Gas In Galaxies Research Articles

Kinematics of molecular gas in star-forming galaxies with large-scale ionized outflows

ABSTRACT We investigate the kinematics of the molecular gas in a sample of seven edge-on (i > 60°) galaxies identified as hosting large-scale outflows of ionized gas, using ALMA CO(1–0) observations at ∼1 kpc resolution. We build on Hogarth et al., where we find that molecular gas is more centrally concentrated in galaxies which host winds than in control objects. We perform full three-dimensional kinematic modelling with multiple combinations of kinematic components, allowing us to infer whether these objects share any similarities in their molecular gas structure. We use modelling to pinpoint the kinematic centre of each galaxy, in order to interpret their minor- and major-axis position velocity diagrams (PVDs). From the PVDs, we find that the bulk of the molecular gas in our galaxies is dynamically cold, tracing the rotation curves predicted by our symmetric, rotation-dominated models, but with minor flux asymmetries. Most notably, we find evidence of radial gas motion in a subset of our objects, which demonstrate a characteristic ‘twisting’ in their minor-axis PVDs generally associated with gas flow along the plane of a galaxy. In our highest S/N object, we include bi-symmetric radial flow in our kinematic model, and find (via the Bayesian Information Criterion) that the presence of radial gas motion is strongly favoured. This may provide one mechanism by which molecular gas and star formation are centrally concentrated, enabling the launch of massive ionized gas winds. However, in the remainder of our sample, we do not observe evidence that gas is being driven radially, once again emphasizing the variety of physical processes that may be powering the outflows in these objects, as originally noted in H21.

Contribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ionization to neutral gas heating in galaxies: model versus observations

The ionization of polycyclic aromatic hydocarbons (PAHs) by ultraviolet (UV) photons from massive stars is expected to account for a large fraction of the heating of neutral gas in galaxies. Evaluation of this proposal, however, has been limited by our ability to directly compare observational diagnostics to the results of a molecular model describing PAH ionization. The objective of this article is to take advantage of the most recent values of molecular parameters derived from laboratory experiments and quantum chemical calculations on PAHs and provide a detailed comparison between modeled values and observational diagnostics for the PAH charge state and the heating efficiency for PAHs. Despite the use of a simple analytical model, we obtain a good agreement between model results and observational diagnostics over a wide range of radiation fields and physical conditions, in environments such as star-forming regions, galaxies, and protoplanetary disks. In addition, we found that the modeled photoelectric heating rates by PAHs are close to the observed cooling rates given by the gas emission. These results show that PAH ionization is the main source of neutral gas heating in these environments. The results of our photoelectric heating model by PAHs can thus be used to assess the contribution of UV radiative heating in galaxies (vs. e.g. shock). We conclude on the importance of implementing the physics of PAH ionization in astrophysical codes, which are developed, for example, for the evaporating surfaces of protoplanetary disks, the diffuse interstellar medium, and the photodissociation regions associated with star-forming regions in the local and distant universe. We provide the empirical formulas and Python code to calculate the heating rates and heating efficiencies for PAHs.

From Clusters to Proto-Clusters: The Infrared Perspective on Environmental Galaxy Evolution

Environment is one of the primary drivers of galaxy evolution; via multiple mechanisms, it can control the critical process of transforming galaxies from star forming to quiescent, commonly termed “quenching”. Despite its importance, however, we still do not have a clear view of how environmentally-driven quenching proceeds even in the most extreme environments: galaxy clusters and their progenitor proto-clusters. Recent advances in infrared capabilities have enabled transformative progress not only in the identification of these structures but in detailed analyses of quiescence, obscured star formation, and molecular gas in (proto-)cluster galaxies across cosmic time. In this review, we will discuss the current state of the literature regarding the quenching of galaxies in (proto-)clusters from the observational, infrared perspective. Our improved understanding of environmental galaxy evolution comes from unique observables across the distinct regimes of the near-, mid-, and far-infrared, crucial in the push to high redshift where massive galaxy growth is dominated by highly extinct, infrared-bright galaxies.

