Main Sequence Of Star-forming Galaxies Research Articles

SXDF-ALMA 2 arcmin2 deep survey: Resolving and characterizing the infrared extragalactic background light down to 0.5 mJy

Abstract We present a multiwavelength analysis of five submillimeter sources (S1.1mm = 0.54–2.02 mJy) that were detected during our 1.1 mm deep continuum survey in the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Survey Field (SXDF)-UDS-CANDELS field (2 arcmin2, 1σ = 0.055 mJy beam−1) using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The two brightest sources correspond to a known single-dish (AzTEC) selected bright submillimeter galaxy (SMG), whereas the remaining three are faint SMGs newly uncovered by ALMA. If we exclude the two brightest sources, the contribution of the ALMA-detected faint SMGs to the infrared extragalactic background light is estimated to be $\sim 4.1^{+5.4}_{-3.0}\:$Jy deg−2, which corresponds to $\sim 16^{+22}_{-12}\%$ of the infrared extragalactic background light. This suggests that their contribution to the infrared extragalactic background light is as large as that of bright SMGs. We identified multiwavelength counterparts of the five ALMA sources. One of the sources (SXDF-ALMA3) is extremely faint in the optical to near-infrared region despite its infrared luminosity ($L_\mathrm{IR}\simeq 1\times 10^{12}\,L_{\odot}$ or SFR ≃ 100 M⊙ yr−1). By fitting the spectral energy distributions at the optical-to-near-infrared wavelengths of the remaining four ALMA sources, we obtained the photometric redshifts (zphoto) and stellar masses (M*): zphoto ≃ 1.3–2.5, M* ≃ (3.5–9.5) × 1010 M⊙. We also derived their star formation rates (SFRs) and specific SFRs as ≃30–200 M⊙ yr−1 and ≃0.8–2 Gyr−1, respectively. These values imply that they are main sequence star-forming galaxies.

Star formation and AGN activity in the most luminous LINERs in the local universe

This work presents the properties of 42 objects in the group of the most luminous, highest star formation rate LINERs at z = 0.04 - 0.11. We obtained long-slit spectroscopy of the nuclear regions for all sources, and FIR data (Herschel and IRAS) for 13 of them. We measured emission line intensities, extinction, stellar populations, stellar masses, ages, AGN luminosities, and star-formation rates. We find considerable differences from other low-redshift LINERs, in terms of extinction, and general similarity to star forming (SF) galaxies. We confirm the existence of such luminous LINERs in the local universe, after being previously detected at z ~ 0.3 by Tommasin et al. (2012). The median stellar mass of these LINERs corresponds to 6 - 7 $\times$ 10$^{10}$M$_{\odot}$ which was found in previous work to correspond to the peak of relative growth rate of stellar populations and therefore for the highest SFRs. Other LINERs although showing similar AGN luminosities have lower SFR. We find that most of these sources have LAGN ~ LSF suggesting co-evolution of black hole and stellar mass. In general among local LINERs being on the main-sequence of SF galaxies is related to their AGN luminosity.

THE HOST GALAXY PROPERTIES OF VARIABILITY SELECTED AGN IN THE PAN-STARRS1 MEDIUM DEEP SURVEY

ABSTRACT We study the properties of 975 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) selected by variability in the Pan-STARRS1 Medium deep Survey. Using complementary multi-wavelength data from the ultraviolet to the far-infrared, we use spectral energy distribution fitting to determine the AGN and host properties at z < 1 and compare to a well-matched control sample. We confirm the trend previously observed: that the variability amplitude decreases with AGN luminosity, but we also observe that the slope of this relation steepens with wavelength, resulting in a “redder when brighter” trend at low luminosities. Our results show that AGNs are hosted by more massive hosts than control sample galaxies, while the rest frame dust-corrected NUV − r color distribution of AGN hosts is similar to control galaxies. We find a positive correlation between the AGN luminosity and star formation rate (SFR), independent of redshift. AGN hosts populate the entire range of SFRs within and outside of the Main Sequence of star-forming galaxies. Comparing the distribution of AGN hosts and control galaxies, we show that AGN hosts are less likely to be hosted by quiescent galaxies and more likely to be hosted by Main Sequence or starburst galaxies.

