Ongoing Major Merger Research Articles

X-shooter Spectroscopy and HST Imaging of 15 Massive Quiescent Galaxies at z ≳ 2

Abstract We present a detailed analysis of a large sample of spectroscopically confirmed massive quiescent galaxies (MQGs; log(M */M ⊙) ∼ 11.5) at z ≳ 2. This sample comprises 15 galaxies selected in the COSMOS and UDS fields by their bright K-band magnitudes and followed up with Very Large Telescope (VLT) X-shooter spectroscopy and Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/WFC3 H F160W imaging. These observations allow us to unambiguously confirm their redshifts, ascertain their quiescent nature and stellar ages, and reliably assess their internal kinematics and effective radii. We find that these galaxies are compact, consistent with the high-mass end of the stellar mass–size relation for quiescent galaxies at z = 2. Moreover, the distribution of the measured stellar velocity dispersions of the sample is consistent with the most massive local early-type galaxies from the MASSIVE Survey, showing that evolution in these galaxies is dominated by changes in size. The HST images reveal, as surprisingly high, that 40% of the sample has tidal features suggestive of mergers and companions in close proximity, including three galaxies experiencing ongoing major mergers. The absence of velocity dispersion evolution from z = 2 to 0, coupled with a doubling of the stellar mass, with a factor of 4 size increase and the observed disturbed stellar morphologies, supports dry minor mergers as the primary drivers of the evolution of the MQGs over the last 10 billion yr.

Detection of a high-redshift molecular outflow in a primeval hyperstarburst galaxy

We report the discovery of a high-redshift, massive molecular outflow in the starburst galaxy SPT 0346-52 (z = 5.656) via the detected absorption of high-excitation water transitions (H2O 42,3 − 41,4and H2O 33,0 − 32,1) with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The host galaxy is one of the most powerful starburst galaxies at high redshift (star formation rate; SFR ∼3600 M⊙year−1), with an extremely compact (∼320 pc) star formation region and a SFR surface density (ΣSFR ∼ 5500 M⊙year−1kpc−2) five times higher than “maximum” (i.e. Eddington-limited) starbursts, implying a highly transient phase. The estimated outflow rate is ∼500 M⊙year−1, which is much lower than the SFR, implying that in this extreme starburst the outflow capabilities saturate and the outflow is no longer capable of regulating star formation, resulting in a runaway process in which star formation will use up all available gas in less than 30 Myr. Finally, while previous kinematic investigations of this source revealed possible evidence for an ongoing major merger, the coincidence of the hyper-compact starburst and high-excitation water absorption indicates that this is a single starburst galaxy surrounded by a disc.

The ALPINE-ALMA [C ii] survey: a triple merger at z ∼ 4.56

ABSTRACT We report the detection of [C ii] λ158 $\mu$m emission from a system of three closely separated sources in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field at z ∼ 4.56 , as part of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Large Program to INvestigate C ii at Early times (ALPINE). The two most luminous sources are closely associated, both spatially (1.6 arcsec ∼ 11 kpc) and in velocity (∼100 km s−1), while the third source is slightly more distant (2.8 arcsec ∼ 18 kpc, ∼300 km s−1). The second most luminous source features a slight velocity gradient, while no significant velocity gradient is seen in the other two sources. Using the observed [C ii] luminosities, we derive a total log$_{10}(\rm SFR_{[C\,{\small II}]}\, [M_{\odot }\, yr^{-1}])=2.8\pm 0.2$, which may be split into contributions of 59, 31, and 10 per cent from the central, east, and west sources, respectively. Comparison of these [C ii] detections to recent zoom-in cosmological simulations suggests an ongoing major merger. We are thus witnessing a system in a major phase of mass build-up by merging, including an ongoing major merger and an upcoming minor merger, which is expected to end up in a single massive galaxy by z ∼ 2.5.

