Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera Research Articles

Young Metal-Rich Stars in the Halo of M82: a tidal dwarf galaxy?

Abstract We present Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys photometry of an arc structure of stars in the southern halo of M82. The structure is located at a projected height of ≈5 kpc from the disk of M82 but its stellar content exhibits a younger mean age than that of typical halo stars. We measured the distance, mean age, and peak metallicity of the stars in the arc and used them to determine the structure’s origin. The arc color-magnitude diagram yields a tip of red giant branch (RGB) distance of 3.63 ± 0.08 Mpc, similar to that of M82, confirming its association with the galaxy. The color-magnitude diagram also reveals a population of predominantly young stars with a mean age of ≈100 - 160 Myr, which is similar to that of the young stars formed in the tidal debris between M81, M82, and NGC 3077. We derived the mean metallicity of the halo stars surrounding the arc to be [Fe/H] ≈ -1.0, similar to that of the RGB population of the halo of M81. The RGB stars in the arc, while they are slightly more metal-rich than the halo RGB, show no spatial correlation with the young stars, suggesting that the arc is consist of mainly young stellar population. Furthermore, the observed age gradient along the structure of the arc indicates that the arc began forming from the closer side to M82, then moving outward. Taken together, the results suggest that the formation of the young stars which gives rise to the arc structure could have been triggered by the interactions between M82’s southern outflow and the HI gas clouds surrounding it, representing a snapshot of a tidal dwarf galaxy in the process of forming.

The Hubble Deep Hydrogen Alpha (HDHα) Project. I. Catalog of Emission-line Galaxies

We present the first results of the Hubble Deep Hydrogen Alpha (HDHα) project, which analyzes the space-borne deep Hα narrowband imaging data in the GOODS-S region. The HDHα data comprises 72 orbits’ images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys/Wide Field Channel F658N filter. The exposure time varies across a total area of ∼76.1 arcmin2, adding up to a total exposure time of 195.7 ks, among which 68.8 ks are spent in the deepest region. These images are aligned, reprojected, and combined to have the same pixel grid as the Hubble Legacy Fields. The scientific goals of the HDHα include establishing a sample of emission-line galaxies (ELGs) including [O iii] emitters at z ∼ 0.3, [O ii] emitters at z ∼ 0.8, and Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z ∼ 4.4, studying the line morphology of ELGs with high resolution imaging data, and statistically analyzing the line luminosity functions and line equivalent-width distributions of ELGs selected with HST. Furthermore, the HDHα project enhances the legacy value of the GOODS-S field by contributing the first HST-based narrowband image to the existing data sets, which includes the HST broadband data and other ancillary data from X-ray to radio taken by other facilities. In this paper, we describe the data reduction process of the HDHα, select ELGs based on HST's F658N and broadband data, validate the redshifts of the selected candidates by crossmatching with the public spectroscopic catalogs in the GOODS-S, and present a final catalog of the confirmed [O iii] emitters at z ∼ 0.3, [O ii] emitters at z ∼ 0.8, and LAEs at z ∼ 4.4.

The 3D Kinematics of the Orion Nebula Cluster. II. Mass-dependent Kinematics of the Inner Cluster

We present the kinematic analysis of 246 stars within 4′ from the center of Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC), the closest massive star cluster with active star formation across the full mass range, which provides valuable insights in the formation and evolution of star cluster on an individual-star basis. High-precision radial velocities and surface temperatures are retrieved from spectra acquired by the NIRSPEC instrument used with adaptive optics (NIRSPAO) on the Keck II 10 m telescope. A 3D kinematic map is then constructed by combining with the proper motions previously measured by the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys/WFPC2/WFC3IR and Keck II NIRC2. The measured root-mean-squared velocity dispersion is 2.26 ± 0.08 km s−1, significantly higher than the virial equilibrium’s requirement of 1.73 km s−1, suggesting that the ONC core is supervirial, consistent with previous findings. Energy equipartition is not detected in the cluster. Most notably, the velocity of each star relative to its neighbors is found to be negatively correlated with stellar mass. Low-mass stars moving faster than their surrounding stars in a supervirial cluster suggests that the initial masses of forming stars may be related to their initial kinematic states. Additionally, a clockwise rotation preference is detected. A weak sign of inverse mass segregation is also identified among stars excluding the Trapezium stars, although it could be a sample bias. Finally, this study reports the discovery of four new candidate spectroscopic binary systems.

