Spectral Energy Distribution Fitting Research Articles

At the end of cosmic noon: Short gas depletion times in unobscured quasars at z ∼ 1

Unobscured quasars (QSOs) are predicted to be the final stage in the evolutionary sequence from gas–rich mergers to gas–depleted, quenched galaxies. Studies of this population, however, find a high incidence of far–infrared–luminous sources–suggesting significant dust-obscured star formation–but direct observations of the cold molecular gas fuelling this star formation are still necessary. We present a NOEMA study of CO(2–1) emission, tracing the cold molecular gas, in ten lensed z = 1 − 1.5 unobscured QSOs. We detected CO(2–1) in seven of our targets, four of which also show continuum emission (λrest = 1.3 mm). After subtracting the foreground galaxy contribution to the photometry, spectral energy distribution fitting yielded stellar masses of 109 − 11 M⊙, with star formation rates of 25−160 M⊙ yr−1 for the host galaxies. These QSOs have lower LCO′ than star–forming galaxies with the same LIR, and show depletion times spanning a large range (50−900 Myr), but with a median of just 90(αCO/4) Myr. We find molecular gas masses in the range ≤2−40 × 109(αCO/4) M⊙, which suggest gas fractions above ∼50% for most of the targets. Despite the presence of an unobscured QSO, the host galaxies are able to retain significant amounts of cold gas. However, with a median depletion time of ∼90 Myr, the intense burst of star formation taking place in these targets will quickly deplete their molecular gas reservoirs in the absence of gas replenishment, resulting in a quiescent host galaxy. The non–detected QSOs are three of the four radio–loud QSOs in the sample, and their properties indicate that they are likely already transitioning into quiescence. Recent cosmological simulations tend to overestimate the depletion times expected for these z ∼ 1 QSO–host galaxies, which is likely linked to their difficulty producing starbursts across the general high-redshift galaxy population.

Quantifying the Effects of Known Unknowns on Inferred High-redshift Galaxy Properties: Burstiness, IMF, and Nebular Physics

The era of the James Webb Space Telescope ushers stellar population models into uncharted territories, particularly at the high-redshift frontier. In a companion paper, we apply the Prospector Bayesian framework to jointly infer galaxy redshifts and stellar population properties from broadband photometry as part of the UNCOVER survey. Here we present a comprehensive error budget in spectral energy distribution (SED) modeling. Using a sample selected to have photometric redshifts higher than 9, we quantify the systematic shifts stemming from various model choices in inferred stellar mass, star formation rate (SFR), and age. These choices encompass different timescales for changes in the star formation history (SFH), nonuniversal stellar initial mass functions (IMF), and the inclusion of variable nebular abundances, gas density, and ionizing photon budget. We find that the IMF exerts the strongest influence on the inferred properties: the systematic uncertainties can be as much as 1 dex, 2–5 times larger than the formal reported uncertainties in mass and SFR, and importantly, exceed the scatter seen when using different SED fitting codes. Although the assumptions on the lower end of the IMF induce degeneracy, our findings suggest that a common practice in the literature of assessing uncertainties in SED-fitting processes by comparing multiple codes is substantively underestimating the true systematic uncertainty. Highly stochastic SFHs change the inferred SFH by much larger than the formal uncertainties, and introduce ∼0.8 dex systematics in SFR averaged over a short timescale and ∼0.3 dex systematics in average age. Finally, employing a flexible nebular emission model causes ∼0.2 dex systematic increase in mass and SFR, comparable to the formal uncertainty. This paper constitutes an initial step toward a complete uncertainty estimate in SED modeling.

