High Star Formation Rate Research Articles

γ-ray/infrared luminosity correlation of star-forming galaxies

Context. Nearly a dozen star-forming galaxies have been detected in γ-rays by the Fermi observatory in the last decade. A remarkable property of this sample is the quasi-linear relation between the γ-ray luminosity and the star formation rate, which was obtained assuming that the latter is well traced by the infrared luminosity of the galaxies. The non-linearity of this relation has not been fully explained yet. Aims. We aim to determine the biases derived from the use of the infrared luminosity as a proxy for the star formation rate and to shed light on the more fundamental relation between the latter and the γ-ray luminosity. We expect to quantify and explain some trends observed in this relation. Methods. We compiled a near-homogeneous set of distances, ultraviolet, optical, infrared, and γ-ray fluxes from the literature for all known γ-ray emitting, star-forming galaxies. From these data, we computed the infrared and γ-ray luminosities, and star formation rates. We determined the best-fitting relation between the latter two, and we describe the trend using simple, population-orientated models for cosmic-ray transport and cooling. Results. We find that the γ-ray luminosity–star formation rate relation obtained from infrared luminosities is biased to shallower slopes. The actual relation is steeper than previous estimates, having a power-law index of 1.35 ± 0.05, in contrast to 1.23 ± 0.06. Conclusions. The unbiased γ-ray luminosity–star formation rate relation can be explained at high star formation rates by assuming that the cosmic-ray cooling region is kiloparsec-sized and pervaded by mild to fast winds. Combined with previous results about the scaling of wind velocity with star formation rate, our work provides support to advection as the dominant cosmic-ray escape mechanism in galaxies with low star formation rates.

The Correlation of Outflow Kinematics with Star Formation Rate. VI. Gas Outflows in AGNs

Abstract We investigate the connection between ionized gas outflows and star formation activity using a large sample of type 1 and 2 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with far-infrared detections or star formation rate (SFR) estimates. The strength of ionized gas outflows, measured by the velocity dispersion and velocity shift of the [O iii] emission line, clearly shows a correlation with SFR. The connection between specific star formation rate (sSFR) and [O iii] gas velocity dispersion indicates that AGNs with stronger outflows are hosted by galaxies with higher SFR. Compared with star-forming galaxies in the main sequence, both type 1 and type 2 AGNs show sSFRs similar to that of non-AGN galaxies, indicating no instantaneous AGN feedback, while sSFR is higher (lower) for AGNs with stronger (weaker) outflows than that of main-sequence galaxies. These results are consistent with a delayed AGN feedback scenario. However, it is also possible that a decease/increase of gas fraction may cause the correlation without AGN feedback.

The ALPINE–ALMA [C ii] Survey: Size of Individual Star-forming Galaxies at z = 4–6 and Their Extended Halo Structure

Abstract We present the physical extent of [C ii] 158 μm line-emitting gas from 46 star-forming galaxies at z = 4–6 from the ALMA Large Program to INvestigate C ii at Early Times (ALPINE). Using exponential profile fits, we measure the effective radius of the [C ii] line ( ) for individual galaxies and compare them with the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) continuum ( ) from Hubble Space Telescope images. The effective radius exceeds by factors of ∼2–3, and the ratio of increases as a function of M star. We do not find strong evidence that the [C ii] line, rest-frame UV, and far-infrared (FIR) continuum are always displaced over ≃1 kpc scale from each other. We identify 30% of isolated ALPINE sources as having an extended [C ii] component over 10 kpc scales detected at 4.1σ–10.9σ beyond the size of rest-frame UV and FIR continuum. One object has tentative rotating features up to ∼10 kpc, where the 3D model fit shows the rotating [C ii]-gas disk spread over 4 times larger than the rest-frame UV-emitting region. Galaxies with the extended [C ii] line structure have high star formation rate, high stellar mass (M star), low Lyα equivalent width, and more blueshifted (redshifted) rest-frame UV metal absorption (Lyα line), as compared to galaxies without such extended [C ii] structures. Although we cannot rule out the possibility that a selection bias toward luminous objects may be responsible for such trends, the star-formation-driven outflow also explains all these trends. Deeper observations are essential to test whether the extended [C ii] line structures are ubiquitous to high-z star-forming galaxies.

