Μm Flux Research Articles

PEARLS: Discovery of Point-source Features within Galaxies in the North Ecliptic Pole Time Domain Field

The first public 0.9–4.4 μm NIRCam images of the North Ecliptic Pole Time Domain Field uncovered galaxies displaying point-source features in their cores as seen in the longer-wavelength filters. We visually identified a sample of 66 galaxies (∼1 galaxy arcmin–2) with pointlike cores and have modeled their two-dimensional light profiles with GalFit, identifying 16 galactic nuclei with measurable point-source components. GalFit suggests that the visual sample is a mix of both compact stellar bulge and point-source galaxy cores. This core classification is complemented by spectral energy distribution modeling to infer the sample’s active galactic nucleus (AGN) and host-galaxy parameters. For galaxies with measurable point-source components, the median fractional AGN contribution to their 0.1–30.0 μm flux is 0.44, and 14/16 are color-classified AGN. We conclude that near-infrared point-source galaxy cores are signatures of AGN. In addition, we define an automated sample-selection criterion to identify these point-source features. This criterion can be used in other extant and future NIRCam images to streamline the search for galaxies with unresolved IR-luminous AGN. The James Webb Space Telescope’s superb angular resolution and sensitivity at infrared wavelengths are resurrecting the morphological identification of AGN.

A Comprehensive Study on the Mid-Infrared Variability of Blazars

We present a comprehensive investigation of mid-infrared (MIR) flux variability at 3.4 μm (W1 band) for a large sample of 3816 blazars, using Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) data through December 2022. The sample consists of 1740 flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), 1281 BL Lac objects (BL Lacs), and 795 blazars of uncertain type (BCUs). Considering Fermi Large Area Telescope detection, we classify 2331 as Fermi blazars and 1485 as non-Fermi blazars. Additionally, based on synchrotron peak frequency, the sample includes 2264 low-synchrotron peaked (LSP), 512 intermediate-synchrotron peaked (ISP), and 655 high-synchrotron peaked (HSP) sources. We conduct a comparative analysis of short- and long-term intrinsic variability amplitude (σm), duty cycle (DC), and ensemble structure function (ESF) across blazar subclasses. The median short-term σm values were 0.181−0.106+0.153, 0.104−0.054+0.101, 0.135−0.076+0.154, 0.173−0.097+0.158, 0.177−0.100+0.156, 0.096−0.050+0.109, and 0.106−0.058+0.100 mag for FSRQs, BL Lacs, Fermi blazars, non-Fermi blazars, LSPs, ISPs, and HSPs, respectively. The median DC values were 71.03−22.48+14.17, 64.02−22.86+16.97, 68.96−25.52+15.66, 69.40−22.17+14.42, 71.24−21.36+14.25, 63.03−33.19+16.93, and 64.63−24.26+15.88 percent for the same subclasses. The median long-term σm values were 0.137−0.105+0.408, 0.171−0.132+0.206, 0.282−0.184+0.332, 0.071−0.062+0.143, 0.218−0.174+0.386, 0.173−0.132+0.208, and 0.101−0.077+0.161 mag for the same subclasses, respectively. Our results reveal significant differences in 3.4 μm flux variability among these subclasses. FSRQs (LSPs) exhibit larger σm and DC values compared to BL Lacs (ISPs and HSPs). Fermi blazars display higher long-term σm but lower short-term σm relative to non-Fermi blazars, while DC distributions between the two groups are similar. ESF analysis further confirms the greater variability of FSRQs, LSPs, and Fermi blazars across a wide range of time scales compared to BL Lacs, ISPs/HSPs, and non-Fermi blazars. These findings highlight a close correlation between MIR variability and blazar properties, providing valuable insights into the underlying physical mechanisms responsible for their emission.