RAD@home citizen science discovery of an active galactic nucleus spewing a large unipolar radio bubble on to its merging companion galaxy

ABSTRACT Active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback during galaxy merger has been the most favoured model to explain black hole–galaxy co-evolution. However, how the AGN-driven jet/wind/radiation is coupled with the gas of the merging galaxies, which leads to positive feedback, momentarily enhanced star formation, and subsequently negative feedback, a decline in star formation, is poorly understood. Only a few cases are known where the jet and companion galaxy interaction leads to minor off-axis distortions in the jets and enhanced star formation in the gas-rich minor companions. Here, we briefly report one extraordinary case, RAD12, discovered by RAD@home citizen science collaboratory, where for the first time a radio jet–driven bubble (∼ 137 kpc) is showing a symmetric reflection after hitting the incoming galaxy which is not a gas-rich minor but a gas-poor early-type galaxy in a major merger. Surprisingly, neither positive feedback nor any radio lobe on the counter jet side, if any, is detected. It is puzzling if RAD12 is a genuine one-sided jet or a case of radio lobe trapped, compressed and re-accelerated by shocks during the merger. This is the first imaging study of RAD12 presenting follow-up with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, archival MeerKAT radio data and Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope optical data.

The Effect of a Spiral Density Wave on the Galaxy’s Rotation Curve, as Applied to the Andromeda Galaxy (M31)

The rotational velocity curve, which is the circular velocity profile of the stars and gas in a spiral galaxy as a function of their distance from the galactic center, plays an important role in the kinematic and dynamic investigation of spiral galaxies. There are observations of approximately flat rotation curves (RC) at large distances that have introduced mass discrepancy between the theoretically derived RC and the observed one. In this paper, we derive a rotational velocity expression using a nonlinear spiral density wave solution for the surface mass density (SMD) within the disk. We show that the proposed nonlinear spiral solution is able to support the observed flat rotational velocity curve for large distances with no mass deficiency. The aim of the paper is to confirm the crucial importance of the mass distribution on the rotation curve profile. Although the model is limited by the fluid description of the galactic disk, it provides an improved rotational velocity expression and a rotation curve with no mass discrepancy in the outer part of the disk due to the inclusion of the spiral mass distribution. The disk mass has not been averaged within the exponential disk approximation, but it rather follows the observed spiral pattern given by the analytical solution of the nonlinear equation. The M31 galaxy has been chosen as the closest and well mapped spiral galaxy, similar in many aspects to our host galaxy, in order to apply a rotational velocity expression that accounts for nonlinear effects and derive RC. The obtained result can have a strong influence on large-scale gravity dynamics, as well.

Simulations of black hole fueling in isolated and merging galaxies with an explicit, multiphase ISM

ABSTRACT We study gas inflows on to supermassive black holes using hydrodynamics simulations of isolated galaxies and idealized galaxy mergers with an explicit, multiphase interstellar medium (ISM). Our simulations use the recently developed ISM and stellar evolution model called Stars and MUltiphase Gas in GaLaxiEs (SMUGGLE). We implement a novel super-Lagrangian refinement scheme that increases the gas mass resolution in the immediate neighbourhood of the black holes (BHs) to accurately resolve gas accretion. We do not include black hole feedback in our simulations. We find that the complex and turbulent nature of the SMUGGLE ISM leads to highly variable BH accretion. BH growth in SMUGGLE converges at gas mass resolutions ≲3 × 103 M⊙. We show that the low resolution simulations combined with the super-Lagrangian refinement scheme are able to produce central gas dynamics and BH accretion rates very similar to that of the uniform high resolution simulations. We further explore BH fueling by simulating galaxy mergers. The interaction between the galaxies causes an inflow of gas towards the galactic centres and results in elevated and bursty star formation. The peak gas densities near the BHs increase by orders of magnitude resulting in enhanced accretion. Our results support the idea that galaxy mergers can trigger AGN activity, although the instantaneous accretion rate depends strongly on the local ISM. We also show that the level of merger-induced enhancement of BH fueling predicted by the SMUGGLE model is much smaller compared to the predictions by simulations using an effective equation of state model of the ISM.

