Spectral Energy Distributions Of Galaxies Research Articles

CIGALE: a python Code Investigating GALaxy Emission

Context. Measuring how the physical properties of galaxies change across cosmic times is essential to understand galaxy formation and evolution. With the advent of numerous ground-based and space-borne instruments launched over the past few decades we now have exquisite multi-wavelength observations of galaxies from the far-ultraviolet (FUV) to the radio domain. To tap into this mine of data and obtain new insight into the formation and evolution of galaxies, it is essential that we are able to extract information from their spectral energy distribution (SED). Aims. We present a completely new implementation of Code Investigating GALaxy Emission (CIGALE). Written in python, its main aims are to easily and efficiently model the FUV to radio spectrum of galaxies and estimate their physical properties such as star formation rate, attenuation, dust luminosity, stellar mass, and many other physical quantities. Methods. To compute the spectral models, CIGALE builds composite stellar populations from simple stellar populations combined with highly flexible star formation histories, calculates the emission from gas ionised by massive stars, and attenuates both the stars and the ionised gas with a highly flexible attenuation curve. Based on an energy balance principle, the absorbed energy is then re-emitted by the dust in the mid- and far-infrared domains while thermal and non-thermal components are also included, extending the spectrum far into the radio range. A large grid of models is then fitted to the data and the physical properties are estimated through the analysis of the likelihood distribution. Results. CIGALE is a versatile and easy-to-use tool that makes full use of the architecture of multi-core computers, building grids of millions of models and analysing samples of thousands of galaxies, both at high speed. Beyond fitting the SEDs of galaxies and parameter estimations, it can also be used as a model-generation tool or serve as a library to build new applications.

Probing cosmic dawn: modelling the assembly history, SEDs, and dust content of selected z ∼ 9 galaxies

The presence of spectroscopically confirmed Balmer breaks in galaxy spectral energy distributions (SEDs) at $z>9$ provides one of the best probes of the assembly history of the first generations of stars in our Universe. Recent observations of the gravitationally lensed source, MACS 1149_JD1 (JD1), indicate that significant amounts of star formation likely occurred at redshifts as high as $z\simeq15$. The inferred stellar mass, dust mass, and assembly history of JD1, or any other galaxy at these redshifts that exhibits a strong Balmer break, can provide a strong test of our best theoretical models from high-resolution cosmological simulations. In this work, we present the results from a cosmological radiation-hydrodynamics simulation of the region surrounding a massive Lyman-break galaxy. For two of our most massive systems, we show that dust preferentially resides in the vicinity of the young stars thereby increasing the strength of the measured Balmer break such that the simulated SEDs are consistent with the photometry of JD1 and two other $z>9$ systems (GN-z10-3 and GN-z9-1) that have proposed Balmer breaks at high redshift. We find strong variations in the shape and luminosity of the SEDs of galaxies with nearly identical stellar and halo masses, indicating the importance of morphology, assembly history, and dust distribution in making inferences on the properties of individual galaxies at high redshifts. Our results stress the importance that dust may play in modulating the observable properties of galaxies, even at the extreme redshifts of $z>9$.

FirstLight III: rest-frame UV-optical spectral energy distributions of simulated galaxies at cosmic dawn

Using the FirstLight database of 300 zoom-in cosmological simulations we provide rest-frame UV-optical spectral energy distributions of galaxies with complex star-formation histories that are coupled to the non-uniform gas accretion history of galactic halos during cosmic dawn. The population at any redshift is very diverse ranging from starbursts to quiescent galaxies even at a fixed stellar mass. This drives a redshift-dependent relation between UV luminosity and stellar mass with a large scatter, driven by the specific star formation rate. The UV slope and the production efficiency of Lyman continuum photons have high values, consistent with dust-corrected observations. This indicates young stellar populations with low metallicities. The FirstLight simulations make predictions on the rest-frame UV-optical absolute magnitudes, colors and optical emission lines of galaxies at z=6-12 that will be observed for the first time with JWST and the next generation of telescopes in the coming decade.

