Galaxy Formation Research Articles

The AstroSat UV Deep Field South. I. Far- and Near-ultraviolet Source Catalog of the GOODS South Region

We present the AstroSat UV Deep Field south (AUDFs), an imaging survey using the wide-field Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope on board AstroSat. AUDFs cover ∼236 arcmin2 of the sky area, including the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) South field in F154W and N242W filters. The deep and shallow parts of AUDFs have an exposure time ∼62,000 and ∼31,000 s, respectively, in the F154W filter, while in the N242W filter, they are ∼64,000 and ∼34,000 s. These observations reached a 3σ depth of 27.2 and 27.7 AB mag with a 50% completeness limit of 27 and 27.6 AB mag in the F154W and N242W filters, respectively. With the acquired depth, AUDFs is the deepest far- and near-UV imaging data covering the largest area known to date at 1.″2–1.″6 spatial resolution. Two primary catalogs were constructed for the F154W and N242W filters, each containing 13,495 and 19,374 sources brighter than the 3σ detection limit, respectively. Our galaxy counts of a power-law slope of ∼0.43 dex mag−1 in the N242W filter match well with Hubble Space Telescope/Wide-Field Camera 3/UVIS observations. A wide range of extragalactic science can be achieved with this unique data, such as providing a sample of galaxies emitting ionizing photons in the redshift range of z ∼1–3 and beyond, constraining the UV luminosity function, investigating the extended UV emission around star-forming galaxies and UV morphologies for z < 1. The UV catalog will enhance the legacy value of the existing optical/IR imaging and spectroscopic observations from ground- and space-based telescopes on the GOODS South field.

A search for H i absorption in distant star-forming galaxies with ASKAP-FLASH - I. Selection and analysis of the radio sample

Abstract We present and discuss two catalogues of UV-selected (NUV &amp;lt;22.8 mag) galaxies that lie within a 200 deg2 area of sky covered by the ASKAP FLASH survey and have an impact parameter of less than 20 arcsec to a FLASH radio continuum source. These catalogues are designed to enable a future search for 21 cm H i absorption in and around star-forming galaxies at redshift 0.4 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 1. We outline the production of this UV-bright dataset, which has optical spectroscopy from the WiggleZ and SDSS surveys and a median redshift of ∼0.6. Analysis of the optical spectra, using multiple diagnostic diagrams, shows that galaxies with an impact parameter of less than 5 arcsec are likely to be physically associated with the radio source and are five times more likely to be an AGN than objects without a radio match. Conversely, objects with impact factors between 5 and 20 arcsec are largely (&amp;gt; 80 percent) star-forming and resemble the overall WiggleZ population. The (g − i) colour evolution with redshift is consistent with a history of active star-formation, but the radio-associated objects are typically redder and have colours similar to high-excitation radio galaxies. The redshift distribution of the two catalogues matches the overall distribution for WiggleZ galaxies, despite their otherwise rare radio properties. These catalogues can be expanded in future as new radio data become available, and a forthcoming paper will present the H i absorption results.

Radio-AGN activity across the galaxy population: dependence on stellar mass, star-formation rate, and redshift

Abstract We characterise the co-evolution of radio-loud AGN and their galaxies by mapping the dependence of radio-loud AGN activity on stellar mass and star-formation rate (SFR) across cosmic time (out to z ∼ 1.5). Deep LOFAR radio observations are combined with large galaxy samples to study the incidence of radio-loud AGN across the galaxy population; the AGN are further split into low-excitation radio galaxies (LERGs) and high-excitation radio galaxies (HERGs). We find that LERG activity occurs over a wide range of SFRs, whereas HERGs are typically found in galaxies with ongoing star formation. The LERGs are then split based on their SFRs relative to the main sequence, across redshift. Within quiescent galaxies, LERG activity shows a steep stellar mass dependence with the same normalisation across the past ∼ 10 Gyr; this indicates that hot gas fuels LERGs in quiescent galaxies across cosmic time. In massive galaxies ($\log _{10}(M/\rm {{\rm M}_{\odot }}) \gtrsim 11$), the incidence of LERGs is roughly constant across the galaxy population, suggesting that LERGs in massive galaxies may be fuelled by hot gas regardless of the star-formation activity. At lower masses, however, LERG activity is significantly more enhanced (by a factor of up to 10) in star-forming galaxies compared to quiescent galaxies; this suggests that an additional fuelling mechanism, likely associated with cold gas, may fuel the LERGs in galaxies with higher SFRs. We find that HERGs typically accrete above 1percnt of the Eddington-scaled accretion rate, and the LERGs typically accrete below this level.