The Accretion History of AGN: A Newly Defined Population of Cold Quasars

Abstract Quasars are the most luminous of active galactic nuclei, and are perhaps responsible for quenching star formation in their hosts. The Stripe 82X catalog covers 31.3 deg2 of the Stripe 82 field, of which the 15.6 deg2 covered with XMM-Newton is also covered by Herschel/SPIRE. We have 2500 X-ray detected sources with multiwavelength counterparts, and 30% of these are unobscured quasars, with L X > 1044 erg s−1 and M B < −23. We define a new population of quasars that are unobscured, have X-ray luminosities in excess of 1044 erg s−1, have broad emission lines, and yet are also bright in the far-infrared, with a 250 μm flux density of S 250 > 30 mJy. We refer to these Herschel-detected, unobscured quasars as “cold quasars.” A mere 4% (21) of the X-ray- and optically selected unobscured quasars in Stripe 82X are detected at 250 μm. These cold quasars lie at z ∼ 1–3, have L IR > 1012 L ⊙, and have star formation rates (SFRs) of ∼200–1400 M ⊙ yr−1. Cold quasars are bluer in the mid-IR than the full quasar population, and 72% of our cold quasars have WISE W3 < 11.5 [Vega], while only 19% of the full quasar sample meets this criteria. Crucially, cold quasars have on average ∼nine times as much star formation as the main sequence of star-forming galaxies at similar redshifts. Although dust-rich, unobscured quasars have occasionally been noted in the literature before, we argue that they should be considered as a separate class of quasars due to their high SFRs. This phase is likely short-lived, as the central engine and immense star formation consume the gas reservoir. Cold quasars are type-1 blue quasars that reside in starburst galaxies.

The host galaxies of 106 rapidly evolving transients discovered by the Dark Energy Survey

ABSTRACT Rapidly evolving transients (RETs), also termed fast blue optical transients, are a recently discovered group of astrophysical events that display rapid luminosity evolution. RETs typically rise to peak in less than 10 d and fade within 30, a time-scale unlikely to be compatible with the decay of Nickel-56 that drives conventional supernovae (SNe). Their peak luminosity spans a range of −15 < Mg < −22.5, with some events observed at redshifts greater than 1. Their evolution on fast time-scales has hindered high-quality follow-up observations, and thus their origin and explosion/emission mechanism remains unexplained. In this paper, we present the largest sample of RETs to date, comprising 106 objects discovered by the Dark Energy Survey, and perform the most comprehensive analysis of RET host galaxies. Using deep-stacked photometry and emission lines from OzDES spectroscopy, we derive stellar masses and star formation rates (SFRs) for 49 host galaxies, and metallicities ([O/H]) for 37. We find that RETs explode exclusively in star-forming galaxies and are thus likely associated with massive stars. Comparing RET hosts to samples of host galaxies of other explosive transients as well as field galaxies, we find that RETs prefer galaxies with high specific SFRs (〈log (sSFR)〉 ∼ −9.6), indicating a link to young stellar populations, similar to stripped-envelope SNe. RET hosts appear to show a lack of chemical enrichment, their metallicities akin to long-duration gamma-ray bursts and superluminous SN host galaxies (〈12 + log (O/H)〉 ∼ 9.4). There are no clear relationships between mass or SFR of the host galaxies and the peak magnitudes or decline rates of the transients themselves.

Very high redshift quasars and the rapid emergence of super-massive black holes

Abstract The observation of quasars at very high redshift such as Pōniuā’ena is a challenge for models of super-massive black hole (SMBH) formation. This work presents a study of SMBH formation via known physical processes in star-burst clusters formed at the onset of the formation of their hosting galaxy. While at the early stages hyper-massive star-burst clusters reach the luminosities of quasars, once their massive stars die, the ensuing gas accretion from the still forming host galaxy compresses its stellar black hole (BH) component to a compact state overcoming heating from the BH–BH binaries such that the cluster collapses, forming a massive SMBH-seed within about a hundred Myr. Within this scenario the SMBH–spheroid correlation emerges near-to-exactly. The highest-redshift quasars may thus be hyper-massive star-burst clusters or young ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs), being the precursors of the SMBHs that form therein within about 200 Myr of the first stars. For spheroid masses ≲ 109.6 M⊙ a SMBH cannot form and instead only the accumulated nuclear cluster remains. The number evolution of the quasar phases with redshift is calculated and the possible problem of missing quasars at very high redshift is raised. SMBH-bearing UCDs and the formation of spheroids are discussed critically in view of the high redshift observations. A possible tension is found between the high star-formation rates (SFRs) implied by downsizing and the observed SFRs, which may be alleviated within the IGIMF theory and if the downsizing times are somewhat longer.