A SPectroscopic survey of biased halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE): Impact of Galaxies on the Circumgalactic Medium Metal Enrichment at z > 6 Using the JWST and VLT

We characterize the multiphase circumgalactic medium (CGM) and galaxy properties at z = 6.0–6.5 in four quasar fields from the James Webb Space Telescope A SPectroscopic survey of biased halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE) program. We use the Very Large Telescope/X-shooter spectra of quasar J0305–3150 to identify one new metal absorber at z = 6.2713 with multiple transitions (O i, Mg ii, Fe ii, and C ii). They are combined with the published absorbing systems in Davies et al. at the same redshift range to form a sample of nine metal absorbers at z = 6.03–6.49. We identify eight galaxies within 1000 km s−1 and 350 kpc around the absorbing gas from the ASPIRE spectroscopic data, with their redshifts secured by [O iii] (λ λ4959, 5007) doublets and Hβ emission lines. Our spectral energy distribution fitting indicates that the absorbing galaxies have stellar masses ranging from 107.2 to 108.8 M ⊙ and metallicity between 0.02 and 0.4 solar. Notably, the z = 6.2713 system in the J0305–3150 field resides in a galaxy overdensity region, which contains two (tentatively) merging galaxies within 350 kpc and seven galaxies within 1 Mpc. We measure the relative abundances of α elements to iron ([α/Fe]) and find that the CGM gas in the most overdense region exhibits a lower [α/Fe] ratio. Our modeling of the galaxy’s chemical abundance favors a top-heavy stellar initial mass function and hints that we may be witnessing the contribution of the first generation of Population III stars to the CGM at the end of the reionization epoch.

Constraining the stellar populations of ultra-diffuse galaxies in the MATLAS survey using spectral energy distribution fitting

ABSTRACT We use spectral energy distribution fitting to place constraints on the stellar populations of 59 ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in the low-to-moderate density fields of the MATLAS survey. We use the routine prospector, coupled with archival data in the optical from the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey, and near- and mid-infrared imaging from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, to recover the stellar masses, ages, metallicities, and star formation time-scales of the UDGs. We find that a subsample of the UDGs lies within the scatter of the mass–metallicity relation (MZR) for local classical dwarfs. However, another subsample is more metal-poor, being consistent with the evolving MZR at high redshift. We investigate UDG positioning trends in the mass–metallicity plane as a function of surface brightness, effective radius, axis ratio, local volume density, mass-weighted age, star formation time-scale, globular cluster (GC) counts, and GC specific frequency. We find that our sample of UDGs can be separated into two main classes: Class A: comprised of UDGs with lower stellar masses, prolonged star formation histories (SFHs), more elongated, inhabiting less dense environments, hosting fewer GCs, younger, consistent with the classical dwarf MZR, and fainter. Class B: UDGs with higher stellar masses, rapid SFHs, rounder, inhabiting the densest of our probed environments, hosting on average the most numerous GC systems, older, consistent with the high-redshift MZR (i.e. consistent with early-quenching), and brighter. The combination of these properties suggests that UDGs of Class A are consistent with a ‘puffed-up dwarf’ formation scenario, while UDGs of Class B seem to be better explained by ‘failed galaxy’ scenarios.

NGTS-28Ab: a short period transiting brown dwarf

ABSTRACT We report the discovery of a brown dwarf orbiting a M1 host star. We first identified the brown dwarf within the Next Generation Transit Survey data, with supporting observations found in TESS sectors 11 and 38. We confirmed the discovery with follow-up photometry from the South African Astronomical Observatory, SPECULOOS-S, and TRAPPIST-S, and radial velocity measurements from HARPS, which allowed us to characterize the system. We find an orbital period of ∼1.25 d, a mass of $69.0^{+5.3}_{-4.8}$ MJ, close to the hydrogen burning limit, and a radius of 0.95 ± 0.05 RJ. We determine the age to be >0.5 Gyr, using model isochrones, which is found to be in agreement with spectral energy distribution fitting within errors. NGTS-28Ab is one of the shortest period systems found within the brown dwarf desert, as well as one of the highest mass brown dwarfs that transits an M dwarf. This makes NGTS-28Ab another important discovery within this scarcely populated region.

