Massive Star-forming Galaxies Research Articles

Which AGN jets quench star formation in massive galaxies?

ABSTRACT Without additional heating, radiative cooling of the halo gas of massive galaxies (Milky Way-mass and above) produces cold gas or stars exceeding that observed. Heating from active galactic nucleus (AGN) jets is likely required, but the jet properties remain unclear. This is particularly challenging for galaxy simulations, where the resolution is orders-of-magnitude insufficient to resolve jet formation and evolution. On such scales, the uncertain parameters include the jet energy form [kinetic, thermal, cosmic ray (CR)]; energy, momentum, and mass flux; magnetic fields; opening angle; precession; and duty cycle. We investigate these parameters in a $10^{14}\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ halo using high-resolution non-cosmological magnetohydrodynamic simulations with the FIRE-2 (Feedback In Realistic Environments) stellar feedback model, conduction, and viscosity. We explore which scenarios qualitatively meet observational constraints on the halo gas and show that CR-dominated jets most efficiently quench the galaxy by providing CR pressure support and modifying the thermal instability. Mildly relativistic (∼MeV or ∼1010K) thermal plasma jets work but require ∼10 times larger energy input. For fixed energy flux, jets with higher specific energy (longer cooling times) quench more effectively. For this halo mass, kinetic jets are inefficient at quenching unless they have wide opening or precession angles. Magnetic fields also matter less except when the magnetic energy flux reaches ≳ 1044 erg s−1 in a kinetic jet model, which significantly widens the jet cocoon. The criteria for a successful jet model are an optimal energy flux and a sufficiently wide jet cocoon with a long enough cooling time at the cooling radius.

Interrelation of the Environment of Lyα Emitters and Massive Galaxies at 2 < z < 4.5

Abstract We present a comparison of the spatial distributions of Lyα emitters (LAEs) and massive star-forming and quiescent galaxies (SFGs and QGs) at 2 < z < 4.5. We use the photometric redshift catalog to select SFGs and QGs and an LAE catalog from intermediate/narrow bands obtained from the Subaru Telescope and Isaac Newton Telescope in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS). We derive the auto-/cross-correlation signals of SFGs, QGs, and LAEs and the galaxy overdensity distributions at the position of them. Whereas the cross-correlation signals of SFGs and QGs are explained solely by their halo mass differences, those of SFGs and LAEs are significantly lower than those expected from their autocorrelation signals, suggesting that some additional physical processes are segregating these two populations. Such segregation of SFGs and LAEs becomes stronger for rest-frame ultraviolet faint LAEs (M UV > −20). From the overdensity distributions, LAEs are located in less dense regions than SFGs and QGs, whereas SFGs and QGs tend to be in the same overdensity distributions. The different spatial distributions of LAEs compared to those of massive galaxies may be attributed to assembly bias or large amounts of neutral hydrogen gas associated with massive halos. These results reinforce the importance of exploring multiple galaxy populations in quantifying the intrinsic galaxy environment of the high-z universe.

A study of the H I gas fractions of galaxies at z ∼ 1

Aims. Due to the fact that H I mass measurements are not available for large galaxy samples at high redshifts, we apply a photometric estimator of the H I-to-stellar mass ratio (MHI/M*), calibrated using a local Universe sample of galaxies, to a sample of galaxies at z ∼ 1 in the DEEP2 survey. We use these H I mass estimates to calculate H I mass functions (HIMFs) and cosmic H I mass densities (ΩHI) as well as to examine the correlation between star formation rates and H I gas content for galaxies at z ∼ 1. Methods. We have estimated H I gas masses for ∼7000 galaxies in the DEEP2 survey with redshifts in the range 0.75 < z < 1.4 and stellar masses M* ≳ 1010 M⊙ using a combination of the rest-frame ultraviolet-optical colour (NUV − r) and stellar mass density (μ*) to estimate MHI/M*. Results. It is found that the high-mass end of the high-z HIMF is quite similar to that of the local HIMF. The lower limit of ΩHI,limit = 2.1 × 10−4 h70−1, obtained by directly integrating the H I mass of galaxies with M* ≳ 1010 M⊙, confirms that massive star-forming galaxies do not dominate the neutral gas at z ∼ 1. We study the evolution of the H I-to-stellar mass ratio from z ∼ 1 to today and find a steeper relation between the H I gas mass fraction and stellar mass at higher redshifts. Specifically, galaxies with M* = 1011 M⊙ at z ∼ 1 are found to have 3−4 times higher neutral gas fractions than local galaxies, while the increase is as high as 4−12 times at M* = 1010 M⊙. The quantity MHI/SFR exhibits very large scatter, and the scatter increases from factors of 5−7 at z = 0 to factors close to 100 at z = 1. This implies that there is no relation between H I gas and star formation in high-redshift galaxies. The H I gas must be linked to cosmological gas accretion processes at high redshifts.