Inside a Beehive: The Multiple Merging Processes in the Galaxy Cluster Abell 2142*

Abstract To investigate the dynamics of the galaxy cluster A2142, we compile an extended catalog of 2239 spectroscopic redshifts of sources, including 237 newly measured redshifts, within 30 arcmin from the cluster center. With the σ-plateau algorithm from the caustic method, we identify 868 members and a number of substructures in the galaxy distribution both in the outskirts, out to ∼3.5 Mpc from the cluster center, and in the central region. In the outskirts, one substructure overlaps a falling clump of gas previously identified in the X-ray band. These substructures suggest the presence of multiple minor mergers, which are responsible for the complex dynamics of A2142, and the absence of recent or ongoing major mergers. We show that the distribution of the galaxies in the cluster core and in several substructures is consistent with the mass distribution inferred from the weak-lensing signal. Moreover, we use spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy to measure the redshift of different regions of the intracluster medium within ∼3 arcmin from the cluster center. We find a ring of gas near the two X-ray cold fronts identified in previous analyses and measure a velocity of this ring of 810 ± 330 km s−1 larger than the cluster mean velocity. Our analysis suggests the presence of another ring surrounding the core, whose velocity is 660 ± 300 km s−1 larger than the cluster velocity. These X-ray features are not associated with any optical substructures, and support the core-sloshing scenario suggested in previous work.

Rise of the Titans: A Dusty, Hyper-luminous “870 μm Riser” Galaxy at z ∼ 6

Abstract We report the detection of ADFS-27, a dusty, starbursting major merger at a redshift of z = 5.655, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). ADFS-27 was selected from Herschel/Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) and APEX/LABOCA data as an extremely red “870 μm riser” (i.e., ), demonstrating the utility of this technique to identify some of the highest-redshift dusty galaxies. A scan of the 3 mm atmospheric window with ALMA yields detections of CO(J = 5 → 4) and CO(J = 6 → 5) emission, and a tentative detection of H2O(211 → 202) emission, which provides an unambiguous redshift measurement. The strength of the CO lines implies a large molecular gas reservoir with a mass of M gas = 2.5 × 1011 M ⊙, sufficient to maintain its ∼2400 M ⊙ yr−1 starburst for at least ∼100 Myr. The 870 μm dust continuum emission is resolved into two components, 1.8 and 2.1 kpc in diameter, separated by 9.0 kpc, with comparable dust luminosities, suggesting an ongoing major merger. The infrared luminosity of L IR ≃ 2.4 × 1013 L ⊙ implies that this system represents a binary hyper-luminous infrared galaxy, the most distant of its kind presently known. This also implies star formation rate surface densities of and 750 M ⊙ yr−1 kpc2, consistent with a binary “maximum starburst.” The discovery of this rare system is consistent with a significantly higher space density than previously thought for the most luminous dusty starbursts within the first billion years of cosmic time, easing tensions regarding the space densities of z ∼ 6 quasars and massive quiescent galaxies at z ≳ 3.

A SPECTACULAR BOW SHOCK IN THE 11 keV GALAXY CLUSTER AROUND 3C 438

ABSTRACT We present results of deep 153 ks Chandra observations of the hot, 11 keV, galaxy cluster associated with the radio galaxy 3C 438. By mapping the morphology of the hot gas and analyzing its surface brightness and temperature distributions, we demonstrate the presence of a merger bow shock. We identify the presence of two jumps in surface brightness and in density located at ∼400 and ∼800 kpc from the cluster’s core. At the position of the inner jump, we detect a density jump by a factor of 2.3 ± 0.2, while at the location of the outer jump, we detect a density drop by a factor of 3.5 ± 0.7. Combining this with the temperature distribution within the cluster, we establish that the pressure of the hot gas is continuous at the 400 kpc jump, while there is a pressure change by a factor of 6.2 ± 2.8 at the 800 kpc jump. From the magnitude of the outer pressure discontinuity, using the Rankine–Hugoniot jump conditions, we determine that the sub-cluster is moving at M = 2.3 ± 0.5, or approximately 2600 ± 565 km s−1, through the surrounding intracluster medium, creating the conditions for a bow shock. Based on these findings, we conclude that the pressure discontinuity is likely the result of an ongoing major merger between two massive clusters. Since few observations of bow shocks in clusters have been made, this detection can contribute to the study of the dynamics of cluster mergers, which offers insight into how the most massive clusters may have formed.