Unveiling the enigma of ATLAS17aeu

Aims. The unusual transient ATLAS17aeu was serendipitously detected within the sky localisation of the gravitational wave trigger GW 170104. The importance of a possible association with gravitational waves coming from a binary black hole merger led to an extensive follow-up campaign, with the aim of assessing a possible connection with GW 170104. Methods. With several telescopes, we carried out both photometric and spectroscopic observations of ATLAS17aeu, for several epochs, between ∼3 and ∼230 days after the first detection. Results. We studied in detail the temporal and spectroscopic properties of ATLAS17aeu and its host galaxy. Although at low significance and not conclusive, we found similarities to the spectral features of a broad-line supernova superposed onto an otherwise typical long-GRB afterglow. Based on analysis of the optical light curve, spectrum, and host galaxy spectral energy distribution, we conclude that the redshift of the source is probably z ≃ 0.5 ± 0.2. Conclusions. While the redshift range we have determined is marginally compatible with that of the gravitational wave event, the presence of a supernova component and the consistency of this transient with the Ep–Eiso correlation support the conclusion that ATLAS17aeu was associated with the long gamma-ray burst GRB 170105A. This rules out the association of the GRB 170105A/ATLAS17aeu transient with the gravitational wave event GW 170104, which was due to a binary black hole merger.

The Far-infrared Emission of the First Massive Galaxies

Abstract Massive Population II galaxies undergoing the first phase of vigorous star formation after the initial Population III stage should have high energy densities and silicate-rich interstellar dust. We have modeled the resulting far-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs), demonstrating that they are shifted substantially to bluer (“warmer”) wavelengths relative to the best fitting ones at z ≈ 3, and with strong outputs in the 10–40 μm range. When combined with a low level of emission by carbon dust, their SEDs match that of Haro 11, a local moderately low-metallicity galaxy undergoing a very young and vigorous starburst that is likely to approximate the relevant conditions in young Population II galaxies. We expect to see similar SEDs at high redshifts (z ≳ 5) given the youth of galaxies at this epoch. In fact, we find a progression with redshift in observed galaxy SEDs, from those resembling local ones at 2 ≲ z < 4 to a closer resemblance with Haro 11 at 5 ≲ z < 7. In addition to the insight on conditions in high-redshift galaxies, this result implies that estimates of the total infrared luminosities at z ∼ 6 based on measurements near λ ∼ 1 mm can vary by factors of 2–4, depending on the SED template used. Currently popular modified blackbodies or local templates can result in significant underestimates compared with the preferred template based on the SED of Haro 11.

HELP: modelling the spectral energy distributions ofHerscheldetected galaxies in the ELAIS N1 field

Aims.TheHerschelExtragalactic Legacy Project (HELP) focuses on the data from ESA’sHerschelmission, which covered over 1300 deg2and is preparing to publish a multi-wavelength catalogue of millions of objects. Our main goal is to find the best approach to simultaneously fitting spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of millions of galaxies across a wide redshift range to obtain homogeneous estimates of the main physical parameters of detected infrared (IR) galaxies.Methods.We perform SED fitting on the ultraviolet(UV)/near-infrared(NIR) to far-infrared(FIR) emission of 42 047 galaxies from the pilot HELP field: ELAIS N1. To do this we use the latest release of CIGALE, a galaxy SED fitting code relying on energy balance, to deliver the main physical parameters such as stellar mass, star formation rate, and dust luminosity. We implement additional quality criteria to the fits by calculatingχ2values for the stellar and dust part of the spectra independently. These criteria allow us to identify the best fits and to identify peculiar galaxies. We perform the SED fitting of ELAIS N1 galaxies by assuming three different dust attenuation laws separately allowing us to test the impact of the assumed law on estimated physical parameters.Results.We implemented two additional quality value checks for the SED fitting method based on stellar mass estimation and energy budget. This method allows us to identify possible objects with incorrect matching in the catalogue and peculiar galaxies; we found 351 possible candidates of lensed galaxies using two complementaryχ2s criteria (stellar and infraredχ2s) and photometric redshifts calculated for the IR part of the spectrum only. We find that the attenuation law has an important impact on the stellar mass estimate (on average leading to disparities of a factor of two). We derive the relation between stellar mass estimates obtained by three different attenuation laws and we find the best recipe for our sample. We also make independent estimates of the total dust luminosity parameter from stellar emission by fitting the galaxies with and without IR data separately.

