Properties Of Bulges Research Articles

Causal Discovery in Astrophysics: Unraveling Supermassive Black Hole and Galaxy Coevolution

Abstract Correlation does not imply causation, but patterns of statistical association between variables can be exploited to infer a causal structure (even with purely observational data) with the burgeoning field of causal discovery. As a purely observational science, astrophysics has much to gain by exploiting these new methods. The supermassive black hole (SMBH)–galaxy interaction has long been constrained by observed scaling relations, which is low-scatter correlations between variables such as SMBH mass and the central velocity dispersion of stars in a host galaxy's bulge. This study, using advanced causal discovery techniques and an up-to-date data set, reveals a causal link between galaxy properties and dynamically measured SMBH masses. We apply a score-based Bayesian framework to compute the exact conditional probabilities of every causal structure that could possibly describe our galaxy sample. With the exact posterior distribution, we determine the most likely causal structures and notice a probable causal reversal when separating galaxies by morphology. In elliptical galaxies, bulge properties (built from major mergers) tend to influence SMBH growth, while, in spiral galaxies, SMBHs are seen to affect host galaxy properties, potentially through feedback in gas-rich environments. For spiral galaxies, SMBHs progressively quench star formation, whereas, in elliptical galaxies, quenching is complete, and the causal connection has reversed. Our findings support theoretical models of hierarchical assembly of galaxies and active galactic nuclei feedback regulating galaxy evolution. Our study suggests the potentiality for further exploration of causal links in astrophysical and cosmological scaling relations, as well as any other observational science.

The M•–σe relation for local type 1 AGNs and quasars

We analyzed Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer observations of 42 local z ≲ 0.1 type 1 active galactic nucleus (AGN) host galaxies taken from the Palomar-Green quasar sample and the close AGN reference survey. Our goal was to study the relation between the black hole mass (M•) and bulge stellar velocity dispersion (σe) for type 1 active galaxies. The sample spans black hole masses of 106.0 − 109.2 M⊙, bolometric luminosities of 1042.9 − 1046.0 erg s−1, and Eddington ratios of 0.006 − 1.2. We avoided AGN emission by extracting the spectra over annular apertures. We modeled the calcium triplet stellar features and measured stellar velocity dispersions of σ* = 60 − 230 km s−1 for the host galaxies. We find stellar velocity dispersion values in agreement with previous measurements for local (z ≲ 0.1) AGN host galaxies, but slightly lower compared with those reported for nearby X-ray-selected type 2 quasars. Using a novel annular aperture correction recipe to estimate σe from σ* that considers the bulge morphology and observation beam-smearing, we estimate flux-weighted σe = 60 − 250 km s−1. If we consider the bulge type when estimating M•, we find no statistical difference between the distributions of AGN hosts and the inactive galaxies on the M•–σe plane for M• ≲ 108 M⊙. Conversely, if we do not consider the bulge type when computing M•, we find that both distributions disagree. We find no correlation between the degree of offset from the M•–σe relation and Eddington ratio for M• ≲ 108 M⊙. The current statistics preclude firm conclusions from being drawn for the high-mass range. We argue these observations support notions that a significant fraction of the local type 1 AGNs and quasars have undermassive black holes compared with their host galaxy bulge properties.