Molecular gas in CLASH brightest cluster galaxies at z ∼ 0.2 – 0.9

Brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) are excellent laboratories for the study of galaxy evolution in dense Mpc-scale environments. We used the IRAM-30 m to observe, in CO(1→0), CO(2→1), CO(3→2), or CO(4→3), 18 BCGs at z ∼ 0.2 − 0.9 drawn from the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) survey. Our sample includes RX1532, which is our primary target as it is among the BCGs with the highest star formation rate (SFR ≳100 M⊙ yr−1) in the CLASH sample. We unambiguously detected both CO(1→0) and CO(3→2) in RX1532, yielding a large reservoir of molecular gas, MH2 = (8.7 ± 1.1)×1010 M⊙, and a high level of excitation, r31 = 0.75 ± 0.12. A morphological analysis of the Hubble Space Telescope I-band image of RX1532 reveals the presence of clumpy substructures both within and outside the half-light radius re = (11.6 ± 0.3) kpc, similarly to those found independently both in ultraviolet and in Hα in previous works. We tentatively detected CO(1→0) or CO(2→1) in four other BCGs, with molecular gas reservoirs in the range of MH2 = 2 × 1010 − 11 M⊙. For the remaining 13 BCGs, we set robust upper limits of MH2/M⋆ ≲ 0.1, which are among the lowest molecular-gas-to-stellar-mass ratios found for distant ellipticals and BCGs. In comparison with distant cluster galaxies observed in CO, our study shows that RX1532 (MH2/M⋆ = 0.40 ± 0.05) belongs to the rare population of star-forming and gas-rich BCGs in the distant universe. By using the available X-ray based estimates of the central intra-cluster medium entropy, we show that the detection of large reservoirs of molecular gas MH2 ≳ 1010 M⊙ in distant BCGs is possible when the two conditions are met: (i) high SFR and (ii) low central entropy, which favors the condensation and the inflow of gas onto the BCGs themselves, similarly to what has been previously found for some local BCGs.

Extremely Metal-poor Representatives Explored by the Subaru Survey (EMPRESS). I. A Successful Machine-learning Selection of Metal-poor Galaxies and the Discovery of a Galaxy with M* < 106 M⊙ and 0.016 Z⊙* † ‡

Abstract We have initiated a new survey for local extremely metal-poor galaxies (EMPGs) with Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) large-area (∼500 deg2) optical images reaching a 5σ limit of ∼26 mag, about 100 times deeper than the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). To select Z/Z ⊙ < 0.1 EMPGs from ∼40 million sources detected in the Subaru images, we first develop a machine-learning (ML) classifier based on a deep neural network algorithm with a training data set consisting of optical photometry of galaxy, star, and QSO models. We test our ML classifier with SDSS objects having spectroscopic metallicity measurements and confirm that our ML classifier accomplishes 86% completeness and 46% purity EMPG classifications with photometric data. Applying our ML classifier to the photometric data of the Subaru sources, as well as faint SDSS objects with no spectroscopic data, we obtain 27 and 86 EMPG candidates from the Subaru and SDSS photometric data, respectively. We conduct optical follow-up spectroscopy for 10 of our EMPG candidates with Magellan/LDSS-3+MagE, Keck/DEIMOS, and Subaru/FOCAS and find that the 10 EMPG candidates are star-forming galaxies at z = 0.007–0.03 with large Hβ equivalent widths of 104–265 Å, stellar masses of log( / ) = 5.0–7.1, and high specific star formation rates of ∼300 Gyr−1, which are similar to those of early galaxies at z ≳ 6 reported recently. We spectroscopically confirm that 3 out of 10 candidates are truly EMPGs with Z/Z ⊙ < 0.1, one of which is HSC J1631+4426, the most metal-poor galaxy, with Z/Z ⊙ = 0.016, ever reported.