A tiny host galaxy for the first giant black hole:z = 7.5 quasar in BlueTides

The most distant known quasar recently discovered by Ba\~nados et al. (2018) is at $z=7.5$ (690 Myr after the Big Bang), at the dawn of galaxy formation. We explore the host galaxy of the brightest quasar in the large volume cosmological hydrodynamic simulation BlueTides, which in Phase II has reached these redshifts. The brightest quasar in BlueTides has a luminosity of a $\sim$ few $10^{13} L_{\odot}$ and a black hole mass of $6.4 \times 10^{8} M_{\odot}$ at $z \sim 7.5$, comparable to the observed quasar (the only one in this large volume). The quasar resides in a rare halo of mass $M_{H} \sim 10^{12} M_{\odot}$ and has a host galaxy of stellar mass of $4 \times 10^{10}M_{\odot}$ with an ongoing (intrinsic) star formation rate of $\sim 80 M_{\odot} yr^{-1}$. The corresponding intrinsic UV magnitude of the galaxy is $-23.1$, which is roughly $2.7$ magnitudes fainter than the quasar's magnitude of $-25.9$. We find that the galaxy is highly metal enriched with a mean metallicity equal to the solar value. We derive quasar and galaxy spectral energy distribution (SED) in the mid and near infrared JWST bands. We predict a significant amount of dust attenuation in the rest-frame UV corresponding to $A_{1500} \sim 1.7$ giving an UV based SFR of $\sim 14 M_{\odot} yr^{-1}$. We present mock JWST images of the galaxy with and without central point source, in different MIRI and NIRCam filters. The host galaxy is detectable in NIRCam filters, but it is extremely compact ($R_{E}=0.35$ kpc). It will require JWST's exquisite sensitivity and resolution to separate the galaxy from the central point source. Finally within the FOV of the quasar in BlueTides there are two more sources that would be detectable by JWST.

Dust attenuation and Hα emission in a sample of galaxies observed with Herschel at 0.6 < z < 1.6

Context. Dust attenuation shapes the spectral energy distribution of galaxies. It is particularly true for dusty galaxies in which stars experience a heavy attenuation. The combination of UV to IR photometry with the spectroscopic measurement of the Hα recombination line helps to quantify dust attenuation of the whole stellar population and its wavelength dependence. Aims. We want to derive the shape of the global attenuation curve and the amount of obscuration affecting young stars or nebular emission and the bulk of the stellar emission in a representative sample of galaxies selected in IR. We will compare our results to the commonly used recipes of Calzetti et al. and Charlot and Fall, and to predictions of radiative transfer models. Methods. We selected an IR complete sample of galaxies in the COSMOS 3D-HST CANDELS field detected with the Herschel satellite with a signal to noise ratio larger than five. Optical to NIR photometry is available as well as NIR spectroscopy for each source. We reduced the sample to the redshift range 0.6 < z < 1.6 to include the Hα line in the G141 grism spectra. We have used a new version of the CIGALE code to fit simultaneously the continuum and Hα line emission of the 34 selected galaxies. Results. Using flexible attenuation laws with free parameters, we are able to measure the shape of the attenuation curve for each galaxy as well as the amount of attenuation of each stellar population, the former being in general steeper than the starburst law in the UV-optical with a large variation of the slope among galaxies. The attenuation of young stars or nebular continuum is found on average about twice the attenuation affecting older stars, again with a large variation. Our model with power-laws, based on a modification of the Charlot and Fall recipe, gives results in better agreement with the radiative transfer models than the global modification of the slope of the Calzetti law.

