaments where accretion happens preferentially along the direction of elongation. We ask whether the elongated morphology of these galaxies allows them to be used as effective tracers of cosmic web filaments at high redshift via their intrinsic alignments. Using mock light cones and spectroscopically confirmed galaxy pairs from the Cosmic Assembly Near-infared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS), we test two types of alignments: (1) between the galaxy major axis and the direction to nearby galaxies of any mass and (2) between the major axes of nearby pairs of low-mass, likely prolate, galaxies. The mock light cones predict strong signals in 3D real space, 3D redshift space, and 2D projected redshift space for both types of alignments (assuming prolate galaxy orientations are the same as those of their host prolate haloes), but we do not detect significant alignment signals in CANDELS observations. However, we show that spectroscopic redshifts have been obtained for only a small fraction of highly elongated galaxies, and accounting for spectroscopic incompleteness and redshift errors significantly degrades the 2D mock signal. This may partly explain the alignment discrepancy and highlights one of several avenues for future work.

How Gas Accretion Feeds Galactic Disks

Abstract Numerous observations indicate that galaxies need a continuous gas supply to fuel star formation and explain the star formation history. However, direct observational evidence of gas accretion remains rare. Using the EAGLE cosmological hydrodynamic simulation suite, we study cold gas accretion onto galaxies and the observational signatures of the cold gas kinematics. For EAGLE galaxies at z = 0.27, we find that cold gas accretes onto galaxies anisotropically with typical inflow speeds between 20 and 60 km s−1. Most of these galaxies have comparable mass inflow rates and star formation rates, implying that the cold inflowing gas plausibly accounts for sustaining the star-forming activities of the galaxies. As motivation for future work to compare the cold gas kinematics with measurements from quasar sightline observations, we select an EAGLE galaxy with an extended cold gas disk, and we probe the cold gas using mock quasar sightlines. We demonstrate that by viewing the disk edge on, sightlines at azimuthal angles below 10° and impact parameters out to 60 pkpc can detect cold gas that corotates with the galaxy disk. This example suggests that cold gas disks extending beyond the optical disks possibly explain the sightline observations that detect corotating cold gas near galaxy major axes.

Investigation of the orientation of galaxies in clusters: the importance, methods and results of research

Various models of structure formation can account for various aspects of the galaxy formation process on different scales, as well as for various observational features of structures. Thus, the investigation of galaxies orientation constitute a standard test of galaxies formation scenarios since observed variations in angular momentum represent fundamental constraints for any model of galaxy formation. We have improved the method of analysis of the alignment of galaxies in clusters. Now, the method allows to analyze both position angles of galaxy major axes and two angles describing the spatial orientation of galaxies. The distributions of analyzed angles were tested for isotropy by applying different statistical tests. For sample of analyzed clusters we have computed the mean values of analyzed statistics, checking whether they are the same as expected ones in the case of random distribution of analyzed angles. The detailed discussion of this method has been performed. We have shown how to proceed in many particular cases in order to improve the statistical reasoning when analyzing the distribution of the angles in the observational data. Separately, we have compared these new results with those obtained from numerical simulations. We show how powerful is our method on the example of galaxy orientation analysis in 247 Abell rich galaxy clusters. We have found that the orientations of galaxies in analyzed clusters are not random. It means that we genuinely confirmed an existence of the alignment of galaxies in rich Abells' galaxy clusters. This result is independent from the clusters of Bautz-Morgan types.

The Relation between Galaxy ISM and Circumgalactic O vi Gas Kinematics Derived from Observations and ΛCDM Simulations

Abstract We present the first galaxy–O vi absorption kinematic study for 20 absorption systems (EW > 0.1 Å) associated with isolated galaxies (0.15 ≤ z ≤ 0.55) that have accurate redshifts and rotation curves obtained using Keck/ESI. Our sample is split into two azimuthal angle bins: major axis (Φ < 25°) and minor axis (Φ > 33°). O vi absorption along the galaxy major axis is not correlated with galaxy rotation kinematics, with only 1/10 of systems that could be explained with rotation/accretion models. This is in contrast to corotation commonly observed for Mg ii absorption. O vi along the minor axis could be modeled by accelerating outflows, but only for small opening angles, while the majority of the O vi is decelerating. Along both axes, stacked O vi profiles reside at the galaxy systemic velocity with the absorption kinematics spanning the entire dynamical range of their galaxies. The O vi found in AMR cosmological simulations exists within filaments and in halos of ∼50 kpc surrounding galaxies. Simulations show that major-axis O vi gas inflows along filaments and decelerates as it approaches the galaxy, while increasing in its level of corotation. Minor-axis outflows in the simulations are effective within 50–75 kpc; beyond that they decelerate and fall back onto the galaxy. Although the simulations show clear O vi kinematic signatures, they are not directly comparable to observations. When we compare kinematic signatures integrated through the entire simulated galaxy halo, we find that these signatures are washed out owing to full velocity distribution of O vi throughout the halo. We conclude that O vi alone does not serve as a useful kinematic indicator of gas accretion, outflows, or star formation and likely best probes the halo virial temperature.