Exploring AGN and star formation activity of massive galaxies at cosmic noon

ABSTRACT We investigate the relation between active galactic nucleus (AGN) and star formation (SF) activity at 0.5 < z < 3 by analysing 898 galaxies with X-ray luminous AGNs (LX > 1044 erg s−1) and a large comparison sample of ∼320 000 galaxies without X-ray luminous AGNs. Our samples are selected from a large (11.8 deg2) area in Stripe 82 that has multiwavelength (X-ray to far-IR) data. The enormous comoving volume (∼0.3 Gpc3) at 0.5 < z < 3 minimizes the effects of cosmic variance and captures a large number of massive galaxies (∼30 000 galaxies with M* > 1011 M⊙) and X-ray luminous AGNs. While many galaxy studies discard AGN hosts, we fit the SED of galaxies with and without X-ray luminous AGNs with Code Investigating GALaxy Emission and include AGN emission templates. We find that without this inclusion, stellar masses and star formation rates (SFRs) in AGN host galaxies can be overestimated, on average, by factors of up to ∼5 and ∼10, respectively. The average SFR of galaxies with X-ray luminous AGNs is higher by a factor of ∼3–10 compared to galaxies without X-ray luminous AGNs at fixed stellar mass and redshift, suggesting that high SFRs and high AGN X-ray luminosities may be fuelled by common mechanisms. The vast majority ($\gt 95 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) of galaxies with X-ray luminous AGNs at z = 0.5−3 do not show quenched SF: this suggests that if AGN feedback quenches SF, the associated quenching process takes a significant time to act and the quenched phase sets in after the highly luminous phases of AGN activity.

VALES VI: ISM enrichment in star-forming galaxies up to z ∼ 0.2 using 12CO(1–0), 13CO(1–0), and C18O(1–0) line luminosity ratios

ABSTRACT We present Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) observations towards 27 low-redshift (0.02 < z < 0.2) star-forming galaxies taken from the Valparaíso ALMA/APEX Line Emission Survey. We perform stacking analyses of the 12CO(1–0), 13CO(1–0), and C18O(1–0) emission lines to explore the L′ [12CO(1–0)]/L′ [13CO(1–0)] [hereafter L′ (12CO)/L′ (13CO)] and L′ [13CO(1–0)]/L′ [C18O(1–0)] [hereafter L′ (13CO)/L′ (C18O)] line luminosity ratio dependence as a function of different global galaxy parameters related to the star formation activity. The sample has far-IR luminosities of $10^{10.1\!-\!11.9}\,$ L⊙ and stellar masses of 109.8–10.9 M⊙ corresponding to typical star-forming and starburst galaxies at these redshifts. On average, we find an L′ (12CO)/L′ (13CO) line luminosity ratio value of 16.1 ± 2.5. Galaxies with pieces of evidence of possible merging activity tend to show higher L′ (12CO)/L′ (13CO) ratios by a factor of 2, while variations of this order are also found in galaxy samples with higher star formation rates (SFRs) or star formation efficiencies (SFEs). We also find an average L′ (13CO)/L′ (C18O) line luminosity ratio of 2.5 ± 0.6, which is in good agreement with those previously reported for starburst galaxies. We find that galaxy samples with high LIR, SFR, and SFE show low L′ (13CO)/L′ (C18O) line luminosity ratios with high L′ (12CO)/L′ (13CO) line luminosity ratios, suggesting that these trends are produced by selective enrichment of massive stars in young starbursts.

A redshift-dependent IRX–β dust attenuation relation for TNG50 galaxies

ABSTRACT We study the relation between the UV slope, β, and the ratio between the infrared- and UV luminosities (IRX) of galaxies from TNG50, the latest installment of the IllustrisTNG galaxy formation simulations. We select 7280 star-forming main-sequence (SFMS) galaxies with stellar mass ≥109 M⊙ at redshifts 0 ≤ z ≤ 4 and perform radiative transfer with skirt to model effects of interstellar medium dust on the emitted stellar light. Assuming a Milky Way dust type and a dust-to-metal ratio of 0.3, we find that TNG50 SFMS galaxies generally agree with observationally derived IRX–β relations at z ≲ 1. However, we find a redshift-dependent systematic offset with respect to empirically derived local relations, with the TNG50 IRX–β relation shifting towards lower β and steepening at higher redshifts. This is partially driven by variations in the dust-uncorrected UV slope of galaxies, due to different star formation histories of galaxies selected at different cosmic epochs; we suggest the remainder of the effect is caused by differences in the effective dust attenuation curves of galaxies as a function of redshift. We find a typical galaxy-to-galaxy variation of 0.3 dex in infrared excess (IRX) at fixed β, correlated with intrinsic galaxy properties: galaxies with higher star formation rates, star formation efficiencies, gas metallicities and stellar masses exhibit larger IRX values. We demonstrate a degeneracy between stellar age, dust geometry, and dust composition: z = 4 galaxies with a Small Magellanic Cloud dust type follow the same IRX–β relation as low-redshift galaxies with MW dust. We provide a redshift-dependent fitting function for the IRX–β relation for MW dust based on our models.