The Black Hole Mass and Photometric Components of NGC 4826

We present infrared photometry and Hubble Space Telescope imaging and spectroscopy of the Sab galaxy NGC 4826. Schwarzschild dynamical modeling is used to measure its central black hole mass M. Photometric decomposition is used to enable a comparison of M to published scaling relations between black hole masses and properties of host bulges. This decomposition implies that NGC 4826 contains classical and pseudobulges of approximately equal mass. The classical bulge has best-fit Sérsic index n = 3.27. The pseudobulge is made up of three parts, an inner lens (n = 0.18 at r ≲ 4″), an outer lens (n = 0.17 at r ≲ 45″), and a n = 0.58 Sérsic component required to match the surface brightness between the lens components. The total V-band luminosity of the galaxy is M VT = −21.07, the ratio of classical bulge to total light is B/T ≃ 0.12, and the ratio of pseudobulge to total light is PB/T ≃ 0.13. The outer disk is exponential (n = 1.07) and makes up D/T = 0.75 of the light of the galaxy. Our best-fit Schwarzschild model has a black hole mass with 1σ uncertainties of M=8.4−0.6+1.7×106M⊙ and a stellar population with a K-band mass-to-light ratio of ϒK=0.46±0.03M⊙L⊙−1 at the assumed distance of 7.27 Mpc. Our modeling is marginally consistent with M = 0 at the 3σ limit. These best-fit parameters were calculated assuming the black hole is located where the velocity dispersion is largest; this is offset from the maximum surface brightness, probably because of dust absorption. The black hole mass—one of the smallest measured by modeling stellar dynamics—satisfies the well known correlations of M with the K-band luminosity, stellar mass, and velocity dispersion of the classical bulge only. In contrast, the black hole is undermassive with respect to the correlation of M with total (classical plus pseudo) bulge luminosity. Thus the composite (classical bulge plus pseudobulge) galaxy NGC 4826 is consistent with previous results on black hole scaling relations and helps to strengthen these results at low black hole masses.

The Rotation of Classical Bulges in Barred Galaxies in the Presence of Gas

Barred galaxies often develop a box/peanut pseudobulge, but they can also host a nearly spherical classical bulge, which is known to gain rotation due to the bar. We aim to explore how the presence of gas impacts the rotation of classical bulges. We carried out a comprehensive set of hydrodynamical N-body simulations with different combinations of bulge masses and gas fractions. In these models, both massive bulges and high gas content tend to inhibit the formation of strong bars. For low-mass bulges, the resulting bar is stronger in cases of low gas content. In the stronger bar models, bulges acquire more angular momentum and thus display considerable rotational velocity. Such bulges also develop anisotropic velocity dispersions and become triaxial in shape. We found that the rotation of the bulge becomes less pronounced as the gas fraction is increased from 0 to 30%. These results indicate that the gas content has a significant effect on the dynamics of the classical bulge, because it influences bar strength. Particularly in the case of the low-mass bulges (10% bulge mass fraction), all of the measured rotational and structural properties of the classical bulge depend strongly and systematically on the gas content of the galaxy.

Resolved properties of classical bulge and pseudo-bulge galaxies

ABSTRACT We compare properties of classical and pseudo-bulges and properties of their hosting galaxies selected from the MaNGA survey. Bulge types are identified based on the Sérsic index n of bulge component and the position of bulges on the Kormendy diagram. For the 393 classical bulges and 422 pseudo-bulges selected and their hosting galaxies, we study their kinematic properties including a proxy for specific angular momentum and central velocity dispersion, their stellar population properties including stellar age, metallicity, and specific star formation rate, as well as H i fractions of the galaxies. Our results show that at given stellar mass, disc components of pseudo-bulge galaxies are younger, have more active star formation, rotate more, and may contain more H i content compared with those of classical bulge galaxies, and the differences are larger than those between bulges themselves. The correlations between bulge types and disc properties indicate that different types of bulges are shaped by different processes that may regulate both growth of central components and evolution of outer discs in galaxies. In addition, we propose a stellar mass dependent divider of central velocity dispersion to separate galaxies with classical bulges from those with pseudo-bulges in galaxy mass range of $10.4\lt \mathrm{log}(M_*/\rm M_\odot)\lt 11.4$: $\mathrm{log}(\sigma _0) = 0.23 \times \mathrm{log}(M_*/\rm M_\odot)-0.46$. Galaxies with larger/smaller σ0 can be classified as hosts of classical/pseudo-bulges.