Gas condensation in brightest group galaxies unveiled with MUSE

The origin of the cold gas in central galaxies in groups is still a matter of debate. We present Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations of 18 optically selected local (z ≤ 0.017) brightest group galaxies (BGGs) to study the kinematics and distribution of the optical emission-line gas. MUSE observations reveal a distribution of gas morphologies including ten complex networks of filaments extending up to ∼10 kpc to two compact (< 3 kpc) and five extended (> 5 kpc) disk-dominated structures. Some rotating disks show rings and elongated structures arising from the central disk. The kinematics of the stellar component is mainly rotation-dominated, which is very different from the disturbed kinematics and distribution found in the filamentary sources. The ionized gas is kinematically decoupled from the stellar component for most systems, suggesting an external origin for the gas. We also find that the Hα luminosity correlates with the cold molecular gas mass. By exploring the thermodynamical properties of the X-ray atmospheres, we find that the filamentary structures and compact disks are found in systems with small central entropy values, K, and tcool/teddy ratios. This suggests that, similar to brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in cool core clusters, the ionized filaments and the cold gas associated to them are likely formed from hot halo gas condensations via thermal instabilities, which is consistent with the chaotic cold accretion simulations (as shown via the C ratio, Tat, and k plot). We note that the presence of gaseous rotating disks is more frequent than in BCGs. An explanation for the origin of the gas in those objects is a contribution to gas fueling by wet mergers or group satellites, as qualitatively hinted at by some sources of the present sample. Nonetheless, we discuss the possibility that some extended disks could also be a transition stage in an evolutionary sequence including filaments, extended disks, and compact disks, as described by hot gas condensation models of cooling flows.

Spatially resolved gas and stellar kinematics in compact starburst galaxies

Context.The kinematics of galaxies provide valuable insights into their physics and assembly history. Kinematics are governed not only by the gravitational potential, but also by merger events and stellar feedback processes such as stellar winds and supernova explosions.Aims.We aim to identify what governs the kinematics in a sample of SDSS-selected nearby starburst galaxies, by obtaining spatially resolved measurements of the gas and stellar kinematics.Methods.We obtained near-infrared integral-fieldK-band spectroscopy with VLT/SINFONI for 15 compact starburst galaxies. We derived the integrated as well as spatially resolved stellar and gas kinematics. The stellar kinematics were derived from the CO absorption bands, and Paαand Brγemission lines were used for the gas kinematics.Results.Based on the integrated spectra, we find that the majority of galaxies have gas and stellar velocity dispersion that are comparable. A spatially resolved comparison shows that the six galaxies that deviate show evidence for a bulge or stellar feedback. Two galaxies are identified as mergers based on their double-peaked emission lines. In our sample, we find a negative correlation between the ratio of the rotational velocity over the velocity dispersion (vrot/σ) and the star formation rate surface density.Conclusions.We propose a scenario where the global kinematics of the galaxies are determined by gravitational instabilities that affect both the stars and gas. This process could be driven by mergers or accretion events. Effects of stellar feedback on the ionised gas are more localised and detected only in the spatially resolved analysis. The mass derived from the velocity dispersion provides a reliable mass even if the galaxy cannot be spatially resolved. The technique used in this paper is applicable to galaxies at low and high redshift with the next generation of infrared-focussed telescopes (JWST and ELT).

Catastrophic Cooling in Superwinds. III. Nonequilibrium Photoionization

Observations of some starburst-driven galactic superwinds suggest that strong radiative cooling could play a key role in the nature of feedback and the formation of stars and molecular gas in star-forming galaxies. These catastrophically cooling superwinds are not adequately described by adiabatic fluid models, but they can be reproduced by incorporating nonequilibrium radiative cooling functions into the fluid model. In this work, we have employed the atomic and cooling module maihem implemented in the framework of the flash hydrodynamics code to simulate the formation of radiatively cooling superwinds as well as their corresponding nonequilibrium ionization (NEI) states for various outflow parameters, gas metallicities, and ambient densities. We employ the photoionization program cloudy to predict radiation- and density-bounded photoionization for these radiatively cooling superwinds, and we predict UV and optical line emission. Our nonequilibrium photoionization models built with the NEI states demonstrate the enhancement of C iv, especially in metal-rich, catastrophically cooling outflows, and O vi in metal-poor ones.