Estimating photometric redshift from mock flux for CSST survey by using weighted Random Forest

ABSTRACT Accurate estimation of photometric redshifts (photo-z) is crucial in studies of both galaxy evolution and cosmology using current and future large sky surveys. In this study, we employ Random Forest (RF), a machine learning algorithm, to estimate photo-z and investigate the systematic uncertainties affecting the results. Using galaxy flux and colour as input features, we construct a mapping between input features and redshift by using a training set of simulated data, generated from the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys (HST-ACS) and COSMOS catalogue, with the expected instrumental effects of the planned China Space Station Telescope (CSST). To improve the accuracy and confidence of predictions, we incorporate inverse variance weighting and perturb the catalogue using input feature errors. Our results show that weighted RF can achieve a photo-z accuracy of $\rm \sigma _{NMAD}=0.025$ and an outlier fraction of $\rm \eta =2.045\ \hbox{per cent}$, significantly better than the values of $\rm \sigma _{NMAD}=0.043$ and $\rm \eta =6.45\ \hbox{per cent}$ obtained by the widely used Easy and Accurate Zphot from Yale (EAZY) software, which uses template-fitting method. Furthermore, we have calculated the importance of each input feature for different redshift ranges and found that the most important input features reflect the approximate position of the break features in galaxy spectra, demonstrating the algorithm’s ability to extract physical information from data. Additionally, we have established confidence indices and error bars for each prediction value based on the shape of the redshift probability distribution function, suggesting that screening sources with high confidence can further reduce the outlier fraction.

Environmental Impacts on the Rest-frame UV Size and Morphology of Star-forming Galaxies at z ∼ 2

We report the measurement of rest-frame UV size and morphology of Hα-emission-selected star-forming galaxies (HAEs) in four protoclusters at z ∼ 2 (PKS 1138-262, USS 1558-003, PHz G237.0+42.5, and CC 2.2) using archival Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera Survey (HST/ACS) F814W data. We compare the measurement of 122 HAEs in protoclusters detected by HST/ACS to a coeval comparison field sample of 436 HAEs. We find the size distributions of protocluster and field HAEs are similar with a typical half-light radius of ∼2.5 kpc. At fixed stellar mass, there is no significant difference between HAEs in the protocluster and in the field, which is also supported by stacking analyses. This result suggests that the environment does not significantly affect the size of galaxies during the star-forming phase at this epoch. Based on the Sérsic index and nonparametric morphologies, HAE morphologies in both environments at z ∼ 2 in rest-frame UV are consistent with disk-like star-forming galaxies, although we also find 29% ± 4% HAEs showing disturbed morphologies. The fraction of disturbed galaxies is higher in the protocluster environment, with 39% ± 8% protocluster HAEs showing disturbed morphologies, compared to 26% ± 4% in the comparison field. The apparent disturbed morphologies are correlated with higher star formation activity and may be caused by either in situ giant clumps or mergers.