The physical properties of Fermi-4LAC low-synchrotron-peaked BL Lac objects

ABSTRACT Previous studies on the fitting of spectral energy distributions (SEDs) often apply the external-Compton process to interpret the high-energy peak of low-synchrotron-peaked (LSP) BL Lac objects (LBLs), despite the lack of strong broad emission lines observed for LBLs. In this work, we collect quasi-simultaneous multiwavelength data of 15 LBLs from the Fermi fourth LAT AGN catalogue (4LAC). We propose an analytical method to assess the necessity of external photon fields in the framework of one-zone scenario. Following derived analytical results, we fit the SEDs of these LBLs with the conventional one-zone leptonic model and study their jet physical properties. Our main results can be summarized as follows. (1) We find that most LBLs cannot be fitted by the one-zone synchrotron-self-Compton (SSC) model. This indicates that external photons play a crucial role in the high-energy emission of LBLs, therefore we suggest that LBLs are masquerading BL Lacs. (2) We suggest that the γ-ray emitting regions of LBLs are located outside the broad-line region and within the dusty torus. (3) By extending the analytical method to all types of LSPs in Fermi-4LAC (using historical data), we find that the high-energy peaks of some flat spectrum radio quasars and blazar candidates of unknown types can be attributed to the SSC emission, implying that the importance of external photons could be minor. We suggest that the variability time-scale may help distinguish the origin of the high-energy peak.

Dynamical Mass of the Ophiuchus Intermediate-mass Stellar System S1 with DYNAMO-VLBA

We report dynamical mass measurements of the individual stars in the most luminous and massive stellar member of the nearby Ophiuchus star-forming region, the young tight binary system S1. We combine 28 archival data sets with seven recent proprietary Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations obtained as part of the Dynamical Masses of Young Stellar Multiple Systems with the VLBA project (DYNAMO–VLBA), to constrain the astrometric and orbital parameters of the system, and recover high-accuracy dynamical masses. The primary component, S1A, is found to have a mass of 4.11 ± 0.10 M ⊙, significantly lower than the typical value ∼6 M ⊙ previously reported in the literature. We show that the spectral energy distribution (SED) of S1A can be reproduced by a reddened blackbody with a temperature between roughly 14,000 and 17,000 K. According to evolutionary models, this temperature range corresponds to stellar masses between 4 M ⊙ and 6 M ⊙, so the SED is not a priori inconsistent with the dynamical mass of S1A. The luminosity of S1 derived from SED fitting, however, is only consistent with models for stellar masses above 5 M ⊙. Thus, we cannot reconcile the evolutionary models with the dynamical mass measurement of S1A: The models consistent with the location of S1A in the Hertzsprung-Russel diagram correspond to masses higher by 25% at least than the dynamical mass. For the secondary component, S1B, a mass of 0.831 ± 0.014 M ⊙ is determined, consistent with a low-mass young star. While the radio flux of S1A remains roughly constant throughout the orbit, the flux of S1B is found to be higher near apastron.

Beyond mirkwood: Enhancing SED Modeling with Conformal Predictions

Traditional spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting techniques face uncertainties due to assumptions in star formation histories and dust attenuation curves. We propose an advanced machine learning-based approach that enhances flexibility and uncertainty quantification in SED fitting. Unlike the fixed NGBoost model used in mirkwood, our approach allows for any scikit-learn-compatible model, including deterministic models. We incorporate conformalized quantile regression to convert point predictions into error bars, enhancing interpretability and reliability. Using CatBoost as the base predictor, we compare results with and without conformal prediction, demonstrating improved performance using metrics such as coverage and interval width. Our method offers a more versatile and accurate tool for deriving galaxy physical properties from observational data.