Extended CO(1–0) survey and ammonia measurements towards two bubble regions in W5

The feedback effect of massive stars can either accelerate or inhibit star formation activity within molecular clouds. Studying the morphology of molecular clouds near W5 offers an excellent opportunity to examine this feedback effect. We conducted a comprehensive survey of the W5 complex using the Purple Mountain Observatory 13.7 m millimeter telescope. This survey includes 12CO, 13CO, and C18O (J = 1 − 0), with a sky coverage of 6.6 deg2 (136.0° < l < 138.75°, 0° < b < 2.4°). Furthermore, we performed simultaneous observations of the NH3 (1,1) and NH3 (2,2) lines in the four densest star-forming regions of W5, using the 26 m radio telescope of the Xinjiang Astronomy Observatory (XAO). Our analysis of the morphological distribution of the molecular clouds, distribution of high-mass young stellar objects (HMYSOs), 13CO/C18O abundance ratio, and the stacked average spectral line distribution at different 8 μm thresholds provide compelling evidence of triggering. Within the mapped region, we identified a total of 212 molecular clumps in the 13CO cube data using the astrodendro algorithm. Remarkably, approximately 26.4% (56) of these clumps demonstrate the potential to form massive stars and 42.9% (91) of them are gravitationally bound. Within clumps that are capable of forming high-mass stars, there is a distribution of class I YSOs, all located in dense regions near the boundaries of the HII regions. The detection of NH3 near the most prominent cores reveals moderate kinetic temperatures and densities (as CO). Comparing the Tkin and Tex values reveals a reversal in trends for AFGL 4029 (higher Tex and lower Tkin) and W5-W1, indicating the inadequacy of optically thick CO for dense region parameter calculations. Moreover, a comparison of the intensity distributions between NH3 (1,1) and C18O (1–0) in the four densest region reveals a notable depletion effect in AFGL 4029, characterised by a low Tkin (9 K) value and a relatively high NH3 column density, 2.5 × 1014 cm−2. By classifying the 13CO clumps as: “feedback,” “non-feedback,” “outflow,” or “non-outflow” clumps, we observe that the parameters of the “feedback” and “outflow” clumps exhibit variations based on the intensity of the internal 8 μm flux and the outflow energy, respectively. These changes demonstrate a clear linear correlation, which distinctly separate them from the parameter distributions of the “non-feedback” and “non-outflow” clumps, thus providing robust evidence to support a triggering scenario.

Fe II] 1.644 µm imaging survey of planetary nebulae with low-ionisation structures

Low-ionisation structures (LISs) are commonly found in planetary nebulae (PNe), but they are still poorly understood. The recent discovery of unforeseen molecular hydrogen gas (H2) has impacted what we think we know about these microstructures and PNe. To obtain an overall understanding of LISs, we carried out an [Fe II] 1.644 µm imagery survey in PNe with LISs, with the aim to detect the [Fe II] 1.644µm emission line, a common tracer of shocks. We present the first detection of [Fe II] 1.644 µmline directly associated with the LISs in four out of five PNe. The theoretical H I 12-4 recombination line was also computed either from the Brγ or the Hβ line and subtracted from the observed narrow-band line fluxes. The [Fe II] 1.644 µm flux ranges from 1 to 40 ×10−15 ergs cm−2 s−1 and the intensity from 2 to 90 ×10−5 erg s−1 cm−2 sr−1. The R(Fe)=[Fe II] 1.644 µm/Brγ line ratio was also computed and found to range between 0.5 and 7. In particular, the [Fe II] 1.644 µm line was detected in NGC 6543 (R(Fe)<0.15), along with the outer pairs of LISs in NGC 7009 (R(Fe)<0.25) and the jet-like LISs in IC 4634 (R(Fe)~1), and in several LISs in NGC 6571 (2<R(Fe)<7). The low R(Fe) result for NGC 6543 is attributed to the UV radiation from the central star. In contrast, the higher values in NGC 6571 and IC 4634 are indicative of shocks. The moderate R(Fe) in NGC 7009 likely indicates the contribution of both mechanisms.

The Baryonic Tully–Fisher Relation. I. WISE/Spitzer Photometry

We present Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) W1 photometry of the Spitzer Photometry and Accurate Rotation Curves sample. The baseline of near-IR fluxes is established for use by stellar mass models, a key component to the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation and other kinematic galaxies scaling relations. We focus this paper on determination of the characteristics of the W1 fluxes compared to IRAC 3.6 μm fluxes, internal accuracy limitations from photometric techniques, external accuracy by comparison to other work in the literature and the range of W1 to IRAC 3.6 μm colors. We outline the behavior of SDSS g, W1 and IRAC 3.6 colors with respect to underlying spectral energy distribution features. We also note a previously unknown correlation between WISE colors and the central surface brightness, probably related to the low metallicity of low-surface-brightness dwarfs.