Searching for Mg ii absorbers in and around galaxy clusters

ABSTRACT To study environmental effects on the circumgalactic medium (CGM), we use the samples of redMaPPer galaxy clusters, background quasars, and cluster galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). With ∼82 000 quasar spectra, we detect 197 Mg ii absorbers in and around the clusters. The detection rate per quasar is 2.7 ± 0.7 times higher inside the clusters than outside the clusters, indicating that Mg ii absorbers are relatively abundant in clusters. However, when considering the galaxy number density, the absorber-to-galaxy ratio is rather low inside the clusters. If we assume that Mg ii absorbers are mainly contributed by the CGM of massive star-forming galaxies, a typical halo size of cluster galaxies is smaller than that of field galaxies by 30 ± 10 per cent. This finding supports that galaxy haloes can be truncated by interaction with the host cluster.

A titanic interstellar medium ejection from a massive starburst galaxy at redshift 1.4

Feedback-driven winds from star formation or active galactic nuclei might be a relevant channel for the abrupt quenching star formation in massive galaxies. However, both observations and simulations support the idea that these processes are non-conflictingly co-evolving and self-regulating. Furthermore, evidence of disruptive events that are capable of fast quenching is rare, and constraints on their statistical prevalence are lacking. Here we present a massive starburst galaxy at z=1.4 which is ejecting $46 \pm 13$\% of its molecular gas mass at a startling rate of $\gtrsim 10,000$ M$_{\odot}{\rm yr}^{-1}$. A broad component that is red-shifted from the galaxy emission is detected in four (low- and high-J) CO and [CI] transitions and in the ionized phase, which ensures a robust estimate of the expelled gas mass. The implied statistics suggest that similar events are potentially a major star-formation quenching channel. However, our observations provide compelling evidence that this is not a feedback-driven wind, but rather material from a merger that has been probably tidally ejected. This finding challenges some literature studies in which the role of feedback-driven winds might be overstated.

In pursuit of giants

The dust-to-stellar mass ratio (Mdust/M⋆) is a crucial, albeit poorly constrained, parameter for improving our understanding of the complex physical processes involved in the production of dust, metals, and stars in galaxy evolution. In this work, we explore trends of Mdust/M⋆ with different physical parameters and using observations of 300 massive dusty star-forming galaxies detected with ALMA up to z ≈ 5. Additionally, we interpret our findings with different models of dusty galaxy formation. We find that Mdust/M⋆ evolves with redshift, stellar mass, specific star formation rates, and integrated dust size, but that evolution is different for main-sequence galaxies than it is for starburst galaxies. In both galaxy populations, Mdust/M⋆ increases until z ∼ 2, followed by a roughly flat trend towards higher redshifts, suggesting efficient dust growth in the distant universe. We confirm that the inverse relation between Mdust/M⋆ and M⋆ holds up to z ≈ 5 and can be interpreted as an evolutionary transition from early to late starburst phases. We demonstrate that the Mdust/M⋆ in starbursts reflects the increase in molecular gas fraction with redshift and attains the highest values for sources with the most compact dusty star formation. State-of-the-art cosmological simulations that include self-consistent dust growth have the capacity to broadly reproduce the evolution of Mdust/M⋆ in main-sequence galaxies, but underestimating it in starbursts. The latter is found to be linked to lower gas-phase metallicities and longer dust-growth timescales relative to observations. The results of phenomenological models based on the main-sequence and starburst dichotomy as well as analytical models that include recipes for rapid metal enrichment are consistent with our observations. Therefore, our results strongly suggest that high Mdust/M⋆ is due to rapid dust grain growth in the metal-enriched interstellar medium. This work highlights the multi-fold benefits of using Mdust/M⋆ as a diagnostic tool for: (1) disentangling main-sequence and starburst galaxies up to z ∼ 5; (2) probing the evolutionary phase of massive objects; and (3) refining the treatment of the dust life cycle in simulations.