Baryon content and dynamic state of galaxy clusters:XMM–Newtonobservations of A1095 and A1926

We have initiated a program to study the baryon content and dynamic state of galaxy clusters. Here we present results primarily from XMM-Newton observations of two optically-selected galaxy clusters, A1095 ($z \simeq 0.210$) and A1926 ($z \simeq 0.136$). We find that both of them are actually cluster pairs at similar redshifts. We characterize the temperatures of these individual clusters through X-ray spectral fits and then estimate their gravitational masses. We show a rich set of substructures, including large position offsets between the diffuse X-ray centroids and the brightest galaxies of the clusters, which suggests that they are dynamically young. For both A1095 and A1926, we find that the mass required for the cluster pairs to be bound is smaller than the total gravitational mass. Thus both cluster pairs appear to be ongoing major mergers. Incorporating SDSS and NVSS/FIRST data, we further examine the large-scale structure environment and radio emission of the clusters to probe their origins, which also leads to the discovery of two additional X-ray-emitting clusters ($z \simeq 0.097$ and $z \simeq 0.147$) in the field of A1926. We estimate the hot gas and stellar masses of each cluster, which compared with the expected cosmological baryonic mass fraction, leave ample room for warm gas.

MERGER-DRIVEN FUELING OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI: SIX DUAL AND OF AGNs DISCOVERED WITHCHANDRAANDHUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPEOBSERVATIONS

Dual active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and offset AGNs are kpc-scale separation supermassive black holes pairs created during galaxy mergers, where both or one of the black holes are AGNs, respectively. These dual and offset AGNs are valuable probes of the link between mergers and AGNs but are challenging to identify. Here we present Chandra/ACIS observations of 12 optically selected dual AGN candidates at , where we use the X-rays to identify AGNs. We also present Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 observations of 10 of these candidates, which reveal any stellar bulges accompanying the AGNs. We discover a dual AGN system with separation kpc, where the two stellar bulges have coincident [O iii] ?5007 and X-ray sources. This system is an extremely minor merger (460:1) that may include a dwarf galaxy hosting an intermediate mass black hole. We also find six single AGNs, and five systems that are either dual or offset AGNs with separations kpc. Four of the six dual AGNs and dual/offset AGNs are in ongoing major mergers, and these AGNs are 10 times more luminous, on average, than the single AGNs in our sample. This hints that major mergers may preferentially trigger higher luminosity AGNs. Further, we find that confirmed dual AGNs have hard X-ray luminosities that are half of those of single AGNs at fixed [O iii] ?5007 luminosity, on average. This could be explained by high densities of gas funneled to galaxy centers during mergers, and emphasizes the need for deeper X-ray observations of dual AGN candidates.

A 30 kpc CHAIN OF “BEADS ON A STRING” STAR FORMATION BETWEEN TWO MERGING EARLY TYPE GALAXIES IN THE CORE OF A STRONG-LENSING GALAXY CLUSTER

New Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet and optical imaging of the strong-lensing galaxy cluster SDSS J1531+3414 (z=0.335) reveals two centrally dominant elliptical galaxies participating in an ongoing major merger. The interaction is at least somewhat rich in cool gas, as the merger is associated with a complex network of nineteen massive superclusters of young stars (or small tidal dwarf galaxies) separated by ~1 kpc in projection from one another, combining to an estimated total star formation rate of ~5 solar masses per year. The resolved young stellar superclusters are threaded by narrow H-alpha, [O II], and blue excess filaments arranged in a network spanning ~27 kpc across the two merging galaxies. This morphology is strongly reminiscent of the well-known "beads on a string" mode of star formation observed on kpc-scales in the arms of spiral galaxies, resonance rings, and in tidal tails between interacting galaxies. Nevertheless, the arrangement of this star formation relative to the nuclei of the two galaxies is difficult to interpret in a dynamical sense, as no known "beads on a string" systems associated with kpc-scale tidal interactions exhibit such lopsided morphology relative to the merger participants. In this Letter we present the images and follow-up spectroscopy, and discuss possible physical interpretations for the unique arrangement of the young stellar clusters. While we suggest that this morphology is likely to be dynamically short-lived, a more quantitative understanding awaits necessary multiwavelength follow-up, including optical integral field spectroscopy, ALMA sub-mm interferometry, and Chandra X-ray imaging.

PROBING THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM OFz∼ 1 ULTRALUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXIES THROUGH INTERFEROMETRIC OBSERVATIONS OF CO ANDSPITZERMID-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