MINDS: JWST/NIRCam imaging of the protoplanetary disk PDS 70

Context. Two protoplanets have recently been discovered within the PDS 70 protoplanetary disk. JWST/NIRCam offers a unique opportunity to characterize them and their birth environment at wavelengths that are difficult to access from the ground. Aims. We image the circumstellar environment of PDS 70 at 1.87 μm and 4.83 μm, assess the presence of Pa-α emission due to accretion onto the protoplanets, and probe any IR excess indicative of heated circumplanetary material. Methods. We obtained noncoronagraphic JWST/NIRCam images of PDS 70 within the MIRI mid-INfrared Disk Survey (MINDS) program. We leveraged the Vortex Image Processing (VIP) package for data reduction, and we developed dedicated routines for optimal stellar point spread function subtraction, unbiased imaging of the disk, and protoplanet flux measurement in this type of dataset. A radiative transfer model of the disk was used to separate the contributions from the disk and the protoplanets. Results. We redetect both protoplanets and identify extended emission after subtracting a disk model, including a large-scale spiral-like feature. We interpret its signal in the direct vicinity of planet c as tracing the accretion stream that feeds its circumplanetary disk, while the outer part of the feature may rather reflect asymmetric illumination of the outer disk. We also report a bright signal that is consistent with a previously proposed protoplanet candidate enshrouded in dust near the 1:2:4 mean-motion resonance with planets b and c. The 1.87 μm flux of planet b is consistent with atmospheric model predictions, but the flux of planet c is not. We discuss potential origins for this discrepancy, including significant Pa-α line emission. The 4.83 μm fluxes of planets b and c suggest enshrouding dust or heated CO emission from their circumplanetary environment. Conclusions. The use of image-processing methods that are optimized for extended disk signals on high-sensitivity and high-stability from JWST can uniquely identify signatures of planet–disk interactions and enable accurate photometry of protoplanets at wavelengths that are difficult to probe from the ground. Our results indicate that more protoplanets can be identified and characterized in other JWST datasets.

Giant Biconical Dust Filaments in the Starburst Galaxy NGC 1808

We present the results from an analysis of multiwavelength archival data on the multiphase outflow in the starburst galaxy NGC 1808. We report the detection at 70 and 100 μm of dust filaments that extend up to ∼13 kpc from the galactic midplane and trace an edge-brightened biconical structure along the minor axis of the galaxy. The inner filaments are roughly cospatial with previously identified optical dust filaments, extraplanar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission, and neutral and ionized gaseous outflows. The 70/160 μm flux ratio, a proxy for the dust temperature, is elevated along the edges of the cones, indicating that the dusty medium has been driven out of the central regions of these cones and is possibly shock-heated by a large-scale outflow. We establish lower limits on the extraplanar dust mass and mean height above the stellar disk of log(Md/M⊙)=6.48 and ∣ z ∣ ∼ 5 kpc. The energy requirement of (5.1–9.6) × 1056 erg needed to lift the dusty material, assuming a Milky Way–like dust-to-gas ratio, can be supplied by the current starburst, with a measured star formation rate of 3.5–5.4 M ⊙ yr−1 over a timescale of (4–26) ξ −1 Myr, where ξ is the efficiency of energy transfer. We conclude that a starburst-driven outflow is the most likely mechanism by which the dust features were formed.

Comparing SCUBA-2 and ALMA Selections of Faint Dusty Star-forming Galaxies in A2744