Galaxy Sizes Since z = 2 from the Perspective of Stellar Mass Distribution within Galaxies

Abstract How stellar mass assembles within galaxies is still an open question. We present measurements of the stellar mass distribution on kiloparsec-scales for ∼5500 galaxies with stellar masses above up to redshift 2.0. We create stellar mass maps from Hubble Space Telescope observations by means of the pixel-by-pixel spectral energy distribution fitting method. These maps are used to derive radii encompassing 20%, 50%, and 80% (r 20, r 50, and r 80) of the total stellar mass from the best-fit Sérsic models. The reliability and limitations of the structural parameter measurements are checked extensively using a large sample (∼3000) of simulated galaxies. The size–mass relations and redshift evolution of r 20, r 50, and r 80 are explored for star-forming and quiescent galaxies. At fixed mass, the star-forming galaxies do not show significant changes in their r 20, r 50, and r 80 sizes, indicating self-similar growth. Only above the pivot stellar mass of does r 80 evolve as r 80 ∝ (1 + z)−0.85±0.20, indicating that mass builds up in the outskirts of these systems (inside-out growth). The Sérsic values also increase for the massive star-forming galaxies toward late cosmic time. Massive quiescent galaxies show stronger size evolution at all radii, in particular, the r 20 sizes. For these massive galaxies, Sérsic values remain almost constant since at least z ∼ 1.3, indicating that the strong size evolution is related to the changes in the outer parts of these galaxies. We make all the structural parameters publicly available.

Disentangling the multiphase circumgalactic medium shared between a dwarf and a massive star-forming galaxy at z∼0.4

ABSTRACT The multiphase circumgalactic medium (CGM) arises within the complex environment around a galaxy, or collection of galaxies, and possibly originates from a wide range of physical mechanisms. In this paper, we attempt to disentangle the origins of these multiphase structures and present a detailed analysis of the quasar field Q0122−003 field using Keck/KCWI galaxy observations and HST/COS spectra probing the CGM. Our re-analysis of this field shows that there are two galaxies associated with the absorption. We have discovered a dwarf galaxy, G_27kpc (M⋆ = 108.7 M⊙), at z = 0.39863 that is 27 kpc from the quasar sightline. G_27kpc is only +21 km s−1 from a more massive (M⋆ = 1010.5 M⊙) star-forming galaxy, G_163kpc, at an impact parameter of 163 kpc. While G_163kpc is actively forming stars (SFR = 6.9 M⊙ yr−1), G_27kpc has a low star-formation rate (SFR = 0.08 ± 0.03 M⊙ yr−1) and star formation surface density (ΣSFR = 0.006 M⊙ kpc−2 yr−1), implying no active outflows. By comparing galaxy SFRs, kinematics, masses, and distances from the quasar sightline to the absorption kinematics, column densities, and metallicities, we have inferred the following: (1) Part of the low-ionization phase has a metallicity and kinematics consistent with being accreted on to G_27kpc. (2) The remainder of the low ionization phase has metallicities and kinematics consistent with being intragroup gas being transferred from G_27kpc to G_163kpc. (3) The high ionization phase is consistent with being produced solely by outflows originating from the massive halo of G_163kpc. Our results demonstrate the complex nature of the multiphase CGM, especially around galaxy groups, and that detailed case-by-case studies are critical for disentangling its origins.