The global structure of magnetic fields and gas in simulated Milky Way-analogue galaxies

ABSTRACTWe simulate an isolated, magnetized Milky Way-like disc galaxy using a self-consistent model of unresolved star formation and feedback, evolving the system until it reaches statistical steady state. We show that the quasi-steady-state structure is distinctly layered in galactocentric height z, with a broken power-law structure in Alfven Mach number and plasma beta. Magnetic pressure exceeds turbulent and thermal pressures after the gas is depleted to levels below that of the present-day Galaxy, but is subdominant at higher gas fractions and star formation rates. We find field strengths, gas surface densities, and star formation rates that agree well with those observed in the Solar neighbourhood. The most significant dynamical effect of magnetic fields on the global properties of the disc is a reduction of the star formation rate by a factor of 1.5–2 with respect to an unmagnetized control simulation. At a fixed star formation rate of approximately $2 \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ yr−1, there is no significant difference in the mass outflow rates or profiles between the magnetized and non-magnetized simulations. Our results for the global structure of the magnetic field have significant implications for models of cosmic ray-driven winds and cosmic ray propagation in the Galaxy, and can be tested against observations with the forthcoming Square Kilometre Array and other facilities. Finally, we report the discovery of a physical error in the implementation of neutral gas heating and cooling in the popular gizmo code, which may lead to qualitatively incorrect phase structures if not corrected.

Tracers of Dense Gas in the Outer Galaxy

We have mapped and HCO+ (J = 1 → 0) line emission toward a sample of seven star-forming regions (with ranging from 8.34 to 8.69) in the outer Milky Way (Galactocentric distance >9.5 kpc), using the 14 m radio telescope of the Taeduk Radio Astronomy Observatory. We compare these two molecular lines with other conventional tracers of dense gas, millimeter-wave continuum emission from dust and extinction thresholds (A V ≥ 8 mag), inferred from the 13CO line data. and HCO+ correlate better with the millimeter emission than with the extinction criterion. A significant amount of luminosity comes from regions below the extinction criterion and outside the millimeter clump for all the clouds. The average fraction of luminosity from within the regions with A V ≥ 8 mag is 0.343 ± 0.225; for the regions of millimeter emission, it is 0.478 ± 0.149. Based on a comparison with column density maps from Herschel, and HCO+ trace dense gas in high column density regions better than does 13CO. HCO+ is less concentrated than for outer Galaxy targets, in contrast with the inner Galaxy sample, suggesting that metallicity may affect the interpretation of tracers of dense gas. The conversion factor between the dense gas mass (M dense) and line luminosities of and HCO+, when integrated over the whole cloud, is comparable to factors used in extragalactic studies.

Cluster environment quenches the star formation of low-mass satellite galaxies from the inside-out

ABSTRACT Environment plays a critical role in the star formation history of galaxies. Tidal and hydrodynamical stripping, prominent in cluster environment, can remove the peripheral gas of galaxies and star formation may thus be environmentally suppressed from the outside-in. We revisit the environmental dependence of the radial gradient of specific star formation rate (sSFR) profile. We probe the radial gradient by using the archival spectral indices D4000n and HδA measured from SDSS fibre spectra, to indicate central sSFR and the total sSFR from fitting the spectral energy distribution. Despite the low spatial resolution, the wealth of SDSS data allows to disentangle the dependences on stellar mass, sSFR, and environment. We find that low-mass satellite galaxies in the mass range $9\lt \mathrm{log}\, \mathcal {M}_{\star }/\mathcal {M}_{\odot }\lt 9.8$ on average quench in more inside-out pattern compared to isolated galaxies matched in mass, sSFR, and fibre coverage. This environmental effect is particularly strong for galaxies below the star formation main sequence, and peaks for those in the core of massive clusters where the phase-space diagram reveals clear links between the inside-out quenching and orbital properties. Our results suggest that both tidal and hydrodynamical interactions in cluster environment suppress the star formation of satellites mainly from the inside-out. As accreted gas of low angular momentum from hot gas haloes is an important source for replenishing central gas reservoir, we discuss how gas stripping in clusters may lead to starvation and cause inside-out quenching when the outer star-forming discs are not significantly affected.