We make a comparison of deep SCUBA-2 450 and 850 μm imaging on the massive lensing cluster field A2744 with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 1.2 mm data. Our primary goal is to assess how effective the wider-field SCUBA-2 sample, in combination with red JWST priors, is for finding faint dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) compared to the much more expensive mosaicked ALMA observations. We cross-match our previously reported direct (>5σ) SCUBA-2 sample and red JWST NIRCam prior-selected (>3σ) SCUBA-2 sample to direct ALMA sources from the DUALZ survey. We find that roughly 95% are confirmed by ALMA. The red priors also allow us to probe deeper in the ALMA image. Next, by measuring the 450 and 850 μm properties of the full ALMA sample, we show that 46/69 of the ALMA sources are detected at 850 μm and 24/69 are detected at 450 μm in the SCUBA-2 images, with a total detection fraction of nearly 75%. All of the robust (>5σ) ALMA sources that are not detected in at least one SCUBA-2 band lie at 1.2 mm fluxes ≲0.6 mJy and are undetected primarily due to the higher SCUBA-2 flux limits. We also find that the SCUBA-2 detection fraction drops slightly beyond z = 3, which we attribute to the increasing 1.2 mm to 850 μm and 1.2 mm to 450 μm flux ratios combined with the ALMA selection. The results emphasize the power of combining SCUBA-2 data with JWST colors to map the faint DSFG population.

Formaldehyde observations of the Perseus Molecular Cloud

ABSTRACT Large-scale observations of the Perseus Molecular Cloud (MC) with Nanshan 26-m telescope are presented using the 6 cm ortho-H2CO (110–111) transition. As a probe of dense gas at low temperatures, the H2CO absorption extends over the main parts of the Perseus MC. A comparison of the H2CO absorption line with the 12CO and 13CO (J = 1–0) emissions shows that the H2CO and CO are similarly distributed over the Perseus but that H2CO correlates better with 13CO. Comparison with the Herschel-derived H2 column density shows that both the 13CO and H2CO column densities vary linearly with the H2 column density. The main parameters of H2CO absorption line data show a log-normal distribution, which suggests that the strong non-thermal line-broadening results from large-scale supersonic turbulence related to the star formation. Formaldehyde absorption serves well as a tracer of star formation activity and also the H2CO-to-13CO and H2CO-to-H2 abundances systematically trace the star formation activity in the six subregions of Perseus MC. The H2CO abundances anticorrelate with the number of prestellar and protostellar cores and the IRIS 12 μm flux in the six subregions and reveal the star formation history in the Perseus MC.

The First Y Dwarf Data from JWST Show that Dynamic and Diabatic Processes Regulate Cold Brown Dwarf Atmospheres

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is now observing Y dwarfs, the coldest known brown dwarfs, with effective temperatures T eff ≲ 475 K. The first published observations provide important information: not only is the atmospheric chemistry out of equilibrium, as previously known, but the pressure–temperature profile is not in the standard adiabatic form. The rapid rotation of these Jupiter-size, isolated, brown dwarfs dominates the atmospheric dynamics, and thermal and compositional changes disrupt convection. These processes produce a colder lower atmosphere, and a warmer upper atmosphere, compared to a standard adiabatic profile. Leggett et al. presented empirical models where the pressure–temperature profile was adjusted so that synthetic spectra reproduced the 1 ≲ λ (μm) ≲ 20 spectral energy distributions of brown dwarfs with 260 ≤ T eff (K) ≤ 540. We show that spectra generated by these models fit the first JWST Y dwarf spectrum better than standard-adiabat models. Unexpectedly, there is no 4.3 μm PH3 feature in the JWST spectrum and atmospheres without phosphorus better reproduce the 4 μm flux peak. Our analysis of new JWST photometry indicates that the recently discovered faint secondary of the WISE J033605.05-014350AB system has T eff ≈ 295 K, making it the first dwarf in the significant luminosity gap between the 260 K WISE J085510.83-071442.5, and all other known Y dwarfs. The adiabat-adjusted disequilibrium-chemistry models are recommended for analyses of all brown dwarfs cooler than 600 K, and a grid is publicly available. Photometric color transformations are provided in an appendix.