The Ultraviolet–Infrared Color–Magnitude Relation of Star-forming Galaxies

In this note we identify and characterize the ultraviolet-infrared color-magnitude relation of star-forming galaxies. The ultraviolet to mid-infrared flux ratios of star-forming galaxies span over two orders of magnitude and show a clear dependence on absolute magnitude from M_W3 ~ -13 to M_W3 ~ -25, which may present problems for models of galaxy spectral energy distributions that have been largely verified on ~L* galaxies. The color-magnitude relation of star-forming galaxies illustrates the broadband spectral diversity of star-forming galaxies that results from established correlations between the physical properties and mass, including the mass-metallicity relation.

DirtyGrid I: 3D Dust Radiative Transfer Modeling of Spectral Energy Distributions of Dusty Stellar Populations

Abstract Understanding the properties of stellar populations and interstellar dust has important implications for galaxy evolution. In normal star-forming galaxies, stars and the interstellar medium dominate the radiation from ultraviolet (UV) to infrared (IR). In particular, interstellar dust absorbs and scatters UV and optical light, re-emitting the absorbed energy in the IR. This is a strongly nonlinear process that makes independent studies of the UV-optical and IR susceptible to large uncertainties and degeneracies. Over the years, UV to IR spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting utilizing varying approximations has revealed important results on the stellar and dust properties of galaxies. Yet the approximations limit the fidelity of the derived properties. There is sufficient computer power now available that it is now possible to remove these approximations and map out of landscape of galaxy SEDs using full dust radiative transfer. This improves upon previous work by directly connecting the UV, optical, and IR through dust grain physics. We present the DirtyGrid, a grid of radiative transfer models of SEDs of dusty stellar populations in galactic environments designed to span the full range of physical parameters of galaxies. Using the stellar and gas radiation input from the stellar population synthesis model PEGASE, our radiative transfer model DIRTY self-consistently computes the UV to far-IR/sub-mm SEDs for each set of parameters in our grid. DIRTY computes the dust absorption, scattering, and emission from the local radiation field and a dust grain model, thereby physically connecting the UV-optical to the IR. We describe the computational method and explain the choices of parameters in DirtyGrid. The computation took millions of CPU hours on supercomputers, and the SEDs produced are an invaluable tool for fitting multi-wavelength data sets. We provide the complete set of SEDs in an online table.

The JWST Extragalactic Mock Catalog: Modeling Galaxy Populations from the UV through the Near-IR over 13 Billion Years of Cosmic History

We present an original phenomenological model to describe the evolution of galaxy number counts, morphologies, and spectral energy distributions across a wide range of redshifts (0.2<z<15) and stellar masses [Log10 M/Msun >6]. Our model follows observed mass and luminosity functions of both star-forming and quiescent galaxies, and reproduces the redshift evolution of colors, sizes, star-formation and chemical properties of the observed galaxy population. Unlike other existing approaches, our model includes a self-consistent treatment of stellar and photoionized gas emission and dust attenuation based on the BEAGLE tool. The mock galaxy catalogs generated with our new model can be used to simulate and optimize extragalactic surveys with future facilities such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), and to enable critical assessments of analysis procedures, interpretation tools, and measurement systematics for both photometric and spectroscopic data. As a first application of this work, we make predictions for the upcoming JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES), a joint program of the JWST/NIRCam and NIRSpec Guaranteed Time Observations teams. We show that JADES will detect, with NIRCam imaging, thousands of galaxies at z>6, and tens at z>10 at m_AB<30 (5-sigma) within the 236 arcmin^2 of the survey. The JADES data will enable accurate constraints on the evolution of the UV luminosity function at z>8, and resolve the current debate about the rate of evolution of galaxies at z>8. Ready to use mock catalogs and software to generate new realizations are publicly available as the JAdes extraGalactic Ultradeep Artificial Realizations (JAGUAR) package.