Galaxies with Abnormally High Gas Content in the Disk

The content of gas in galaxies with an anomalously high relative mass of hydrogen $M_{HI}/M_*$ for a given mass of the stellar population $M_*$ (VHR-galaxies) is considered, using the available samples of such galaxies. It is shown that, within the optical diameter $D_{25}$, the mass of HI in VHR galaxies, as well as in galaxies with "normal" HI content, is limited by a value that depends on the specific angular momentum of the disk. Outer gaseous disks beyond $D_{25}$, which contain the main amount of HI in most of the galaxies we consider, are gravitationally stable, and, as a rule, they retain an approximately constant value of the stability parameter $Q_{gas}$ over a large range of radial distances. It allows to propose that the outer disks of VHR galaxies are not recently acquired, but are of great age, and their gravitational instability was the main regulator of star formation during their formation. In this case, the extended disks of galaxies should also include a low-brightness stellar components of old stars extending far beyond their optical diameter $D_{25}$.

ALMA/ACA CO Survey of the IC 1459 and NGC 4636 Groups: Environmental Effects on the Molecular Gas of Group Galaxies

We present new results of a 12CO(J = 1–0) imaging survey using the Atacama Compact Array (ACA) for 31 H i detected galaxies in the IC 1459 and NGC 4636 groups. This is the first CO imaging survey for loose galaxy groups. We obtained well-resolved CO data (∼0.7–1.5 kpc) for a total of 16 galaxies in two environments. By comparing our ACA CO data with the H i and UV data, we probe the impacts of the group environment on the cold gas components (CO and H i gas) and star formation activity. We find that CO and/or H i morphologies are disturbed in our group members, some of which show highly asymmetric CO distributions (e.g., IC 5264, NGC 7421, and NGC 7418). In comparison with isolated galaxies in the xCOLD GASS sample, our group galaxies tend to have low star formation rates and low H2 gas fractions. Our findings suggest that the group environment can change the distribution of cold gas components, including the molecular gas and star formation properties of galaxies. This is supporting evidence that preprocessing in the group-like environment can play an important role in galaxy evolution.

Dense Gas and Star Formation in Nearby Infrared-bright Galaxies: APEX Survey of HCN and HCO+ J = 2 → 1

Both Galactic and extragalactic studies of star formation suggest that stars form directly from dense molecular gas. To trace such high volume density gas, HCN and HCO+ J = 1 → 0 have been widely used for their high dipole moments, relatively high abundances, and often being the strongest lines after CO. However, HCN and HCO+ J = 1 → 0 emission could arguably be dominated by the gas components at low volume densities. The HCN J = 2 → 1 and HCO+ J = 2 → 1 transitions, with more suitable critical densities (1.6 × 106 and 2.8 × 105 cm−3) and excitation requirements, would trace typical dense gas closely related to star formation. Here we report new observations of HCN J = 2 → 1 and HCO+ J = 2 → 1 toward 17 nearby infrared-bright galaxies with the APEX 12 m telescope. The correlation slopes between the luminosities of HCN J = 2 → 1 and HCO+ J = 2 → 1 and total infrared emission are 1.03 ± 0.05 and 1.00 ± 0.05, respectively. The correlations of their surface densities, normalized with the area of radio/submillimeter continuum, show even tighter relations (slopes: 0.99 ± 0.03 and 1.02 ± 0.03). The eight active galactic nucleus (AGN)–dominated galaxies show no significant difference from the 11 star-formation–dominated galaxies in the above relations. The average HCN/HCO+ ratios are 1.15 ± 0.26 and 0.98 ± 0.42 for AGN- and star-formation–dominated galaxies, respectively, without obvious dependencies on infrared luminosity, dust temperature, or infrared pumping. The Magellanic Clouds roughly follow the same correlations, expanding to 8 orders of magnitude. On the other hand, ultraluminous infrared galaxies with AGNs systematically lie above the correlations, indicating potential biases introduced by AGNs.