Galactic ionizing photon budget during the epoch of reionization in the Cosmic Dawn II simulation

ABSTRACT Cosmic Dawn II yields the first statistically meaningful determination of the relative contribution to reionization by galaxies of different halo mass, from a fully coupled radiation-hydrodynamics simulation of the epoch of reionization large enough (∼100 Mpc) to model global reionization while resolving the formation of all galactic haloes above ${\sim}10^8 \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$. Cell transmission inside haloes is bi-modal – ionized cells are transparent, while neutral cells absorb the photons their stars produce – and the halo escape fraction fesc reflects the balance of star formation rate (SFR) between these modes. The latter is increasingly prevalent at higher halo mass, driving down fesc (we provide analytical fits to our results), whereas halo escape luminosity, proportional to fesc × SFR, increases with mass. Haloes with dark matter masses within $6\times 10^{8} \, {\rm M}_{\odot }\lt M_{\rm halo}\lt 3 \times 10^{10} \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ produce ∼80 per cent of the escaping photons at z = 7, when the universe is 50 per cent ionized, making them the main drivers of cosmic reionization. Less massive haloes, though more numerous, have low SFRs and contribute less than 10 per cent of the photon budget then, despite their high fesc. High-mass haloes are too few and too opaque, contributing <10 per cent despite their high SFRs. The dominant mass range is lower (higher) at higher (lower) redshift, as mass function and reionization advance together (e.g. at z = 8.5, xH i = 0.9, $M_{\rm halo}\lt 5\times 10^9 \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ haloes contributed ∼80 per cent). Galaxies with UV magnitudes MAB1600 between −12 and −19 dominated reionization between z = 6 and 8.

Wolf–Rayet Galaxies in SDSS-IV MaNGA. I. Catalog Construction and Sample Properties

Abstract Wolf–Rayet (WR) galaxies are a rare galaxy type that hosts living high-mass stars during the WR phase (i.e., WR stars) and can thus provide constraints on the stellar initial mass function, massive star formation, stellar evolution models, etc. Spatially resolved spectroscopy should in principle identify WR galaxies more efficiently than single-fiber surveys of galactic centers, as WR stars should be more preferentially found in disks. Using integral field unit data from the ongoing SDSS-IV MaNGA survey, we have performed a thorough search for WR galaxies. We first identify H ii regions in each datacube and carry out full spectral fitting to the stacked spectra. We then visually inspect the residual spectrum of each H ii region and identify significant WR “blue bumps” at 4600–4750 Å. The WR catalog includes 267 WR regions of ∼500 pc (radius) sizes, distributed in 90 galaxies from MaNGA Product Launch-7. We find that WR regions are exclusively found in galaxies with the bluest colors and highest star formation rates. Most WR galaxies have late-type morphologies and show relatively large asymmetry in their images, implying WR regions exist more in interacting galaxies. We estimate the stellar mass function of WR galaxies and the mass-dependent detection rate (typically ∼2%). This rate is about 40 times higher than that in catalogs from SDSS single-fiber surveys and half that of the CALIFA-based catalog. The difference in detection rates can be explained mainly by three factors: spatial coverage, spectral signal-to-noise ratio, and redshift ranges of parent samples. We tabulate WR galaxy properties for future studies.

Barred Galaxies in the Illustris-1 and TNG100 Simulations: A Comparison Study

Abstract We carry out a comparison study on the bar structure in the Illustris-1 and TNG100 simulations. At z = 0, 8.9% of 1232 disk galaxies with stellar masses in Illustris-1 are barred, while the numbers are 55% of 1269 in TNG100. The bar fraction as a function of stellar mass in TNG100 agrees well with the survey . The median redshifts of bar formation are ∼0.4–0.5 and ∼0.25 in TNG100 and Illustris-1, respectively. Bar fraction generally increases with stellar mass and decreases with gas fraction in both simulations. For galaxies with bars at z = 0, their bar formation time is generally anti-correlated with their gas fraction at high redshift. When the bars were formed, the disk gas fractions were mostly lower than 0.4. The much higher bar fraction in TNG100 probably benefits from the much lower gas fractions in massive disk galaxies since z ∼ 3, which may result from the combination of more effective stellar and AGN feedback. The latter may be the primary factor at z < 2. Meanwhile, in both simulations, barred galaxies have higher star formation rates before bar formation and have stronger AGN feedback, at all times, than unbarred galaxies. The properties of dark matter halos hosting massive disk galaxies are similar between the two simulations and should have a minor effect on the frequencies of different bars. For individual galaxies under similar halo environments across the two simulations, different baryonic physics can lead to striking discrepancies in morphology. The morphologies of individual galaxies are subject to the combined effects of environment and internal baryonic physics and are often not predictable.