We explore the relationship between gas, dust and star formation in a sample of 12 ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) at high redshift compared to a similar sample of local galaxies. We present new CO observations and/or Spitzer mid-IR spectroscopy for 6 70 micron selected galaxies at z~1 in order to quantify the properties of the molecular gas reservoir, the contribution of an active galactic nuclei (AGN) to the mid-IR luminosity and the star formation efficiency (SFE=LIR/L'CO). The mid-IR spectra show strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission and our spectral decomposition suggests that the AGN makes a minimal contribution (<25%) to the mid-IR luminosity. The 70 micron selected ULIRGs which we find to be spectroscopic close pairs, are observed to have high SFE, similar to local ULIRGs and high redshift submillimeter galaxies, consistent with enhanced IR luminosity due to an ongoing major merger. Combined with existing observations of local and high redshift ULIRGs, we further compare the PAH, IR and CO luminosities. We show that the ratio LPAH6.2/LIR decreases with increasing IR luminosity for both local and high redshift galaxies but the trend for high redshift galaxies is shifted to higher IR luminosities; the average LPAH6.2/LIR ratio at a given LIR is ~3 times higher at high redshift. When we normalize by the molecular gas, we find this trend to be uniform for galaxies at all redshifts and that the molecular gas is correlated with the PAH dust emission.The similar trends seen in the [CII] to molecular gas ratios in other studies suggests that PAH emission, like [CII], continues to be a good tracer of photodissociation regions even at high redshift. Together the CO, PAH and far-IR fine structure lines should be useful for constraining the interstellar medium conditions in high redshift galaxies.

SDSS J002531.46–104022.2 at z = 0.30: a candidate for the (ultra)luminous infrared galaxy to optical quasar transition★

We have characterized the amount, spatial distribution and kinematics of the molecular gas in the merging, double nucleus type 2 quasar SDSS J0025-10 at z=0.30 using the CO(1-0) transition, based on data obtained with ATCA. This is one of the scarce examples of quasar host galaxies where the CO emission has been resolved spatially at any redshift. We infer a molecular gas mass M(H2) = (6 +/- 1) x 1e9 Msun, which is distributed in two main reservoirs separated by ~9 kpc. ~60% of the gas is in the central region, associated with the QSO nucleus and/or the intermediate region between the two nuclei. The other 40% is associated with the northern tidal tail and is therefore unsettled. With its high infrared luminosity L(IR) = (1.1 +/- 0.3) x 1e12 Lsun, SDSS J0025-10 is an analogue of local luminous LIRGs and ULIRGs. On the other hand, the clear evidence for an ongoing major merger of two gas rich progenitors, the high L(IR) dominated by a starburst, the massive reservoir of molecular gas with a large fraction still unsettled, and the quasar activity are all properties consistent with a transition phase in the (U)LIRG-optical QSO evolutionary scenario. We propose that we are observing the system during a particular transient phase, prior to more advanced mergers where the nuclei have already coalesced. We argue that a fraction of the molecular gas reservoir is associated with a tidal dwarf galaxy identified in the optical HST image at the tip of the northern tidal tail. The formation of such structures is predicted by simulations of colliding galaxies.

Quantified H I morphology - VI. The morphology of extended discs in UV and H I

Extended ultraviolet (XUV) discs have been found in a substantial fraction of late-type – S0, spiral and irregular – galaxies. Similarly, most late-type spirals have an extended gas disc, observable in the 21-cm radio line (H i). The morphology of galaxies can be quantified well using a series of scale-invariant parameters; concentration-asymmetry-smoothness (CAS), Gini, M20, and GM parameters. In this series of papers, we apply these to H i column density maps to identify mergers and interactions, lopsidedness and now XUV discs. In this paper, we compare the quantified morphology and effective radius (R50) of the Westerbork observations of neutral Hydrogen in Irregular and SPiral galaxies Project (WHISP) H i maps to those of far- and near-ultraviolet images obtained with GALEX, to explore how close the morphology and scales of H i and UV in these discs correlate. We find that XUV discs do not stand out by their effective radii in UV or H i. However, the concentration index in far-ultraviolet (FUV) appears to select some XUV discs. And known XUV discs can be identified via a criterion using asymmetry and M20; 80 per cent of XUV discs are included but with 55 per cent contamination. This translates into 61 candidate XUV disc out of our 266 galaxies, 23 per cent consistent with previous findings. Otherwise, the UV and H i morphology parameters do not appear closely related. Our motivation is to identify XUV discs and their origin. We consider three scenarios; tidal features from major mergers, the typical extended H i disc is a photo-dissociation product of the XUV regions and both H i and UV features originate in cold flows fueling the main galaxy. We define extended H i and UV discs based on their concentration (CHI > 5 and CFUV > 4 respectively), but that these two subsamples never overlap in the WHISP sample. This appears to discount a simple photo-dissociation origin of the outer H i disc. Previously, we identified the morphology space occupied by ongoing major mergers. Known XUV discs rarely reside in the merger-dominated part of H i morphology space but those that do are type 1. The exceptions, XUV discs in ongoing mergers, include the previously identified UGC 4862 and UGC 7081, 7651, and 7853. This suggests cold flows as the origin for the XUV complexes and their surrounding H i structures.