FLASH: Faint Lenses from Associated Selection with Herschel

ABSTRACT We report the ALMA Band 7 observations of 86 Herschel sources that likely contain gravitationally lensed galaxies. These sources are selected with relatively faint 500 μm flux densities between 15 and 85 mJy in an effort to characterize the effect of lensing across the entire million-source Herschel catalogue. These lensed candidates were identified by their close proximity to bright galaxies in the near-infrared VISTA Kilo-Degree Infrared Galaxy survey. Our high-resolution observations (0.15 arcsec) confirm 47 per cent of the initial candidates as gravitational lenses, while lensing cannot be excluded across the remaining sample. We find average lensing masses (log M/M⊙ = 12.9 ± 0.5) in line with previous experiments, although direct observations might struggle to identify the most massive foreground lenses across the remaining 53 per cent of the sample, particularly for lenses with larger Einstein radii. Our observations confirm previous indications that more lenses exist at low flux densities than expected from strong galaxy–galaxy lensing models alone, where the excess is likely due to additional contributions of cluster lenses and weak lensing. If we apply our method across the total 660 square degree H-ATLAS field, it would allow us to robustly identify 3000 gravitational lenses across the 660 square degree Herschel ATLAS fields.

Z-GAL: A NOEMA spectroscopic redshift survey of brightHerschelgalaxies

We present the dust properties of 125 brightHerschelgalaxies selected from thez-GAL NOEMA spectroscopic redshift survey. All the galaxies have precise spectroscopic redshifts in the range 1.3 <z< 5.4. The large instantaneous bandwidth of NOEMA provides an exquisite sampling of the underlying dust continuum emission at 2 and 3 mm in the observed frame, with flux densities in at least four sidebands for each source. Together with the availableHerschel250, 350, and 500 μm and SCUBA-2 850 μm flux densities, the spectral energy distribution (SED) of each source can be analyzed from the far-infrared to the millimeter, with a fine sampling of the Rayleigh-Jeans tail. This wealth of data provides a solid basis to derive robust dust properties, in particular the dust emissivity index (β) and the dust temperature (Tdust). In order to demonstrate our ability to constrain the dust properties, we used a flux-generated mock catalog and analyzed the results under the assumption of an optically thin and optically thick modified black body emission. The robustness of the SED sampling for thez-GAL sources is highlighted by the mock analysis that showed high accuracy in estimating the continuum dust properties. These findings provided the basis for our detailed analysis of thez-GAL continuum data. We report a range of dust emissivities withβ ∼ 1.5 − 3 estimated up to high precision with relative uncertainties that vary in the range 7%−15%, and an average of 2.2 ± 0.3. We find dust temperatures varying from 20 to 50 K with an average ofTdust ∼ 30 K for the optically thin case andTdust ∼ 38 K in the optically thick case. For all the sources, we estimate the dust masses and apparent infrared luminosities (based on the optically thin approach). An inverse correlation is found betweenTdustandβwithβ ∝ Tdust−0.69, which is similar to what is seen in the local Universe. Finally, we report an increasing trend in the dust temperature as a function of redshift at a rate of 6.5 ± 0.5 K/zfor this 500 μm-selected sample. Based on this study, future prospects are outlined to further explore the evolution of dust temperature across cosmic time.

Mapping the Decline with Redshift of Dusty Star-forming Galaxies Using JWST and SCUBA-2

We use JWST NIRCam observations of the massive lensing cluster field A2744 to develop a red galaxy selection of f F444W > 1 μJy and f F444W/f F150W > 3.5 that picks out all nine >4.5σ Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 1.1 or 1.2 mm sources and 17 of the 19 >5σ SCUBA-2 850 μm sources in the covered areas. We show that by using the red galaxies as priors, we can probe deeper in the SCUBA-2 850 μm image. This gives a sample of 44 >3σ SCUBA-2 850 μm sources with accurate positions, photometric redshifts, and magnifications. To investigate why our red galaxy selection picks out the 850 μm sources, we next analyze an extended sample of 167 sources with f F444W > 0.05 μJy and f F444W/f F150W > 3.5. We find that the fainter f F444W sources in this sample are too faint to be detected in the SCUBA-2 850 μm image. We also show that there is a strong drop between z < 4 and z > 4 (a factor of around 5) in the ratio of the far-infrared luminosity estimated from the 850 μm flux to the ν (5000) at rest-frame 5000 Å. We argue that this result may be due to the high-redshift sources having less dust content than the lower-redshift sources.