Strategies for Obtaining Robust Spectral Energy Distribution Fitting Parameters for Galaxies at z ∼ 1 and z ∼ 2 in the Absence of Infrared Data

Robust estimation of star formation rates (SFRs) at higher redshifts (z ≳ 1) using UV–optical–near-infrared (NIR) photometry is contingent on the ability of spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to constrain the dust attenuation, stellar metallicity, and star formation history (SFH) simultaneously. IR-derived dust luminosities can help break the degeneracy between these parameters, but IR data are often not available. Here, we explore strategies for SED fitting at z ≳ 1 in the absence of IR data using a sample of log M * > 10.2 star-forming galaxies from the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) for which 24 μm data are available. We adopt the total IR luminosity (L TIR) obtained from 24 μm as the “ground truth,” which allows us to assess how well it can be recovered (as L dust) from UV–optical–NIR SED fitting. We test a variety of dust attenuation models, stellar population synthesis models, metallicity assumptions, and SFHs separately to identify which assumptions maximize the agreement (correlation and linearity) between L TIR and L dust. We find that a flexible dust attenuation law performs best. For stellar populations, we find that Bruzual & Charlot models are favored over those of Eldridge et al. Fixing the stellar metallicity at solar value is preferred to other fixed values or leaving it as a free parameter. For SFHs, we find that minimizing the variability in the recent (<100 Myr) SFH improves the agreement with L TIR. Finally, we provide a catalog of galaxy parameters (including M * and SFR) for CANDELS galaxies with logM*>8 and 0.7 < z < 1.3, obtained using the models we found to be the most robust.

Stellar Population Properties in the Stellar Streams around SPRC047

We have investigated the properties (e.g., age, metallicity) of the stellar populations of a ringlike tidal stellar stream (or streams) around the edge-on galaxy SPRC047 (z = 0.031) using spectral energy distribution (SED) fits to integrated broadband aperture flux densities. We used visual images in six different bands and Spitzer/IRAC 3.6 μm data. We have attempted to derive best-fit stellar population parameters (metallicity, age) in three noncontiguous segments of the stream. Due to the very low surface brightness of the stream, we have performed a deconvolution with a Richardson–Lucy–type algorithm of the low spatial resolution 3.6 μm IRAC image, thereby reducing the effect of the point-spread function aliased emission from the bright edge-on central galaxy at the locations of our three stream segments. Our SED fits that used several different star formation (SF) history priors, from an exponentially decaying SF burst to continuous SF, indicate that the age–metallicity–dust degeneracy is not resolved, most likely because of inadequate wavelength coverage and low signal-to-noise ratios of the low surface brightness features. We also discuss how future deep visual–near-infrared observations, combined with absolute flux calibration uncertainties at or below the 1% level, complemented by equally well absolute flux-calibrated observations in ultraviolet and mid-infrared bands, would improve the accuracy of broadband SED fitting results for low surface brightness targets, such as stellar streams around nearby galaxies that are not resolved into stars.

Resolving Clumpy versus Extended Lyα in Strongly Lensed, High-redshift Lyα Emitters

We present six strongly gravitationally lensed Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z ∼ 4–5 with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) narrowband imaging isolating Lyα. Through complex radiative transfer Lyα encodes information about the spatial distribution and kinematics of the neutral hydrogen upon which it scatters. We investigate the galaxy properties and Lyα morphologies of our sample. Many previous studies of high-redshift LAEs have been limited in Lyα spatial resolution. In this work we take advantage of high-resolution Lyα imaging boosted by lensing magnification, allowing us to probe subgalactic scales that are otherwise inaccessible at these redshifts. We use broadband imaging from HST (rest-frame UV) and Spitzer (rest-frame optical) in spectral energy distribution fitting, providing estimates of the stellar masses (∼108–109 M ⊙), stellar population ages (t 50 < 40 Myr), and amounts of dust (A V ∼ 0.1–0.6, statistically consistent with zero). We employ nonparametric star formation histories to probe the young stellar populations which create the Lyα. We also examine the offsets between the Lyα and stellar continuum, finding small upper limits of offsets (<0.″1) consistent with studies of low-redshift LAEs, indicating our galaxies are not interacting or merging. Finally, we find a bimodality in our sample’s Lyα morphologies: clumpy and extended. We find a suggestive trend: our LAEs with clumpy Lyα are generally younger than the LAEs with extended Lyα, suggesting a possible correlation with age.