Composite Bulges. III. A Study of Nuclear Star Clusters in Nearby Spiral Galaxies

We present photometric and morphological analyses of nuclear star clusters (NSCs)—very dense, massive star clusters present in the central regions of most galaxies—in a sample of 33 massive disk galaxies within 20 Mpc, part of the “Composite Bulges Survey.” We use data from the Hubble Space Telescope including optical (F475W and F814W) and near-IR (F160W) images from the Wide Field Camera 3. We fit the images in 2D to take into account the full complexity of the inner regions of these galaxies (including the contributions of nuclear disks and bars), isolating the NSC and bulge components. We derive NSC radii and magnitudes in all three bands, which we then use to estimate NSC masses. Our sample significantly expands the sample of massive late-type galaxies with measured NSC properties. We clearly identify NSCs in nearly 80% of our galaxies, putting a lower limit on the nucleation fraction in these galaxies that is higher than previous estimates. We find that the NSCs in our massive disk galaxies are consistent with previous NSC mass–NSC radius and galaxy mass–NSC mass relations. However, we also find a large spread in NSC masses, with a handful of galaxies hosting very low-mass, compact clusters. Our NSCs are aligned in PA with their host galaxy disks but are less flattened. They show no correlations with bar or bulge properties. Finally, we find the ratio of NSC to BH mass in our massive disk galaxy sample spans a factor of ∼300.

LeMMINGs. VI. Connecting nuclear activity to bulge properties of active and inactive galaxies: radio scaling relations and galaxy environment

ABSTRACT Multiwavelength studies indicate that nuclear activity and bulge properties are closely related, but the details remain unclear. To study this further, we combine Hubble Space Telescope bulge structural and photometric properties with 1.5 GHz, e-MERLIN nuclear radio continuum data from the LeMMINGs survey for a large sample of 173 ‘active’ galaxies (LINERs and Seyferts) and ‘inactive’ galaxies (H iis and absorption line galaxies, ALGs). Dividing our sample into active and inactive, they define distinct (radio core luminosity)–(bulge mass), $L_{\rm R,core}-M_{*, \rm bulge}$ , relations, with a mass turnover at $M_{*, \rm bulge}\sim 10^{9.8 \pm 0.3} \rm { M_{\odot }}$ (supermassive blackhole mass $M_{\rm BH} \sim 10^{6.8 \pm 0.3} \rm M_{\odot }$ ), which marks the transition from AGN-dominated nuclear radio emission in more massive bulges to that mainly driven by stellar processes in low-mass bulges. None of our 10/173 bulge-less galaxies host an AGN. The AGN fraction increases with increasing $M_{*,\rm bulge}$ such that $f_{\rm optical\_AGN}\propto M_{*,\rm bulge}^{0.24 \pm 0.06}$ and $f_{\rm radio\_AGN}\propto M_{*,\rm bulge}^{0.24 \pm 0.05}$ . Between $M_{*,\rm bulge}\sim 10^{8.5}$ and $10^{11.3} \rm M_{\odot }$ , $f_{\rm optical\_AGN}$ steadily rises from 15 ± 4 to 80 ± 5 per cent. We find that at fixed bulge mass, the radio loudness, nuclear radio activity, and the (optical and radio) AGN fraction exhibit no dependence on environment. Radio-loud hosts preferentially possess an early-type morphology than radio-quiet hosts, the two types are however indistinguishable in terms of bulge Sérsic index and ellipticity, while results on the bulge inner logarithmic profile slope are inconclusive. We finally discuss the importance of bulge mass in determining the AGN triggering processes, including potential implications for the nuclear radio emission in nearby galaxies.