Bright Beacons? ALMA Non-detection of a Supposedly Bright [O i] 63 μm Line in a Redshift-6 Dusty Galaxy

Abstract We report a non-detection of the [O i] 63 μm emission line from the z = 6.03 galaxy G09.83808 using ALMA Band 9 observations, refuting the previously claimed detection with APEX by Rybak et al.; the new upper limit on the [O i] 63 μm flux is almost 20-times lower. [O i] 63 μm line could be a powerful tracer of neutral gas in the Epoch of Reionization: yet our null result shows that detecting [O i] 63 μm from z ≥ 6 galaxies is more challenging than previously hypothesized.

Near-infrared Flux Distribution of Sgr A* from 2005–2022: Evidence for an Enhanced Accretion Episode in 2019

Sgr A* is the variable electromagnetic source associated with accretion onto the Galactic center supermassive black hole. While the near-infrared (NIR) variability of Sgr A* was shown to be consistent over two decades, unprecedented activity in 2019 challenges existing statistical models. We investigate the origin of this activity by recalibrating and reanalyzing all of our Keck Observatory Sgr A* imaging observations from 2005–2022. We present light curves from 69 observation epochs using the NIRC2 imager at 2.12 μm with laser-guide star adaptive optics. These observations reveal that the mean luminosity of Sgr A* increased by a factor of ∼3 in 2019, and the 2019 light curves had higher variance than in all time periods we examined. We find that the 2020–2022 flux distribution is statistically consistent with the historical sample and model predictions, but with fewer bright measurements above 0.6 mJy at the ∼2σ level. Since 2019, we have observed a maximum K s (2.2 μm) flux of 0.9 mJy, compared to the highest pre-2019 flux of 2.0 mJy and highest 2019 flux of 5.6 mJy. Our results suggest that the 2019 activity was caused by a temporary accretion increase onto Sgr A*, possibly due to delayed accretion of tidally stripped gas from the gaseous object G2 in 2014. We also examine faint Sgr A* fluxes over a long time baseline to search for a quasi-steady quiescent state. We find that Sgr A* displays flux variations over a factor of ∼500, with no evidence for a quiescent state in the NIR.

Disentangling the AGN and Star formation Contributions to the Radio–X-Ray Emission of Radio-loud Quasars at 1 < Z < 2

We constrain the emission mechanisms responsible for the prodigious electromagnetic output generated by active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and their host galaxies with a novel state-of-the-art AGN radio-to-X-ray spectral energy distribution model fitting code (ARXSED). ARXSED combines multiple components to fit the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of AGNs and their host galaxies. Emission components include radio structures such as lobes and jets, infrared emission from the AGN torus, visible-to-X-ray emission from the accretion disk, and radio-to-ultraviolet emission from the host galaxy. Applying ARXSED to the radio SEDs of 20 3CRR quasars at 1 < z < 2 verifies the need for more than a simple power law when compact radio structures are present. The nonthermal emission contributes 91%–57% of the observed-frame 1.25 mm to 850 μm flux, and this component must be accounted for when using these wavelengths to estimate star formation properties. We predict the presence of strong radio-linked X-ray emission in more than half the sample sources. ARXSED estimates median (and the associated first and third quartile ranges) BH mass of , logarithm of Eddington ratio of , and spin of for our sample. The inferred AGN torus and accretion disk parameters agree with those estimated from spectroscopic analyses of similar samples in the literature. We present the median intrinsic SED of the luminous radio-loud quasars at 1 < z ≲ 2; this SED represents a significant improvement in the way each component is modeled.

300: An ACA 870 μm Continuum Survey of Orion Protostars and Their Evolution

We present an 870 μm continuum survey of 300 protostars from the Herschel Orion Protostar Survey using the Atacama Compact Array (ACA). These data measure protostellar flux densities on envelope scales ≤8000 au (20″) and resolve the structure of envelopes with 1600 au (4″) resolution, a factor of 3–5 improvement in angular resolution over existing single-dish 870 μm observations. We compare the ACA observations to Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 12 m array observations at 870 μm with ∼0.″1 (40 au) resolution. Using the 12 m data to measure the fluxes from disks and the ACA data within 2500 au to measure the combined disk plus envelope fluxes, we calculate the 12 m/ACA 870 μm flux ratios. Our sample shows a clear evolution in this ratio. Class 0 protostars are mostly envelope-dominated with ratios <0.5. In contrast, Flat Spectrum protostars are primarily disk-dominated with ratios near 1, although with a number of face-on protostars dominated by their envelopes. Class I protostars span the range from envelope to disk-dominated. The increase in ratio is accompanied by a decrease in the envelope fluxes and estimated mass infall rates. We estimate that 80% of the mass is accreted during the envelope-dominated phase. We find that the 12 m/ACA flux ratio is an evolutionary indicator that largely avoids the inclination and foreground extinction dependence of spectral energy distribution-based indicators.