Bjet_MCMC: A New Tool to Automatically Fit the Broadband Spectral Energy Distributions of Blazars

Multiwavelength observations are now the norm for studying blazars’ various states of activity, classifying them, and determining the possible underlying physical processes driving their emission. Broadband emission models became unavoidable tools for testing emission scenarios and setting the values of physical quantities such as the magnetic field strength, Doppler factor, or shape of the particle distribution of the emission zone(s). We announce here the first public release of a new tool, Bjet_MCMC, that can automatically fit the broadband spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of blazars. The complete code is available on GitHub and allows for testing leptonic synchrotron self-Compton models with or without external inverse-Compton processes from the thermal environment of supermassive black holes (accretion disk and broad-line region). The code is designed to be user-friendly and computationally efficient. It contains a core written in C++ and a fully parallelized SED fitting method. The original multi-SSC zone model of Bjet is also available on GitHub but is not included in the Markov Chain Monte Carlo fitting process at the moment. We present the features, performance, and results of Bjet_MCMC, as well as user advice.

Multiwavelength exploration of Extreme Emission Line Galaxies detected in miniJPAS survey

ABSTRACT Extreme Emission Line Galaxies (EELGs) stand as remarkable objects due to their extremely metal poor environment and intense star formation. Considered as local analogues of high-redshift galaxies in the peak of their star-forming activity, they offer insights into conditions prevalent during the early Universe. Assessment of their stellar and gas properties is therefore of critical importance, which requires the assembly of a considerable sample, comprehending a broad redshift range. The Javalambre-Physics of the Accelerating Universe Astrophysical Survey (JPAS) plays a significant role in assembling such a sample, encompassing ∼8000 $\rm deg^2$ and employing 54 narrow-band optical filters. The present work describes the development and subsequent application of the tools that will be employed in the forthcoming JPAS spectrophotometric data, allowing for the massive and automated characterization of EELGs that are expected to be identified. This fully automated pipeline (requiring only the object coordinates from users) constructs Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) by retrieving virtually all the available multiwavelength photometric data archives, employs SED fitting tools, and identifies optical emission lines. It was applied to the sample of extreme line emitters identified in the miniJPAS Survey, and its derived physical properties such as stellar mass and age, coupled with fundamental relations, mirror results obtained through spectral modelling of SDSS spectra. Thorough testing using galaxies with documented photometric measurements across different wavelengths confirmed the pipeline’s accuracy, demonstrating its capability for automated analysis of sources with varying characteristics, spanning brightness, morphology, and redshifts. The modular nature of this pipeline facilitates any addition from the user.

Early Growth of the Star Formation Rate Function in the Epoch of Reionization: An Approach with Rest-frame Optical Emissions

We present a star formation rate function (SFRF) at z ∼ 6 based on star formation rates (SFRs) derived by spectral energy distribution fitting on data from rest-frame UV to optical wavelengths of galaxies in the CANDELS GOODS-South and North fields. The resulting SFRF shows an excess compared to the previous estimations by using rest-frame UV luminosity functions (LFs) corrected for the dust attenuation and is comparable to that estimated from a far-infrared LF. This suggests that the number density of dust-obscured intensively star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 6 has been underestimated in the previous approach based only on rest-frame UV observations. We parameterize the SFRF using the Schechter function and obtain the best-fit parameter of the characteristic SFR (SFR*) when the faint-end slope and characteristic number density are fixed. The best-fit SFR* at z ∼ 6 is comparable to that at z ∼ 2, when the cosmic star formation activity reaches its peak. Together with SFRF estimations with a similar approach using rest-frame UV to optical data, the SFR* is roughly constant from z ∼ 2 to ∼6 and may decrease above z ∼ 6. Since the SFR* is sensitive to the high-SFR end of the SFRF, this evolution of SFR* suggests that the high-SFR end of the SFRF grows rapidly during the epoch of reionization and reaches a similar level observed at z ∼ 2.