Dust continuum, CO, and [C i] 1 − 0 lines: self-consistent H2 mass estimates and the possibility of globally CO-‘dark’ galaxies at z = 0.35

ABSTRACT We present Atacama Large Millimetre Array observations of a small but statistically complete sample of 12 250-μm-selected galaxies at z = 0.35 designed to measure their dust submillimeter continuum emission as well as their $\rm {^{12}CO(1-0)}$ and atomic carbon [C i](3P1−3P0) spectral lines. This is the first sample of galaxies with global measures of all three H2-mass tracers and that shows star formation rates (4–26 $\rm M_{\odot}$ yr−1) and infrared luminosities ($1\!-\!6\times 10^{11}\,\rm L_{\odot}$) typical of star-forming galaxies in their era. We find a surprising diversity of morphology and kinematic structure; one third of the sample have evidence for interaction with nearby smaller galaxies, several sources have disjoint dust and gas morphology. Moreover, two galaxies have very high $L^{\prime }_{\rm C\,{\small I}}$ / $L^{\prime }_{\rm {CO}}$ ratios for their global molecular gas reservoirs; if confirmed, such extreme intensity ratios in a sample of dust-selected, massive star-forming galaxies present a challenge to our understanding of interstellar medium. Finally, we use the emission of the three molecular gas tracers, to determine the carbon abundance, $\rm {X_{C\,{\small I}}}$ , and CO–$\rm {H_2}$ conversion αCO in our sample, using a weak prior that the gas-to-dust ratio is similar to that of the Milky Way for these massive and metal-rich galaxies. Using a likelihood method that simultaneously uses all three gas tracer measurements, we find mean values and errors on the mean of $\langle\alpha _{\rm {CO}}\rangle = 3.0\pm 0.5\, \rm {M}_{\odot }\, (\rm{K}\, \rm{kms}^{-1}\, \rm{pc}^2)^{-1}$ and $\langle \rm{X}_{\rm{CI}} \rangle =1.6\pm 0.1\times 10^{-5}$ (or $\alpha _{\rm{CI}} = 18.8\,\rm {M}_{\odot }\, (\rm{K}\, \rm{kms}^{-1}\, \rm{pc}^2)^{-1}$) and $\delta _{\rm {GDR}} = 128\pm 16$ (or $\alpha _{850} = 5.9\times 10^{12}\, \rm {W}\, \rm{Hz}^{-1}\,\rm {M}_{\odot }\,^{-1}$), where our starting assumption is that these metal-rich galaxies have an average gas-to-dust ratio similar to that of the Milky Way centred on $\rm{\delta} _{\rm {GDR}} =135$.

Tightly Coupled Morpho-kinematic Evolution for Massive Star-forming and Quiescent Galaxies across 7 Gyr of Cosmic Time

Abstract We use the Fundamental Plane (FP) to measure the redshift evolution of the dynamical mass-to-light ratio (M dyn/L) and the dynamical-to-stellar mass ratio (M dyn/M *). Although conventionally used to study the properties of early-type galaxies, we here obtain stellar kinematic measurements from the Large Early Galaxy Astrophysics Census (LEGA-C) Survey for a sample of ∼1400 massive ( ) galaxies at 0.6 < z < 1.0 that span a wide range in star formation activity. In line with previous studies, we find a strong evolution in M dyn/L g with redshift. In contrast, we find only a weak dependence of the mean value of M dyn/M * on the specific star formation rate, and a redshift evolution that likely is explained by systematics. Therefore, we demonstrate that star-forming and quiescent galaxies lie on the same, stable mass FP across 0 < z < 1, and that the decrease in M dyn/L g toward high redshift can be attributed entirely to evolution of the stellar populations. Moreover, we show that the growth of galaxies in size and mass is constrained to occur within the mass FP. Our results imply either minimal structural evolution in massive galaxies since z ∼ 1, or a tight coupling in the evolution of their morphological and dynamical properties, and establish the mass FP as a tool for studying galaxy evolution with low impact from progenitor bias.