MAMMOTH-Subaru. II. Diverse Populations of Circumgalactic Lyα Nebulae at Cosmic Noon

Circumgalactic Lyα nebulae are gaseous halos around galaxies exhibiting luminous extended Lyα emission. This work investigates Lyα nebulae from deep imaging of ∼12 deg2 sky, targeted by the MAMMOTH-Subaru survey. Utilizing the wide-field capability of Hyper Suprime-Cam, we present one of the largest blind Lyα nebula selections, including QSO nebulae, Lyα blobs, and radio galaxy nebulae down to the typical 2σ Lyα surface brightness of (5-10)×10−18ergs−1cm−2arcsec−2 . The sample contains 117 nebulae with Lyα sizes of 40–400 kpc, and the most gigantic one spans about 365 kpc, and is referred to as the Ivory Nebula. Combining multiwavelength data, we investigate diverse nebula populations and associated galaxies. We find a small fraction of Lyα nebulae have QSOs (∼7%), luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs; ∼1%), and radio galaxies (∼2%). Remarkably, among the 28 enormous Lyα nebulae (ELANe) exceeding 100 kpc, about 80% are associated with UV-faint galaxies (M UV > −22), and are categorized as Type II ELANe. We underscore that Type II ELANe constitute the majority but remain largely hidden in current galaxy and QSO surveys. Dusty starburst and obscured AGN activity are proposed to explain the nature of Type II ELANe. The spectral energy distribution of stacking all Lyα nebulae also reveals signs of massive dusty star-forming galaxies with obscured AGNs. We propose a model to explain the dusty nature where the diverse populations of Lyα nebulae capture massive galaxies at different evolutionary stages undergoing violent assembly. Lyα nebulae provide critical insights into the formation and evolution of today’s massive cluster galaxies at cosmic noon.

A resolved Lyman alpha profile with doubly peaked emission at z~7

The epoch of reionization is a landmark in structure formation and galaxy evolution. How it happened is still not clear, especially regarding which population of objects was responsible for contributing the bulk of ionizing photons to this process. Doubly peaked Lyman-alpha profiles in this epoch are of particular interest since they hold information about the escape of ionizing radiation and the environment surrounding the source. We wish to understand the escape mechanisms of ionizing radiation in Ly alpha Lyalpha ts fi emitters during this time and the origin of a doubly peaked Lyman-alpha profile. We also wish to estimate the size of a potential ionized bubble. Using radiative transfer models, we fit the line profile of a bright Ly alpha Lyalpha ts fi emitter at $z 6.9$ using various gas geometries. The line modeling reveals significant radiation escape from this system. The studied source shows significant escape ($f_ esc Ly alpha Lyalpha ts fi as predicted by the best fitting radiative transfer model) and appears to inhabit an ionized bubble of radius b \,pMpc t_ age $. Radiative transfer modeling predicts the line to be completely redward of the systemic redshift. We suggest the line morphology is produced by inflows, by multiple components emitting Lyalpha , or by an absorbing component in the red wing. We propose that CDFS-1's profile has two red peaks produced by winds within the system. Its high $f_ esc Ly alpha Lyalpha ts fi ) and the low-velocity offset from the systemic redshift suggest that the source is an active ionizing agent. Future observations will reveal whether a peak is present blueward of the systemic redshift or if multiple components produce the profile.