New insights into the role of AGNs in forming the cluster red sequence

ABSTRACT As a considerable investment of time from various telescope facilities was dedicated toward studying the Spiderweb protocluster at z = 2.2, it so far remains one of the most extensively studied protocluster. We report here the latest results in this field, adding a new dimension to previous research on cluster formation at high redshift. Previous studies have reported a significant overdensity (δ ∼ 10) of massive Hα (+ [N ii])-emitting galaxies in 3700 comoving Mpc3. Many of these were previously considered to be dusty, actively star-forming galaxies, given their rest-frame optical and infrared features. However, this study argues that a third of them are more likely to be ‘passively evolving’ galaxies with low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs) rather than star-forming galaxies, given the multiwavelength spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting including an AGN component. For their SED-based star formation rates to be valid, bulk of their Hα + [N ii] emission should come from the central AGNs. This difference in interpretation between this work and past studies, including ours, is particularly supported by the recent deep Chandra/X-ray observation. Furthermore, we have spectroscopically confirmed a quiescent nature for one of these AGNs, with its multiple stellar absorption lines but also low-ionization emission lines. This important update provides new insights into the role of AGNs in forming the cluster red sequence observed in the present-day universe.

Evolved Massive Stars at Low Metallicity. VI. Mass-loss Rate of Red Supergiant Stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Mass loss is a crucial process that affects the observational properties, evolution path, and fate of highly evolved stars. However, the mechanism of mass loss is still unclear, and the mass-loss rate (MLR) of red supergiant stars (RSGs) requires further research and precise evaluation. To address this, we utilized an updated and complete sample of RSGs in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and employed the 2-DUST radiation transfer model and spectral energy distribution fitting approach to determine the dust-production rates (DPRs) and dust properties of the RSGs. We have fitted 4714 selected RSGs with over 100,000 theoretical templates of evolved stars. Our results show that the DPR range of RSGs in the LMC is 10−11 M ⊙ yr−1–10−7 M ⊙ yr−1, and the total DPR of all RSGs is 1.14 ×10−6 M ⊙ yr−1. We find that 63.3% RSGs are oxygen-rich, and they account for 97.2% of the total DPR. The optically thin RSG, which comprise 30.6% of our sample, contribute only 0.1% of the total DPR, while carbon-rich RSGs (6.1%) produce 2.7% of the total DPR. Overall, 208 RSGs contributed 76.6% of the total DPR. We have established a new relationship between the MLR and luminosity of RSGs in the LMC, which exhibits a positive trend and a clear turning point at logL/L⊙≈4.4 .

EMU/GAMA: A technique for detecting active galactic nuclei in low mass systems

Abstract We propose a new method for identifying active galactic nuclei (AGN) in low mass ( $\mathrm{M}_*\leq10^{10}\mathrm{M}_\odot$ ) galaxies. This method relies on spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to identify galaxies whose radio flux density has an excess over that expected from star formation alone. Combining data in the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) G23 region from GAMA, Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) early science observations, and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), we compare this technique with a selection of different AGN diagnostics to explore the similarities and differences in AGN classification. We find that diagnostics based on optical and near-infrared criteria (the standard BPT diagram, the WISE colour criterion, and the mass-excitation, or MEx diagram) tend to favour detection of AGN in high mass, high luminosity systems, while the “ProSpect” SED fitting tool can identify AGN efficiently in low mass systems. We investigate an explanation for this result in the context of proportionally lower mass black holes in lower mass galaxies compared to higher mass galaxies and differing proportions of emission from AGN and star formation dominating the light at optical and infrared wavelengths as a function of galaxy stellar mass. We conclude that SED-derived AGN classification is an efficient approach to identify low mass hosts with low radio luminosity AGN.