The spatially resolved star formation history of the dwarf spiral galaxy NGC 5474

ABSTRACT We study the resolved stellar populations and derive the star formation history of NGC 5474, a peculiar star-forming dwarf galaxy at a distance of ∼7 Mpc, using Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys data from the Legacy Extragalactic UV Survey (LEGUS) programme. We apply an improved colour–magnitude diagram fitting technique based on the code sfera and use the latest PARSEC–COLIBRI stellar models. Our results are the following. The off-centre bulge-like structure, suggested to constitute the bulge of the galaxy, is dominated by star formation (SF) activity initiated 14 Gyr ago and lasted at least up to 1 Gyr ago. Nevertheless, this component shows clear evidence of prolonged SF activity (lasting until ∼10 Myr ago). We estimate the total stellar mass of the bulge-like structure to be (5.0 ± 0.3) × 108 M⊙. Such a mass is consistent with published suggestions that this structure is in fact an independent system orbiting around and not within NGC 5474’s disc. The stellar overdensity located to the South–West of the bulge-like structure shows a significant SF event older than 1 Gyr, while it is characterized by two recent peaks of SF, around ∼10 and ∼100 Myr ago. In the last Gyr, the behaviour of the stellar disc is consistent with what is known in the literature as ‘gasping’. The synchronized burst at 10–35 Myr in all components might hint to the recent gravitational interaction between the stellar bulge-like structure and the disc of NGC 5474.

Nebular C iv λ1550 Imaging of the Metal-poor Starburst Mrk 71: Direct Evidence of Catastrophic Cooling

We use the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys to obtain the first spatially resolved, nebular imaging in the light of C iv λ λ1548, 1551 by using the F150LP and F165LP filters. These observations of the local starburst Mrk 71 in NGC 2366 show emission apparently originating within the interior cavity around the dominant super star cluster (SSC), Knot A. Together with imaging in He ii λ4686 and supporting Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph far-ultraviolet spectroscopy, the morphology and intensity of the C iv nebular surface brightness and the C iv/He ii ratio map provide direct evidence that the mechanical feedback is likely dominated by catastrophic radiative cooling, which strongly disrupts adiabatic superbubble evolution. The implied extreme mass loading and low kinetic efficiency of the cluster wind are reasonably consistent with the wind energy budget, which is probably enhanced by radiation pressure. In contrast, the Knot B SSC lies within a well-defined superbubble with associated soft X-rays and He ii λ1640 emission, which are signatures of adiabatic, energy-driven feedback from a supernova-driven outflow. This system lacks clear evidence of C iv from the limb-brightened shell, as expected for this model, but the observations may not be deep enough to confirm its presence. We also detect a small C iv-emitting object that is likely an embedded compact H ii region. Its C iv emission may indicate the presence of very massive stars (>100 M ⊙) or strongly pressure-confined stellar feedback.

Testing the surface brightness fluctuation method on dwarf galaxies in the COSMOS field

ABSTRACT Dwarf galaxies are important tracers of small-scale cosmological structure, yet much of our knowledge about these systems comes from the limited sample of dwarf galaxies within the Local Group. To make a comprehensive inventory of dwarf populations in the local Universe, we require effective methods for deriving distance estimates for large numbers of faint, low surface brightness objects. Here we test the surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) method, traditionally applied to brighter early-type galaxies, on a sample of 20 nearby dwarf galaxies detected in the Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field. These objects are partially resolved in the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) images and have confirmed redshift distances in the range 17–130 Mpc. We discuss the many model choices required in applying the SBF method and explore how these affect the final distance estimates. Amongst other variations on the method, when applying the SBF method, we alter the standard equation to include a term accounting for the power spectrum of the background, greatly improving our results. For the most robust modelling choices, we find a roughly Gaussian SBF signal that correlates linearly with distance out to distances of 50–100 Mpc, but with only a fraction of the power expected. At larger distances, there is excess power relative to that predicted, probably from undetected point sources. Overall, obtaining accurate SBF distances to faint, irregular galaxies remains challenging, but may yet prove possible with the inclusion of more information about galaxy properties and point source populations, and the use of more advanced techniques.