The Nature of Deeply Buried Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies: A Unified Model for Highly Obscured Dusty Galaxy Emission

Abstract We present models of deeply buried ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and use them to construct a three-dimensional diagram for diagnosing the nature of observed ULIRGs. Our goal is to construct a suite of SEDs for a very simple model ULIRG structure, and to explore how well this simple model can (by itself) explain the full range of observed ULIRG properties. We use our diagnostic to analyze archival Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Spectrograph data of ULIRGs and find that: (1) in general, our model does provide a comprehensive explanation of the distribution of mid-IR ULIRG properties; (2) &gt;75% (in some cases 100%) of the bolometric luminosities of the most deeply buried ULIRGs must be powered by a dust-enshrouded active galactic nucleus; (3) an unobscured “keyhole” view through ≲10% of the obscuring medium surrounding a deeply buried ULIRG is sufficient to make it appear nearly unobscured in the mid-IR; (4) the observed absence of deeply buried ULIRGs with large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) equivalent widths is naturally explained by our models, showing that deep absorption features are “filled-in” by small quantities of foreground unobscured PAH emission (e.g., from the host galaxy disk) at the level of ∼1% the bolometric nuclear luminosity. The modeling and analysis we present will also serve as a powerful tool for interpreting the high angular resolution spectra of high-redshift sources to be obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope.

Far-infrared and Nebular Star Formation Rates of Dusty Star-forming Galaxies from Herschel and 3D-HST at z ∼ 1

We present results of a multi-band Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) and nebular emission line analysis of a sample of 1147 spectroscopically identified dusty star-forming galaxies at 0.49 < z < 2.24 from Herschel/SPIRE and HST/WFC3 grism observations in the five CANDELS fields: AEGIS, GOODS-N, GOODS-S, COSMOS, and UDS. We use the spectroscopic redshifts measured from nebular lines to construct the SEDs of galaxies from the optical to the infrared using HST and Herschel photometry. We further utilize the 3D-HST grism Ha line flux measurements to measure the nebular star-formation rates after correcting for attenuation. We compare this with direct observations of the SFR measurements in the far-infrared from Herschel. Observation of the infrared excess (IRX) in this sample as a function of the UV spectral slope reveals that these DSFGs deviate toward bluer colors, thus sitting well above the expected relation for normal star-forming galaxies. The high-z dusty galaxies have a stellar mass distribution that is skewed towards larger masses, with $M_{med} = 2.6 \times 10^{10} M_{\odot}$. However this population has star-formation rates consistent with the most massive tail of the main sequence, showing that these are both the most massive and the most star-forming galaxies during the peak epoch of formation.

Predictions for deep galaxy surveys with JWST from ΛCDM

We present predictions for the outcome of deep galaxy surveys with the $James$ $Webb$ $Space$ $Telescope$ ($JWST$) obtained from a physical model of galaxy formation in $\Lambda$CDM. We use the latest version of the GALFORM model, embedded within a new ($800$ Mpc)$^{3}$ dark matter only simulation with a halo mass resolution of $M_{\rm halo}>2\times10^{9}$ $h^{-1}$ M$_{\odot}$. For computing full UV-to-mm galaxy spectral energy distributions, including the absorption and emission of radiation by dust, we use the spectrophotometric radiative transfer code GRASIL. The model is calibrated to reproduce a broad range of observational data at $z\lesssim6$, and we show here that it can also predict evolution of the rest-frame far-UV luminosity function for $7\lesssim z\lesssim10$ which is in good agreement with observations. We make predictions for the evolution of the luminosity function from $z=16$ to $z=0$ in all broadband filters on the Near InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) and Mid InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) on $JWST$ and present the resulting galaxy number counts and redshift distributions. Our fiducial model predicts that $\sim1$ galaxy per field of view will be observable at $z\sim11$ for a $10^4$ s exposure with NIRCam. A variant model, which produces a higher redshift of reionization in better agreement with $Planck$ data, predicts number densities of observable galaxies $\sim5\times$ greater at this redshift. Similar observations with MIRI are predicted not to detect any galaxies at $z\gtrsim6$. We also make predictions for the effect of different exposure times on the redshift distributions of galaxies observable with $JWST$, and for the angular sizes of galaxies in $JWST$ bands.