JWST Confirms the Nature of CID-42

The galaxy CID-42 (CXOC J100043.1+020637.2) at z = 0.359 has been proposed to contain a promising candidate for a gravitational-wave recoiling supermassive black hole (SMBH), a slingshot SMBH from a triple-SMBH interaction, or a kiloparsec-scale dual active galactic nucleus (AGN). These claims were primarily based on a pair of bright cores separated by ∼0.″5 resolved in optical Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging. Existing HST, Chandra, and ground-based imaging and spectroscopy are unable to confirm either scenario. With improved spatial resolution, depth, and IR wavelength coverage, NIRCam multiband imaging from the COSMOS-Web JWST treasury program well resolved the two cores in CID-42, revealing a significant stellar bulge for both cores (with stellar masses of ∼1010 M ⊙ for both). JWST imaging further revealed that only the SE core contains an unobscured AGN point source, based on both image decomposition and spectral energy distribution fitting. There is no evidence for AGN activity in the NW core based on the current data. These new observations unambiguously rule out the gravitational-wave-recoiling and slingshot-SMBH scenarios and establish CID-42 as a low-redshift merging pair of galaxies, with likely only one active AGN in the system. These results demonstrate the unparalleled capabilities of JWST (even with imaging alone) in studying the galactic-scale environment of merging galaxies and SMBHs.

S-Process Enriched Evolved Binaries in the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds

Abstract Post-asymptotic giant branch stars (post-AGB) in binary systems, with typical orbital periods between $\sim\!100$ to $\sim$ 1 000 days, result from a poorly understood interaction that terminates their precursory AGB phase. The majority of these binaries display a photospheric anomaly called ‘chemical depletion’, thought to arise from an interaction between the circumbinary disc and the post-AGB star, leading to the reaccretion of pure gas onto the star, devoid of refractory elements due to dust formation. In this paper, we focus on a subset of chemically peculiar binary post-AGBs in the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds (MCs). Our detailed stellar parameter and chemical abundance analysis utilising high-resolution optical spectra from VLT+UVES revealed that our targets span a $T_{\rm eff}$ of 4 900–7 250 K and [Fe/H] of −0.5 - −1.57 dex. Interestingly, these targets exhibit a carbon ([C/Fe] ranging from 0.5 - 1.0 dex, dependant on metallicity) and s-process enrichment ( $\textrm{[s/Fe]}\,\geq\!1$ dex) contrary to the commonly observed chemical depletion pattern. Using spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting and period–luminosity–colour (PLC) relation methods, we determine the luminosity of the targets (2 700–8 300 $\rm L_{\odot}$ ), which enables confirmation of their evolutionary phase and estimation of initial masses (as a function of metallicity) (1–2.5 $\textrm{M}_{\odot}$ ). In conjunction with predictions from dedicated ATON stellar evolutionary models, our results indicate a predominant intrinsic enrichment of carbon and s-process elements in our binary post-AGB targets. We qualitatively rule out extrinsic enrichment and inherited s-process enrichment from the host galaxy as plausible explanations for the observed overabundances. Our chemically peculiar subset of intrinsic carbon and s-process enriched binary post-AGBs also hints at potential variation in the efficiency of chemical depletion between stars with C-rich and O-rich circumbinary disc chemistries. However, critical observational studies of circumbinary disc chemistry, along with specific condensation temperature estimates in C-rich environments, are necessary to address gaps in our current understanding of disc-binary interactions inducing chemical depletion in binary post-AGB systems.

Outshining by Recent Star Formation Prevents the Accurate Measurement of High-z Galaxy Stellar Masses

We demonstrate that the inference of galaxy stellar masses via spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting techniques for galaxies formed in the first billion years after the Big Bang carries fundamental uncertainties owing to the loss of star formation history (SFH) information from the very first episodes of star formation in the integrated spectra of galaxies. While this early star formation can contribute substantially to the total stellar mass of high-redshift systems, ongoing star formation at the time of detection outshines the residual light from earlier bursts, hampering the determination of accurate stellar masses. As a result, order-of-magnitude uncertainties in stellar masses can be expected. We demonstrate this potential problem via direct numerical simulation of galaxy formation in a cosmological context. In detail, we carry out two cosmological simulations with significantly different stellar feedback models, which span a significant range in SFH burstiness. We compute the mock SEDs for these model galaxies at z = 7 via calculations of 3D dust radiative transfer, and then backward fit these SEDs with prospector SED fitting software. The uncertainties in derived stellar masses that we find for z > 7 galaxies motivate the development of new techniques and/or priors for SFH to model star formation in the early Universe.