A New Galaxy Cluster Merger Capable of Probing Dark Matter: A56

We report the discovery of a binary galaxy cluster merger via a search of the redMaPPer optical cluster catalog, with a projected separation of 535 kpc between the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). Archival XMM-Newton spectro-imaging reveals a gas peak between the BCGs, suggesting a recent pericenter passage. We conduct a galaxy redshift survey to quantify the line-of-sight velocity difference (153 ± 281 km s−1) between the two subclusters. We present weak-lensing mass maps from archival Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys (HST/ACS) imaging, revealing masses of M 200 = 4.5 ± 0.8 × 1014 and 2.8 ± 0.7 × 1014 M ⊙ associated with the southern and northern galaxy subclusters, respectively. We also present deep GMRT 650 MHz data revealing extended emission, 420 kpc long, which may be an active galactic nucleus (AGN) tail but is potentially also a candidate radio relic. We draw from cosmological n-body simulations to find analog systems, which imply that this system is observed fairly soon (60–271 Myr) after pericenter, and that the subcluster separation vector is within 22° of the plane of the sky, making it suitable for an estimate of the dark matter scattering cross section. We find cm2 g−1, suggesting that further study of this system could support interestingly tight constraints.

Searching for strong galaxy-scale lenses in galaxy clusters with deep networks

Strong galaxy-scale lenses in galaxy clusters provide a unique tool with which to investigate the inner mass distribution of these clusters and the subhalo density profiles in the low-mass regime, which can be compared with predictions from ΛCDM cosmological simulations. We search for galaxy–galaxy strong-lensing systems in theHubbleSpace Telescope (HST) multi-band imaging of galaxy cluster cores by exploring the classification capabilities of deep learning techniques. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are trained utilising highly realistic simulations of galaxy-scale strong lenses injected into the HST cluster fields around cluster members (CLMs). To this aim, we take advantage of extensive spectroscopic information available in 16 clusters and accurate knowledge of the deflection fields in half of these from high-precision strong-lensing models. Using observationally based distributions, we sample the magnitudes (down toF814W = 29 AB), redshifts, and sizes of the background galaxy population. By placing these sources within the secondary caustics associated with the cluster galaxies, we build a sample of approximately 3000 strong galaxy–galaxy lenses, which preserve the full complexity of real multi-colour data and produce a wide diversity of strong-lensing configurations. We study two deep learning networks, processing a large sample of image cutouts, in three bands, acquired by HST Advanced Camera for Survey (ACS), and we quantify their classification performance using several standard metrics. We find that both networks achieve a very good trade-off between purity and completeness (85%–95%), as well as a good stability, with fluctuations within 2%–4%. We characterise the limited number of false negatives (FNs) and false positives (FPs) in terms of the physical properties of the background sources (magnitudes, colours, redshifts, and effective radii) and CLMs (Einstein radii and morphology). We also demonstrate the high degree of generalisation of the neural networks by applying our method to HST observations of 12 clusters with previously known galaxy-scale lensing systems.

The Absolute Age of M92

The absolute age of a simple stellar population is of fundamental interest for a wide range of applications but is difficult to measure in practice, as it requires an understanding of the uncertainties in a variety of stellar evolution processes as well as the uncertainty in the distance, reddening, and composition. As a result, most studies focus only on the relative age by assuming that stellar evolution calculations are accurate and using age determinations techniques that are relatively independent of distance and reddening. Here, we construct 20,000 sets of theoretical isochrones through Monte Carlo simulation using the Dartmouth Stellar Evolution Program to measure the absolute age of the globular cluster M92. For each model, we vary a range of input physics used in the stellar evolution models, including opacities, nuclear reaction rates, diffusion coefficients, atmospheric boundary conditions, helium abundance, and treatment of convection. We also explore variations in the distance and reddening as well as its overall metallicity and α enhancement. We generate simulated Hess diagrams around the main-sequence turn-off region from each set of isochrones and use a Voronoi binning method to fit the diagrams to Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys data. We find the age of M92 to be 13.80 ± 0.75 Gyr. The 5.4% error in the absolute age is dominated by the uncertainty in the distance to M92 (∼80% of the error budget); of the remaining parameters, only the total metallicity, α element abundance, and treatment of helium diffusion contribute significantly to the total error.