Predictions for the abundance and clustering of Hα emitting galaxies

Abstract We predict the surface density and clustering bias of Hα emitting galaxies for the Euclid and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope redshift surveys using a new calibration of the GALFORM galaxy formation model. We generate 3000 GALFORM models to train an ensemble of deep learning algorithms to create an emulator. We then use this emulator in a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) parameter search of an eleven-dimensional parameter space, to find a best-fitting model to a calibration dataset that includes local luminosity function data, and, for the first time, higher redshift data, namely the number counts of Hα emitters. We discover tensions when exploring fits for the observational data when applying a heuristic weighting scheme in the MCMC framework. We find improved fits to the Hα number counts while maintaining appropriate predictions for the local universe luminosity function. For a flux limited Euclid-like survey to a depth of 2 × 10−16 erg−1 s−1 cm−2 for sources in the redshift range 0.9 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 1.8, we estimate 2962-4331 Hα emission-line sources deg−2. For a Nancy Grace Roman survey, with a flux limit of 1 × 10−16 erg−1 s−1 cm−2 and a redshift range 1.0 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 2.0, we predict 6786-10322 Hα emission-line sources deg−2.

Double red giant branch and red clump features of Galactic disc stellar populations with Gaia gspspec

The bimodality of the Milky Way disc, in the form of a thick short disc and a thinner more radially extended one, encrypts the complex internal evolution of our Galaxy and its interaction with the environment. To disentangle the different competing physical processes at play in Galactic evolution, a detailed chrono-chemical-kinematical and dynamical characterisation of the disc bimodality is necessary, including high number statistics. Here, we make use of an extremely precise sub-sample of the Gaia DR3 catalogue of stellar chemo-physical parameters. The selected database is composed of 408 800 stars with a median uncertainty of 10 K, 0.03, and 0.01 dex in and respectively. The stellar parameter precision allows us to break the age-metallicity degeneracy of disc stars. For the first time, the disc bimodality in the Kiel diagram of giant stars is observed, getting rid of interstellar absortion issues. This bimodality produces double red giant branch sequences and red clump features for mono-metallicity populations. A comparison with BaSTI isochrones allows us to demonstrate that an age gap is needed to explain the evolutionary sequence separation, in agreement with previous age-metallicity relations obtained using sub-giant stars. A bimodal distribution in the stellar mass- plane is observed at constant metallicity. Finally, a selection of stars with 0.03 dex shows that the most metal-rich population in the Milky Way disc presents an important proportion of stars with ages in the range of 5-13 Gyr, in agreement with previous literature findings. This old, extremely metal-rich population is possibly a mix of migrated stars from the internal Galactic regions, and old disc stars formed before the last major merger of the Milky Way. The Gaia Kiel diagrams of disc mono-abundance stellar populations reveal a complex, non-linear age-metallicity relation crafted by internal and external processes of Galactic evolution. Their detailed analysis opens new opportunities to reconstruct the puzzle of the Milky Way disc bimodality.

Accelerated formation of ultra-massive galaxies in the first billion years.

Recent James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations have revealed an unexpected abundance of massive-galaxy candidates in the early Universe, extending further in redshift and to lower luminosity than what had previously been found by submillimetre surveys1-6. These JWST candidates have been interpreted as challenging the Λ cold dark-matter cosmology (where Λ is the cosmological constant)7-9, but, so far, these studies have mostly relied on only rest-frame ultraviolet data and have lacked spectroscopic confirmation of their redshifts10-16. Here we report a systematic study of 36 massive dust-obscured galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts between 5 and 9 from the JWST FRESCO survey. We find no tension with the Λ cold dark-matter model in our sample. However, three ultra-massive galaxies (logM★/M⊙ ≳ 11.0, where M★ is the stellar mass and M⊙ is the mass of the Sun) require an exceptional fraction of 50 per cent of baryons converted into stars-two to three times higher than the most efficient galaxies at later epochs. The contribution from an active galactic nucleus is unlikely because of their extended emission. Ultra-massive galaxies account for as much as 17 per cent of the total cosmic star-formation-rate density17 at redshifts between about five and six.