Exploring the genesis of spiral galaxies

Context. A tantalizing enigma in extragalactic astronomy concerns the chronology and driving mechanisms of the build-up of late-type galaxies (LTGs). The standard scenario envisages two formation routes, with classical bulges (CBs) assembling first in a quick and violent quasi-monolithic episode followed by gradual disk assembly, and pseudo-bulges (PBs) progressively forming over gigayear-long timescales through gentle gas inflow from the disk and in situ star formation. The expectation from this antagonistic rationale is the segregation of present-day LTG bulges into two evolutionary distinct groups, which is in sharp contrast with recent observations. Aims. The present study aims for a thorough investigation of the star formation history (SFH) of LTGs with its ultimate goal being to outline a coherent framework for the formation and evolution of spiral galaxies and their main stellar components. Methods. Using population spectral synthesis models, we analyse the spatially resolved SFH of bulges and disks of 135 LTGs from the CALIFA survey, covering the relevant range in LTG mass. Complementarily, characteristic physical properties of bulges and disks, such as mean colours, mass- and light-weighted stellar age and metallicity, and EW(Hα), were contrasted with predictions from evolutionary synthesis models, by adopting exponentially declining SFHs with e-folding times τ between 0.1 and 20 Gyr. Results. Analysis of the SFH of roughly half a million spaxels consistently reveals that the main physical and evolutionary properties of both bulges and disks are continuously distributed across present-day total stellar mass ℳ⋆, T. The τ in spiral galaxies with log(ℳ⋆, T) > 10 increases from the centre to the periphery, suggesting that these systems grow in an inside-out fashion. Quite importantly, the radial gradient of τ in an individual galaxy increases with increasing ℳ⋆, T, which is consistent with a high bulge-to-disk age contrast in high-mass spirals, while lower-mass LTGs display roughly the same τ throughout their entire radial extent, with intermediate mass galaxies in between. Predictions obtained through evolutionary synthesis are overall consistent with observed properties. Finally, bulges and disks of higher mass galaxies exhibit shorter formation timescales as compared to their lower mass counterparts. Conclusions. Collectively, the obtained results evince a coherent and unified picture for the formation and evolution of LTGs, in which PBs and CBs denote extremities of a continuous mass sequence. Our findings are consistent with the framework where bulges are assembled jointly with their parent disks by gradual inside-out growth, at a pace that is regulated by the depth of the galactic potential. This postulate is further supported by the fact that the revealed correlations are entirely devoid of a bimodality, as it would be expected if CBs and PBs were to emerge from two distinct formation routes.

Metallicity Properties of the Galactic Bulge Stars Near and Far: Expectations from the Auriga Simulation

Using the high-resolution Milky Way–like model from Auriga simulation we study the chemical properties of the Galactic bulge, focusing on the metallicity difference between stars on the near side (in front of the Galactic center) and the far side (behind the Galactic center). In general, along certain sight lines the near side is more metal-rich than the far side, consistent with the negative vertical metallicity gradient of the disk, since the far side is located higher above the disk plane than the near side. However, at the region l < 0° and ∣b∣ ≤ 6°, the near side is even more metal-poor than the far side, and their difference changes with the Galactic longitude. This is mainly due to the fact that stars near the minor axis of the bar are more metal-poor than that around the major axis. Since the bar is tilted, in the negative longitude region, the near side is mainly populated by stars close to the minor-axis region rather than the far side resulting in such a metallicity difference. We extract stars in the X-shape structure by identifying the overdensities in the near and far sides. Their metallicity properties are consistent with the results of the whole Galactic bulge. The boxy/peanut-shaped bulge can naturally explain the metallicity difference of the double red clump stars in the observation. There is no need to involve a classical bulge component with different stellar populations.

High and low Sérsic index bulges in Milky Way- and M31-like galaxies: origin and connection to the bar with TNG50

ABSTRACT We study bulge formation in MW/M31-like galaxies in a Λ-cold dark matter scenario, focusing on the origin of high- and low-Sersic index bulges. For this purpose, we use TNG50, a simulation of the IllustrisTNG project that combines a resolution of ∼8 × 104 M⊙ in stellar particles with a cosmological volume 52 cMpc in extent. We parametrize bulge surface brightness profiles by the Sérsic index and the bulge-to-total (B/T) ratio obtained from two-component photometric decompositions. In our sample of 287 MW/M31-like simulated galaxies, $17.1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of photometric bulges exhibit high-Sérsic indices and $82.9{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ show low-Sérsic indices. We study the impact that the environment, mergers and bars have in shaping the surface brightness profiles. We find no correlation between bulge properties and the environment where they reside. Simulated galaxies with higher Sérsic indices show, on average, a higher fraction of ex situ stars in their kinematically selected bulges. For this bulge population, the last significant merger (total mass ratio msat/mhost &amp;gt; 0.1) occurs, on average, at later times. However, a substantial fraction of low-Sérsic index bulges also experience a late significant merger. We find that bars play an important role in the development of the different types of photometric bulges. The fraction of simulated galaxies with bars is smaller for the high- than for the low-Sérsic index population, reaching differences of $20{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ at z &amp;gt; 1. Simulated galaxies with high fractions of ex situ stars in the bulge do not develop strong bars. Conversely, simulated galaxies with long-lived strong bars have bulges with ex situ fractions, fex situ &amp;lt; 0.2.