The effect of disc inclination on the main sequence of star-forming galaxies

We use the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) database to explore the effect of the disk inclination angle on the derived star formation rate (SFR), hence on the slope and width of the Main Sequence (MS) relation for star-forming galaxies. We find that SFRs for nearly edge-on disks are underestimated by factors ranging from $\sim$ 0.2 dex for low mass galaxies up to $\sim$ 0.4 dex for high mass galaxies. This results in a substantially flatter MS relation for high-inclination disks compared to that for less inclined ones, though the global effect over the whole sample of star-forming galaxies is relatively minor, given the small fraction of high-inclination disks. However, we also find that galaxies with high-inclination disks represent a non negligible fraction of galaxies populating the so-called green valley, with derived SFRs intermediate between the MS and those of quenched, passively evolving galaxies.

Molecular and atomic gas along and across the main sequence of star-forming galaxies

We use spectra from the ALFALFA, GASS and COLD GASS surveys to quantify variations in the mean atomic and molecular gas mass fractions throughout the SFR-M* plane and along the main sequence (MS) of star-forming galaxies. Although galaxies well below the MS tend to be undetected in the Arecibo and IRAM observations, reliable mean atomic and molecular gas fractions can be obtained through a spectral stacking technique. We find that the position of galaxies in the SFR-M* plane can be explained mostly by their global cold gas reservoirs as observed in the HI line, with in addition systematic variations in the molecular-to-atomic ratio and star formation efficiency. When looking at galaxies within +/-0.4 dex of the MS, we find that as stellar mass increases, both atomic and molecular gas mass fractions decrease, stellar bulges become more prominent, and the mean stellar ages increase. Both star formation efficiency and molecular-to-atomic ratios vary little for massive main sequence galaxies, indicating that the flattening of the MS is due to the global decrease of the cold gas reservoirs of galaxies rather than to bottlenecks in the process of converting cold atomic gas to stars.

THE UV–OPTICAL COLOR GRADIENTS IN STAR-FORMING GALAXIES AT 0.5 < z < 1.5: ORIGINS AND LINK TO GALAXY ASSEMBLY

ABSTRACT The rest-frame UV–optical (i.e., NUV − B) color index is sensitive to the low-level recent star formation and dust extinction, but it is insensitive to the metallicity. In this Letter, we have measured the rest-frame NUV − B color gradients in ∼1400 large (r e > 0.″18), nearly face-on (b/a > 0.5) main sequence star-forming galaxies (SFGs) between redshift 0.5 and 1.5 in the CANDELS/GOODS-S and UDS fields. With this sample, we study the origin of UV–optical color gradients in the SFGs at z ∼ 1 and discuss their link with the buildup of stellar mass. We find that the more massive, centrally compact, and more dust extinguished SFGs tend to have statistically more negative raw color gradients (redder centers) than the less massive, centrally diffuse, and less dusty SFGs. After correcting for dust reddening based on optical-spectral energy distribution fitting, the color gradients in the low-mass (M * < 1010 M ⊙) SFGs generally become quite flat, while most of the high-mass (M * > 1010.5 M ⊙) SFGs still retain shallow negative color gradients. These findings imply that dust reddening is likely the principal cause of negative color gradients in the low-mass SFGs, while both increased central dust reddening and buildup of compact old bulges are likely the origins of negative color gradients in the high-mass SFGs. These findings also imply that at these redshifts the low-mass SFGs buildup their stellar masses in a self-similar way, while the high-mass SFGs grow inside out.