The x-ray luminous galaxy cluster population at 0.9 < z ≲ 1.6 as revealed by the XMM-Newton Distant Cluster Project**Based on observations under program IDs 079.A-0634 and 085.A-0647 collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile, and observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max-Planck Institut

We present the largest sample to date of spectroscopically confirmed x-ray luminous high-redshift galaxy clusters comprising 22 systems in the range as part of the XMM-Newton Distant Cluster Project (XDCP). All systems were initially selected as extended x-ray sources over 76.1 deg2 of non-contiguous deep archival XMM-Newton coverage, of which 49.4 deg2 are part of the core survey with a quantifiable selection function and 17.7 deg2 are classified as ‘gold’ coverage as the starting point for upcoming cosmological applications. Distant cluster candidates were followed up with moderately deep optical and near-infrared imaging in at least two bands to photometrically identify the cluster galaxy populations and obtain redshift estimates based on the colors of simple stellar population models. We test and calibrate the most promising redshift estimation techniques based on the R–z and z–H colors for efficient distant cluster identifications and find a good redshift accuracy performance of the z–H color out to at least z ∼ 1.5, while the redshift evolution of the R–z color leads to increasingly large uncertainties at z ≳ 0.9. Photometrically identified high-z systems are spectroscopically confirmed with VLT/FORS 2 with a minimum of three concordant cluster member redshifts. We present first details of two newly identified clusters, XDCP J0338.5+0029 at z = 0.916 and XDCP J0027.2+1714 at z = 0.959, and investigate the x-ray properties of SpARCS J003550-431224 at z = 1.335, which shows evidence for ongoing major merger activity along the line-of-sight. We provide x-ray properties and luminosity-based total mass estimates for the full sample of 22 high-z clusters, of which 17 are at z ⩾ 1.0 and seven populate the highest redshift bin at z > 1.3. The median system mass of the sample is M200 ≃ 2 × 1014 M⊙, while the probed mass range for the distant clusters spans approximately (0.7–7) × 1014 M⊙. The majority (>70%) of the x-ray selected clusters show rather regular x-ray morphologies, albeit in most cases with a discernible elongation along one axis. In contrast to local clusters, the z > 0.9 systems mostly do not harbor central dominant galaxies coincident with the x-ray centroid position, but rather exhibit significant brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) offsets from the x-ray center with a median value of about 50 kpc in projection and a smaller median luminosity gap to the second-ranked galaxy of Δm12 ≃ 0.3 mag. We estimate a fraction of cluster-associated NVSS 1.4 GHz radio sources of about 30%, preferentially located within 1′ from the x-ray center. This value suggests an increase of the fraction of very luminous cluster-associated radio sources by about a factor of 2.5–5 relative to low-z systems. The galaxy populations in z ≳ 1.5 cluster environments show first evidence for drastic changes on the high-mass end of galaxies and signs of a gradual disappearance of a well-defined cluster red-sequence as strong star formation activity is observed in an increasing fraction of massive galaxies down to the densest core regions. The presented XDCP high-z sample will allow first detailed studies of the cluster population during the critical cosmic epoch at lookback times of 7.3–9.5 Gyr on the aggregation and evolution of baryons in the cold and hot phases as a function of redshift and system mass.

IMPLICATIONS OF A HIGH ANGULAR RESOLUTION IMAGE OF THE SUNYAEV-ZEL'DOVICH EFFECT IN RXJ1347–1145

The most X-ray luminous cluster known, RXJ1347–1145 (z = 0.45), has been the object of extensive study across the electromagnetic spectrum. We have imaged the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (SZE) at 90 GHz (λ = 3.3 mm) in RXJ1347–1145 at 10'' resolution with the 64 pixel MUSTANG bolometer array on the Green Bank Telescope, confirming a previously reported strong, localized enhancement of the SZE 20'' to the southeast of the center of X-ray emission. This enhancement of the SZE has been interpreted as shock-heated (>20 keV) gas caused by an ongoing major (low mass ratio) merger event. Our data support this interpretation. We also detect a pronounced asymmetry in the projected cluster pressure profile, with the pressure just east of the cluster core ~1.6× higher than just to the west. This is the highest resolution image of the SZE made to date.