SDSS-IV MaNGA: the chemical co-evolution of gas and stars in spiral galaxies

ABSTRACT We investigate archaeologically how the metallicity in both stellar and gaseous components of spiral galaxies of differing masses evolve with time, using data from the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey. For the stellar component, we can measure this evolution directly by decomposing the galaxy absorption-line spectra into populations of different ages and determining their metallicities. For the gaseous component, we can only measure the present-day metallicity directly from emission lines. However, there is a well-established relationship between gas metallicity, stellar mass, and star formation rate which does not evolve significantly with redshift; since the latter two quantities can be determined directly for any epoch from the decomposition of the absorption-line spectra, we can use this relationship to infer the variation in gas metallicity over cosmic time. Comparison of present-day values derived in this way with those obtained directly from the emission lines confirms the validity of the method. Application of this approach to a sample of 1619 spiral galaxies reveals how the metallicity of these systems has changed over the last 10 billion yr since cosmic noon. For lower-mass galaxies, both stellar and gaseous metallicity increase together, as one might expect in well-mixed fairly isolated systems. In higher-mass systems, the average stellar metallicity has not increased in step with the inferred gas metallicity, and actually decreases with time. Such disjoint behaviour is what one might expect if these more massive systems have accreted significant amounts of largely pristine gas over their lifetimes, and this material has not been well mixed into the galaxies.

Molecular flows in contemporary active galaxies and the efficacy of radio-mechanical feedback

ABSTRACT Molecular gas flows are analysed in 14 cluster galaxies (BCGs) centred in cooling hot atmospheres. The BCGs contain $10^{9}\!-\!10^{11}~\rm M_\odot$ of molecular gas, much of which is being moved by radio jets and lobes. The molecular flows and radio jet powers are compared to molecular outflows in 45 active galaxies within z < 0.2. We seek to understand the relative efficacy of radio, quasar, and starburst feedback over a range of active galaxy types. Molecular flows powered by radio feedback in BCGs are ∼10–1000 times larger in extent compared to contemporary galaxies hosting quasar nuclei and starbursts. Radio feedback yields lower flow velocities but higher momenta compared to quasar nuclei, as the molecular gas flows in BCGs are usually ∼10–100 times more massive. The product of the molecular gas mass and lifting altitude divided by the AGN or starburst power – a parameter referred to as the lifting factor – exceeds starbursts and quasar nuclei by 2–3 orders of magnitude, respectively. When active, radio feedback is generally more effective at lifting gas in galaxies compared to quasars and starburst winds. The kinetic energy flux of molecular clouds generally lies below and often substantially below a few per cent of the driving power. We find tentatively that star formation is suppressed in BCGs relative to other active galaxies, perhaps because these systems rarely form molecular discs that are more impervious to feedback and are better able to promote star formation.