The [O iii]+H β equivalent width distribution at z ≃ 7: implications for the contribution of galaxies to reionization

ABSTRACT We quantify the distribution of [O iii]+H β line strengths at z ≃ 7 using a sample of 20 bright ($\mathrm{M}_{\mathrm{UV}}^{}$ ≲ –21) galaxies. We select these systems over wide-area fields (2.3 deg2 total) using a new colour-selection that precisely selects galaxies at z ≃ 6.63–6.83, a redshift range where blue Spitzer/IRAC [3.6]−[4.5] colours unambiguously indicate strong [O iii]+H β emission. These 20 galaxies suggest a lognormal [O iii]+H β EW distribution with median EW = 759$^{+112}_{-113}$ Å and standard deviation = 0.26$^{+0.06}_{-0.05}$ dex. We find no evidence for strong variation in this EW distribution with UV luminosity. The typical [O iii]+H β EW at z ≃ 7 implied by our sample is considerably larger than that in massive star-forming galaxies at z ≃ 2, consistent with a shift towards larger average sSFR (4.4 Gyr−1) and lower metallicities (0.16 Z⊙). We also find evidence for the emergence of a population with yet more extreme nebular emission ([O iii]+H β EW > 1200 Å) that is rarely seen at lower redshifts. These objects have extremely large sSFR (>30 Gyr−1), as would be expected for systems undergoing a burst or upturn in star formation. While this may be a short-lived phase, our results suggest that 20 per cent of the z ≃ 7 population has such extreme nebular emission, implying that galaxies likely undergo intense star formation episodes regularly at z > 6. We argue that this population may be among the most effective ionizing agents in the reionization era, both in terms of photon production efficiency and escape fraction. We furthermore suggest that galaxies passing through this large sSFR phase are likely to be very efficient in forming bound star clusters.

The ALPINE-ALMA [CII] survey

We present ALMA observations of a merging system atz ∼ 4.57, observed as a part of the ALMA Large Program to INvestigate [CII] at Early times (ALPINE) survey. Combining ALMA [CII]158 μm and far-infrared continuum data with multi-wavelength ancillary data, we find that the system is composed of two massive (M⋆ ≳ 1010 M⊙) star-forming galaxies experiencing a major merger (stellar mass ratiormass ≳ 0.9) at close spatial (∼13 kpc; projected) and velocity (Δv < 300 km s−1) separations, and two additional faint narrow [CII]-emitting satellites. The overall system belongs to a larger scale protocluster environment and is coincident to one of its overdensity peaks. Additionally, ALMA reveals the presence of [CII] emission arising from a circumgalactic gas structure, extending up to a diameter-scale of ∼30 kpc. Our morpho-spectral decomposition analysis shows that about 50% of the total flux resides between the individual galaxy components, in a metal-enriched gaseous envelope characterised by a disturbed morphology and complex kinematics. Similarly to observations of shock-excited [CII] emitted from tidal tails in local groups, our results can be interpreted as a possible signature of interstellar gas stripped by strong gravitational interactions, with a possible contribution from material ejected by galactic outflows and emission triggered by star formation in small faint satellites. Our findings suggest that mergers could be an efficient mechanism of gas mixing in the circumgalactic medium around high-zgalaxies, and thus play a key role in the galaxy baryon cycle at early epochs.

On the origin of low escape fractions of ionizing radiation from massive star-forming galaxies at high redshift