Molecular Gas in a Submillimeter Galaxy at z = 4.5: Evidence for a Major Merger at 1 Billion Years after the Big Bang

We report the detection of CO molecular line emission in the z = 4.5 millimeter-detected galaxy COSMOS J100054+023436 (hereafter J1000+0234) using the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer (PdBI) and NRAO's Very Large Array (VLA). The 12CO(4-3) line as observed with PdBI has a full line width of ~1000 km s−1, an integrated line flux of 0.66 Jy km s−1, and a CO luminosity of 3.2 × 1010 L☉. Comparison to the 3.3 σ detection of the CO(2-1) line emission with the VLA suggests that the molecular gas is likely thermalized to the J = 4–3 transition level. The corresponding molecular gas mass is 2.6 × 1010 M☉ assuming an ULIRG-like conversion factor. From the spatial offset of the red- and blueshifted line peaks and the line width a dynamical mass of 1.1 × 1011 M☉ is estimated assuming a merging scenario. The molecular gas distribution coincides with the rest-frame optical and radio position of the object while being offset by 0.5'' from the previously detected Lyα emission. J1000+0234 exhibits very typical properties for lower redshift (z ∼ 2) submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) and thus is very likely one of the long sought after high-redshift (z > 4) objects of this population. The large CO(4-3) line width taken together with its highly disturbed rest-frame UV geometry suggest an ongoing major merger about a billion years after the big bang. Given its large star formation rate (SFR) of >1000 M☉ yr−1 and molecular gas content this object could be the precursor of a "red and dead" elliptical observed at a redshift of z = 2.

MORPHOLOGIES OF HIGH-REDSHIFT, DUST-OBSCURED GALAXIES FROM KECK LASER GUIDE STAR ADAPTIVE OPTICS

Spitzer MIPS images in the Bootes field of the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey have revealed a class of extremely dust-obscured galaxy (DOG) at z ~ 2. The DOGs are defined by very red optical to mid-infrared (IR; observed-frame) colors, R – [24 μm] > 14 mag, i.e. f_ν(24 μm)/f_ν(R) > 1000. They are ultra-luminous infrared galaxies with L_(8-1000 μm) > 10^(12)-10^(14) L⊙, but typically have very faint optical (rest-frame UV) fluxes. We imaged three DOGs with the Keck laser guide star adaptive optics (LGSAO) system, obtaining ~0.06 resolution in the K'-band. One system was dominated by a point source, while the other two were clearly resolved. Of the resolved sources, one can be modeled as a exponential disk system. The other is consistent with a de Vaucouleurs profile typical of elliptical galaxies. The nonparametric measures of their concentration and asymmetry show the DOGs to be both compact and smooth. The AO images rule out double nuclei with separations of greater than 0.1 (<1 kpc at z = 2), making it unlikely that ongoing major mergers (mass ratios of 1/3 and greater) are triggering the high-IR luminosities. By contrast, high-resolution images of z ~ 2 SCUBA sources tend to show multiple components and a higher degree of asymmetry. We compare near-IR morphologies of the DOGs with a set of z = 1 luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs; L_(IR) ~ 10^(11) L⊙) imaged with Keck LGSAO by the Center for Adaptive Optics Treasury Survey. The DOGs in our sample have significantly smaller effective radii, ~1/4 the size of the z = 1 LIRGs, and tend toward higher concentrations. The small sizes and high concentrations may help explain the globally obscured rest-frame blue-to-UV emission of the DOGs.

A New Red Giant–based Distance Modulus of 13.3 Mpc to the Antennae Galaxies and Its Consequences1

The Antennae galaxies are the closest example of an ongoing major galaxy merger, and thereby represent a unique laboratory for furthering the understanding of the formation of exotic objects (e.g., tidal dwarf galaxies, ultra-luminous X-ray sources, super-stellar clusters, etc). In a previous paper HST/WFPC2 observations were used to demonstrate that the Antennae system might be at a distance considerably less than that conventionally assumed in the literature. Here we report new, much deeper HST/ACS imaging that resolves the composite stellar populations, and most importantly, reveals a well-defined red giant branch. The tip of this red giant branch (TRGB) is unambiguously detected at Io(TRGB)=26.65 +/- 0.09 mag. Adopting the most recent calibration of the luminosity of the TRGB then yields a distance modulus for the Antennae of (m-M)o= 30.62 +/- 0.17 corresponding to a distance of 13.3 +/- 1.0 Mpc. This is consistent with our earlier result, once the different calibrations for the standard candle are considered. We briefly discuss the implications of this now well determined shorter distance.