A multi-wavelength overview of the giant spiral UGC 2885

UGC 2885 ($z = 0.01935$) is one of the largest and most massive galaxies in the local Universe, yet it has an undisturbed spiral structure, which is unexpected for such an object and is not predicted by cosmological simulations. Understanding the detailed properties of extreme systems such as UGC 2885 can provide insight into the limits of scaling relations and the physical processes driving galaxy evolution. Our goal is to understand whether UGC 2885 has followed a similar evolutionary path as other high-mass galaxies by examining its place in the fundamental metallicity relation and on the star-forming main sequence. We present new observations of UGC 2885 with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and the Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique 30 m telescope. We used these novel data to calculate metallicity and molecular hydrogen mass values, respectively. We estimated the stellar mass (M$_ star $) and star formation rate (SFR) based on mid-infrared observations with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. We find global metallicities $Z = 9.28$, 9.08, and 8.74 at the 25 kpc ellipsoid from the N2O2, R23, and O3N2 indices, respectively. This puts UGC 2885 at the high end of the galaxy metallicity distribution. We find a molecular hydrogen mass of M$_ $ M$_ odot $, a SFR of $1.63 odot $ yr$^ $, and a stellar mass of $4.83 $ M$_ odot $, which gives a star formation efficiency ($ SFR $) of $8.67 $ yr$^ $. This indicates that UGC 2885 has an extremely high molecular gas content compared to known samples of star-forming galaxies ($ times more) and a relatively low SFR for its current gas content. We conclude that UGC 2885 has gone through cycles of star formation periods, which increased its stellar mass and metallicity to its current state. The mechanisms that are fuelling the current molecular gas reservoir and keeping the galaxy from producing stars remain uncertain. We discuss the possibility that a molecular bar is quenching star-forming activity.

Extinction of Taurus, Orion, Perseus and California Molecular Clouds Based on the LAMOST, 2MASS, and Gaia Surveys. II. The Extinction Law

The extinction law from ultraviolet (UV) to infrared (IR; 0.2–24 μm) is determined by relying on the blue-edge method and color-excess ratios for some nearby molecular clouds, from the low-mass star-forming region to the massive star-forming region. The observational data are collected from nine photometric surveys, along with stellar parameters from the Apache Point Observatory Galaxy Evolution Experiment and LAMOST spectroscopic surveys. Within the uncertainties, the optical ratio of selective to total extinction ( RGBP ) does not vary substantially across the clouds, irrespective of the density, specifically RGBP=2.302±0.027 , where RGBP≡AGBP/EGBP,GRP . The IR extinction law is consistent with Wang & Chen. The extinction law in the UV band is compromised by the shallow depth with A V ≤ 2 mag and is hard to describe by one parameter R. In addition, the extinction in the WISE/W1 band is significantly larger than in the Spitzer/IRAC1 band in the dense regions, which is attributed to the ice water absorption.

The ultraviolet luminosity function of star-forming galaxies between redshifts of 0.4 and 0.6

Abstract We combine ultraviolet imaging of the 13H survey field, taken with the XMM-Newton Optical Monitor telescope (XMM-OM) and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory Ultraviolet and Optical Telescope (UVOT) in the UVM2 band, to measure rest-frame ultraviolet 1,500 Å luminosity functions of star-forming galaxies with redshifts z between 0.4 and 0.6. In total the UVM2 imaging covers a sky area of 641 arcmin2, and we detect 273 galaxies in the UVM2 image with 0.4 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 0.6. The luminosity function is fit by a Schechter function with best-fit values for the faint end slope $\alpha =-1.8^{+0.4}_{-0.3}$ and characteristic absolute magnitude $M^{*} = -19.1^{+0.3}_{-0.4}$. In common with XMM-OM based studies at higher redshifts, our best-fitting value for M* is fainter than previous measurements. We argue that the purging of active galactic nuclei from the sample, facilitated by the co-spatial X-ray survey carried out with XMM-Newton is important for the determination of M*. At the brightest absolute magnitudes (M1500 &amp;lt; −18.5) the average UV colour of our galaxies is consistent with that of minimal-extinction local analogues, but the average UV colour is redder for galaxies at fainter absolute magnitudes, suggesting that higher levels of dust attenuation enter the sample at absolute magnitudes somewhat fainter than M*.