Models of Rotating Infall for the B335 Protostar

Models of the protostellar source, B335, are developed using axisymmetric three-dimensional models to resolve conflicts found in one-dimensional models. The models are constrained by a large number of observations, including ALMA, Herschel, and Spitzer data. Observations of the protostellar source B335 with ALMA show redshifted absorption against a central continuum source indicative of infall in the HCO+ and HCN J = 4 → 3 transitions. The data are combined with a new estimate of the distance to provide strong constraints to three-dimensional radiative transfer models including a rotating, infalling envelope, outflow cavities, and a very small disk. The models favor ages since the initiation of collapse between 3 × 104 and 4 × 104 yr for both the continuum and the lines, resolving a conflict found in one-dimensional models. The models underpredict the continuum emission seen by ALMA, suggesting an additional component such as a pseudo-disk. The best-fitting model is used to convert variations in the 4.5 μm flux in recent years into a model for a variation of a factor of 5–7 in luminosity over the last 8 yr.

Metallicity–PAH Relation of MIR-selected Star-forming Galaxies in AKARI North Ecliptic Pole-wide Survey

We investigate the variation in the mid-infrared spectral energy distributions of 373 low-redshift (z < 0.4) star-forming galaxies, which reflects a variety of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission features. The relative strength of PAH emission is parameterized as q PAH, which is defined as the mass fraction of PAH particles in the total dust mass. With the aid of continuous mid-infrared photometric data points covering 7–24 μm and far-infrared flux densities, q PAH values are derived through spectral energy distribution fitting. The correlation between q PAH and other physical properties of galaxies, i.e., gas-phase metallicity (), stellar mass, and specific star-formation rate (sSFR) are explored. As in previous studies, q PAH values of galaxies with high metallicity are found to be higher than those with low metallicity. The strength of PAH emission is also positively correlated with the stellar mass and negatively correlated with the sSFR. The correlation between q PAH and each parameter still exists even after the other two parameters are fixed. In addition to the PAH strength, the application of metallicity-dependent gas-to-dust mass ratio appears to work well to estimate gas mass that matches the observed relationship between molecular gas and physical parameters. The result obtained will be used to calibrate the observed PAH luminosity-total infrared luminosity relation, based on the variation of MIR-FIR SED, which is used in the estimation of hidden star formation.

A search for missing radio sources at z ≳ 4 using Lyman dropouts

ABSTRACT Using the Lyman Dropout technique, we identify 148 candidate radio sources at z ≳ 4–7 from the 887.5 MHz Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) observations of the GAMA23 field. About 112 radio sources are currently known beyond redshift z ∼ 4. However, simulations predict that hundreds of thousands of radio sources exist in that redshift range, many of which are probably in existing radio catalogues, but do not have measured redshifts, either because their optical emission is too faint or because of the lack of techniques that can identify candidate high-redshift radio sources (HzRSs). Our study addresses these issues using the Lyman Dropout search technique. This newly built sample probes radio luminosities that are 1–2 orders of magnitude fainter than known radio-active galactic nuclei (AGN) at similar redshifts, thanks to ASKAP’s sensitivity. We investigate the physical origin of radio emission in our sample using a set of diagnostics: (i) radio luminosity at 1.4 GHz, (ii) 1.4 GHz to 3.4 μm flux density ratio, (iii) Far-IR detection, (iv) WISE colour, and (v) SED modelling. The radio/IR analysis has shown that the majority of radio emission in the faint and bright end of our sample’s 887.5 MHz flux density distribution originates from AGN activity. Furthermore, ∼10 per cent of our sample are found to have a 250 μm detection, suggesting a composite system. This suggests that some high-z radio-AGNs are hosted by SB galaxies in contrast to low-z radio-AGNs, which are usually hosted by quiescent elliptical galaxies.