High-redshift Galaxies and Black Holes Detectable with the JWST: A Population Synthesis Model from Infrared to X-Rays

Abstract The first billion years of the Universe has been a pivotal time: stars, black holes (BHs), and galaxies formed and assembled, sowing the seeds of galaxies as we know them today. Detecting, identifying, and understanding the first galaxies and BHs is one of the current observational and theoretical challenges in galaxy formation. In this paper we present a population synthesis model aimed at galaxies, BHs, and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at high redshift. The model builds a population based on empirical relations. The spectral energy distribution of galaxies is determined by age and metallicity, and that of AGNs by BH mass and accretion rate. We validate the model against observations, and predict properties of galaxies and AGN in other wavelength and/or luminosity ranges, estimating the contamination of stellar populations (normal stars and high-mass X-ray binaries) for AGN searches from the infrared to X-rays, and vice versa for galaxy searches. For high-redshift galaxies with stellar ages , we find that disentangling stellar and AGN emission is challenging at restframe UV/optical wavelengths, while high-mass X-ray binaries become more important sources of confusion in X-rays. We propose a color–color selection in the James Webb Space Telescope bands to separate AGN versus star-dominated galaxies in photometric observations. We also estimate the AGN contribution, with respect to massive, hot, and metal-poor stars, at driving high-ionization lines, such as C iv and He ii. Finally, we test the influence of the minimum BH mass and occupation fraction of BHs in low-mass galaxies on the restframe UV/near-IR and X-ray AGN luminosity function.

Composite Spectral Energy Distributions and Infrared–Optical Colors of Type 1 and Type 2 Quasars

Abstract We present observed mid-infrared and optical colors and composite spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of type 1 (broad-line) and 2 (narrow-line) quasars selected from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopy. A significant fraction of powerful quasars are obscured by dust and are difficult to detect in optical photometric or spectroscopic surveys. However, these may be more easily identified on the basis of mid-infrared (MIR) colors and SEDs. Using samples of SDSS type 1 and 2 matched in redshift and [O iii] luminosity, we produce composite rest-frame 0.2–15 μm SEDs based on SDSS, UKIDSS, and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer photometry and perform model fits using simple galaxy and quasar SED templates. The SEDs of type 1 and 2 quasars are remarkably similar, with the differences explained primarily by the extinction of the quasar component in the type 2 systems. For both types of quasar, the flux of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) relative to the host galaxy increases with AGN luminosity ( L [ O III ] ) and redder observed MIR color, but we find only weak dependencies of the composite SEDs on mechanical jet power as determined through radio luminosity. We conclude that luminous quasars can be effectively selected using simple MIR color criteria similar to those identified previously ( W 1 – W 2 &gt; 0.7 ; Vega), although these criteria miss many heavily obscured objects. Obscured quasars can be further identified based on optical–IR colors (for example, ( u – W 3 [ AB ] ) &gt; 1.4 ( W 1 – W 2 [ Vega ] ) + 3.2 ). These results illustrate the power of large statistical studies of obscured quasars selected on the basis of MIR and optical photometry.

Modeling low-resolution galaxy spectral energy distribution with evolutionary algorithms

Abstract Astrophysics and Cosmology are entering in a new epoch in which an extremely large volume of data is accessible by the researchers. Consequently, the researchers have to modify their procedures for data analysis to adapt them to this new scenario. This requires the incorporation of new scientific computing resources able to maintain, at least, the present scientific production performance. As part of this increment in the data volume, it should be underlined the number of high-quality galaxy spectra produced by the new instruments. Galaxy spectra are important in Astrophysics because of they encode essential information, such as age and metallicity, of the constituent stellar populations, and, therefore the evolutionary history of the corresponding galaxy. In this work, these galaxy spectra are modeled by using Simple Stellar Populations. This mechanism to model the galaxy spectra allows an in-depth understanding of the present state of the galaxy, but also it allows understanding its past evolution. However, this modeling requires to adequately combine more than one Simple Stellar Population to reproduce the galaxy spectral energy distribution. To find high-quality solutions, metaheuristic algorithms are suitable. In this work, a wide portfolio of metaheuristics are evaluated to reproduce the Low-Resolution Spectra Energy Distribution of galaxies: M110, M32, and NGC3190. The final aim of this work is to advance in the evaluation of some metaheuristics for modeling the Spectral Energy Distribution of a galaxy as a combination of predefined Simple Stellar Populations Spectra.