Hybrid α -Ta/ β -Ta lumped element kinetic inductance detectors with photon noise limited sensitivity and stability

The terahertz (THz) band is of immense interest in astronomy as it encompasses significant energy generated following the Big Bang, offering critical insight into processes invisible in other bands, such as the earliest stages of planet, star, and galaxy formation. Kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) have emerged as a formidable contender in the field of THz astronomy, attributed to their exceptional sensitivity and scalability. In this study, we introduce a kind of KIDs incorporating a lumped element (LE) resonator design, with inductors fabricated on β-Ta film and capacitors on α-Ta film. We characterize the noise of the hybrid α-Ta/β-Ta LEKIDs, achieving an optical noise equivalent power of 8.3 ± 5.7 × 10−19 W/Hz1/2, demonstrating high sensitivity. Additionally, the LEKIDs exhibited stability across multiple thermal cycles. The combination of high sensitivity and stability makes the hybrid LEKIDs promising for the stringent demands of THz astronomy.

From particles to pixels: How many particles do I really need to construct stellar kinematic mock observational measurements?

Abstract This work considers the impact of resolution in the construction of mock observations of simulated galaxies. In particular, when building mock integral field spectroscopic observations from galaxy formation models in cosmological simulations, we investigate the possible systematics that may arise given the assumption that all galaxies above some stellar mass limit will provide unbiased and meaningful observable stellar kinematics. We build a catalogue of N-body simulations to sample the range of stellar particle resolutions within the Eagle Ref0050N0752 simulation box and examine how their observable kinematics vary relative to a higher-resolution N-body control. We use these models to compile a table of the minimum number of particles-per-pixel to reach a given uncertainty in the fitted line-of-sight velocity distribution parameters. Further, we introduce a Voronoi-binning module to the mock observation code, SimSpin, in order to meet these minimum numbers. Using Eagle, we show the impact of this shot noise on the observed spin-ellipticity plane and the recovery of this space when observations are binned with increasing numbers of particles. In conclusion, we advise binning mock images to meet at least 200 particles-per-pixel to avoid systematically under-estimating the velocity dispersion along a given line-of-sight. We demonstrate that this is important for comparing galaxies extracted from the same simulation, as well as between simulations of varying mass resolution and observations of real galaxies.

A hidden Active Galactic Nuclei population: the first radio luminosity functions constructed by physical process

Abstract Both star formation (SF) and Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) play an important role in galaxy evolution. Statistically quantifying their relative importance can be done using radio luminosity functions. Until now these relied on galaxy classifications, where sources with a mixture of radio emission from SF and AGN are labelled as either a star-forming galaxy or an AGN. This can cause the misestimation of the relevance of AGN. Brightness temperature measurements at 144 MHz with the International LOFAR telescope can separate radio emission from AGN and SF. We use the combination of sub-arcsec and arcsec resolution imaging of 7,497 sources in the Lockman Hole and ELAIS-N1 fields to identify AGN components in the sub-arcsec resolution images and subtract them from the total flux density, leaving flux density from SF only. We construct, for the first time, radio luminosity functions by physical process, either SF or AGN activity, revealing a hidden AGN population at L144MHz&amp;lt;1024 W Hz−1. This population is 1.56±0.06 more than expected for 0.5 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 2.0 when comparing to RLFs by galaxy classification. The star forming population has only 0.90±0.02 of the expected SF. These “hidden” AGN can have significant implications for the cosmic star formation rate and kinetic luminosity densities.