ABSTRACT The physical origin of low escape fractions of ionizing radiation derived from massive star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 3–4 is not well understood. We perform idealized disc galaxy simulations to understand how galactic properties such as metallicity and gas mass affect the escape of Lyman continuum (LyC) photons using radiation-hydrodynamic simulations with strong stellar feedback. We find that the luminosity-weighted escape fraction from a metal-poor (Z = 0.002) galaxy embedded in a halo of mass $M_{\rm h}\simeq 10^{11}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ is $\left\langle {f_{\rm esc}^{\rm 3D}}\right\rangle \simeq 10\, {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. Roughly half of the LyC photons are absorbed within scales of 100 pc, and the other half is absorbed in the ISM ($\lesssim 2\, {\rm kpc}$). When the metallicity of the gas is increased to Z = 0.02, the escape fraction is significantly reduced to $\left\langle {f_{\rm esc}^{\rm 3D}}\right\rangle \simeq 1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ because young stars are enshrouded by their birth clouds for a longer time. In contrast, increasing the gas mass by a factor of 5 leads to $\left\langle {f_{\rm esc}^{\rm 3D}}\right\rangle \simeq 5\, {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ because LyC photons are only moderately absorbed by the thicker disc. Our experiments suggest that high metallicity is likely more responsible for the low escape fractions observed in massive star-forming galaxies, supporting the scenario in which the escape fraction is decreasing with increasing halo mass. Finally, negligible correlation is observed between the escape fraction and surface density of star formation or galactic outflow rates.

HI 21-centimetre emission from an ensemble of galaxies at an average redshift of one.

Baryonic processes in galaxy evolution include the infall of gas onto galaxies to form neutral atomic hydrogen, which is then converted to the molecular state (H2), and, finally, the conversion of H2 to stars. Understanding galaxy evolution thus requires an understanding of the evolution of stars and of neutral atomic and molecular hydrogen. For the stars, the cosmic star-formation rate density is known to peak at redshifts from 1 to 3, and to decline by an order of magnitude over approximately the subsequent 10 billion years1; the causes of this decline are not known. For the gas, the weakness of the hyperfine transition of HI at 21-centimetre wavelength-the main tracer of the HI content of galaxies-means that it has not hitherto been possible to measure the atomic gas mass of galaxies at redshifts higher than about 0.4; this is a critical gap in our understanding of galaxy evolution. Here we report a measurement of the average HI mass of star-forming galaxies at a redshift of about one, obtained by stacking2 their individual HI 21-centimetre emission signals. We obtain an average HI mass similar to the average stellar mass of the sample. We also estimate the average star-formation rate of the same galaxies from the 1.4-gigahertz radio continuum, and find that the HI mass can fuel the observed star-formation rates for only 1 to 2 billion years in the absence of fresh gas infall. This suggests that gas accretion onto galaxies at redshifts of less than one may have been insufficient to sustain high star-formation rates in star-forming galaxies. This is likely to be the cause of the decline in the cosmic star-formation rate density at redshifts below one.

GOODS-ALMA: Optically dark ALMA galaxies shed light on a cluster in formation at z = 3.5

Thanks to its outstanding angular resolution, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has recently unambiguously identified a population of optically dark galaxies with redshifts greater than z = 3, which play an important role in the cosmic star formation in massive galaxies. In this paper we study the properties of the six optically dark galaxies detected in the 69 arcmin2 GOODS-ALMA 1.1 mm continuum survey. While none of them are listed in the deepest H-band based CANDELS catalog in the GOODS-South field down to H = 28.16 AB, we were able to de-blend two of them from their bright neighbor and measure an H-band flux for them. We present the spectroscopic scan follow-up of five of the six sources with ALMA band 4. All are detected in the 2 mm continuum with signal-to-noise ratios higher than eight. One emission line is detected in AGS4 (νobs = 151.44 GHz with an S/N = 8.58) and AGS17 (νobs = 154.78 GHz with an S/N = 10.23), which we interpret in both cases as being due to the CO(6–5) line at zspecAGS4 = 3.556 and zspecAGS17 = 3.467, respectively. These redshifts match both the probability distribution of the photometric redshifts derived from the UV to near-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and the far-infrared SEDs for typical dust temperatures of galaxies at these redshifts. We present evidence that nearly 70% (4/6 of galaxies) of the optically dark galaxies belong to the same overdensity of galaxies at z ∼ 3.5. overdensity The most massive one, AGS24 (M⋆ = 1011.32−0.19+0.02 M⊙), is the most massive galaxy without an active galactic nucleus at z > 3 in the GOODS-ALMA field. It falls in the very center of the peak of the galaxy surface density, which suggests that the surrounding overdensity is a proto-cluster in the process of virialization and that AGS24 is the candidate progenitor of the future brightest cluster galaxy.