STAR FORMATION IN 3CR RADIO GALAXIES AND QUASARS AT z < 1*

ABSTRACT Using the Herschel Space Observatory we have observed a representative sample of 87 powerful 3CR sources at redshift z < 1 . The far-infrared (FIR, 70-500 μm) photometry is combined with mid-infrared (MIR) photometry from the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer and cataloged data to analyze the complete spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of each object from optical to radio wavelength. To disentangle the contributions of different components, the SEDs are fitted with a set of templates to derive the luminosities of host galaxy starlight, dust torus emission powered by active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and cool dust heated by stars. The level of emission from relativistic jets is also estimated to isolate the thermal host galaxy contribution. The new data are in line with the orientation-based unification of high-excitation radio-loud AGN, in that the dust torus becomes optically thin longwards of 30 μ m . The low-excitation radio galaxies and the MIR-weak sources represent an MIR- and FIR-faint AGN population that is different from the high-excitation MIR-bright objects; it remains an open question whether they are at a later evolutionary state or an intrinsically different population. The derived luminosities for host starlight and dust heated by star formation are converted to stellar masses and star-formation rates (SFR). The host-normalized SFR of the bulk of the 3CR sources is low when compared to other galaxy populations at the same epoch. Estimates of the dust mass yield a 1–100 times lower dust/stellar mass ratio than for the Milky Way, which indicates that these 3CR hosts have very low levels of interstellar matter and explains the low level of star formation. Less than 10% of the 3CR sources show levels of star formation above those of the main sequence of star-forming galaxies.

Dust attenuation inz~ 1 galaxies fromHerscheland 3D-HST Hαmeasurements

We combined the spectroscopic information from the 3D-HST survey with \textit{Herschel} data to characterize the H$\alpha$ dust attenuation properties of a sample of 79 main sequence star-forming galaxies at $z \sim 1$ in the GOODS-S field. The sample was selected in the far-IR, at $\lambda$=100 and/or 160 $\mu$m, and only includes galaxies with a secure H$\alpha$ detection (S/N$>$3). From the low resolution 3D-HST spectra we measured the redshifts and the H$\alpha$ fluxes for the whole sample (a factor of 1/1.2 was applied to the observed fluxes to remove the [NII] contamination). The stellar masses (M$_{\star}$), infrared (L$_{IR}$) and UV luminosities (L$_{UV}$) were derived from the SEDs by fitting multi-band data from GALEX near-UV to SPIRE 500 $\mu$m. We estimated the continuum extinction E$_{star}$(B-V) from both the IRX=L$_{IR}$/L$_{UV}$ ratio and the UV-slope, $\beta$, and found an excellent agreement between the two. The nebular extinction was estimated from comparison of the observed SFR$_{H\alpha}$ and SFR$_{UV}$. We obtained \emph{f}=E$_{star}$(B-V)/E$_{neb}$(B-V)=0.93$\pm$0.06, i.e. higher than the canonical value of \emph{f}=0.44 measured in the local Universe. Our derived dust correction produces good agreement between the H$\alpha$ and IR+UV SFRs for galaxies with SFR$\gtrsim$ 20 M$_{\odot}$/yr and M$_{\star} \gtrsim 5 \times 10^{10}$ M$_{\odot}$, while objects with lower SFR and M$_{\star}$ seem to require a smaller \emph{f}-factor (i.e. higher H$\alpha$ extinction correction). Our results then imply that the nebular extinction for our sample is comparable to that in the optical-UV continuum and suggest that the \emph{f}-factor is a function of both M$_{\star}$ and SFR, in agreement with previous studies.