CEERS: Spatially Resolved UV and Mid-infrared Star Formation in Galaxies at 0.2 < z < 2.5: The Picture from the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes

We present the mid-infrared (MIR) morphologies for 64 star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at 0.2 < z < 2.5 with stellar mass M * > 109 M ⊙ using James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) observations from the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science survey. The MIRI bands span the MIR (7.7–21 μm), enabling us to measure the effective radii (R eff) and Sérsic indexes of these SFGs at rest-frame 6.2 and 7.7 μm, which contains strong emission from Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) features, a well-established tracer of star formation in galaxies. We define a “PAH band” as the MIRI bandpass that contains these features at the redshift of the galaxy. We then compare the galaxy morphologies in the PAH bands to those in the rest-frame near-ultraviolet (NUV) using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS)/F435W or ACS/F606W and optical/near-IR using HST WFC3/F160W imaging from UVCANDELS and CANDELS. The R eff of galaxies in the PAH band are slightly smaller (∼10%) than those in F160W for galaxies with M * ≳ 109.5 M ⊙ at z ≤ 1.2, but the PAH band and F160W have similar fractions of light within 1 kpc. In contrast, the R eff of galaxies in the NUV band are larger, with lower fractions of light within 1 kpc compared to F160W for galaxies at z ≤ 1.2. Using the MIRI data to estimate the SFRIR surface density, we find that the correlation between the SFRIR surface density and stellar mass has a steeper slope than that of the SFRUV surface density and stellar mass, suggesting more massive galaxies having increasing amounts of obscured fraction of star formation in their inner regions. This paper demonstrates how the high-angular resolution data from JWST/MIRI can reveal new information about the morphology of obscured star formation.

Hubble Space Telescope Proper Motion Measurements of Supernova Remnant N132D: Center of Expansion and Age

We present proper motion measurements of the oxygen-rich ejecta of the LMC supernova remnant N132D using two epochs of Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys data spanning 16 years. The proper motions of 120 individual knots of oxygen-rich gas were measured and used to calculate a center of expansion (CoE) of α = 5h25m01.ˢ71 and δ = −69°38′41.″64 (J2000) with a 1σ uncertainty of 2.″90. This new CoE measurement is 9.″2 and 10.″8 from two previous CoE estimates based on the geometry of the optically emitting ejecta. We also derive an explosion age of 2770 ± 500 yr, which is consistent with recent age estimates of ≈2500 yr made from 3D ejecta reconstructions. We verified our estimates of the CoE and age using a new automated procedure that detected and tracked the proper motions of 137 knots, with 73 knots that overlap with the visually identified knots. We find that the proper motions of the ejecta are still ballistic, despite the remnant’s age, and are consistent with the notion that the ejecta are expanding into an interstellar medium cavity. Evidence for explosion asymmetry from the parent supernova is also observed. Using the visually measured proper motion measurements and corresponding CoE and age, we compare N132D to other supernova remnants with proper motion ejecta studies.

A Candidate Runaway Supermassive Black Hole Identified by Shocks and Star Formation in its Wake

The interaction of a runaway supermassive black hole (SMBH) with the circumgalactic medium (CGM) can lead to the formation of a wake of shocked gas and young stars behind it. Here we report the serendipitous discovery of an extremely narrow linear feature in Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys images that may be an example of such a wake. The feature extends 62 kpc from the nucleus of a compact star-forming galaxy at z = 0.964. Keck Low-resolution Imaging Spectrometer spectra show that the [O iii]/Hβ ratio varies from ∼1 to ∼10 along the feature, indicating a mixture of star formation and fast shocks. The feature terminates in a bright [O iii] knot with a luminosity of ≈1.9 × 1041 erg s−1. The stellar continuum colors vary along the feature and are well fit by a simple model that has a monotonically increasing age with the distance from the tip. The line ratios, colors, and overall morphology are consistent with an ejected SMBH moving through the CGM at a high speed while triggering star formation. The best-fit time since ejection is ∼39 Myr, and the implied velocity is v BH ∼ 1600 km s−1. The feature is not perfectly straight in the HST images, and we show that the amplitude of the observed spatial variations is consistent with the runaway SMBH interpretation. Opposite the primary wake is a fainter and shorter feature, marginally detected only in [O iii] and the rest-frame far-ultraviolet. This feature may be shocked gas behind a binary SMBH that was ejected at the same time as the SMBH that produced the primary wake.