Spectroastrometry and Reverberation Mapping: The Mass and Geometric Distance of the Supermassive Black Hole in the Quasar 3C 273

Abstract The quasar 3C 273 has been observed with infrared spectroastrometry (SA) of the broad Paα line and optical reverberation mapping (RM) of the broad Hβ line. SA delivers information about the angular size and structure of the Paα broad-line region (BLR), while RM delivers information about the physical size and structure of the Hβ BLR. Based on the fact that the two BLRs share the mass of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) and viewing inclination, a combination of SA and velocity-resolved RM (SARM) thereby allows us to simultaneously determine the SMBH mass and geometric distance through dynamically modeling the two BLRs. We construct a suite of dynamical models with different geometric configurations and apply a Bayesian approach to obtain the parameter inferences. Overall the obtained masses and distances are insensitive to specific BLR configurations but more or less depend on parameterizations of the vertical distributions. The most probable model, chosen in light of the Bayes factor, yields an angular-size distance log ( D A / Mpc ) = 2.83 − 0.28 + 0.32 and an SMBH mass log ( M • / M ⊙ ) = 9.06 − 0.27 + 0.21 , which agree with the relationships between SMBH masses and bulge properties. The BLRs have an inclination of 5 − 1 + 1 degrees, consistent with that of the large-scale jet in 3C 273. Our approach reinforces the capability of SARM analysis to measure SMBH masses and distances of active galactic nuclei and quasars even though SA and RM observations are undertaken with different emission lines and/or in different periods.

Inside-out star formation quenching and the need for a revision of bulge-disk decomposition concepts for spiral galaxies

Our knowledge about the photometric and structural properties of bulges in late-type galaxies (LTGs) is founded upon image decomposition into a Sérsic model for the central luminosity excess of the bulge and an exponential model for the more extended underlying disk. We argue that the standard practice of adopting an exponential model for the disk all the way to its center is inadequate because it implicitly neglects the fact of star formation (SF) quenching in the centers of LTGs. Extrapolating the fit to the observable star-forming zone of the disk (outside the bulge) inwardly overestimates the true surface brightness of the disk in its SF-quenched central zone (beneath the bulge). We refer to this effect as δio. Using predictions from evolutionary synthesis models and by applying to integral field spectroscopy data REMOVEYOUNG, a tool that allows the suppression of stellar populations younger than an adjustable age cutoff we estimate the δio in the centers of massive SF-quenched LTGs to be up to ∼2.5 (0.7) B (K) mag. The primary consequence of the neglect of δio in bulge-disk decomposition studies is the oversubtraction of the disk underneath the bulge, leading to a systematic underestimation of the true luminosity of the latter. Secondary biases impact the structural characterization (e.g., Sérsic exponent η and effective radius) and color gradients of bulges, and might include the erroneous classification of LTGs with a moderately faint bulge as bulgeless disks. Framed in the picture of galaxy downsizing and inside-out SF quenching, δio is expected to differentially impact galaxies across redshift and stellar mass ℳ⋆, thus leading to systematic and complex biases in the scatter and slope of various galaxy scaling relations. We conjecture that correction for the δio effect will lead to a down-bending of the bulge versus supermassive black hole relation for galaxies below log(ℳ⋆/M⊙) ∼ 10.7. A decreasing ℳ∙/ℳ⋆ ratio with decreasing ℳ⋆ would help to consistently explain the scarcity and weakness of accretion-powered nuclear activity in low-mass spiral galaxies. Finally, it is pointed out that a well-detectable δio (&gt; 2 r mag) can emerge early on through inward migration of star-forming clumps from the disk in combination with a strong contrast of emission-line equivalent widths between the quenched protobulge and its star-forming periphery. Spatially resolved studies of δio with the James Webb Space Telescope, the Extremely Large Telescope, and Euclid could therefore offer key insights into the chronology and physical drivers of SF-quenching in the early phase of galaxy assembly.