A SALT Spectral Study of S0s Hosting Pseudobulges

We present a SALT-RSS spectroscopic study of a sample of S0 galaxies established by Vaghmare et al. (2015) as having pseudobulges using a combination of photometric criteria. We extract the spectra of various regions along the galaxy major axis using standard long-slit spectroscopic reduction procedures and model the spectra using STARLIGHT to derive detailed star formation histories. The central spectra of galaxies without bars in our sample reveal a complex star formation history, which is consistent with the belief that pseudobulges have a history of star formation distributed over extended periods of time. The spectra of the unbarred galaxies contain strong emission lines such as H $\alpha$, indicating active star formation, which appears to be in contradiction with the expectation that S0 galaxies have been stripped of gas. In the case of the two barred galaxies in the sample, the spectrum is dominated by light from a much older stellar population. This seems to suggest an accelerated formation of the pseudobulge made possible by the action of the bar. One of these galaxies appears to have exhausted its reservoir of gas and thus has no signature of a recently formed population of stars while the other galaxy has managed to give rise to new stars through a recent funnelling action. We have also confirmed the influence of bars on the nature of the stellar population in a pseudobulge using an alternate sample based on the SDSS

Kinematic and stellar population properties of the counter-rotating components in the S0 galaxy NGC 1366

Context. Many disk galaxies host two extended stellar components that rotate in opposite directions. The analysis of the stellar populations of the counter-rotating components provides constraints on the environmental and internal processes that drive their formation. Aims. The S0 NGC 1366 in the Fornax cluster is known to host a stellar component that is kinematically decoupled from the main body of the galaxy. Here we successfully separated the two counter-rotating stellar components to independently measure the kinematics and properties of their stellar populations. Methods. We performed a spectroscopic decomposition of the spectrum obtained along the galaxy major axis and separated the relative contribution of the two counter-rotating stellar components and of the ionized-gas component. We measured the line-strength indices of the two counter-rotating stellar components and modeled each of them with single stellar population models that account for the {\alpha}/Fe overabundance. Results. We found that the counter-rotating stellar component is younger, has nearly the same metallicity, and is less {\alpha}/Fe enhanced than the corotating component. Unlike most of the counter-rotating galaxies, the ionized gas detected in NGC 1366 is neither associated with the counter-rotating stellar component nor with the main galaxy body. On the contrary, it has a disordered distribution and a disturbed kinematics with multiple velocity components observed along the minor axis of the galaxy. Conclusions. The different properties of the counter-rotating stellar components and the kinematic peculiarities of the ionized gas suggest that NGC 1366 is at an intermediate stage of the acquisition process, building the counter-rotating components with some gas clouds still falling onto the galaxy.

THE HIGHLY IONIZED CIRCUMGALACTIC MEDIUM IS KINEMATICALLY UNIFORM AROUND GALAXIES

ABSTRACT The circumgalactic medium (CGM) traced by O vi doublet absorption has been found to concentrate along the projected major and minor axes of the host galaxies. This suggests that O vi traces accreting and outflowing gas, respectively, which are key components of the baryon cycle of galaxies. We investigate this further by examining the kinematics of 29 O vi absorbers associated with galaxies at as a function of galaxy color, inclination, and azimuthal angle. Each galaxy was imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and the absorption was detected in COS/HST spectra of nearby ( kpc) background quasars. We use the pixel-velocity two-point correlation function to characterize the velocity spread of the absorbers, which is a method used previously for a sample of Mg ii absorber–galaxy pairs. The absorption velocity spread for O vi is more extended than Mg ii, which suggests that the two ions trace differing components of the CGM. Again, in contrast to Mg ii, the O vi absorption velocity spreads are similar regardless of galaxy color, inclination, and azimuthal angle. This indicates that the kinematics of the high-ionization gas is not strongly influenced by the current star formation activity in the galaxy. The kinematic homogeneity of O vi absorption and its tendency to be observed mainly along the projected galaxy major and minor axes is likely due to varying ionization conditions and gas densities about the galaxy. Gas in intermediate azimuthal angles may be ionized out of the O vi phase, possibly resulting in an azimuthal angle dependence of the distribution of gas in higher ionization states.