Unsupervised feature-learning for galaxy SEDs with denoising autoencoders

With the increasing number of deep multi-wavelength galaxy surveys, the spectral energy distribution (SED) of galaxies has become an invaluable tool for studying the formation of their structures and their evolution. In this context, standard analysis relies on simple spectro-photometric selection criteria based on a few SED colors. If this fully supervised classification already yielded clear achievements, it is not optimal to extract relevant information from the data. In this article, we propose to employ very recent advances in machine learning, and more precisely in feature learning, to derive a data-driven diagram. We show that the proposed approach based on denoising autoencoders recovers the bi-modality in the galaxy population in an unsupervised manner, without using any prior knowledge on galaxy SED classification. This technique has been compared to principal component analysis (PCA) and to standard color/color representations. In addition, preliminary results illustrate that this enables the capturing of extra physically meaningful information, such as redshift dependence, galaxy mass evolution and variation over the specific star formation rate. PCA also results in an unsupervised representation with physical properties, such as mass and sSFR, although this representation separates out. less other characteristics (bimodality, redshift evolution) than denoising autoencoders.

Nebular Continuum and Line Emission in Stellar Population Synthesis Models

Abstract Accounting for nebular emission when modeling galaxy spectral energy distributions (SEDs) is important, as both line and continuum emissions can contribute significantly to the total observed flux. In this work, we present a new nebular emission model integrated within the Flexible Stellar Population Synthesis code that computes the line and continuum emission for complex stellar populations using the photoionization code Cloudy. The self-consistent coupling of the nebular emission to the matched ionizing spectrum produces emission line intensities that correctly scale with the stellar population as a function of age and metallicity. This more complete model of galaxy SEDs will improve estimates of global gas properties derived with diagnostic diagrams, star formation rates based on Hα, and physical properties derived from broadband photometry. Our models agree well with results from other photoionization models and are able to reproduce observed emission from H ii regions and star-forming galaxies. Our models show improved agreement with the observed H ii regions in the Ne iii/O ii plane and show satisfactory agreement with He ii emission from z = 2 galaxies, when including rotating stellar models. Models including post-asymptotic giant branch stars are able to reproduce line ratios consistent with low-ionization emission regions. The models are integrated into current versions of FSPS and include self-consistent nebular emission predictions for MIST and Padova+Geneva evolutionary tracks.

Panchromatic spectral energy distributions of simulated galaxies: results at redshift z = 0

We present predictions of Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs), from the UV to the FIR, of simulated galaxies at $z=0$. These were obtained by post-processing the results of an N-body+hydro simulation of a small cosmological volume, that uses the Multi-Phase Particle Integrator (MUPPI) for star formation and stellar feedback, with the GRASIL-3D radiative transfer code, that includes reprocessing of UV light by dust. Physical properties of galaxies resemble observed ones, though with some tension at small and large stellar masses. Comparing predicted SEDs of simulated galaxies with different samples of local galaxies, we find that these resemble observed ones, when normalised at 3.6 $\mu$m. A comparison with the Herschel Reference Survey shows that, when binning galaxies in Star Formation Rate (SFR), average SEDs are reproduced to within a factor of $\sim2$ even in normalization, while binning in stellar mass highlights the same tension that is present in the stellar mass -- SFR plane. We use our sample to investigate the correlation of IR luminosity in Spitzer and Herschel bands with several galaxy properties. SFR is the quantity that best correlates with IR light up to $160\ \mu$m, while at longer wavelengths better correlations are found with molecular mass and, at $500\ \mu$m, with dust mass. However, using the position of the FIR peak as a proxy for cold dust temperature, we assess that heating of cold dust is mostly determined by SFR, with stellar mass giving only a minor contribution. We finally show how our sample of simulated galaxies can be used as a guide to understand the physical properties and selection biases of observed samples.