The Host Galaxies and Progenitors of Fast Radio Bursts Localized with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder

Abstract The Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope has started to localize fast radio bursts (FRBs) to arcsecond accuracy from the detection of a single pulse, allowing their host galaxies to be reliably identified. We discuss the global properties of the host galaxies of the first four FRBs localized by ASKAP, which lie in the redshift range 0.11 < z < 0.48. All four are massive galaxies (log(M */M ⊙) ∼ 9.4–10.4) with modest star formation rates of up to 2 M ⊙ yr−1—very different to the host galaxy of the first repeating FRB 121102, which is a dwarf galaxy with a high specific star formation rate. The FRBs localized by ASKAP typically lie in the outskirts of their host galaxies, which appears to rule out FRB progenitor models that invoke active galactic nuclei or free-floating cosmic strings. The stellar population seen in these host galaxies also disfavors models in which all FRBs arise from young magnetars produced by superluminous supernovae, as proposed for the progenitor of FRB 121102. A range of other progenitor models (including compact-object mergers and magnetars arising from normal core-collapse supernovae) remain plausible.

Cool-core cycles and Phoenix

ABSTRACT Recent observations show that the star formation rate (SFR) in the Phoenix cluster’s central galaxy is ∼500 M⊙ yr−1. Even though Phoenix is a massive cluster (M200 ≈ 2.0 × 1015 M⊙; z ≈ 0.6) such a high central SFR is not expected in a scenario in which feedback from an active galactic nucleus (AGN) maintains the intracluster medium in a state of rough thermal balance. It has been argued that either AGN feedback saturates in very massive clusters or the central supermassive black hole is too small to produce enough kinetic feedback and hence is unable to quench the catastrophic cooling. In this work, we present an alternate scenario wherein intense short-lived cooling and star formation phases followed by strong AGN outbursts are part of the AGN feedback loop. Using results from a 3D hydrodynamic simulation of a standard cool-core cluster (M200 ∼ 7 × 1014 M⊙; z = 0), scaled to account for differences in mass and redshift, we argue that Phoenix is at the end of a cooling phase in which an AGN outburst has begun but has not yet arrested core cooling. This state of high cooling rate and star formation is expected to last for ≲100 Myr in Phoenix.

The Reddening and [O ii] Emissions of the Quasar Mg ii Absorption-line Systems

Abstract Using quasar Mg ii narrow absorption lines (NALs) with velocity offset ( , where c is the speed of light) , this paper investigates the emissions and reddening associated with Mg ii NALs by constructing composite spectra. Dust extinctions of all the inflow ( ), environment (−750 ≤ r < 600 ), outflow ( ), and strong intervening-like (2000 ≤ r < 6000 ) Mg ii NALs can be described by the SMC extinction curve, which suggest that all four types of Mg ii NALs have similar dust properties. The colors of quasars hosting intervening-like Mg ii NALs with Å and intervening Mg ii NALs ( ) are similar to those of control quasars (without Mg ii NALs with ), which suggests that these two types of Mg ii NALs are mainly formed within media unconnected with background quasars. The other three types of Mg ii NALs have much more obvious reddening to background quasars, and the stronger absorptions or the absorptions detected in radio detected quasars produce larger reddening than the weaker absorptions or the absorptions in radio undetected quasars. In addition, the dust-to-gas ratios within inflow Mg ii NALs are possibly lower than those within environment ones. We find that flux ratios / of quasars hosting inflow, outflow, intervening-like, and intervening Mg ii NALs are similar to those of control quasars. For quasars hosting environment Mg ii NALs, (1) the flux ratio / is much higher than that of control quasars, which suggests that there is a high star formation rate within the host galaxies of environment Mg ii NALs; (2) the flux ratio / is positively correlated with absorption strengths; and (3) radio detected quasars have a slightly higher flux ratio / when compared to radio undetected quasars, which suggests that the quasar feedback enhances the star formation rate within host galaxies of environment absorbers. For quasars hosting outflow Mg ii NALs, we find that emission lines display excesses at blue wings with respect to the line profiles of control quasars, and the excesses are positively correlated with absorption strengths.