GEMS: Which Galaxies Dominate thez ∼ 0.7 Ultraviolet Luminosity Density?

We combine high-resolution images from GEMS with redshifts and spectral energy distributions from COMBO-17 to explore the morphological types of galaxies that dominate the z ~ 0.7 UV luminosity density. We analyzed rest-frame 280 nm and V-band luminosities of 1483 galaxies with 0.65 < z < 0.75, combining these with visual morphological classifications from F850LP images (approximately rest-frame V band) taken with HST ACS on the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South. We derive UV luminosity functions and j280 luminosity densities for spheroid-dominated galaxies, spiral galaxies, Magellanic irregular galaxies, and clearly interacting galaxies with morphologies suggestive of ongoing major mergers. We check the reliability of GEMS morphologies against the deeper GOODS images and quantify an incompleteness of the GEMS merger identification at the faint end. We derive the fractions of the global UV luminosity density j280 originating from the galaxy types and find that spiral and Magellanic irregular galaxies dominate with about 40% each. Interacting and merging galaxies account for roughly 20% of j280, while the contribution of early types is negligible. These results imply that the strong decline in the UV luminosity density of the universe observed from z ~ 1 until today is dominated by the decreasing UV luminosities of normal spiral galaxies, accompanied by the migration of UV-luminous star formation in irregular galaxies to systems of progressively lower mass and luminosity. These conclusions suggest that major-merger-driven star formation cannot dominate the declining cosmic star formation rate, unless major mergers are substantially more obscured than intensely star-forming spiral galaxies and the decline in observed cosmic star formation rate is substantially stronger than the already precipitous decline in uncorrected UV luminosity density.

HST/WFPC2 morphologies and bar structures of field galaxies at 0.4 $\mathsf{&lt;}$z$\mathsf{&lt;}$ 1

To address how the galaxy Hubble sequence is established and what physical processes are involved, we studied morphological properties and internal structures of field galaxies in the past (). In addition to structural parameters derived from bulge+disk decomposition, Zheng et al. (2004, A&A, 421, 847) introduced color maps in recognizing galaxies and properly classified morphologies of 36 luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs, m) ≥ 1011 ). Here we presented morphological classification of a parallel 75 non-LIRG sample. Our examination revealed that a significant fraction of the galaxies shows remarkable morphological evolution, most likely related to the present-day spiral galaxies. Comparison of the morphological properties between LIRGs and non-LIRGs shows that the LIRGs contain a higher fraction of ongoing major mergers and systems with signs of merging/interaction. This suggests that the merging process is one of the major mechanisms to trigger star formation. We found that spiral LIRGs probably host much fewer bars than spiral non-LIRGs, suggesting that a bar is not efficient in triggering violent star formation. Differing from Abraham et al. (1999, MNRAS, 308, 569), no dramatic change of the bar frequency is detected up to redshift . The bar frequency of the distant spirals is similar to (and may be higher than) the present-day spirals in the rest-frame B band. We conclude that bar-driven secular evolution is not a major mechanism to drive morphological evolution of field galaxies, especially their bulge formation, which is more likely related to multiple intense star formation episodes during which the galaxies appear as LIRGs (Hammer et al. 2005, A&A, 430, 115).

HEATED INTRACLUSTER GAS AND RADIO CONNECTIONS: THE SINGULAR CASE OF MKW 3S

Similarly to other cluster of galaxies previously classified as cooling flow systems, the Chandra observation of MKW3s reveals that this object has a complex X-ray structure hosting both a X-ray cavity and a X-ray filament. Unlike the other clusters, however, the temperature map of the core of MKW3s shows the presence of extended regions of gas heated above the radially averaged gas temperature at any radius. As the cluster does not show evidences for ongoing major mergers Mazzotta et al. suggest a connection between the heated gas and the activity of the central AGN. Nevertheless, due to the lack of high quality radio maps, this interpretation was controversial. In this paper we present the results of two new radio observations of MKW3s at 1.28GHz and 604MHz obtained at the GMRT. Together with the Chandra observation and a separate VLA observation at 327MHz from Young, we show unequivocal evidences for a close connection between the heated gas region and the AGN activity and we briefly summarize possible implications.