Why do black holes trace bulges (&amp; central surface densities), instead of galaxies as a whole?

ABSTRACT Previous studies of fueling black holes in galactic nuclei have argued (on scales ${\sim}0.01{-}1000\,$pc) accretion is dynamical with inflow rates $\dot{M}\sim \eta \, M_{\rm gas}/t_{\rm dyn}$ in terms of gas mass Mgas, dynamical time tdyn, and some η. But these models generally neglected expulsion of gas by stellar feedback, or considered extremely high densities where expulsion is inefficient. Studies of star formation, however, have shown on sub-kpc scales the expulsion efficiency fwind = Mejected/Mtotal scales with the gravitational acceleration as $(1-f_{\rm wind})/f_{\rm wind}\sim \bar{a}_{\rm grav}/\langle \dot{p}/m_{\ast }\rangle \sim \Sigma _{\rm eff}/\Sigma _{\rm crit}$ where $\bar{a}_{\rm grav}\equiv G\, M_{\rm tot}(\lt r)/r^{2}$ and $\langle \dot{p}/m_{\ast }\rangle$ is the momentum injection rate from young stars. Adopting this as the simplest correction for stellar feedback, $\eta \rightarrow \eta \, (1-f_{\rm wind})$, we show this provides a more accurate description of simulations with stellar feedback at low densities. This has immediate consequences, predicting the slope and normalization of the MBH − σ and MBH − Mbulge relation, LAGN −SFR relations, and explanations for outliers in compact Es. Most strikingly, because star formation simulations show expulsion is efficient (fwind ∼ 1) below total-mass surface density $M_{\rm tot}/\pi \, r^{2}\lt \Sigma _{\rm crit}\sim 3\times 10^{9}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }\, {\rm kpc^{-2}}$ (where $\Sigma _{\rm crit}=\langle \dot{p}/m_{\ast }\rangle /(\pi \, G)$), BH mass is predicted to specifically trace host galaxy properties above a critical surface brightness Σcrit (B-band $\mu _{\rm B}^{\rm crit}\sim 19\, {\rm mag\, arcsec^{-2}}$). This naturally explains why BH masses preferentially reflect bulge properties or central surface densities (e.g. $\Sigma _{1\, {\rm kpc}}$), not ‘total’ galaxy properties.

Stellar Populations of Spectroscopically Decomposed Bulge–Disk for S0 Galaxies from the CALIFA Survey

Abstract We investigate the stellar population properties of bulges and disks separately for 34 S0s using integral-field spectroscopy from the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area survey. The spatially resolved stellar age and metallicity of bulge and disk components are simultaneously estimated using the penalized pixel fitting method with photometrically defined weights for the two components. We find a tight correlation between age and metallicity for bulges, while the relation for disks has a larger scatter than that for bulges. This implies that the star formation histories of disks are more complicated than those of bulges. The bulges of high-mass S0s are mostly comparable in terms of metallicity, while bulges appear to be systematically more metal-rich than disks for low-mass S0s. The ages of bulges and disks in high-mass S0s appear to increase with local density. The bulge ages of low-mass S0s also increase with local density, but such a trend is not clear in the disk ages of low-mass S0s. In addition, the age difference between bulge and disk components (ΔAge) tends to increase with local density, for both high-mass and low-mass S0s. High-mass S0s have systematically greater ΔAge than low-mass S0s at a given local density. Our results indicate that the stellar mass significantly influences the evolution of S0 galaxies, but the environment also plays an important role in determining the evolution of bulges and disks at a given stellar mass.