A HIGHER EFFICIENCY OF CONVERTING GAS TO STARS PUSHES GALAXIES AT z ∼ 1.6 WELL ABOVE THE STAR-FORMING MAIN SEQUENCE

Local starbursts have a higher efficiency of converting gas into stars, as compared to typical star-forming galaxies at a given stellar mass, possibly indicative of different modes of star formation. With the peak epoch of galaxy formation occurring at z > 1, it remains to be established whether such an efficient mode of star formation is occurring at high-redshift. To address this issue, we measure the molecular gas content of seven high-redshift (z ~ 1.6) starburst galaxies with the Atacama Large (sub-)Millimeter Array and IRAM/Plateau de Bure Interferometer. Our targets are selected from the sample of Herschel far-infrared detected galaxies having star formation rates (~300-800 Msolar/yr) elevated (>4x) above the star-forming `main sequence', and included in the FMOS-COSMOS near-infrared spectroscopic survey of star-forming galaxies at z ~ 1.6 with Subaru. We detect CO emission in all cases at high levels of significance, indicative of high gas fractions (~30-50%). Even more compelling, we firmly establish with a clean and systematic selection that starbursts, identified as main-sequence outliers, at high redshift generally have a lower ratio of CO to total infrared luminosity as compared to typical main-sequence star-forming galaxies, although with a smaller offset than expected based on past studies of local starbursts. We put forward a hypothesis that there exists a continuous increase in star formation efficiency with elevation from the main sequence with galaxy mergers as a possible physical driver. Along with a heightened star formation efficiency, our high-redshift sample is similar in other respects to local starbursts such as being metal rich and having a higher ionization state of the interstellar medium.

Dark Matter Halos and the Main Sequence of Starforming Galaxies

AbstractWe investigate why hydrodynamical numerical simulations have difficulties (Weinmann et al. 2011) in reproducing the Main Sequence (MS) of star-forming galaxies, i.e. the fact that galaxies forming stars lie on a tight power law sequence in the stellar mass (M*), star formation rate (SFR) plane (Schreiber et al. 2015). Instead of trying to improve the agreement of simulations with the observations by modifying the subgrid recipes of baryons, we take here a step back to check whether the accretion onto dark matter halos is consistent with the existence of the main sequence of star forming galaxies.

Star formation properties of Hickson Compact Groups based on deep Hα imaging

We present deep Hα imaging of seven Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs) using the 4.1-m Southern Astrophysics Research (SOAR) Telescope. The high spatial resolution of the observations allows us to study both the integrated star formation properties of the main galaxies as well as the 2D distribution of star-forming knots in the faint tidal arms that form during interactions between the individual galaxies. We derive star formation rates and stellar masses for group members and discuss their position relative to the main sequence of star-forming galaxies. Despite the existence of tidal features within the galaxy groups, we do not find any indication for enhanced star formation in the selected sample of HCGs. We study azimuthally averaged Hα profiles of the galaxy discs and compare them with the g′ and r′ surface brightness profiles. We do not find any truncated galaxy discs but reveal that more massive galaxies show a higher light concentration in Hα than less massive ones. We also see that galaxies that show a high light concentration in r′, show a systematic higher light concentration in Hα. Tidal dwarf galaxy (TDG) candidates have been previously detected in R-band images for two groups in our sample but we find that most of them are likely background objects as they do not show any emission in Hα. We present a new TDG candidate at the tip of the tidal tail in HCG 91.

TheHerschelview of the dominant mode of galaxy growth fromz= 4 to the present day

We present an analysis of the deepest Herschel images in four major extragalactic fields GOODS-North, GOODS-South, UDS and COSMOS obtained within the GOODS-Herschel and CANDELS-Herschel key programs. The picture provided by 10497 individual far-infrared detections is supplemented by the stacking analysis of a mass-complete sample of 62361 star-forming galaxies from the CANDELS-HST H band-selected catalogs and from two deep ground-based Ks band-selected catalogs in the GOODS-North and the COSMOS-wide fields, in order to obtain one of the most accurate and unbiased understanding to date of the stellar mass growth over the cosmic history. We show, for the first time, that stacking also provides a powerful tool to determine the dispersion of a physical correlation and describe our method called "scatter stacking" that may be easily generalized to other experiments. We demonstrate that galaxies of all masses from z=4 to 0 follow a universal scaling law, the so-called main sequence of star-forming galaxies. We find a universal close-to-linear slope of the logSFR-logM* relation with evidence for a flattening of the main sequence at high masses (log(M*/Msun) > 10.5) that becomes less prominent with increasing redshift and almost vanishes by z~2. This flattening may be due to the parallel stellar growth of quiescent bulges in star-forming galaxies. Within the main sequence, we measure a non varying SFR dispersion of 0.3 dex. The specific SFR (sSFR=SFR/M*) of star-forming galaxies is found to continuously increase from z=0 to 4. Finally we discuss the implications of our findings on the cosmic SFR history and show that more than 2/3 of present-day stars must have formed in a regime dominated by the main sequence mode. As a consequence we conclude that, although omnipresent in the distant Universe, galaxy mergers had little impact in shaping the global star formation history over the last 12.5 Gyr.