Structural Evolution in Massive Galaxies at z ∼ 2

Abstract We present 0.″2 resolution Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations at 870 μm in a stellar mass–selected sample of 85 massive ( ) star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at in the CANDELS/3D-Hubble Space Telescope fields of UDS and GOODS-S. We measure the effective radius of the rest-frame far-infrared (FIR) emission for 62 massive SFGs. They are distributed over wide ranges of FIR size from to . The effective radius of the FIR emission is smaller by a factor of than the effective radius of the optical emission and is smaller by a factor of than the half-mass radius. Taking into account potential extended components, the FIR size would change only by ∼10%. By combining the spatial distributions of the FIR and optical emission, we investigate how galaxies change the effective radius of the optical emission and the stellar mass within a radius of 1 kpc, . The compact starburst puts most of the massive SFGs on the mass–size relation for quiescent galaxies (QGs) at z ∼ 2 within 300 Myr if the current star formation activity and its spatial distribution are maintained. We also find that within 300 Myr, ∼38% of massive SFGs can reach the central mass of , which is around the boundary between massive SFGs and QGs. These results suggest an outside-in transformation scenario in which a dense core is formed at the center of a more extended disk, likely via dissipative in-disk inflows. Synchronized observations at ALMA 870 μm and James Webb Space Telescope 3–4 μm will explicitly verify this scenario.

Ejective and preventative: the IllustrisTNG black hole feedback and its effects on the thermodynamics of the gas within and around galaxies

ABSTRACT Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) that reside at the centres of galaxies can inject vast amounts of energy into the surrounding gas and are thought to be a viable mechanism to quench star formation in massive galaxies. Here, we study the $10^{9-12.5}\, \mathrm{M_\odot }$ stellar mass central galaxy population of the IllustrisTNG simulation, specifically the TNG100 and TNG300 volumes at z = 0, and show how the three components – SMBH, galaxy, and circumgalactic medium (CGM) – are interconnected in their evolution. We find that gas entropy is a sensitive diagnostic of feedback injection. In particular, we demonstrate how the onset of the low-accretion black hole (BH) feedback mode, realized in the IllustrisTNG model as a kinetic, BH-driven wind, leads not only to star formation quenching at stellar masses $\gtrsim 10^{10.5}\, \mathrm{M_\odot }$ but also to a change in thermodynamic properties of the (non-star-forming) gas, both within the galaxy and beyond. The IllustrisTNG kinetic feedback from SMBHs increases the average gas entropy, within the galaxy and in the CGM, lengthening typical gas cooling times from $10\!-\!100\, \mathrm{Myr}$ to $1\!-\!10\, \mathrm{Gyr}$, effectively ceasing ongoing star formation and inhibiting radiative cooling and future gas accretion. In practice, the same active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback channel is simultaneously ‘ejective’ and ‘preventative’ and leaves an imprint on the temperature, density, entropy, and cooling times also in the outer reaches of the gas halo, up to distances of several hundred kiloparsecs. In the IllustrisTNG model, a long-lasting quenching state can occur for a heterogeneous CGM, whereby the hot and dilute CGM gas of quiescent galaxies contains regions of low-entropy gas with short cooling times.

The Compact Star-forming Galaxies at 2 < z < 3 in 3D-HST/CANDELS: AGN and Non-AGN Physical Properties