A triple active galactic nucleus in the NGC 7733–7734 merging group

Context. Galaxy interactions and mergers can lead to supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries, which become active galactic nucleus (AGN) pairs when the SMBHs start accreting mass. If there is a third galaxy involved in the interaction, then a triple-AGN system can form. Aims. Our goal is to investigate the nature of the nuclear emission from the galaxies in the interacting pair NGC 7733–NGC 7734 using archival VLT/MUSE integral field spectrograph data and study its relation to the stellar mass distribution traced by near-infrared (NIR) observations from the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). Methods. We conducted NIR observations using the SAAO and identified the morphological properties of bulges in each galaxy. We used MUSE data to obtain a set of ionized emission lines from each galaxy and studied the ionization mechanism. We also examined the relation of the galaxy pair with any nearby companions with far-ultraviolet observations using the UVIT. Results. The emission line analysis from the central regions of NGC 7733 and NGC 7734 shows Seyfert and low ionization nuclear emission-line regions type AGN activity. The galaxy pair NGC 7733−34 also shows evidence of a third component, which has Seyfert-like emission. Hence, the galaxy pair NGC 7733−34 forms a triple-AGN system. We also detected an extended narrow-line region associated with the nucleus of NGC 7733.

The origin of bulges and discs in the CALIFA survey – I. Morphological evolution

ABSTRACT This series of papers aims at understanding the formation and evolution of non-barred disc galaxies. We use the new spectro-photometric decomposition code, c2d, to separate the spectral information of bulges and discs of a statistically representative sample of galaxies from the CALIFA survey. Then, we study their stellar population properties analysing the structure-independent datacubes with the Pipe3D algorithm. We find a correlation between the bulge-to-total (B/T) luminosity (and mass) ratio and galaxy stellar mass. The B/T mass ratio has only a mild evolution with redshift, but the bulge-to-disc (B/D) mass ratio shows a clear increase of the disc component since redshift z &amp;lt; 1 for massive galaxies. The mass–size relation for both bulges and discs describes an upturn at high galaxy stellar masses (log (M⋆/M⊙) &amp;gt; 10.5). The relation holds for bulges but not for discs when using their individual stellar masses. We find a negligible evolution of the mass–size relation for both the most massive ($\log {(M_{\star \rm ,b,d}/{\rm M}_{\odot })} \gt 10$) bulges and discs. For lower masses, discs show a larger variation than bulges. We also find a correlation between the Sérsic index of bulges and both galaxy and bulge stellar mass, which does not hold for the disc mass. Our results support an inside-out formation of nearby non-barred galaxies, and they suggest that (i) bulges formed early-on and (ii) they have not evolved much through cosmic time. However, we find that the early properties of bulges drive the future evolution of the galaxy as a whole, and particularly the properties of the discs that eventually form around them.

Observational insights on the origin of giant low surface brightness galaxies

ABSTRACT Giant low surface brightness galaxies (gLSBGs) with dynamically cold stellar discs reaching the radius of 130 kpc challenge currently considered galaxy formation mechanisms. We analyse new deep long-slit optical spectroscopic observations, archival optical images, and published Hi and optical spectroscopic data for a sample of seven gLSBGs, for which we performed mass modelling and estimated the parameters of dark matter haloes assuming the Burkert dark matter density profile. Our sample is not homogeneous by morphology, parameters of stellar populations, and total mass, however, six of seven galaxies sit on the high-mass extension of the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation. In UGC 1382, we detected a global counterrotation of the stellar high surface brightness (HSB) disc with respect to the extended LSB disc. In UGC 1922 with signatures of a possible merger, the gas counterrotation is seen in the inner disc. Six galaxies host active galactic nuclei, three of which have the estimated black hole masses substantially below those expected for their (pseudo-)bulge properties suggesting poor merger histories. Overall, the morphology, internal dynamics, and low star formation efficiency in the outer discs indicate that the three formation scenarios shape gLSBGs: (i) a two-stage formation when an HSB galaxy is formed first and then grows an LSB disc by accreting gas from an external supply; (ii) an unusual shallow and extended dark matter halo; (iii) a major merger with fine-tuned orbital parameters and morphologies of the merging galaxies.

BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey. XX. Molecular Gas in Nearby Hard-X-Ray-selected AGN Galaxies

Abstract We present the host-galaxy molecular gas properties of a sample of 213 nearby (0.01 &lt; z &lt; 0.05) hard-X-ray-selected active galactic nucleus (AGN) galaxies, drawn from the 70-month catalog of Swift’s Burst Alert Telescope (BAT), with 200 new CO(2–1) line measurements obtained with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment telescope. We find that AGN in massive galaxies ( ) tend to have more molecular gas and higher gas fractions than inactive galaxies matched in stellar mass. When matched in star formation, we find AGN galaxies show no difference from inactive galaxies, with no evidence that AGN feedback affects the molecular gas. The higher molecular gas content is related to AGN galaxies hosting a population of gas-rich early types with an order of magnitude more molecular gas and a smaller fraction of quenched, passive galaxies (∼5% versus 49%) compared to inactive galaxies. The likelihood of a given galaxy hosting an AGN (L bol &gt; 1044 erg s−1 ) increases by ∼10–100 between a molecular gas mass of 108.7 M ⊙ and 1010.2 M ⊙. AGN galaxies with a higher Eddington ratio (log(L/L Edd) &gt; −1.3) tend to have higher molecular gas masses and gas fractions. The log(N H/ cm−2 ) &gt; 23.4) of AGN galaxies with higher column densities are associated with lower depletion timescales and may prefer hosts with more gas centrally concentrated in the bulge that may be more prone to quenching than galaxy-wide molecular gas. The significant average link of host-galaxy molecular gas supply to supermassive black hole (SMBH) growth may naturally lead to the general correlations found between SMBHs and their host galaxies, such as the correlations between SMBH mass and bulge properties, and the redshift evolution of star formation and SMBH growth.

Maximum entropy estimation of the Galactic bulge morphology via the VVV Red Clump

ABSTRACT The abundance and narrow magnitude dispersion of Red Clump (RC) stars make them a popular candidate for mapping the morphology of the bulge region of the Milky Way. Using an estimate of the RC’s intrinsic luminosity function, we extracted the three-dimensional density distribution of the RC from deep photometric catalogues of the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey. We used maximum entropy-based deconvolution to extract the spatial distribution of the bulge from Ks-band star counts. We obtained our extrapolated non-parametric model of the bulge over the inner 40° × 40° region of the Galactic centre. Our reconstruction also naturally matches on to a parametric fit to the bulge outside the VVV region and inpaints overcrowded and high extinction regions. We found a range of bulge properties consistent with other recent investigations based on the VVV data. In particular, we estimated the bulge mass to be in the range $[1.3,1.7]\times 10^{10} \, \mathrm{M}_\odot$, the X-component to be between 18 per cent and 25 per cent of the bulge mass, and the bulge angle with respect to the Sun–Galactic centre line to be between 18° and 32°. Studies of the FermiLarge Area Telescope (LAT) gamma-ray Galactic centre excess suggest that the excess may be traced by Galactic bulge distributed sources. We applied our deconvolved density in a template fitting analysis of this Fermi–LAT GeV excess and found an improvement in the fit compared to previous parametric-based templates.

Tribological Behavior and Abrasion Resistance Mechanism of Laser Micro-Bulge Texturing Surface under Full Oil Lubrication

This article aims to investigate tribological properties of a surface modified by laser texturing under full oil lubrication as well as the effect of laser texturing on the abrasion resistance properties. Laser texturing was carried out to fabricate a spherical bulge texture on the surface of GCr15 bearing steel using an SPI fiber laser. Rriction and wear tests were performed to simulate the actual situation of sliding friction under full oil lubrication. Mechanical properties of the micro bulge and substrate region were detected and analyzed using an optical microscope, microhardness tester, and residual stress detector. Friction and wear tests showed that under full oil lubrication, the friction coefficient (FC) of bulge-textured samples is positively correlated with texture density. Compared with a smooth sample, the FC of the sample with 50.2% texture density decreased by 64.4%. The sample with 28.2% texture density had a minimal wear volume (1.35 × 108 μm3), which was diminished by 87.6% versus the smooth sample. The microstructure of the heat-affected zone is transformed into austenite by a large amount of heat and finally became acicular martensite when cooled. The microhardness of the bulge was increased to 419 and 331% of that of the substrate in vertical and radial directions, respectively. In addition, the surface of the micro bulge mainly revealed 20–35 MPa of residual tensile stress. The research proved that the surface wear resistance and antifriction effect of the sliding friction pair can be greatly improved by laser texturing, which shows favorable prospects for engineering applications such as bearings, guide rails, and mold formation.