WHEN DID ROUND DISK GALAXIES FORM?

When and how galaxy morphology such as disk and bulge seen in the present-day universe emerged is still not clear. In the universe at $z\gtrsim 2$, galaxies with various morphology are seen, and star-forming galaxies at $z\sim2$ show an intrinsic shape of bar-like structure. Then, when did round disk structure form? Here we take a simple and straightforward approach to see the epoch when a round disk galaxy population emerged by constraining the intrinsic shape statistically based on apparent axial ratio distribution of galaxies. We derived the distributions of the apparent axial ratios in the rest-frame optical light ($\sim 5000$ \AA) of star-forming main sequence galaxies at $2.5>z>1.4$, $1.4>z>0.85$, and $0.85>z>0.5$, and found that the apparent axial ratios of them show peaky distributions at $z\gtrsim0.85$, while a rather flat distribution at the lower redshift. By using a tri-axial model ($A>B>C$) for the intrinsic shape, we found the best-fit models give the peaks of the $B/A$ distribution of $0.81\pm0.04$, $0.84\pm0.04$, and $0.92\pm0.05$ at $2.5>z>1.4$, $1.4>z>0.85$, and $0.85>z>0.5$, respectively. The last value is close to the local value of 0.95. Thickness ($C/A$) is $\sim0.25$ at all the redshifts and is close to the local value (0.21). The results indicate the shape of the star-forming galaxies in the main sequence changes gradually, and the round disk is established at around $z\sim0.9$. Establishment of the round disk may be due to a cease of violent interaction of galaxies or a growth of a bulge and/or a super-massive black hole resides at the center of a galaxy which dissolves the bar structure.

RECENT STELLAR MASS ASSEMBLY OF LOW-MASS STAR-FORMING GALAXIES AT REDSHIFTS 0.3 <z< 0.9

The epoch when low-mass star forming galaxies (LMSFGs) form the bulk of their stellar mass is uncertain. While some models predict an early formation, others favor a delayed scenario until later ages of the universe. We present constraints on the star formation histories (SFHs) of a sample of LMSFGs obtained through the analysis of their spectral energy distributions using a novel approach that (1) consistently combines photometric (broadband) and spectroscopic (equivalent widths of emission lines) data, and (2) uses physically motivated SFHs with non-uniform variations of the star formation rate (SFR) as a function of time. The sample includes 31 spectroscopically confirmed LMSFGs (7.3 < log M*/Msun < 8.0) at 0.3 < z_spec < 0.9 in the Extended-Chandra Deep Field-South field (E-CDF-S). Among them, 24 were selected with photometric stellar mass log M*/Msun < 8.0, 0.3 < z_phot < 1.0, and NB816 < 26 AB mag; the remaining 7 were selected as blue compact dwarfs (BCDs) within the same photometric redshift and magnitude ranges. We also study a secondary sample of 43 more massive spectroscopically confirmed galaxies (8.0 < log M*/Msun < 9.1), selected with the same criteria. The SFRs and stellar masses derived for both samples place our targets on the standard main sequence of star forming galaxies. The median SFH of LMSFGs at intermediate redshifts appears to form 90% of the median stellar mass inferred for the sample in the 0.5-1.8 Gyr immediately preceding the observation. These results suggest a recent stellar mass assembly for LMSFGs, consistent with the cosmological downsizing trends. We find similar median SFH timescales for the more massive secondary sample.