A halo model approach to describe clustering and emission of the two main star-forming galaxy populations for cosmic infrared background studies

A halo model approach to describe clustering and emission of the two main star-forming galaxy populations for cosmic infrared background studies

The importance of stochasticity in determining galaxy emissivities and UV LFs during cosmic dawn and reionization

The stochastic nature of star formation and photon propagation in high-redshift galaxies can result in sizable galaxy-to-galaxy scatter in their properties. Ignoring this scatter by assuming mean quantities can bias estimates of their emissivity and corresponding observables. We constructed a flexible, semi-empirical model, sampling scatter around the following mean relations: (i) the conditional halo mass function (CHMF); (ii) the stellar-to-halo mass relation (SHMR); (iii) the galaxy star formation main sequence (SFMS); (iv) the fundamental metallicity relation (FMR); (v) the conditional intrinsic luminosity; and (vi) the photon escape fraction. In our fiducial model, ignoring scatter in these galaxy properties overestimates the duration of the Epoch of Reionization (EoR), delaying its completion by $ z 1--2. We quantified the relative importance of each of the above sources of scatter in determining the ionizing, soft-band X-ray, and Lyman Werner (LW) emissivities as a function of scale and redshift. We find that scatter around the SFMS is important for all bands, especially at the highest redshifts where the emissivity is dominated by the faintest, most "bursty" galaxies. Ignoring this scatter would underestimate the mean emissivity and its standard deviation computed over 5 cMpc regions by factors of up to sim 2--10 at $5 z 15$. The scatter around the X-ray luminosity to star formation rate and metallicity relation is important for determining X-ray emissivity, accounting for roughly half of its mean and standard deviation. The importance of scatter in the ionizing escape fraction depends on its functional form, while scatter around the SHMR contributes at the level of sim 10--20&lt;!PCT!&gt;. Other sources of scatter have a negligible contribution to the emissivities. Although scatter does flatten the UV luminosity functions, shifting the bright end by 1--2 magnitudes, the level of scatter in our fiducial model is insufficient to fully explain recent estimates from JWST photometry (consistent with previous studies). We conclude that models of the EoR should account for the burstiness of star formation, while models for the cosmic 21cm signal should additionally account for scatter in intrinsic X-ray production.

CO-CAVITY project: Molecular gas and star formation in void galaxies

Cosmic voids, distinguished by their low-density environment, provide a unique opportunity to explore the interplay between the cosmic environment and the processes of galaxy formation and evolution. Nevertheless, few data on the molecular gas have been obtained so far. In this paper, we continue the research performed in the CO-CAVITY pilot project to study the molecular gas content and properties in void galaxies in order to search for possible differences compared to galaxies that inhabit denser structures. We used the IRAM 30\,m telescope to observe the CO(1--0) and CO(2--1) emission of 106 void galaxies selected from the CAVITY survey. Together with data from the literature, we obtained a sample of 200 void galaxies with CO data. We conducted a comprehensive comparison of the specific star formation rate (sSFR = SFR/ the molecular gas fraction ( and the star formation efficiency (SFE = H_2 $) between the void galaxies and a comparison sample of galaxies in filaments and walls selected from the xCOLD GASS survey. We find no statistically significant difference between void galaxies and a comparison sample in the molecular gas fraction as a function of stellar mass for galaxies on the star-forming main sequence (SFMS). However, for void galaxies, the SFE is found to be constant across all stellar mass bins, while there is a decreasing trend with for the comparison sample. Finally, we find some indications for a smaller dynamical range in the molecular gas fraction as a function of distance to the SFMS in void galaxies. Overall, we find that the molecular gas properties of void galaxies are not very different from those of denser environments. The physical origin of the most significant difference that we find ---a constant SFE as a function of stellar mass in void galaxies--- is unclear and further investigation and higher-resolution data are required to gain further insight.