The ALMA REBELS Survey: The Cosmic H i Gas Mass Density in Galaxies at z ≈ 7

The neutral atomic gas content of individual galaxies at large cosmological distances has until recently been difficult to measure due to the weakness of the hyperfine H i 21 cm transition. Here we estimate the H i gas mass of a sample of main-sequence star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 6.5–7.8 surveyed for [C ii] 158 μm emission as part of the Reionization Era Bright Emission Line Survey (REBELS), using a recent calibration of the [C ii]-to-H i conversion factor. We find that the H i gas mass excess in galaxies increases as a function of redshift, with an average of M Hi /M ⋆ ≈ 10, corresponding to H i gas mass fractions of f Hi = M Hi /(M ⋆ + M Hi ) = 90%, at z ≈ 7. Based on the [C ii] 158 μm luminosity function (LF) derived from the same sample of galaxies, we further place constraints on the cosmic H i gas mass density in galaxies (ρ Hi ) at this redshift, which we measure to be . This estimate is substantially lower by a factor of ≈10 than that inferred from an extrapolation of damped Lyα absorber (DLA) measurements and largely depends on the exact [C ii] LF adopted. However, we find this decrease in ρ Hi to be consistent with recent simulations and argue that this apparent discrepancy is likely a consequence of the DLA sight lines predominantly probing the substantial fraction of H i gas in high-z galactic halos, whereas [C ii] traces the H i in the ISM associated with star formation. We make predictions for this buildup of neutral gas in galaxies as a function of redshift, showing that at z ≳ 5, only ≈10% of the cosmic H i gas content is confined in galaxies and associated with the star-forming ISM.

Warm ionized gas in the blue compact galaxy Haro 14 viewed by MUSE

We investigate the warm ionized gas in the blue compact galaxy (BCG) Haro 14 by means of integral field spectroscopic observations taken with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) at the Very Large Telescope. The large field of view of MUSE and its unprecedented sensitivity enable observations of the galaxy nebular emission up to large galactocentric distances, even in the important but very faint [O I] λ6300 diagnostic line. This allowed us to trace the ionized gas morphology and ionization structure of Haro 14 up to kiloparsec scales and, for the first time, to accurately investigate the excitation mechanism operating in the outskirts of a typical BCG. The intensity and diagnostic maps reveal at least two highly distinct components of ionized gas: the bright central regions, mostly made of individual clumps, and a faint component which extends up to kiloparsec scales and consists of widespread diffuse emission, well-delineated filamentary structures, and faint knots. Noteworthy are the two curvilinear filaments extending up to 2 and 2.3 kpc southwest, which likely trace the edges of supergiant expanding bubbles driven by galactic outflows. We find that while the central clumps in Haro 14 are H II-region complexes, the morphology and line ratios of the whole low-surface-brightness component are not compatible with star formation photoionization. In the spatially resolved emission-line-ratio diagnostic diagrams, spaxels above the maximum starburst line form the majority (∼75% and ∼50% in the diagnostic diagrams involving [O I] and [S II] respectively). Moreover, our findings suggest that more than one alternative mechanism is ionizing the outer galaxy regions. The properties of the diffuse component are consistent with ionization by diluted radiation and the large filaments and shells are most probably shocked areas at the edge of bubbles. The mechanism responsible for the ionization of the faint individual clumps observed in the galaxy periphery is more difficult to assess. These clumps could be the shocked debris of fragmented shells or regions where star formation is proceeding under extreme conditions.

SDSS-IV MaNGA: global properties of kinematically misaligned galaxies

ABSTRACT We select 456 gas–star kinematically misaligned galaxies from the internal Product Launch-10 of MaNGA survey, including 74 star-forming (SF), 136 green-valley (GV), and 206 quiescent (QS) galaxies. We find that the distributions of difference between gas and star position angles for galaxies have three local peaks at ∼0°, 90°, and 180°. The fraction of misaligned galaxies peaks at log (M*/M⊙) ∼ 10.5 and declines to both low- and high-mass end. This fraction decreases monotonically with increasing star formation rate and specific star formation rate. We compare the global parameters including gas kinematic asymmetry Vasym, H i detection rate and mass fraction of molecular gas, effective radius Re, Sérsic index n as well as spin parameter $\lambda _{R_e}$ between misaligned galaxies and their control samples. We find that the misaligned galaxies have lower H i detection rate and molecular gas mass fraction, smaller size, higher Sérsic index, and lower spin parameters than their control samples. The SF and GV misaligned galaxies are more asymmetric in gas velocity fields than their controls. These pieces of observational evidence point to the gas accretion scenario followed by angular momentum redistribution from gas–gas collision, leading to gas inflow and central star formation for the SF and GV misaligned galaxies. We propose three possible origins of the misaligned QS galaxies: (1) external gas accretion, (2) merger, and (3) GV misaligned galaxies evolve into QS galaxies.