Determining the stellar masses of submillimetre galaxies: the critical importance of star formation histories

Submillimetre (submm) galaxies are among the most rapidly star-forming and most massive high-redshift galaxies; thus, their properties provide important constraints on galaxy evolution models. However, there is still a debate about their stellar masses and their nature in the context of the general galaxy population. To test the reliability of their stellar mass determinations, we used a sample of simulated submm galaxies for which we derived stellar masses via spectral energy distribution (SED) modelling (with Grasil, Magphys, Hyperz and LePhare) adopting various star formation histories (SFHs). We found that the assumption of SFHs with two independent components leads to the most accurate stellar masses. Exponentially declining SFHs (tau) lead to lower masses (albeit still consistent with the true values), while the assumption of single-burst SFHs results in a significant mass underestimation. Thus, we conclude that studies based on the higher masses inferred from fitting the SEDs of real submm galaxies with double SFHs are most likely to be correct, implying that submm galaxies lie on the high-mass end of the main sequence of star-forming galaxies. This conclusion appears robust to assumptions of whether or not submm galaxies are driven by major mergers, since the suite of simulated galaxies modelled here contains examples of both merging and isolated galaxies. We identified discrepancies between the true and inferred stellar ages (rather than the dust attenuation) as the primary determinant of the success/failure of the mass recovery. Regardless of the choice of SFH, the SED-derived stellar masses exhibit a factor of ~2 scatter around the true value; this scatter is an inherent limitation of the SED modelling due to simplified assumptions. Finally, we found that the contribution of active galactic nuclei does not have any significant impact on the derived stellar masses.

EVIDENCE FOR WIDE-SPREAD ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS-DRIVEN OUTFLOWS IN THE MOST MASSIVEz∼ 1-2 STAR-FORMING GALAXIES

In this paper we follow up on our previous detection of nuclear ionized outflows in the most massive (log(M*/Msun) >= 10.9) z~1-3 star-forming galaxies (Forster Schreiber et al.), by increasing the sample size by a factor of six (to 44 galaxies above log(M*/Msun) >= 10.9) from a combination of the SINS/zC-SINF, LUCI, GNIRS, and KMOS^3D spectroscopic surveys. We find a fairly sharp onset of the incidence of broad nuclear emission (FWHM in the Ha, [NII], and [SII] lines ~ 450-5300 km/s), with large [NII]/Ha ratios, above log(M*/Msun) ~ 10.9, with about two thirds of the galaxies in this mass range exhibiting this component. Broad nuclear components near and above the Schechter mass are similarly prevalent above and below the main sequence of star-forming galaxies, and at z~1 and ~2. The line ratios of the nuclear component are fit by excitation from active galactic nuclei (AGN), or by a combination of shocks and photoionization. The incidence of the most massive galaxies with broad nuclear components is at least as large as that of AGNs identified by X-ray, optical, infrared or radio indicators. The mass loading of the nuclear outflows is near unity. Our findings provide compelling evidence for powerful, high-duty cycle, AGN-driven outflows near the Schechter mass, and acting across the peak of cosmic galaxy formation.

Physical and Morphological Properties of [O II] Emitting Galaxies in the HETDEX Pilot Survey

The Hobby-Eberly Dark Energy Experiment pilot survey identified 284 [O II] λ3727 emitting galaxies in a 169 arcmin2 field of sky in the redshift range 0 < z < 0.57. This line flux limited sample provides a bridge between studies in the local universe and higher-redshift [O II] surveys. We present an analysis of the star formation rates (SFRs) of these galaxies as a function of stellar mass as determined via spectral energy distribution fitting. The [O II] emitters fall on the main sequence of star-forming galaxies with SFR decreasing at lower masses and redshifts. However, the slope of our relation is flatter than that found for most other samples, a result of the metallicity dependence of the [O II] star formation rate indicator. The mass-specific SFR is higher for lower mass objects, supporting the idea that massive galaxies formed more quickly and efficiently than their lower mass counterparts. This is confirmed by the fact that the equivalent widths of the [O II] emission lines trend smaller with larger stellar mass. Examination of the morphologies of the [O II] emitters reveals that their star formation is not a result of mergers, and the galaxies' half-light radii do not indicate evolution of physical sizes.