Hubble Space Telescope and Hyper-Suprime-Cam Weak-lensing Study of the Equal-mass Dissociative Merger CIZA J0107.7+5408

A dissociative merger is formed by the interplay of ram pressure and gravitational forces, which can lead to a spatial displacement of the dark matter and baryonic components of the recently collided subclusters. CIZA J0107.7+5408 is a nearby (z = 0.105) dissociative merger that hosts two X-ray brightness peaks and a bimodal galaxy distribution. Analyzing MMT/Hectospec observations, we investigate the line-of-sight and spatial distribution of cluster galaxies. Utilizing deep, high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging and large field-of-view Subaru Hyper-Suprime-Cam observations, we perform a weak-lensing analysis of CIZA J0107.7+5408. Our weak-lensing analysis detects a bimodal mass distribution that is spatially consistent with the cluster galaxies but significantly offset from the X-ray brightness peaks. Fitting two Navarro–Frenk–White halos to the lensing signal, we find an equal-mass merger with subcluster masses of M ⊙ and M ⊙. Moreover, the mass-to-light ratios of the subclusters, and , are found to be consistent with each other and within the range of mass-to-light ratios found for galaxy clusters.

Detection of 125.5-day optical periodic modulation of the neutron star M51 ULX-8

ABSTRACT Studying Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) in the optical wavelengths provides important clues about the accretion mechanisms and the evolutionary processes of X-ray binary systems. In this study, three (C1, C2, and C3) possible optical counterparts were identified for well-known neutron star (NS) candidate M51 ULX-8 through advanced astrometry based on the Chandra and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations, as well as the GAIA optical source catalogue. Optical periodic modulation of 125.5 d with an amplitude of 0.14 mag was determined for C3, which has evidence to represent the optical nature of ULX-8 using one-year (2016–2017) 34 HST Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS)/Wide Field Camera (WFC) observations. Moreover, surprisingly, the observed optical fluxes of C3 exhibit a bi-modal distribution. This could mean that there is a possible correlation between the optical and the X-ray flux variabilities of the ULX-8. The possible scenarios which are frequently mentioned in the literature proposed for the nature of optical emission and optical super-orbital period. The most probable scenario is that the optical emission could have originated from the accretion disc of the ULX-8.

The globular clusters and star formation history of the isolated, quiescent ultra-diffuse galaxy DGSAT I

ABSTRACT We investigate the isolated, quiescent ultra-diffuse galaxy (UDG) DGSAT I and its globular cluster (GC) system using two orbits of Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging in the F606W and F814W filters. This is the first study of GCs around a UDG in a low-density environment. DGSAT I was previously found to host an irregular blue low surface brightness clump, which we confirm as very likely belonging to the galaxy rather than being a chance projection, and represents a recent episode of star formation (∼500 Myr) that challenges some UDG formation scenarios. We select GC candidates based on colours and magnitudes, and construct a self-consistent model of the GC radial surface density profile along with the background. We find a half-number radius of RGC = 2.7 ± 0.1 kpc (more compact than the diffuse starlight) and a total of 12 ± 2 GCs. The total mass fraction in GCs is relatively high, supporting an overmassive dark matter halo as also implied by the high velocity dispersion previously measured. The GCs extend to higher luminosities than expected, and have colours that are unusually similar to their host galaxy colour, with a very narrow spread, all of which suggest an early, intense burst of cluster formation. The nature and origin of this galaxy remain puzzling, but the most likely scenario is a ‘failed galaxy’ that formed relatively few stars for its halo mass, and could be related to cluster UDGs whose size and quiescence pre-date their infall.