A kiloparsec-scale ordered magnetic field in a galaxy at z=5.6

Magnetic fields are widely observed in various astronomical contexts, yet much remains unknown about their significance across different systems and cosmic epochs. Our current knowledge of the evolution of magnetic fields is limited by scarce observations in the distant Universe, where galaxies have recently been found to be more evolved than most model predictions. To address this gap, we conducted rest-frame 131\,mu m full-polarisation observations of dust emission in a strongly lensed dusty star-forming galaxy, SPT0346$-$52, at $z=5.6$, when the Universe was only 1 Gyr old. Dust grains can become aligned with local magnetic fields, resulting in the emission of linearly polarised thermal infrared radiation. Our observations have revealed a median polarisation level of $0.9 percent with a variation of $ percent across the 3\,kiloparsecs extention, indicating the presence of large-scale ordered magnetic fields. The polarised dust emission is patchy, offset from the total dust emission and mostly overlaps with the C\ ii $. The bimodal distribution of field orientations, their spatial distribution, and the connection with the cold gas kinematics further emphasise the complexity of the magnetic environment in this galaxy and the potential role of mergers in shaping its magnetic fields. Such early formation of ordered galactic magnetic fields also suggests that both small-scale and large-scale dynamos could be efficient in early galaxies. Continued observations of magnetic fields in early galaxies, as well as expanding surveys to a wider galaxy population, are essential for a comprehensive understanding of the prevalence and impact of magnetic fields in the evolving Universe.

Preferential occurrence of fast radio bursts in massive star-forming galaxies.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration events detected from beyond the Milky Way. FRB emission characteristics favour highly magnetized neutron stars, or magnetars, as the sources1, as evidenced by FRB-like bursts from a galactic magnetar2,3, and the star-forming nature of FRB host galaxies4,5. However, the processes that produce FRB sources remain unknown6. Although galactic magnetars are often linked to core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe)7, it is uncertain what determines which supernovae result in magnetars. The galactic environments of FRB sources can be used to investigate their progenitors. Here, we present the stellar population properties of 30 FRB host galaxies discovered by the Deep Synoptic Array (DSA-110). Our analysis shows a marked deficit of low-mass FRB hosts compared with the occurrence of star formation in the Universe, implying that FRBs are a biased tracer of star formation, preferentially selecting massive star-forming galaxies. This bias may be driven by galaxy metallicity, which is positively correlated with stellar mass8. Metal-rich environments may favour the formation of magnetar progenitors through stellar mergers9,10, as higher-metallicity stars are less compact and more likely to fill their Roche lobes, leading to unstable mass transfer. Although massive stars do not have convective interiors to generate strong magnetic fields by dynamo11, merger remnants are thought to have the requisite internal magnetic-field strengths to result in magnetars11,12. The preferential occurrence of FRBs in massive star-forming galaxies suggests that a core-collapse supernova of merger remnants preferentially forms magnetars.

Evidence for large scale compressible turbulence in the ism of CSWA13, a star-Forming Lensed Galaxy at z = 1.87 with outflowing wind

Recently, Keerthi Vasan G. et al. (2024) presented spatially resolved observations of a wind outflow in CSWA13, a gravitationally lensed Star-Forming galaxy at z = 1.87. The gravitational lensing allowed for a substantially improved spatial and kinematic resolution of the wind and of the nebular gas. In this paper we take advantage of the resolved data to test for the existence of turbulence and to study its nature. We obtained the autocorrelation functions of the two velocity fields, and derived the spatial structure functions of the residual nebular and wind velocities along the major axis of the galaxy. The structure functions, of both velocity fields, reveal the existence of an underlying k −2 power spectrum scaling. This scaling suggests the existence of supersonic compressible turbulence. The autocorre- lation functions exhibit correlations over scales comparable to the total extent of the velocity fields. Thus, the turbulence is a large scale one. The turbulent timescale corresponding to the largest scale is about 200 Myr, an order of magnitude larger than the estimated age of the wind and of the young stars. This implies that the turbulence in the ISM formed well before the wind and the young stars. Given the large spatial scale of the turbulence, it is plausible that the source of the turbulence is a large scale one e.g. a merger or tidal event that triggered the formation of molecular clouds, in the cores of which, the young stars formed. A steepening of the structure functions on the smaller scales provides an estimate for the effective depth along the line of sight of the turbulent layer. The latter turns out to be ∼ 2kpc