Suppressed or Enhanced Central Star Formation Rates in Late-type Barred Galaxies

Abstract Bars in disk-dominated galaxies are able to drive gas inflow inside the corotation radius, thus enhancing the central star formation rate (SFR). Previous work, however, has found that disk-dominated galaxies with centrally suppressed SFRs frequently host a bar. Here we investigate possible causes for the suppression of central SFRs in such cases. We compare the physical properties of a sample of disk-dominated barred galaxies with high central SFRs (HC galaxies) with those of a sample of disk-dominated barred galaxies with low central SFRs (LC galaxies). We find that the two samples have, on average, similar H i content and bars of similar strength. But we also find that the HCs have bluer colors than the LCs, and that outside the bar region, they host stronger spiral arms than the LCs, where closed rings are more often seen. We discuss and evaluate the possible causes for the suppression of the central SFR in the LC galaxies as opposed to its enhancement in the HC galaxies.

Host Galaxies of Type Ic and Broad-lined Type Ic Supernovae from the Palomar Transient Factory: Implications for Jet Production

Abstract Unlike ordinary supernovae (SNe), some of which are hydrogen and helium deficient (called Type Ic SNe), broad-lined Type Ic SNe (SNe Ic-bl) are very energetic events, and only SNe Ic-bl are coincident with long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Understanding the progenitors of SN Ic-bl explosions versus those of their SN Ic cousins is key to understanding the SN–GRB relationship and jet production in massive stars. Here we present the largest existing set of host galaxy spectra of 28 SNe Ic and 14 SNe Ic-bl, all discovered by the same galaxy-untargeted survey, namely, the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). We carefully measure their gas-phase metallicities, stellar masses (M *), and star formation rates (SFRs). We further reanalyze the hosts of 10 literature SN–GRBs using the same methods and compare them to our PTF SN hosts with the goal of constraining their progenitors from their local environments. We find that the metallicities, SFRs, and M * values of our PTF SN Ic-bl hosts are statistically comparable to those of SN–GRBs but significantly lower than those of the PTF SNe Ic. The mass–metallicity relations as defined by the SNe Ic-bl and SN–GRBs are not significantly different from the same relations as defined by Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies, contradicting claims by earlier works. Our findings point toward low metallicity as a crucial ingredient for SN Ic-bl and SN–GRB production since we are able to break the degeneracy between high SFR and low metallicity. We suggest that the PTF SNe Ic-bl may have produced jets that were choked inside the star or were able to break out of the star as unseen low-luminosity or off-axis GRBs.

The ALPINE–ALMA [C ii] Survey: Multiwavelength Ancillary Data and Basic Physical Measurements

Abstract We present the ancillary data and basic physical measurements for the galaxies in the ALMA Large Program to Investigate C+ at Early Times (ALPINE) survey—the first large multiwavelength survey that aims at characterizing the gas and dust properties of 118 main-sequence galaxies at redshifts 4.4 < z < 5.9 via the measurement of [ ] emission at (64% at >3.5σ) and the surrounding far-infrared continuum in conjunction with a wealth of optical and near-infrared data. We outline in detail the spectroscopic data and selection of the galaxies as well as the ground- and space-based imaging products. In addition, we provide several basic measurements including stellar masses, star formation rates (SFR), rest-frame ultra-violet (UV) luminosities, UV continuum slopes (β), and absorption line redshifts, as well as Hα emission derived from Spitzer colors. We find that the ALPINE sample is representative of the 4 < z < 6 galaxy population selected by photometric methods and only slightly biased toward bluer colors (Δβ ∼ 0.2). Using [ ] as tracer of the systemic redshift (confirmed for one galaxy at z = 4.5 out of 118 for which we obtained optical [ ]λ3727Å emission), we confirm redshifted Lyα emission and blueshifted absorption lines similar to findings at lower redshifts. By stacking the rest-frame UV spectra in the [ ] rest frame, we find that the absorption lines in galaxies with high specific SFR are more blueshifted, which could be indicative of stronger winds and outflows.