H i 21-cm absorption survey of quasar-galaxy pairs: distribution of cold gas aroundz < 0.4 galaxies

We present the results from our survey of HI 21-cm absorption, using GMRT, VLA and WSRT, in a sample of 55 z<0.4 galaxies towards radio sources with impact parameters (b) in the range ~0-35 kpc. In our primary sample (defined for statistical analyses) of 40 quasar-galaxy-pairs (QGPs), probed by 45 sightlines, we have found seven HI 21-cm absorption detections, two of which are reported here for the first time. Combining our primary sample with measurements having similar optical depth sensitivity ($\int\tau dv$ <= 0.3 km/s) from the literature, we find a weak anti-correlation (rank correlation coefficient = -0.20 at 2.42sigma level) between $\int\tau dv$ and b, consistent with previous literature results. The covering factor of HI 21-cm absorbers (C_21) is estimated to be 0.24 (+0.12/-0.08) at b <= 15 kpc and 0.06 (+0.09/-0.04) at b = 15-35 kpc. $\int\tau dv$ and C_21 show similar declining trend with radial distance along the galaxy's major axis and distances scaled with the effective HI radius. There is also tentative indication that most of the HI 21-cm absorbers could be co-planar with the extended HI discs. No significant dependence of $\int\tau dv$ and C_21 on galaxy luminosity, stellar mass, colour and star formation rate is found, though the HI 21-cm absorbing gas cross-section may be larger for the luminous galaxies. The higher detection rate (by a factor of ~4) of HI 21-cm absorption in z<1 DLAs compared to the QGPs indicates towards small covering factor and patchy distribution of cold gas clouds around low-z galaxies.

Intrinsic alignments in redMaPPer clusters – I. Central galaxy alignments and angular segregation of satellites

The shapes of cluster central galaxies are not randomly oriented, but rather exhibit coherent alignments with the shapes of their parent clusters as well as with the surrounding large-scale structures. In this work, we aim to identify the galaxy and cluster quantities that most strongly predict the central galaxy alignment phenomenon among a large parameter space with a sample of 8237 clusters and 94817 members within 0.1<z<0.35, based on the redMaPPer cluster catalog constructed from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We first quantify the alignment between the projected central galaxy shapes and the distribution of member satellites, to understand what central galaxy and cluster properties most strongly correlate with these alignments. Next, we investigate the angular segregation of satellites with respect to their central galaxy major axis directions, to identify the satellite properties that most strongly predict their angular segregation. We find that central galaxies are more aligned with their member galaxy distributions in clusters that are more elongated and have higher richness, and for central galaxies with larger physical size, higher luminosity and centering probability, and redder color. Satellites with redder color, higher luminosity, located closer to the central galaxy, and with smaller ellipticity show a stronger angular segregation toward their central galaxy major axes. Finally, we provide physical explanations for some of the identified correlations, and discuss the connection to theories of central galaxy alignments, the impact of primordial alignments with tidal fields, and the importance of anisotropic accretion.

Rotation of the polarization vector from distant radio galaxies in the perturbed FRW metric

Analysis of the correlation between the angular positions of distant radio galaxies on the sky and the orientations of their polarization vectors with respect to their major axes, indicates a dipolar anisotropy in the large scale. We consider a single mode of large-scale scalar perturbation to the FRW metric. Using Newman-Penrose formalism, we calculate the rotation of the galaxy major axis with respect to the polarization vector as the elliptic image and the polarization vector are carried through the perturbed space-time. The dependence of the rotation on the polar angular coordinate of the galaxy, is qualitatively similar to the claimed dipole pattern.

POSSIBLE SIGNATURES OF A COLD-FLOW DISK FROM MUSE USING A z ∼ 1 GALAXY–QUASAR PAIR TOWARD SDSS J1422−0001*

ABSTRACT We use a background quasar to detect the presence of circumgalactic gas around a z = 0.91 ?> low-mass star-forming galaxy. Data from the new Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on the Very Large Telescope show that the galaxy has a dust-corrected star formation rate (SFR) of 4.7 ± 2.0 M ⊙ yr−1, with no companion down to 0.22 M ⊙ yr−1 (5σ) within 240 h &minus; 1 ?> kpc (“30”). Using a high-resolution spectrum of the background quasar, which is fortuitously aligned with the galaxy major axis (with an azimuth angle α of only 15°), we find, in the gas kinematics traced by low-ionization lines, distinct signatures consistent with those expected for a “cold-flow disk” extending at least 12 kpc ( 3 &times; R 1 / 2 ?> ). We estimate the mass accretion rate M &DiacriticalDot; in ?> to be at least two to three times larger than the SFR, using the geometric constraints from the IFU data and the H i column density of log N H I ?> / cm - 2 ?> ≃ 20.4 obtained from a Hubble Space Telescope/COS near-UV spectrum. From a detailed analysis of the low-ionization lines (e.g., Zn ii, Cr ii, Ti ii, Mn ii, Si ii), the accreting material appears to be enriched to about 0.4 Z &CircleDot; ?> (albeit with large uncertainties: log Z / Z &CircleDot; = &minus; 0.4 &PlusMinus; 0.4 ?> ), which is comparable to the galaxy metallicity (12 + log O/H = 8.7 ± 0.2), implying a large recycling fraction from past outflows. Blueshifted Mg ii and Fe ii absorptions in the galaxy spectrum from the MUSE data reveal the presence of an outflow. The Mg ii and Fe ii absorption line ratios indicate emission infilling due to scattering processes, but the MUSE data do not show any signs of fluorescent Fe ii* emission.