The Internal Proper Motion Kinematics of NGC 346: Past Formation and Future Evolution

We investigate the internal kinematics of the young star-forming region NGC 346 in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We used two epochs of deep F555W and F814W Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys observations with an 11 yr baseline to determine proper motions and study the kinematics of different populations, as identified by their color–magnitude diagram and spatial distribution characteristics. The proper motion field of the young stars shows a complex structure with spatially coherent patterns. NGC 346’s upper main sequence and pre-main sequence stars follow very similar motion patterns, with the outer parts of the cluster being characterized both by outflows and inflows. The proper motion field in the inner ∼10 pc shows a combination of rotation and inflow, indicative of inspiraling motion. The rotation velocity in this regions peaks at ∼3 km s−1, whereas the inflow velocity peaks at ∼1 km s−1. Subclusters and massive young stellar objects in NGC 346 are found at the interface of significant changes in the coherence of the proper motion field. This suggests that turbulence is the main star formation driver in this region. Similar kinematics observed in the metal-poor NGC 346 and in the Milky Way’s star-forming regions suggest that the differences in the cooling conditions due to different amounts of metallicity and dust density between the SMC and our galaxy are too small to alter significantly the process of star cluster assembly and growth. The main characteristics of our findings are consistent with various proposed star cluster formation models.

Toward a Data-driven Model of the Sky from Low Earth Orbit as Observed by the Hubble Space Telescope

The sky observed by space telescopes in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) can be dominated by stray light from multiple sources including Earth, Sun, and Moon. This stray light presents a significant challenge to missions that aim to make a secure measurement of the extragalactic background light (EBL). In this work, we quantify the impact of stray light on sky observations made by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys. By selecting on orbital parameters, we successfully isolate images with sky that contain minimal and high levels of earthshine. In addition, we find weather observations from CERES satellites correlate with the observed HST sky surface brightness indicating the value of incorporating such data to characterize the sky. Finally, we present a machine-learning model of the sky trained on the data used in this work to predict the total observed sky surface brightness. We demonstrate that our initial model is able to predict the total sky brightness under a range of conditions to within 3.9% of the true measured sky. Moreover, we find that the model matches the stray-light-free observations better than current physical zodiacal light models.

Joint Survey Processing. I. Compact Oddballs in the COSMOS Field—Low-luminosity Quasars at z > 6?

The faint-end slope of the quasar luminosity function at z ∼ 6 and its implication on the role of quasars in reionizing the intergalactic medium at early times has been an outstanding problem for some time. The identification of faint high-redshift quasars with luminosities of <1044.5 erg s−1 is challenging. They are rare (few per square degree), and the separation of these unresolved quasars from late-type stars and compact star-forming galaxies is difficult from ground-based observations alone. In addition, source confusion becomes significant at >25 mag, with ∼30% of sources having their flux contaminated by foreground objects when the seeing resolution is ∼0″.7. We mitigate these issues by performing a pixel-level joint processing of ground and space-based data from Subaru/Hyper-SuprimeCam (HSC) and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). We create a deconfused catalog over the 1.64 deg2 of the COSMOS field, after accounting for spatial varying point-spread functions and astrometric differences between the two data sets. We identify twelve low-luminosity (M UV ∼ −21 mag) z > 6 quasar candidates through (i) their red color measured between ACS/F814W and HSC/i band and (ii) their compactness in the space-based data. Nondetections of our candidates in Hubble DASH data argues against contamination from late-type stars. Our constraints on the faint end of the quasar luminosity function at z ∼ 6.4 suggest a negligibly small contribution to reionization compared to the star-forming galaxy population. The confirmation of our candidates and the evolution of number density with redshift could provide better insights into how supermassive galaxies grew in the first billion years of cosmic time.