We investigate the differences in the stellar population properties, the structure, and the environment between massive compact star-forming galaxies (cSFGs) with or without active galactic nucleus (AGN) at 2 < z < 3 in the five 3D-Hubble Space Telescope/CANDELS fields. In a sample of 221 massive cSFGs, we constitute the most complete AGN census so far, identifying 66 AGNs by the X-ray detection, the mid-infrared color criterion, and/or the spectral energy distribution fitting, while the rest (155) are non-AGNs. Further dividing these cSFGs into two redshift bins, i.e., 2 < z < 2.5 and 2.5 ≤ z < 3, we find that in each redshift bin the cSFGs with AGNs have similar distributions of the stellar mass, the specific star formation rate, and the ratio of LIR to LUV to those without AGNs. After having performed a two-dimensional surface brightness modeling for those cSFGs with X-ray-detected AGNs (37) to correct for the influence of the central point-like X-ray AGN on measuring the structural parameters of its host galaxy, we find that in each redshift bin the cSFGs with AGNs have comparable distributions of all concerned structural parameters, i.e., the Sérsic index, the 20%-light radius, the Gini coefficient, and the concentration index, to those without AGNs. With a gradual consumption of available gas and dust, the structure of cSFGs, indicated by the above structural parameters, seem to be slightly more concentrated with decreasing redshift. At 2 < z < 3, the similar environment between cSFGs with and without AGNs suggests that their AGN activities are potentially triggered by internal secular processes, such as gravitational instabilities or/and dynamical friction.

Star Formation in Massive Galaxies at Redshift z ∼ 0.5

Abstract It is believed that massive galaxies have quenched their star formation because of active galactic nucleus feedback. However, recent studies have shown that some massive galaxies are still forming stars. We analyze the morphology of star formation regions for galaxies of stellar masses larger than 1011.3 M ⊙ at around redshift z r = 0.5 using u − z color images. We find that about 20% of the massive galaxies are star-forming (SF) galaxies, and most of them (∼85%) have asymmetric structures induced by recent mergers. Moreover, for these asymmetric galaxies, we find that the asymmetry of the SF regions becomes larger for bluer galaxies. Using the Illustris simulation, we can qualitatively reproduce the observed relation between asymmetry parameter and color. Furthermore, using the merger trees in the simulation, we find a correlation between the color of the main branch galaxies at z r = 0.5 and the sum of the star formation rates of the recently accreted galaxies, which implies that star formation of the accreted galaxies has contributed to the observed star formation of the massive (host) galaxies (ex situ star formation). Furthermore, we find two blue and symmetric galaxies, candidates for massive blue disks, in our observed sample, which indicates that about ∼10% of massive SF galaxies are forming stars in the normal mode of disk star formation (in situ star formation). With the simulation, we find that the disk galaxies at z r ≈ 0.5 should have experienced few major mergers during the last 4.3 Gyr.

The Most Predictive Physical Properties for the Stellar Population Radial Profiles of Nearby Galaxies

Abstract We present a study on the radial profiles of the D4000, luminosity-weighted stellar ages τ L, and luminosity-weighted stellar metallicities [Z/H]L of 3654 nearby galaxies (0.01 &lt; z &lt; 0.15) using the IFU spectroscopic data from the MaNGA survey available in the SDSS DR15, in an effort to explore the connection between median stellar population radial gradients (i.e., ∇D4000, ∇τ L, ∇[Z/H]L) out to ∼1.5 R e and various galaxy properties, including stellar mass (M ⋆), specific star formation rate (sSFR), morphologies, and local environment. We find that M ⋆ is the single most predictive physical property for ∇D4000 and ∇[Z/H]L. The most predictive properties for ∇τ L are sSFR and, to a lesser degree, M ⋆. The environmental parameters, including local galaxy overdensities and central–satellite division, have virtually no correlation with stellar population radial profiles for the whole sample, but the ∇D4000 of star-forming satellite galaxies with M ⋆ ≲ 1010 M ⊙ exhibit a significant positive correlation with galaxy overdensities. Galaxies with lower sSFR have on average steeper negative stellar population gradients, and this sSFR dependence is stronger for more massive star-forming galaxies. The negative correlation between the median stellar population gradients and M ⋆ are best described largely as segmented relationships, whereby median gradients of galaxies with log M ⋆ ≲ 10.0 (with the exact value depending on sSFR) have much weaker mass dependence than galaxies with higher M ⋆. While the dependence of the radial gradients of ages and metallicities on T-Types and central stellar mass surface densities are generally not significant, galaxies with later T-Types or lower central mass densities tend to have significantly lower D4000, younger τ L, and lower [Z/H]L across the radial ranges probed in this study.