The MBH-M* relation for X-ray-obscured, red QSOs at 1.2 &lt; z &lt; 2.6

We present near-infrared spectra, obtained with SINFONI and XShooter observations at ESO VLT, of nine dusty, red QSOs at 1.2<z<2.6. The sources are hard X-ray detected, characterized by cold absorption (N_H>10^{21} - 10^{22} cm^{-2}) and show a broad Ha component in the NIR spectra. We complement this sample with twelve additional sources taken from the literature with similar properties resulting in a total sample of 21 X-ray obscured, intermediate type (1.8-1.9), dusty reddened QSOs. From the broad Ha line we have computed the BH masses through the virial formula and derived Eddington ratios. Moreover, from optical/IR multi-component SED fitting we have derived the stellar mass of their host galaxies and their SFRs. We find that most of the sources in our sample are hosted in starburst and main sequence star-forming galaxies with Eddington ratios lambda>0.1. We find a strong trend with the BH mass i.e. less massive objects are scattered below and above the local relation while the most massive ones are mainly located above it. We also studied the evolution of these sources on the M_BH-M_star plane compared to a sample of optically blue type--1 QSOs and we find that obscured red QSOs show a ratio of M_BH to M_star that increases with redshift which is consistent with or slightly lower than what has been found for blue QSOs. These sources may represent the blow-out phase at the end of the rapid BH growth and immediately preceding the classical blue QSOs typically sampled in optical surveys. They in fact show evidence of outflows in the ionized gas component, but their BH has already fully formed.

A multiwavelength consensus on the main sequence of star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 2

We compare various star formation rate (SFR) indicators for star-forming galaxies at $1.4<z<2.5$ in the COSMOS field. The main focus is on the SFRs from the far-IR (PACS-Herschel data) with those from the ultraviolet, for galaxies selected according to the BzK criterion. FIR-selected samples lead to a vastly different slope of the SFR-stellar mass ($M_*$) relation, compared to that of the dominant main sequence population as measured from the UV, since the FIR selection picks predominantly only a minority of outliers. However, there is overall agreement between the main sequences derived with the two SFR indicators, when stacking on the PACS maps the BzK-selected galaxies. The resulting logarithmic slope of the SFR-{$M_*$} relation is $\sim0.8-0.9$, in agreement with that derived from the dust-corrected UV-luminosity. Exploiting deeper 24$\mu$m-Spitzer data we have characterized a sub-sample of galaxies with reddening and SFRs poorly constrained, as they are very faint in the $B$ band. The combination of Herschel with Spitzer data have allowed us to largely break the age/reddening degeneracy for these intriguing sources, by distinguishing whether a galaxy is very red in B-z because of being heavily dust reddened, or whether because star formation has been (or is being) quenched. Finally, we have compared our SFR(UV) to the SFRs derived by stacking the radio data and to those derived from the H$\alpha$ luminosity of a sample of star-forming galaxies at $1.4<z<1.7$. The two sets of SFRs are broadly consistent as they are with the SFRs derived from the UV and by stacking the corresponding PACS data in various mass bins.

The main sequence of star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 0.6: reinstating major mergers

Abstract The relation between the star formation rate (SFR) and the stellar mass of star-forming galaxies has been used to argue that major mergers cannot be the main driver of star formation. Here, we re-examine these arguments using the representative IMAGES-CDFS sample of star-forming galaxies at z = 0.4–0.75, taking advantage of their previously established classification into pre-fusion, fusion, and relaxing galaxy mergers. Contrary to previous claims, we show there is no tension between the main-sequence scatter and the average duration of the fusion SFR peak. We confirm previous estimates of the fraction of SFR due to morphologically selected galaxies (∼23 per cent) or the SFR enhancement due to major merger during the fusion phase (∼10 per cent). However, galaxy mergers are not instantaneous processes, which implies that the total fraction of the SFR associated with galaxies undergoing major mergers must account for the three merger phases. When doing so, galaxies involved in major mergers are found to represent 53–88 per cent of the total SFR at z ∼ 0.6. The fraction of luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) in the fusion phase is found to be in agreement with the observed morphological fraction of LIRGs without discs and with the observed and expected major merger rates at z ≤ 1.5.